NEW DELHI -- Foreign militants, possibly from al-Qaida, may beplanning to bomb New Delhi and Bombay, the U.S. Embassy warnedFriday, raising fears that Osama bin Laden's network may be targetingIndia for its rising economic power and links to the United States.
An e-mail sent to Americans registered with the embassy said NewDelhi, the capital, and Bombay, the country's financial andentertainment hub, were targeted for attacks around …
The United States Department of Agriculture is expected to release new dietary guidelines and a new food pyramid in January. We figure: Why should you have to wait?
A 13-member federal advisory panel is currently revising dietary guidelines that will be incorporated into revisions of the traditional Food Guide Pyramid. On August 11, 2004, that panel issued a health warning: Americans must cut calories and salt, eat more whole grain products and get 30 minutes of daily moderate exercise, such as brisk walking or gardening.
With almost two-thirds of Americans overweight or obese, calorie intake needs to be curtailed, the panel said. Members agreed with federal exercise …
Defending champion Tommy Armour III made a 36-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a three-way playoff with Scott Simpson and Brock MacKenzie on Sunday to win the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational.
The 49-year-old Armour, a two-time PGA Tour winner, began the day with a five-stroke lead over Rich Beem. But Armour finished with a 4-over 76 in a round that included four bogeys, a double bogey and two birdies.
Simpson, a former U.S. Open champion, finished with a 70 after beginning the final round trailing Armour by six shots.
MacKenzie, a former Nationwide Tour player without tour status for 2009, rallied from a nine-shot deficit with a …
Circuit Court clerk Angel Gonzales yesterday pointed the fingerat attorney Robert Daniels for handing him cash bribes to steer 60clients to the attorney.
Testifying under a grant of immunity in the Greylordcourt-corruption trial of Daniels, six other attorneys and JudgeRaymond C. Sodini, Gonzales recalled the cash payoffs averaging $20apiece at the Belmont and Western branch court where he once worked.
Once Daniels gave him $150 for one case, Gonzales told a federaljury. Questioned by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Rogers, Gonzalessaid he was paid off in hallways, the lockup, washroom and clerk'soffice of the branch court.
Gonzales, now assigned to the …
WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Friday called the Bush administration "phonies" for suggesting a modest withdrawal of troops from Iraq is the result of progress rather than the fact that the U.S. has no more troops to send.
In a conference call with reporters, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Democrats made the "right decision" to not claim that the drawdown was a result of their congressional pressure.
"I think it would have made us look as bad as they are, the phonies that they're being," said the Delaware senator.
In a televised address Thursday, President Bush said that 5,700 U.S. forces would be home by …
READING, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania man is being sought on charges he fired a gun inside a home, causing the death of a baby the floor below.
Authorities are searching for Akeem Page, of Reading (REH-'ding), on involuntary manslaughter charges.
Berks County District Attorney John Adams says Page was upstairs with the baby's mother Sunday when he was handling a rifle …
Doire, René, French composer; b. Evreux, June 13, 1879; d. Paris, July 9, 1959. He studied in Rouen and later in Paris with Widor and d'Indy; he then was engaged as a bandleader in the casinos of various French spas. He composed an opera, …
The reason your company exists is expressed through its mission statement. But do employees take mission statements seriously?
Quick! Name the most popular management tool of the past 20 years. Now name the least respected. In both cases, the management tool in question is the "mission statement." By now, just about everybody has heard of mission statements those warm and fuzzy phrases that typically go something like: "We, the management and staff of ABC Corp., hereby pledge our continuous effort to provide the best service, selection, satisfaction and value for each and every customer, whether the need be large or small... yadda, yadda, yadda."
Whatever the phraseology, …
A bomb exploded in the back garden of an Italian restaurant popular with foreigners in Pakistan's capital Saturday night, killing two people and wounding nine, police said.
The restaurant was crowded with Americans and Chinese when the blast went off, said employee Hagi Mal, who was wounded in the shoulder.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy said American citizens are among the wounded. Sky News television reported a British diplomat was also hurt.
It appeared to be the first attack targeting foreigners in a recent wave of violence.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is …
Fishing rights for a North-east river have gone on the market forpounds400,000.
The 18-mile River Ugie is on offer after a community bid to buythe rights failed.
Anglers in Peterhead attempted an ambitious buy-out earlier thisyear.
The group spent five months trying to raise cash to meet theinitial pounds350,000 asking price.
But the Ugie Angling Association had only raised pounds40,000 bythe mid-May …
Anita Yoder Kehr, MDiv 1998, pastor, Berkey Avenue Mennonite Church, Goshen, Ind.
Rachel Miller Jacobs, MDiv 2000, pastor of Christian formation, Kern Road Mennonite Church South Bend, Ind.
Brad Schantz, MATS 2000, Bible instructor, Bluffton College, Bluffton, Ohio
Valerie Smith, MDiv 2000, serving with Mennonite Central Committee in Bosnia
Todd Friesen, MDiv 2000, pastor, Lombard Mennonite Church, Lombard, Ill.
Jeff Williams, MDiv 2002, associate pastor, Nappanee Brethren in Christ Church, Nappanee, Ind.
Jackie Wyse, MDiv 2002, serving in the Netherlands under Mennonite Mission …
It's been several years since Marek Tomasikiewicz and his family left Poland for a better life in Britain _ higher wages for him and his wife, boosted by the strength of the pound, and a better education for his daughter.
They were among hundreds of thousands of Poles who escaped the low wages and high unemployment of this ex-communist country, an exodus underwritten by Polish membership in the European Union.
Times, though, have changed.
Slowing economies in Western Europe and shifting exchange rates are altering the economic calculation for would-be immigrants, and some who came are finding that Britain and Ireland _ the destination for most …
FINE DECADE: For the last 10 years, Courtright's in Willow Springshas been wooing patrons with its fine dining menu and extensive winecellar. The restaurant's owners talk about the secret to theirsuccess. See story, Page 6.
HOLD THE MEAT: A new proposal to get Americans eating morevegetables and fruits is to avoid meats one day each week. It's anidea that can only do us good. See Page 3.
Ghana's opposition leader has predicted that he would win the presidential election, based on the vote count from the majority of constituencies before announcement of the final results on Tuesday.
The Electoral Commission said Monday that partial results from the runoff showed opposition candidate John Atta Mills ahead with 52.1 percent of counted ballots or 4,065,883 votes, compared with 47.9 percent, or 3,737,655 votes, for the ruling party's Nana Akufo-Addo. The figures were based on votes from 200 of 233 constituencies.
Speaking to reporters and supporters late Monday, Atta Mills said "the figures we have shows that I have the election, and I am just waiting for the (Electoral Commission) to declare me winner."
An official of the governing New Patriotic Party, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, rejected the comments. He said if the ruling party lost, it "would exhaust the law courts" to challenge the results.
Each side has accused the other of irregularities, and court challenges or demands for recounts are expected. Some analysts predict Atta Mills could win by less than 50,000 votes in the extremely tight contest. An estimated 12.4 million of Ghana's 23 million population are registered to vote.
Though tensions are running high, Obetsebi-Lamptey said there would be no violence.
"We are not going into the streets and burn down Accra because we disagree with some results," he said.
Hundreds of opposition supporters, some carrying sticks, swarmed around the building where the Electoral Commission is expected to announce the final vote tally around midday. Tensions were high, and a heavy police presence was visible in the area.
An observer team from the 15-nation regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States, has commended the way the election was run. The bloc's leader, Yakubu Gowon, urged "the political leaders to accept the verdict of the people in the interest of peace."
Opposition supporters claim results from the ruling party stronghold of Ashanti in central Ghana have been fraudulently increased. The governing party claims their observers were assaulted in eastern border Volta region, an opposition stronghold, and could not monitor Sunday's runoff.
Atta Mills and Akufo-Addo, both aged 64 and British-educated barristers, topped a field of eight candidates but neither received more than the required 50 percent in the first round of voting on Dec. 7. They are vying to succeed President John Kufuor, who is retiring after two terms as required by law.
Ghana is a rare example of democracy in a region of totalitarian states. The country suffered back-to-back coups in the 1970s and 1980s but then took a turn toward democracy when strongman Jerry Rawlings organized elections. He won two terms, then surprised the world by ceding power when his party's candidate lost the 2000 vote.
Ghana's foreign investment has grown more than 2,000 percent and exports have more than doubled since the ruling party took office eight years ago. Yet many say there is little to show for all the statistics indicating success. Ghana remains one of the world's poorest countries. One in 10 adults is unemployed and 40 percent of the population cannot read or write. The average citizen earns $3.80 a day and is dead at 59.
On Monday, the influential and independent Radio Joy FM announced it "has projected Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress as Ghana's next president." It predicted that Atta Mills would win with 50.47 percent of votes.
Singing and dancing supporters of the academic spilled into the streets to declare their victory.
The governing party challenged the radio station's call.
Akufo-Addo, a 30-year veteran of Ghanaian politics, has campaigned on his party's success in driving the economy in Ghana, the world's No. 2 cocoa producer and the latest African nation to discover oil. Ghana's economy has grown by more than 6 percent annually since Akufo-Addo's party took office eight years ago. Investment has grown 20-fold and the discovery of oil is expected to boost state coffers by more than 20 percent with between $2 and $3 billion a year.
Atta Mills, a tax specialist, accuses the governing party of corruption.
___
On the Net:
Radio Joy FM: http://www.myjoyonline.com
Pro Football Weekly projected what this draft would have lookedlike if underclassmen had not been drafted last year. Seven of thetop eight were last year's underclassmen. Only Notre Dame's RaghibIsmail, the one highly touted underclassman this year, made the topeight.
But the NFL will allocate its new players with all the usualfanfare today and tomorrow. Rookies will win roster spots in thesummer, as always. The best bets to do so are the ones who go in thefirst three rounds. Most of the prospects rated in that range arelisted below.
The strongest position is wide receiver, with halfback,defensive back and quarterback coming next. Of the Bears'first-round preferences, offensive linemen are better than defensivelinemen, but defensive linemen are one of the draft's biggestweaknesses.
The following grades were based on evaluations of pro footballpersonnel specialists.
China's stock market chalked up a stellar _ and turbulent _ year Friday, with its benchmark Shanghai Composite index having soared nearly 97 percent, making it the world's best-performing major stock index in 2007.
But worries that authorities will raise interest rates or take other steps to cool the country's blazing growth caused the market to drop slightly in Friday's trading, with the Shanghai index falling 0.9 percent to 5,261.56 points.
The Shenzhen Composite Index for China's second, smaller market dipped 0.4 percent to 1,447.02.
News of the assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto _ which heightened concerns about instability in Pakistan and the surrounding region _ also gave investors an excuse to take profits, traders said.
Looking ahead, concerns about tightening measures will likely restrain the market's gains next year, analysts said.
"We expect the stock market will go up in 2008, but the magnitude of the growth will be less than that of 2006 and 2007," said Gui Haoming, chief strategist of Shenyin & Wanguo Securities. "The economy will keep growing but there is uncertainty" about the "government's macro-economic control."
It has been a volatile year for China's stock market with several sudden drops, including a nearly 9 percent plunge in the Shanghai index in late February that sparked a brief sell-off in global markets.
While the Shanghai index surged 96.7 percent over 2007, it has also fallen about 14 percent since hitting a record high of 6,124.04 points in mid-October.
On Friday, financial firms fell on concern that Beijing might announce new monetary tightening measures over the long holiday weekend. Markets were due to reopen Wednesday after New Year's.
The government is trying to keep the fast-growing economy, which is expected to expand by more than 11 percent this year, from igniting inflation or a debt crisis and has raised interest rates repeatedly and tightened access to credit.
Shenzhen Development Bank dropped 1 percent after rising 10 percent during the past two weeks. Ping An Insurance fell 2 percent after gaining 7 percent over the same period.
Also pulling the market lower was heavyweight PetroChina, which fell 1.4 percent. Investors have been concerned that shares in the oil giant are overvalued. Analysts say the company's market capitalization is so huge that a 1 percentage point drop in PetroChina pulls down the main Shanghai index by 20 points.
"PetroChina is still far too expensive," said Guosen Securities analyst Wang Junqing. "At this price, the firm's net profit growth has to be 20 percent, but PetroChina's profit forecast is 10 percent."
Gold miners bucked the downward trend after news of Bhutto's assassination prompted some investors to shift out of the U.S. dollar and take refuge in gold. Zhongjin Gold rose 7.7 percent and Shandong Gold-Mining gained 5.6 percent.
President Hugo Chavez signed a decree to expropriate a French-owned retail chain Wednesday, accusing the retailer of improperly raising prices and hoarding goods after Venezuela devalued its currency.
The state takeover of Exito hypermarkets raised concerns of Venezuelan business leaders, who predicted private investment will decline as a result of the government's drive to expropriate stores involved in what it calls price speculation.
"Who is going to invest in a country where at any moment and on any whim ... a business can simply be expropriated?" said Ismael Perez Vigil, who leads the country's largest industrial chamber.
Chavez said his government would transform Exito, which is majority-controlled by the French company Casino Guichard Perrachon SA, into a chain of state-run stores that will sell products at cut-rate prices as part of his drive toward socialism.
"We are expropriating the assets, buildings and transportation that make up the Exito hypermarket chain," Chavez said.
The president signed the decree a day after the National Assembly, which is dominated by his political allies, gave initial approval to legislation that expands the government's authority to expropriate businesses for improperly raising prices.
Lawmakers also paved the way for the expropriation of a mall in downtown Caracas.
The newly built Sambil mall has been vacant and its entrances sealed for more than a year since Chavez announced in December 2008 that he planned to expropriate it. He said then that the mall was monstrous, would create excessive traffic and should instead be put to other uses by the government.
Government officials have yet to publicly discuss compensation for the owners of the mall or Exito.
Chavez has warned he will crack down on businesses that raise prices following the devaluation earlier this month of Venezuela's currency, the bolivar.
Government inspectors accompanied by soldiers have temporarily shut down more than 1,000 businesses this month, including Exito's six stores in Venezuela, accusing them of improperly raising prices. Authorities took over management of Exito's stores Tuesday.
The expropriation of Exito will expand the government's presence in retail sales. It has a network of state-run subsidized food markets and recently opened a business selling arepas _ toasted corn cakes that are a common meal in Venezuela.
Chavez also has nationalized businesses in the steel, telecommunications, electricity, cement and oil sectors.
"His stuff is ready," said the coach.
Not quite five years later, as he takes the mound for his Wrigley Field debut today, that still might be the best way to describe Matt Garza with certainty.
The stuff has always been there, since the day he was drafted in the first round out of Fresno State through his American League Championship Series MVP performance his first full year in the big leagues in 2008, through a 15-win season in the rugged AL East last year.
Electric stuff that starts with a hard, heavy fastball he used almost exclusively in his no-hitter against Detroit last July.
The only question has been the other stuff. The electric temper that tended to short and spark during games, sometimes turning a little damage into a big inning, or a loss — and in one highly publicized case turning pitcher against catcher on the mound and then moments later in the dugout, with TV cameras rolling.
Garza hasn't had an incident rise to that level since that 2008 run-in with his Tampa Bay catcher Dioner Navarro, likely at least in part because of the work he started doing with a sports psychologist soon after that.
But it's one of the first questions that came up in January when the Cubs traded for Garza in that eight-player deal with Tampa Bay, sending him out of a small media market for the first time in his career and into one of the most ardent, passionate, vocal places in baseball.
"We did a lot of [background] work on him," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said. "Obviously, he was able to handle himself on the biggest stage in the biggest games [in the playoffs and World Series]. And part of the emotion that he has, we like. I've always been from the school of thought that you'd rather have to have a guy notch it down a little bit than have to jump-start him."
But Garza has also toned it down noticeably since his minor-league days with the Twins — when friction over development of secondary pitches caused a longer stretch in the minors in '07 — and his first season or two in the big leagues.
"That kind of goes with age," he said of learning to channel his emotions. "Being 27 now and a father of three, it's kind of easy to slow things down. This is how you want to be portrayed and how you want to be seen.
"Of course, I get angry. Being a competitor and being fiery, you get angry, but you find a way to let it out."
One way is to pause more often from his typical catch-and-fire pace when things aren't going the way he wants on the mound. Having his kids' names written under his cap to look at for inspiration sometimes helps, too.
"His desire to be so, so good sometimes worked against him," said Cubs teammate Carlos Pena, who also spent the last three seasons with Garza in Tampa Bay. "But now he's in the process of learning how to control himself, so that when things do go bad, he still understands, 'Hey, wait a second, a ground ball right here, a double play, I'm out of [the inning] with only one run scored.'
"To have the presence of mind to be able to control himself and think that way, that's huge. And he has done it better and better and better over the years."
The turning point came that night in Texas in 2008 when Garza got into a shouting match on the mound with Navarro that carried into the dugout, where they had to be separated.
"I got embarrassed," Garza said. "I was embarrassed because everybody saw it. It wasn't in the clubhouse. It was on the field. I not only embarrassed myself, but I embarrassed my family. And having kids, you don't ever want to do that."
As Rays manager Joe Maddon told reporters after Garza pitched the Rays into the World Series that fall, "I confronted him afterward. I'd had it with him. But then he said flat out, 'I need help.'"
That's when Maddon put him together with a sports psychologist he knew.
"And you see what Garza's become," Maddon said.
"You just learn from it and grow," said Garza, who had joined the Rays in a multiplayer trade the previous winter. "I was 24 at the time, 24 in the big leagues and a lot of responsibilities. I was a big name in a trade and trying to live up to the trade. And I figured out the rough way that it's not the right way to handle yourself."
If nothing else, that should be a good starting point after this trade, with Garza again the centerpiece and considered a key player for a team at a crossroads.
"The competitive fire and spirit, the intensity, were well documented in the American League," Hendry said, "and well respected by the American League GMs. I can't tell you how many people called us after we got him and said, 'You're going to love this guy; we'd love to have him.'"
Ezra Shaw
Under the theme "Solutions for Diversity", Shima Seiki Mfg., Ltd. will show its strength in flat knitting technology at ITMA 2011, and will introduce a number of new machine models. In fact, approximately ten of the models on exhibit at its 500-square-meter booth will be new machines.
At ITMA 2011, Shima Seiki will exhibit the SCG122SN computerized flat knitting machine with coarse gauge capability. Over the years, Shima Seiki has been supplying the world's knitting industry with specialized technology ideally suited to each application. Continuing that tradition is the SCG 1 22SN available in 3 and 4 gauges, In addition to such priorities as speed, efficiency and consistent quality, market demand reveals that the computerization of traditionally hand-knitted low-gauge knitwear must place additional emphasis on fabric texture and feel. Incorporating the company's unique "SlideNeedle", the SCG 1 22SN 3 gauge can produce knitwear with robust, hand-crafted texture as low as 2 gauge.
The "SlideNeedle" features a special slider mechanism that effectively eliminates the transfer clip, and allows the needle to be mounted in the center of the needle groove, thereby achieving perfectly symmetrical loop formation for knitting the highest possible quality fabrics. It opens the door to possibilities never imagined before through superior transfer capability and new knitting techniques.
Using a special motor-driven mechanism, racking for transfer is performed by both front and rear beds simultaneously in two directions, reducing total racking movement by half. The shorter racking stroke permitted by this setup results in better racking control and knit capability, and it also contributes to a more compact machine size.
Space efficiency is improved during installation by integrating the fabric collection tray within the machine frame. The network connector is repositioned on the side of the controller for easier access when performing production data management with Shima Network Solutions.
The SCG 1 22SN comes with the proven Digital Stitch Control System (DSCS) as standard. Considered one of the most significant breakthroughs in flatbed knitting technology, the patented DSCS continuously adjusts yarn feed and tension to yield loop consistency with tolerance to within a remarkable +/- 1 96. The result is quality control capability that is virtually impossible with conventional analog systems. In addition to being an essential element in quality shaping and integral garment production, DSCS allows consistency among different batches and repeat orders.
Another model on exhibit is the SSRI 1 2 computerized flat knitting machine. The SSR inherits the company's know-how and experience accumulated over the years as the leading manufacturer of computerized flat knitting machines. Productivity is increased with a maximum knitting speed of 1.2 meters per second, as well as with the "R2CARRIAGE" system that achieves quicker carriage returns. It also carries over Shima Seiki's proven technology including the Digital Stitch Control System, spring-loaded Full-Sinker System, Stitch Presser; Yarn Gripper and Cutter and Takedown Comb. It is a model that satisfies the high expectations of the world's fashion industry with combined Made-in-Japan quality, reliability, productivity, user-friendliness and cost-performance.
Also on display will be the latest version of "SDS-ONE APEX3" 3D apparel design workstation for promoting design and simulation features aimed at the apparel and textile industries. The SDS-ONE APEX3 is capable of highly photo-realistic simulations for knitwear and printed textiles, as well as woven and pile fabrics, for performing design and color evaluations without the need for costly and time-consuming sample making. APEX3 also features a userfriendly Assistant Menu for easy operation by beginners and professionals alike.
Shima Seiki will also show a faster and more efficient version of the SIP inkjet printing system.
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I am interested in artists who have rejected acquired skill or rational will in favor of something else they believe to be more authentic. I suppose the broad term for this relinquishing of agency would be automat/sm-at once a strategy with art-historical roots and an inevitable, Inextricable part of many artists' processes. I often think about the degree to which artists are willing to give away control, ranging from the incorporation of chance within very organized parameters to the extreme dissociation of outsider artists such as Madge Gill and Augustin Lesage, who credited their work entirely to spirit guides.
I make figurative paintings, yet I want to arrive at figurative imagery not by consciously representing something but by more oblique processes such as pasting fragments of painted canvas onto the work, using found objects as supports, or suggesting forms by outlining negative spaces. Francis Bacon said that he would paint certain features of his portraits in an irrational way in order to "attempt to bring the figurative thing up onto the nervous system more violently and more poignantly." For me, it is nearly impossible to know what part of the finished work comes from what part of the process. It's not as simple as picking the painting apart in the aftermath of production and deciding what was made consciously, what was made unconsciously, what came from memory, what came from external reference, and what came from goodness knows where else.
[Author Affiliation]
KATY MORAN IS AN ARTIST BASED IN LONDON.
Gunmen seized a 4-year-old boy on his way home from school in the southern Philippines, authorities said Friday, blaming a notorious kidnapping-for-ransom gang allegedly in league with local officials.
Police and soldiers arrested one suspect _ a former radio DJ _ hours after the four gunmen in a car snatched the son of a Chinese-Filipino trader in Cotabato city on Thursday, Senior Superintendent Willie Dangane said.
The three other suspects, believed to be holding the boy in a village near Cotabato, reportedly are employees of the transportation department of a Muslim autonomous region in the southern Philippines, Dangane said.
The boy was suffering from fever and asthma, he said.
Cotabato Mayor Muslimin Sema suspected that the kidnapping, the fourth in the region since May, was the work of a group of former Muslim rebels and local gunmen known as the Pentagon gang. The group has been blamed for several abductions in recent years in the central part of southern Mindanao island, where Muslim rebels maintain strongholds.
The rebels have been fighting for Muslim self-rule in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation's south for decades.
Sema said the series of ransom kidnappings could be linked to next year's national elections as candidates may be looking for ways to fund their campaigns. Kidnappings and bank robberies usually rise ahead of elections.
Wealthy traders of Chinese descent and their families are often targets of kidnappings.
The 70-year-old sister of a Chinese-Filipino hotel owner in the city was released from seven days of captivity earlier this month after her family paid a ransom. Her brother and his 10-year-old daughter were also held in February for four days.
Last month, Philippine troops and Muslim rebels worked together in a brief, rare alliance to force the kidnappers to abandon a Chinese tourist held for five days.
The Abu Sayyaf, a smaller but more violent al-Qaida-linked group, also has carried out kidnappings in the southern Philippines, and has been holding an Italian Red Cross worker since January.
MONACO (AP) — Track and field's governing body said Friday it has stabilized its financial situation and is promising to ensure strict financial control in the coming years.
The IAAF council, which is meeting in Monaco this weekend, said in a statement that cost cuttings and the arrival of new sources of revenues will ensure that the IAAF reserves in 2015 would be higher than at the end of 2011.
The council said "the IAAF reserves in the long term would be in excess of the minimum level agreed of $50 million for the next 5 years."
The IAAF said in August the budget deficit for 2010, which had earlier been forecast at $16 million, was around $9 million thanks to cuts in spending and a deal sealed with electronics giant Samsung to sponsor the Diamond League meets.
That deal is said to be worth around $3 million per year for the next two years, with the option of extending for a third year.
The council "was pleased to see that as a result of a combination of cost cutting and the arrival of new revenue streams such as Samsung's title sponsorship of the IAAF Diamond League, the financial situation of the IAAF has been stabilized," IAAF said.
The IAAF's finances had been hit by the economic crisis and a drop in television revenue when a long-term deal with the European Broadcasting Union ended at the end of 2009. The IAAF subsequently signed a significantly smaller deal with Stockholm-based IEC.
The body said Friday it recently sealed TV deals for its competitions with Norway, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Czech Republic, Portugal, Slovenia and Cyprus.
The council also announced that the Gateshead Diamond League meet will be moved to Birmingham starting next year and decided that athletes from the Netherlands Antilles will now represent the Netherlands.
"Netherlands Antilles has ceased to exist as a separate territory (...) and IAAF membership will drop from 213 to 212," the governing body said.
General manager Ken Williams will head south this week in anattempt to move the White Sox up in the standings, and he is ready todeal at a moment's notice.
With the winter meetings set to kick off Friday in New Orleans,Williams is prepared to consummate a transaction at the airport, athis hotel, in a room full of baseball executives or on BourbonStreet.
It isn't so much that a number of other teams already have addedkey components to their 2004 rosters. It's just the feelingsurrounding the winter meetings that gets Williams ready to makedeals.
It creates a sense of urgency," he said, but we're always ready todo something that makes sense at any time."
At last year's meetings in Nashville, Tenn., Williams appearedanimated after a late-night and early-morning swap of ideas with ahandful of other unidentified general managers. Two days later,Montreal Expos GM Omar Minaya admitted the Sox were among the teamshe was in discussions with. A month after that, the Sox obtainedBartolo Colon from the Expos.
Williams once again will head into the meetings searching forpitching help after Colon ended his one-year stay with the Sox bysigning with the Anaheim Angels on Tuesday.
The Sox' fourth-year GM could be close to adding a front-linestarter as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees already have done,or he could lay the groundwork for something to happen in the nearfuture.
Our seeds are planted long before you get to the winter meetings,"Williams said. You never know when you'll match up with a club. Younever know when you'll match up with a free agent."
Williams was optimistic about the 2003 club even before themidseason acquisitions of Roberto Alomar and Carl Everett. While theSox failed to make the playoffs -- and Alomar and Everett will go theway of Colon and sign with another team -- Williams isn't about topanic.
We felt good about the team even though we didn't accomplish ourseason-ending goal," he said. At this point, you can only spend somuch time being disappointed or being discouraged. You have to moveforward."
Here are the Sox' top five priorities for the winter meetings:
Starting pitching
The Sox could use two new starters heading into spring training.They were in the same position a year ago and came away with Colonand Esteban Loaiza, the find of the offseason.
While it might not be realistic to land a pitcher the caliber ofGreg Maddux, other available free agents include Shawn Estes, SidneyPonson and Pedro Astacio, who is coming off shoulder surgery in June.
Former Sox left-hander Wilson Alvarez, who had a mini-resurgencelast season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, also is available.Acquiring Odalis Perez from the Dodgers no longer seems likely,despite persistent rumors.
Relief pitching
Billy Koch will get the first crack at the closer job with DamasoMarte waiting in the wings. Marte expressed a desire last season toeventually become a starter, but that isn't likely to happen in 2004.
That leaves the Sox looking for a setup man now that Tom Gordonand Scott Sullivan have signed elsewhere. The Diamondbacks' MikeMyers, the Royals' Graeme Lloyd, the Dodgers' Paul Quantrill and theBraves' Darren Holmes are free agents who could provide the answer.
Outfield help
The Sox are prepared to let a healthy Aaron Rowand take over incenter field, but it couldn't hurt to have somebody in waiting if hefalters. Available free agents include Todd Hollandsworth, MarvinBenard and Orlando Palmeiro.
Carlos Lee and Magglio Ordonez are expected to remain in left andright field, respectively, though both have been involved in traderumors. The Sox hope Joe Borchard finally is ready, but he struggledoffensively at Class AAA Charlotte last season. Minor-leaguesensation Jeremy Reed is only 22 and at least another year away.
Utility infielder
Recently acquired Juan Uribe is expected to take over TonyGraffanino's utility role, but he could be busy elsewhere if he beatsout Willie Harris for the second-base job.
Because Harris doesn't play any infield position except second,another utility player isn't a bad idea. Obtaining the Dodgers' AlexCora via trade would unite him with brother Joey Cora, the Sox' newthird-base coach. The Angels' Adam Kennedy also is rumored to beavailable, while free agent Todd Walker has said he is open toplaying multiple positions.
Bench power
Power hitters eyeing a spot on the Sox bench, beware. With theteam committed to Joe Crede at third, Lee in left and Ordonez inright, playing time is hard to come by. Jeff Liefer didn't like hislimited action two years ago, and Brian Daubach and Armando Rios wereunhappy last season.
Time will tell if Ozzie Guillen can find more playing time for hisbench than Jerry Manuel did. With Daubach being placed on waiversWednesday and Rios turned loose after the season ended, the Sox againwill be on the prowl for bench help.
Game 3 of the World Series was jeopardized Saturday night by rain and gusty winds.
Rain was falling and the tarp covered the infield about two hours before the scheduled first pitch at 8:35 p.m. Phillies players warmed up throwing to each other in right field.
The forecast called for a 90 percent chance of rain, according to the National Weather Service. The rain was to let up after midnight.
"From what I understand, it's not going to start on time, but possibly relatively close," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "The proverbial window is like a 9:30 or so window, although this sounds like it may be a big bay window, where you actually could play a baseball game. They're saying after this weather clears out, it should be good for the rest of the night."
Maddon was happy the delay was in a ballpark that opened in 2004 and has modern facilities and space.
"If you're in Fenway, in that clubhouse, it gets kind of annoying," he said. "The clubhouse is, what, maybe half this size. And when you have all the amenities and you get yourself a nice cheesesteak while you're waiting or watch a game on the tube _ J.P. Howell is up there watching Texas versus Oklahoma State right now _ this kind of facility ameliorates that situation a bit and permits you to get through the moment."
His use of "ameliorates" brought laughter from a room of baseball reporters not used to team personnel uttering polysyllabic words.
Maddon wondered how his starting pitcher would spend the time.
"Matt Garza is a different story. I don't know what he's going to do. If there's a padded room around here, I'd really like to know about, so he can go there and bounce around for a bit," he said.
The series was tied at a game apiece heading into Philadelphia's first home World Series game in 15 years. A postponement would result in games at Philadelphia on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. If the Series went to a sixth game, it would be played Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla., and the teams would lose the off day.
SYDNEY (AP) — Police have charged an Australian mother with manslaughter after her young child died of dehydration after allegedly being left alone in a car.
A police statement says the 30-year-old woman was charged Wednesday with the death of her 22-month-old daughter. The woman faces a potential maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if convicted of manslaughter.
Police say the woman brought her daughter to a medical center last Thursday but the child could not be resuscitated. Police have not said how long they believe the child was left in a car.
An autopsy found the toddler died of dehydration.
The mother's name cannot be released for legal reasons.
ATLANTA (AP) — The ownership group of the Atlanta Hawks says the team will not soon be sold.
SI.com reported Thursday that a sale is about to be consummated.
The Atlanta Spirit issued a statement saying "we have spoken with a number of parties, but at this time, there is no deal in place, nor is there an exclusive negotiating agreement in place."
Hawks spokesman Arthur Triche said Thursday the team had no further comment.
The SI.com report says one of its "sources confirmed that the sale is about to be consummated, but declined to identify the buyer."
Last month, the Atlanta Spirit sold the Atlanta Thrashers to an ownership group that moved the NHL franchise to Winnipeg.
The Atlanta Spirit has sought investors for the Hawks and Philips Arena for several years.
The physical therapy marketplace runs the gamut from small operators with one or two clinics to huge companies with hundreds of locations.
Luke Drayer wants to be somewhere in the middle.
Drayer recently established Hummelstown-based Drayer Physical Therapy Institute, which operates six clinics in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York.
Drayer expects to have 10 to 12 clinics open by October and to add an additional 10 to 12 clinics in 2004.
Within five years, the company could have 40 to 50 clinics, he said.
But Drayer's plan doesn't include becoming mammoth like Birmingham, Ala.-based HealthSouth Corp. or Select Medical Corp. in Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County.
For example, Select Medical operates more than 730 outpatient rehabilitation clinics in the United States and Canada.
"As soon as we water down our ability to serve the patient consistently, we stop," said Drayer, chief executive officer of Drayer Physical Therapy Institute.
Drayer was a principal with Harrisburg's Joyner Sportsmedicine Institute Inc. when NovaCare Inc. purchased the company in 1998. Select Medical subsequently purchased King of Prussiabased NovaCare.
Drayer left Select Medical in August 2000. Drayer Physical Therapy Institute opened its first locations last year in Bel Air, Md. and Binghamton, N.Y.
Because of a non-compete clause Drayer had with Select Medical, however, the company could not open its Hummelstown and Linglestown clinics until April.
The company also has clinics in Lewistown and Elizabethtown. The clinics specialize in outpatient orthopedic physical therapy.
Drayer Physical Therapy Institute expects to focus much of its growth in the eastern United States, Drayer said. Areas targeted for development include Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and the Pittsburgh area.
The company will own and operate most of its clinics, but it will manage some for other entities. For example, the company manages the clinics in Binghamton and Elizabethtown, but it does not own them.
In addition, Drayer said the company plans to grow mostly by establishing new clinics, not by acquiring existing facilities.
Drayer Physical Therapy Institute has 65 employees, a number Drayer said could rise to 300 to 400 within three or four years.
By the end of this year, the company should be on pace to have annual revenue of $5 million, he said.
By the end of 2005, the company should be on pace to have annual revenues of $25 million to $30 million, he added.
Demand for physical therapy has increased in recent years, said Susan Hartman, regional director of business development for HealthSouth.
One reason for this growth is that the population is aging and is more likely to need physical therapy after an injury or surgery, she said. In addition, active people are becoming more aware of and educated about physical therapy.
For example, HealthSouth's outpatient centers in York County logged about 60,000 visits in 1999 and about 73,000 visits in 2002, Hartman said. Those centers offer physical, occupational and speech therapy services.
"We see continued growth in our outpatient operations..." Hartman said. "We have more active people who want to remain active."
Drayer said Drayer Physical Therapy Institute has an advantage over larger and smaller providers because the company is small enough to have a local presence in the communities it serves, while also being large enough to have the resources to attract well-known physical therapists.
Drayer said his company is especially attractive to physical therapists who have thought about opening their own clinics but don't want to take the risk or don't have the money to establish a business.
"We try to run our facilities like a locally based private practice instead of a corporation," he said.
Drayer said that Drayer Physical Therapy Institute plans to form a research foundation in 2004 that will conduct clinical trials to examine current physical therapy techniques and theories.
The company also will continue to look for invitations to open additional clinics from individual doctors, physician practices and hospitals.
"We run to invitations," Drayer said.
MARK THIS OCCASION
Filene's Basement has its Running of the Brides; women's boutiqueAndrews & Andrews in Concord Center now has what it playfully callsthe Running With the Mother of the Bride and Groom. All of thestore's special occasion dresses, originally $379 to $1,349, are $99-$399; brands include Daymor Couture, Junnie Leigh, Joseph Ribkoff,and Ursula of Switzerland. The store also has a nice selection ofjackets, skirts, and pants, many by emerging European designers, at75 percent off. Andrews & Andrews is at 32 Main St., Concord, 978-369-9209. www.andrewsandandrews.net
TURNING BLUE JEANS INTO GREEN
It sounds like magic to us, but until Sunday, Gap stores arecollecting old denim (could be men's, women's, or kids') to be madeinto cotton fiber housing insulation for communities in need. (Justhow does that work, you ask? The process, and projects completedthus far, are explained on the denim drive website:www.cottonfrombluetogreen.org.) Should you bring in your cast-offs,you'll get 30 percent off on a new denim purchase (Converse andStella McCartney for GapKids and babyGap are excluded). Find storelocations at www.gap.com.
FINE DINING TO GO
Dining out can be expensive, and sometimes a nice meal in is moresatisfying. To help you assemble such a meal, Beacon Hill Wine &Gourmet in Melrose offers a dinner package on Wednesdays thatincludes artisanal pasta; imported tomato sauce (tomato basil orputtanesca); a wedge of Italian cheese (parmigiano-reggiano, brenta,or piave); fresh Italian cookies or lemon or anisette pizzelles; anda bottle of Italian wine (you choose between a pre-selected red orwhite) for $29.99. (It would total up to around $35 or $37ordinarily.) The shop, which opened last October, has a goodselection of wine and gourmet foods. Find it at 538 Main St.,Melrose, 781-665-3332. www.beaconhillwine.com
TREAT YOURSELF
A few weeks back, we mentioned SpaFinder's Deal Days (which aregoing on now), for which a number of area spas are offeringdiscounted treatments. If you didn't book an appointment then, marknext Monday (the 15th) on your calendar, when Spa Week participantswill be posted online and you'll once again have a chance to make adate with luxury. Lots of spas in Boston and beyond will be offering$50 treatments, many of which are normally $100-$450. Participatingspas include Bella Sante (Lexington, Wellesley, and Boston);Rosaline's Skin Care & Spa (Brookline); and Chuan Body + Soul(Boston, pictured). Spa Week runs from April 12-18, but it's best tobook early. Sign up at www.spaweek.com to see the listings.
RISE AND SHINE
Speaking of spa treatments, if you have a free Thursday morningor afternoon this month, you can take advantage of Inman Oasis'sThursday Early Bird special, which runs through the end of March.Book an appointment for sometime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on aThursday this month and get 10 percent off the cost. (Choicesinclude massage, normally $50-$115, or a hot tub soak, normally $10-$55.) Half of the proceeds from these appointments will go to theCheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota to help with recoveryefforts after severe storms damaged the reservation earlier thiswinter. Inman Oasis is at 243 Hampshire St., Cambridge, 617-491-0176. www.inmanoasis.com
Get bargain advice every day online at www.boston.com/bargainbin. E-mail ideas for Bargain Bin to bargainbin@globe.com.
11bargain.ART
BARGAIN BIN: Bargain bin: living stylishly on a budgetMARK THIS OCCASION
Filene's Basement has its Running of the Brides; women's boutiqueAndrews & Andrews in Concord Center now has what it playfully callsthe Running With the Mother of the Bride and Groom. All of thestore's special occasion dresses, originally $379 to $1,349, are $99-$399; brands include Daymor Couture, Junnie Leigh, Joseph Ribkoff,and Ursula of Switzerland. The store also has a nice selection ofjackets, skirts, and pants, many by emerging European designers, at75 percent off. Andrews & Andrews is at 32 Main St., Concord, 978-369-9209. www.andrewsandandrews.net
TURNING BLUE JEANS INTO GREEN
It sounds like magic to us, but until Sunday, Gap stores arecollecting old denim (could be men's, women's, or kids') to be madeinto cotton fiber housing insulation for communities in need. (Justhow does that work, you ask? The process, and projects completedthus far, are explained on the denim drive website:www.cottonfrombluetogreen.org.) Should you bring in your cast-offs,you'll get 30 percent off on a new denim purchase (Converse andStella McCartney for GapKids and babyGap are excluded). Find storelocations at www.gap.com.
FINE DINING TO GO
Dining out can be expensive, and sometimes a nice meal in is moresatisfying. To help you assemble such a meal, Beacon Hill Wine &Gourmet in Melrose offers a dinner package on Wednesdays thatincludes artisanal pasta; imported tomato sauce (tomato basil orputtanesca); a wedge of Italian cheese (parmigiano-reggiano, brenta,or piave); fresh Italian cookies or lemon or anisette pizzelles; anda bottle of Italian wine (you choose between a pre-selected red orwhite) for $29.99. (It would total up to around $35 or $37ordinarily.) The shop, which opened last October, has a goodselection of wine and gourmet foods. Find it at 538 Main St.,Melrose, 781-665-3332. www.beaconhillwine.com
TREAT YOURSELF
A few weeks back, we mentioned SpaFinder's Deal Days (which aregoing on now), for which a number of area spas are offeringdiscounted treatments. If you didn't book an appointment then, marknext Monday (the 15th) on your calendar, when Spa Week participantswill be posted online and you'll once again have a chance to make adate with luxury. Lots of spas in Boston and beyond will be offering$50 treatments, many of which are normally $100-$450. Participatingspas include Bella Sante (Lexington, Wellesley, and Boston);Rosaline's Skin Care & Spa (Brookline); and Chuan Body + Soul(Boston, pictured). Spa Week runs from April 12-18, but it's best tobook early. Sign up at www.spaweek.com to see the listings.
RISE AND SHINE
Speaking of spa treatments, if you have a free Thursday morningor afternoon this month, you can take advantage of Inman Oasis'sThursday Early Bird special, which runs through the end of March.Book an appointment for sometime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on aThursday this month and get 10 percent off the cost. (Choicesinclude massage, normally $50-$115, or a hot tub soak, normally $10-$55.) Half of the proceeds from these appointments will go to theCheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota to help with recoveryefforts after severe storms damaged the reservation earlier thiswinter. Inman Oasis is at 243 Hampshire St., Cambridge, 617-491-0176. www.inmanoasis.com
Get bargain advice every day online at www.boston.com/bargainbin. E-mail ideas for Bargain Bin to bargainbin@globe.com.
11bargain.ART
A position-by-position analysis of the West Virginia-South Floridagame by Charleston Gazette Sports Editor Mitch Vingle
Quarterbacks Passing? WVU apparently doesn't need any stinkingpassing. Not when its quarterback is rushing for 220 yards, asblazing-fast Pat White did against Pittsburgh. White only threw theball 10 times in the freezing temperatures against Pitt and hascompleted but 49-of-90 attempts for 619 yards in 10 games. WVU, infact, is No. 115 out of 117 among NCAA team passing leaders. However,White is the Big East's sixth leading rusher, averaging 69.8 yards agame. USFs Pat Julmiste is ranked seventh among Big East QBs in passefficiency and is sixth in passing yardage (125.5 average). He threwthree interceptions against Connecticut and has nine on the season.EDGE: MOUNTAINEERS
Receivers USF certainly has some height at this position. JohnnyPeyton, the leader among the corps, is 6-5, as is his compadre at theX position, Amarri Jackson. Z man S.J. Green is 6-3. But, like atWVU, the Bull receivers don't get much action. The team's leadingpass catcher is back Andre Hall, who has 257 yards receiving. WVU,averaging a paltry 118.9 yards passing, continues to be led byBrandon Myles and Darius Reynaud. Myles leads WVU in receptions (29)and yardage (455). Three backs (Slaton, Jason Colson and OwenSchmitt) follow Myles and Reynaud. EDGE: MOUNTAINEERS
Defensive Line Both lines do well at clogging up running lanes.The Mountaineers just happen to do very well. They are No. 1 in theBig East and No. 8 nationally against the run, allowing an average of94.3 yards. Starters Ernest Hunter, Keilen Dykes and Craig Wilsonlead a deep defensive front. Wilson has the best stats, recording 31tackles, four for loss, and a forced fumble this season. USF,meanwhile, is allowing an average of 126.8 yards on the ground. Rightend Terrence Royal, a 6-3, 255-pound senior, has six sacks thisseason, five solo. EDGE: MOUNTAINEERS
Secondary Almost a dead heat here. WVU is fifth in the Big East(31st nationally) against the pass, allowing an average of 191.5yards. But teams are passing more against WVU because its defense isso staunch against the run. The Mountaineers are led by safeties MikeLorello and Eric Wicks, who are 2-3 in tackles with 65 and 54respectively. USF is allowing 176.9 passing yards a game. For USF,safety Johnnie Jones has picked off two passes. The Bulls are thirdin the league in pass defense efficiency. EDGE: BULLS
Running backs Nice matchup here. WVU's Steve Slaton has come onlike gangbusters. He played only one play in September games againstSyracuse and Maryland, but in starting the last five games, hasgained 706 yards. Fullback Owen Schmitt is WVU's secret weapon. Thebowling ball is averaging 7.5 yards after 34 carries. USF has a starin Andre Hall, who has 1,181 yards on the season. He's the Big Eastrushing leader entering the league's final games. EDGE: BULLS
Offensive line WVUs offensive line has paved the way to a No. 5ranking nationally among rushing leaders. The Mountaineers areaveraging 258.8 yards on the ground behind Travis Garrett, RyanStanchek, Dan Mozes, Jeremy Sheffey and Garin Justice. SouthFlorida's line, which averages 300 pounds per interior lineman, ispushing for 215.1 rushing yards a game. Left guard Frank Davis isboth the team's largest starter (6-4, 320 pounds) and strongestplayer. EDGE: MOUNTAINEERS
Linebacker WVU junior Kevin "Boo" McLee continues to lead theMountaineers with a team-best 71 tackles. McLee has six tackles forloss (two sacks), an interception, three pass breakups, a quarterbackhurry and a fumble recovery. Middle linebacker Jay Henry is fourth onthe team with 53 stops in nine games. USF, meanwhile, has a nice trioin Stephen Nicholas, Ben Moffitt and Patrick St. Louis. Nicholas,like McLee, started the season on the Butkus Award watch list. EDGE:BILLS
Special teams USF has the better punter. Brandon Baker isaveraging 40.8 yards per punt. The Bulls have the best kickoff returnman in Chad Simpson (24.8 yard average). The Mountaineers sweep therest of the special teams categories. Antonio Lewis is strong both inpunt returns (averaging 19.7 yards) and kickoff returns (averaging22.4). Although freshman Mountaineer kicker Pat McAfee has struggledat times, he's hit 10-of-16 field goal attempts.
Two more blue-chip U.S. companies revealed plans Wednesday toslash thousands of jobs from their payrolls.
By the time Eastman Kodak Co. and AT&T Co. are done with theirlatest cuts, their payrolls will be at least 13,000 workers lighter.
The cutbacks reflect a broader trend among large Americancompanies ranging from General Motors Corp. to Procter & Gamble Co.,which are cutting their work forces to save money. Part of thereason is the anemic economy, which has restrained the ability ofmany corporations to raise prices.
The AT&T program is the second step in consolidating operatorservices, while analysts expect that Kodak must make deeper cuts thanthose announced Wednesday.
Here are the details on the two plans:
AT&T. The telecommunications giant will cut 3,000 to 4,000 jobsand close 40 offices across the country by early 1995. But less thanhalf the affected workers are expected to leave AT&T because theylikely will find other jobs with the company.
AT&T's Rockford office, which now employs 92 operators and fourmanagers, will close as part of the program, a spokesman said. Butthe Naperville office, where 138 operators and seven managers nowwork, may add an unspecified number of jobs, he said.
The company last year began a program to cut one-third of its18,000 operator positions as more of those services become automatedwith voice recognition devices and other equipment. Therestructuring is expected to save the long-distance company more than$200 million annually.
The first cut, announced in March last year and due to befinished by next February, targeted 2,000 operators and 31 offices in21 states.
About 900 operators have left so far but 70 percent of themfound jobs in different parts of the long distance company, aspokesman said. Employees who do not find other AT&T jobs will begiven severance packages.
Kodak. It will cut 10,000 jobs by 1995, freeze research costsand take other austerity steps to help save $2.8 billion.
But analysts who follow the company said the job cuts, whichamount to about 9 percent of Kodak's global work force, must godeeper and happen faster.
The reductions were announced by outgoing Kodak Chairman KayWhitmore, who lost his own job earlier this month, fired by by boardmembers dissatisfied with his efforts to reduce costs.
It is unclear how many Illinois jobs will be lost in therestructuring, local officials said. The company now employs 350workers in Chicago and Oak Brook.
The last few months have been crunch time at Quality Croutons Inc.
The 14-year-old company had outgrown its space at 825 W. 37th Pl.President David Moore said the company, a supplier to McDonald's andother restaurant chains, had to put on hold new ventures as it soughtlarger quarters.
City officials announced a subsidy agreement with the companyMonday calling for it to move to a West Pullman industrial area andultimately triple its current payroll of about 40 workers. KathleenNelson, an assistant commissioner of industrial development forChicago's Department of Planning and Development, said QualityCroutons will be West Pullman's first new industry in about 40 …
"Chalk it up to lessons learned: We'll never start a trial we don't have the funds to finish again."
- Patrick Smith, CEO of Curaxis Inc. (formerly Voyager Pharmaceuticals Inc.), which had to halt Phase III testing of Alzheimer's drug Memryte in 2005 after running out of money
"Just because there are failures doesn't mean you should stop."
…
OAK BEACH -- A Babylon Bay town constable was shot to death by a man he tried to pull over for drunken driving, police said. The gunman was shot to death by police responding to the scene.
Richard Brooks, 44, was a retired New York City police officer who worked one day a week as a constable for the town. He was patrolling the quiet seaside community of Oak Beach at about 3 p.m. Friday when he tried to pull over James Wilson on the Robert Moses Causeway, Suffolk County police said.
Wilson, 42, sped to his home with Brooks in pursuit, police said. He went inside his house, grabbed a shotgun and fired at Brooks from a second-story window, said Suffolk County police Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick.
Wilson then got back into his car and drove over Brooks, who had been shot at least once in the chest and died at the scene, police said.
…
NEW YORK -- A handful of nail care suppliers have begun efforts to help fund an issue of the utmost importance to many of their customers: the fight against breast cancer.
CCA Industries Inc., for instance, is supporting the Young Survival Coalition (YSC)--an international network of breast cancer survivors and supporters devoted to the particular issues and concerns of young women with breast cancer--through a donation program centered around its Nutra Nail line.
For every …
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A man accused of kidnapping and torturing a woman for two weeks in a "house of horrors" after she repeatedly rejected him is being investigated in two cold cases of missing women, including his ex-wife's disappearance, a sheriff says.
Jeffrey Allan Maxwell, 58, is jailed in Parker County on charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault following his weekend arrest in connection with the March 1 abduction of his former neighbor, who ran out of his Corsicana house as deputies arrived to question him, Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler said. Authorities had been searching for the 62-year-old woman since her house had burned down two days after …
On Tuesday it was my birthday. I won't reveal how old I am yet(but let's just say I can officially call myself mid-40s now), but Ihad a perfectly pleasant day, despite the fact that I spent morethan 10 hours of it at work and it rained constantly throughout.
The truth is, however, when you hit a certain age, birthdays justain't what they used to be.
I can still remember the thrill of waiting for the big day when Iwas younger - and to be fair, I still see it in my two teenagechildren today - but these days it can all just feel like anotherhurdle crossed on the path to leaving this mortal coil.
It is very much the sign of the times that I received mostbirthday …
Last issue you were left with the promise that variants of the traditional noughts and crosses game would be explored. Here are just a few.
Investigate misere Noughts and Crosses versions in which the player forced to complete a line of 3 is the loser. Martin Gardner calls this "Toetacktick", of course (Gardner, 1959, p. 44).
Try Connect Four (four in a row with gravity using a 6 x 6 board)-widely available in sturdy affordable versions from many $2 and reject shops, and more expensively as a brand-name product in toy and games shops. As with Clarkson's 3-D Stacking Cube Noughts and Crosses, a piece (or a drawn 0 or X) cannot be left suspended in mid-air. Hence the placing of pieces (or marks) works upwards from the ground-floor.
Go-Moku or Five-In-A-Row is an excellent extension of Noughts and Crosses. Go-Moku (five in a row on a large board, such as 20 x 20) is based on the materials of the outstanding and classic Chinese territory-capturing game Go, or Wei-chi--a game that is well worth investigating! (see Gough, 2000, pp. 74-75). As a "make-it-yourself" or pencil-and-paper game, players use squared paper and counters of different color, or one player draws Xs and the other draws Os. …
