Scientists: 115-year-old's brain worked perfectly

A Dutch woman who was the oldest person in the world when she died at age 115 in 2005 appeared sharp right up to the end, joking that pickled herring was the secret to her longevity.

Scientists say that Henrikje van Andel-Schipper's mind was probably as good as it seemed: a post-mortem analysis of her brain revealed few signs of Alzheimer's or other diseases commonly associated with a decline in mental ability in old age.

That came as something of a surprise, said Gert Holstege, a professor at Groningen University, whose findings will be published in the August edition of Neurobiology of Aging.

"Everybody was thinking that when you have a brain …

Saw 70-foot wave, thought about Titanic Passengers wonder why cruise ship didn't dodge storm

NEW YORK -- When a "Boom!" on a cruise ship awoke him, the firstthing that crossed passenger Robert Clark's mind was "the Titanic."

In a panic, he and his wife and 7-year-old daughter ran to areception area and found passengers from flooded cabins, bunchedtogether and wearing life preservers -- some of them cryinghysterically. They soon discovered that the thunderous disruption wasa freak 70-foot wave that smashed windows, sent furniture flying andripped out whirlpools on the Norwegian Dawn.

"We were going back and forth, up and down. And then, 'Boom!' "Clark said.

Clark and his family discussed their ordeal Monday after theNorwegian Dawn, carrying about 2,000 …

DINING; READERS' CHOICE

BEST RESTAURANT

MILKYWAY

Free of the cramped darkness of the Bannock basement, MilkyWay has made a huge mark in Boise's downtown dining scene. With two levels, the most unique chairs and tables, one of the best bartenders in Boise, one of the best chefs in Boise, a huge wine list, big patio doors that open onto a patio worthy of any European square and the Frim Fram Fellas playing a couple nights a week, what could be better? The Boise Weekly staff eats there regularly. If for no other reason than the jalapeno shrimp bites.

2. Smoky Mountain Pizza & Pasta

3. Berryhill & Co.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

MAI THAI

In the former digs of many of …

Notre Dame ends 15-year bowl drought

Notre Dame ended a 15-year drought without a college football bowl title on Wednesday, beating Hawaii 49-21 in the Hawaii Bowl.

Quarterback Jimmy Clausen set Notre Dame bowl records with 406 yards passing and five touchdowns to lead an efficient performance by the Fighting Irish.

"I told the team that's the only thing I wanted (for Christmas). I just wanted to win a bowl game," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said.

"I heard it a hundred times in the locker room after the game and they wanted to know what I was giving them for Christmas. I told them: 'a flight home.'"

Golden Tate had six receptions for 177 yards and …

Get rid of hard water marks in shower

Hard water leaves its mark on shower walls and glass showerenclosures in the form of crusty little white lime deposits thatsometimes seem impossible to remove.

Here are a couple of secret formulas that should help:

**Sodium carbonate is the chemical you'll want to use. It's thebase for many cleaners and is the primary ingredient in washing soda.If a …

'No End in Sight,' A Direct Hit on Iraq War Makers

The script of Charles Ferguson's "No End in Sight" wouldcertainly be in the hands of prosecutors in the event of impeachmenthearings. The documentary is a furious, if quietly stated,indictment of the president and all his men in re the debacle thatour adventure in Iraq has turned into. Ferguson builds a compellingcase of bad judgment, error, stubbornness, arrogance, all of itadding up to a mess with no end in sight.

It's also, most impressively, an evocation of that horror.Astutely edited by Chad Beck and Cindy Lee, it assembles adepressing cascade of imagery from the war: the tanks pullingthrough the dusty, ancient towns; the young Americans scootingthrough the ruins in …

Guard Wounded in Blast at Israeli Game

A security guard who shielded others when he picked up a firecracker that was thrown during a basketball game will still have the use of three fingers on his mangled hand, a hospital official said Tuesday.

Yoav Glitzstein has been called a hero for grabbing the homemade explosive before it could go off and possibly wound some of the players, coaches and fans at the Jerusalem basketball stadium.

The explosive was thrown less than two minutes before the end of Sunday's game between Hapoel Holon and Hapoel Jerusalem in Israel's top professional league.

The live TV broadcast captured a loud boom, followed by a small cloud of white smoke and the sight of …

Generation gap in US troops on gays in military

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — If you want to know what a member of the U.S. armed forces thinks about repealing "don't ask, don't tell," you could start by asking how old they are.

Generational differences appear to play a prominent role in whether American soldiers, airmen, Marines and sailors are worried about repealing the policy that has barred gays from serving openly since 1993 but faces a possible court-ordered end. Generation may also influence how a change is implemented, if the courts or Congress ultimately lift the ban.

"Younger soldiers wouldn't have a problem with it, but older soldiers are the ones that enforce Army regulations," noted Jason Ashley, 43, a former …

COLOMBINA DESCUBIERTA DE ALICIA FREILICH SEGAL: LA NUEVA NOVELA HISTÓRICA COMO CUESTIONAMIENTO DEL VIAJE DEL DESCUBRIMIENTO

El tema del viaje est� �ntimamente ligado a la experiencia jud�a desde las primeras historias b�blicas (de la odisea de Abraham de Ur a Canaan, el viaje a Egipto de Jos�, la traves�a de Mois�s en el desierto durante cuarenta a�os despu�s del �xodo de Egipto) hasta las versiones contempor�neas de b�squeda y/o regreso a las tierras de Si�n, pasando por numerosos exilios y migraciones. M�s a�n, el motivo del viaje desde el punto de vista simb�lico, como proceso de b�squeda interior, de iniciaci�n, de transformaci�n espiritual o de cumplimiento de una meta, forma parte tambi�n de la tradici�n jud�a.

La novela Colombina descubierta (1991) de la venezolana Alicia Freilich Segal nos …

Student Urinates in Lunch Box in Class

A teacher was put on paid leave Tuesday while officials investigate why a student urinated in a lunch box during her class.

The Meadowbrook Middle School student urinated in a lunch box while hiding behind a classroom bookcase, Orange County school officials said Tuesday.

According to statements by other students in the class, school officials think that when the boy asked to go the restroom on Thursday, teacher Jameeka Chambers told him to hold it or use her lunch box.

The boy took the lunch box, hid behind a bookcase, urinated in it and returned it to her, Frank Kruppenbacher, attorney for the Orange County School Board, told the Orlando …

Bok star looks claass act

Michael Claassens is itching to get into the thick of the GuinnessPremiership action after digesting his first taste of northernhemisphere club action at Llanelli.

Handed his debut in Bath Rugby's club colours at the MiddlesexSevens last month, the 24-year-old South Africa scrum-half played 55minutes of Bath's opening warm-up match at Stradey Park.

And his display impressed the 300-odd Bath supporters who saw Bathcome back from 17-7 down to win 21-17, setting themselves up for thefriendlies against Edinburgh and Leinster.

Even then, though, Claassens was looking beyond them at Bath'sopening Premiership game against Worcester Warriors at The Rec.

"I knew …

Milestones

Births/Adoptions

Birch- Eric Emmanuel (b. Sept. 13, 2011), to Oren and Christine Birch, Poole Mennonite, Milverton, Ont.

Doell- Sean Daniel (b. Oct. 27, 201 1 ), to Brenda and Ted Doell, Carman Mennonite, Man.

Friesen- Felix James Klassen (b.July 21, 2011, to Jessica Klassen and Jeff Friesen, Charleswood Mennonite, Winnipeg, Man.

Hatlem- Samuel Douglass (b. Nov. 8, 2011), to Jodie Boyer Hatlem and Dougjohnson Hatlem, Toronto United Mennonite, Ont.

Nordstrom- Knightley Moa Joy (b. Oct. 24, 201 1), to Carly Enns and Martin Nordstrom, Carman Mennonite, Man.

Parkes- Alexander Ethan (b. Sept. 25, 201 1 ), to Nick and Christine Parkes, Eigenheim …

Brazil stocks make 5th straight day of gains

Brazilian stocks made their fifth straight day of gains on Friday after a weak start that echoed declines in Europe.

Brazil's Bovespa index was up 0.8 percent at 36,488 in early-morning trading. The market had opened down 0.2 percent to 36,159.

The nation's currency, the real, lost ground against the dollar.

Mexican stocks also enjoyed a lift, with the IPC index opening up 0.9 percent to 20,202. Chile opened lower and then recovered, rising by a modest 0.1 percent to 2,435. Argentina proved to be the exception, with its Merval index opening down 0.7 percent at 965.

Brazilian shares enjoyed one of their best weeks in months as investors cheered the U.S. government's rescue of Citigroup Inc. and additional economic stimulus plans around the world.

In Europe on Friday, markets fell modestly on profit-taking and ahead of an expected lower opening on Wall Street following the Thanksgiving holiday.

Wall Street was selling off modestly Friday as investors braced for what's expected to be a weak holiday shopping season. The session was expected to be quiet with the stock market closing three hours early and many traders gone for the long holiday weekend. Thin trading volume could exacerbate some of the market's moves, however.

In the first few minutes of trading, the Dow Jones industrial average was down about 45 points at 8,680.

Artist uses marketing to gain prominence, sales

At first glance, artist Joe Dudding seems more like a business executive than a classical realist. Maybe it's the short gray hair, the conservative spectacles and the clean-shaven face of this 65-year-old Shepherdstown painter.

"People are surprised when they discover I'm an artist," Dudding said.

One thing that gives Dudding away is his unusual studio. Five years ago, he converted an old Quaker meeting house into a studio that starving artists could only imagine in their wildest dreams. Between an oak floor and a tongue-and-groove wood ceiling is a collection of eclectic frames, furniture, antiques, a sailboat and, of course, the artist's work hanging on the walls.

Many of the unusual props and decanters scattered throughout the room end up in Dudding's work, bridging the artist and his environment. "I feel like painting every time I come in here," he said.

And paint he does, sometimes spending as much as 12 hours a day in the non air-conditioned studio.

Dudding considers himself a classical realist much like Adolf Bouguereau, a 19th-century painter who has influenced Dudding's figures immensely. According to Dudding, classical realism is characterized by a dark background and an arrangement of rich colors and subjects.

He focuses on portraits, still lifes and landscapes in a style that uses the under-painting of several layers to add depth, substance and age to his work.

Forty years' experience

As a full-time professional artist, Dudding has 40 years of painting experience under his belt, including professional training at the Baum School of Art in Allentown and a portrait apprenticeship with Washington, D.C., artist Ken Marlow.

He takes his time with each painting and usually completes one piece a month. He believes he has achieved his status with a combination of artistic adroitness and savvy marketing skills.

"Being able to market yourself and your work is the element that determines whether an artist will be successful or not," said Dudding.

According to Dudding, most artists don't know anything about marketing, and if they do, it's viewed as a distraction to the creative process. "You need to spend at least two days a week marketing yourself, and that takes you away from the art."

In his opinion, the best way for artists to market themselves is to pound the pavement. This involves carting paintings to galleries and shows and the possibility of facing immediate rejection.

Not only is this approach hard on the artist's soul and confidence, it also causes wear and tear on the art. Canvases and frames are very fragile materials and are hard to maintain when they are lugged around.

It's who you know

Many galleries require the artist be recommended or juried in from an arts association; especially well-known galleries which will only represent the work if it promises a good monetary return. So, as in any other business, it's who you know.

"You have to do a lot of schmoozing," Dudding said.

Dudding goes to every show he can to network with other artists and gallery owners. His open personality has served him well, making him accessible not only as an artist but as a human being.

At the annual Victorian Arts Festival in Carlisle, he met artist Nancy Stamm, who organizes this event. "He drove up with a station wagon filled with his art, and I loved his stuff right away. A few months later I saw Joe's work at an exhibit and knew right away it was his. He has a very distinct style," said Nancy Stamm.

It was through Stamm that Charlie Andrews, owner of the Garden Gallery in Carlisle, learned about Dudding. Currently Dudding has four paintings in the Garden Gallery ranging in price from $450 to $1,450. At the top of the price range is a piece entitled, "Popover and Friend," which Andrews describes as a genre piece of an old man painting while a dog watches.

"Joe is an artist's artist and very painterly with an impressive range," said Andrews.

Typically the price of art is set by the artist, and gallery owners will tack on their commission before it goes on the market. Andrews said he can make up to a 50 percent commission on any sale in his gallery. The commission usually varies from artist to artist, but is rarely less than 30 percent.

Besides the monetary gain, it's also in the artist's best interest to get his name out into the community via the gallery circuit.

"The only thing better than getting into a gallery is being owned and on someone's wall. If you spend $1,000 on a painting, chances are you're going to show it to your friends, and that's the best kind of networking for an artist," said Andrews.

On display in Washington

During his time in Washington, Dudding connected with the Mickelson Gallery, Seventh and G streets, where his work is currently on display until Sept. 23 as part of a four-person show. This is the third time he has participated in a show of this magnitude.

"It won't be long before Dudding gets his own solo show. He's a very prolific and desirable painter," says gallery owner Sydney Mickelson.

Dudding made it into the Mickelson Gallery by actively soliciting the gallery group, which must approve all artists before their work can be displayed. Mickelson praised Dudding for keeping the cost of his art down and not killing the market.

"When artists get very popular they tend to raise their prices. Joe is very reasonable. Sometimes people buy two of his paintings," said Mickelson.

At this show, six of Dudding's paintings range in price from $300 to $1,000. One painting receiving a lot of attention this year is a piece entitled, "Prince Albert's Antique Pipes," priced at $650.

Earning the respect of peers and others in the art community didn't happen overnight for Dudding. The Allentown native recalls how he made the decision to leave his job as an engineer 15 years ago to begin painting on a full-time basis. "If it weren't for my wife's salary, I would have never been able to do this," said Dudding. She works as a child-care provider.

Both Dudding and Andrews agree painting pictures for a living, regardless of style, is a tough business. Dudding said he makes about $25,000 annually from his art.

"You really have to be determined to make it, because only 1 percent of all artists reach the point where it becomes a very lucrative business. I'm not among the 1 percent -- yet," quipped Dudding.

Nicolas Sarkozy's office says French president has health scare while ...

Nicolas Sarkozy's office says French president has health scare while exercising.

Matt Dillon pleads guilty speeding, pays $828 fine

Matt Dillon had his case dismissed after pleading guilty to speeding and paying an $828 fine.

The 44-year-old actor was stopped Dec. 30 on the Interstate 91 highway while driving 106 mph (170 kph) in rural Northern Vermont. Because of the excessive speed, he was also charged with negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

Prosecutor Will Porter said Monday that Dillon agreed to plead guilty to speeding in exchange for having the negligent operation charge dismissed Wednesday, which he said is common in such cases.

Dillon's lawyer, Mark Kaplan, says the plea was a fair resolution for Dillon.

Robinson sweeps to rookie award

SAN ANTONIO, Texas For David Robinson, the wait was worth it.

Robinson, who waited two years to play for the San Antonio Spurswhile finishing a Navy commitment, was unanimously named NBA Rookieof the Year Friday.

Robinson, who led the Spurs to the greatest single-seasonimprovement in league history, said the two-year layoff fromorganized basketball helped more than it hurt.

"I learned to be patient, not to fight things," he said.

Robinson, a 7-1 center who averaged 24.3 points, 12 rebounds and3.9 blocks, was the first unanimous selection since Ralph Sampson in1984.

Lilly McElroy

CHICAGO

Lilly McElroy

THOMAS ROBERTELLO GALLERY

"2009 Was A Rough Year"- that's both the title of Lilly McElroy's recent exhibition at Thomas Robertello Gallery and a statement of fact. It was indeed a rough year. The stock market crashed. The housing bubble burst. Countless retirement incomes, jobs, and homes were lost in the fallout. In response, McElroy created a participatory memorial, asking friends and strangers to contribute their worst memories from those wretched twelve months. Photos and captions were to be submitted via a dedicated website (www.aroughyear.com) established by the artist in advance of the show. With this material, McElroy then projected the images and texts in the gallery, alongside a large blue stained glass window, which enshrined the project's title and colored the space with a melancholic, ecclesiastical light.

Perhaps surprisingly, only a handful of the more than one hundred responses McElroy received have anything to do with derivatives or subprime lending. On the contrary, most don't seem specific to 2009 at all. The problems they bemoan - a stillborn son, a broken engagement, a Labrador with bone cancer, a cheating spouse, debilitating feelings of abandonment - happen every year. Every year is a rough year for someone. For a lot of someones.

What McElroy taps into is the need that all of us have to share grief, to broadcast complaints, to narrate painful self-reflection. Here, working with a self-selected group, she provides an opportunity for others to analyze the spectrum of ways in which trauma is represented, and further, what might qualify as trauma in the first place: On the one hand, an image of a house reduced to cinders offers straight evidence; on the other, skewed photos of emptied pill bottles only suggest what the text confirms - accidental overdose.

There's symbolic representation of the romantic sort: the window out of which a worthless, depressed year was spent staring. And of the hipster variety: a torn pair of lacy hot-pink panties on a wood floor, the contributor claiming to be too broke to buy new ones. Plenty of the images are arty - a few perhaps even intended as art, including a charming, brushy painting titled Foreclosure of Mom's House, 2009, and a Web 1.0 digital drawing of a man smoking a spliff, puffing out a peace sign. "Art" also appears to be the only plausible explanation for a sprinkling of more baffling submissions, including photographs of an unremarkable airport terminal and of a West Virginia dairy bar.

The traumas themselves are just as varied, from the unimaginably atrocious to the heartbreakingly common to the (by comparison) offensively unimportant. However ungenerous, cross-evaluation is inevitable. Which is worse: the removal of massive uterine tumors and an emergency hysterectomy? A father's heart attack and sudden death? Spilled milk on a laptop? McElroy could have edited out the confusing, ironic visuals and lame, self-indulgent stories with the goal of creating a seamlessly moving memorial. However, not only does such variation provide necessary pause in an otherwise overwhelmingly glum series of tragedies, it creates depth, setting the truly grave in relief against the merely bothersome.

But the best medicine for major tragedy isn't minor misfortune; it is, as the clich� goes, humor. So McElroy also solicited jokes, performing them at stand-up comedy clubs across New York. In the gallery, footage of these gigs looped on a single flat-screen, and the jokes weren't very funny. Yet we see McElroy continuing in earnest, night after night, to deliver them, with determination, confidence, and bravery. And mettle, more than laughs, is what's truly needed to face the inevitable tragedies of life.

- Lori Waxman

Female bomber at Shiite shrine in Baghdad kills 38

A woman hiding among Iranian pilgrims with a bomb strapped under her black robe killed more than three dozen people on Sunday outside a Baghdad mosque during ceremonies commemorating the death of one of Shiite Islam's most revered saints.

The suicide attack, the most recent in a series that has killed more than 60 people in less that a week, was the latest to mar the transfer of many security responsibilities from the U.S. military to Iraqi forces.

Iraqi security forces have deployed thousands of troops in Baghdad and in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, just south of the capital, to safeguard against attacks during the ceremonies. Attacks by al-Qaida in Iraq, Sunni insurgents and even a Shiite cult have killed hundreds of people in recent years.

The attack in Baghdad's northern Shiite neighborhood of Kazimiyah comes two days after a suicide bomber slipped into a luncheon at a tribal leader's home south of Baghdad and killed at least 23 people. More than a dozen other people have died in other attacks since New Year's Day.

The Iraqi military held parades to mark the anniversary of its founding 88 years ago and to celebrate a security agreement with the United States that went into effect on Jan. 1. The agreement replaced a U.N. mandate that allowed the U.S. and other foreign troops to operate in Iraq.

Under the new agreement, U.S. troops in Iraq will no longer conduct unilateral operations and will act only in concert with Iraqi forces. The must also leave major Iraqi cities by June and withdraw all troops by the end of 2011.

In another sign of the transition in authority, the U.S. military on Sunday handed over control in Diyala Province of about 9,000 Sons of Iraq, a predominantly Sunni group of former insurgents and tribesmen whose revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq gave a significant boost to security in the turbulent province and helped turned the tide in the war against the terror group.

The United States paid the group's estimated 90,000 members countrywide about $300 a month. Eventually, the members are to be either integrated into the Iraqi military and police, or provided civilian jobs and vocational training.

Under the phased handover, which began last year in Baghdad, Iraqi authorities will continue that pay and education strategy.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabanbi told Iraqi army troops during a parade marking Army Day that "the Iraqi army has gained the trust of government and Iraqi people as the army of all Iraqis."

At a military parade that included recently purchased U.S. military equipment and armored vehicles, he told the troops that "the signing of the withdrawal of foreign troop's agreement and the end of the U.N. mandate on Iraq" on Dec. 31 that gave U.S. and other forces the legal standing to occupy Iraq.

Just as the parade took place around noon, hundreds of worshippers had gathered in Kazimiyah just a few miles to the north, home to the shrine of Imam Mousa al-Kazim, one of the holiest men in Shiite Islam.

The woman was among a group of Iranian pilgrims and she blew herself up just outside the gates of the mosque, a large building graced by four minarets. The office of Iraqi army spokesman Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi confirmed a woman wearing an explosives vest was responsible.

Iraqi army and police put the deaths at 38, although the Prime Minister's National Operations Center said it was 36. Conflicting reports on the number of dead and wounded are common in Iraq in the chaotic aftermath of attacks.

At least one report from the Health Ministry said the dead included 17 Iranian pilgrims, seven of which were women. There were also seven Iraqi women killed by the blast, which sent shrapnel hurtling across the crowded square.

"I saw many dead pilgrims on the ground after the explosion all covered in blood, some of them Iranians," one unidentified witness told Associated Press Television News.

Thousands of pilgrims from predominantly Shiite Iran visit during Ashura, celebrated on Jan. 7 this year. The evening before the explosion, thousands of men marched through the streets of Kazimiyah rhythmically beating their chests with bare hands and slashing their shoulders with iron chains, part of ceremonies leading up to the anniversary of 7th-century death of Prophet Muhammad's grandson Hussein.

He was killed in a battle on the plains of Karbala near the Euphrates River. The battle, which was part of the dispute over the religion's leadership that began after Muhammad's death, was a key event in Islam's split into the majority Sunni and minority Shiite branches.

The Iraqi police and army have deployed thousands of forces to safeguard worshippers, mostly those heading to Karbala south of Baghdad. The city is home to the golden-domed mosques of Imam Hussein and his half-brother Imam Abbas. Hundreds of thousands are expected to pour into the city Tuesday and Wednesday night for the pinnacle of the pilgrimage.

Maj. Gen. Othman Ali Farhood al-Ghanimy, the Iraqi army commander in Karbala, said last week that thousands of foreign pilgrims had arrived.

Although the suicide attack bore all the hallmarks of the Sunni terror group al-Qaida in Iraq, which has killed hundreds of people in bombings against Ashura pilgrims in recent years, other Islamic extremist groups have used the day to stage bloody attacks.

Among the bloodiest attacks during Ashura were a series of mortar attacks and bombings in Baghdad and Karbala that year 2004 which killed nearly 200 pilgrims and wounded more than 500 others.

Last week, police in the southern city of Basra arrested a leading figure in a messianic Shiite cult, known as the "Soldiers of Heaven," that has battled with Iraqi and U.S. forces during the holiday.

At least 72 people died _ mostly cult members _ in ferocious battles with police in 2008. The group has sought to invoke chaos as a means of inspiring the return of the "Hidden Imam" _ also known as the Mahdi _ a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad who disappeared as a child in the ninth century. Shiites believe he will return one day to bring justice to the world.

In 2007, more than 200 members of the "Soldiers of Heaven" cult were killed and 600 people arrested after battles near the Shiite holy city of Najaf as they sought to declare an Islamic state during Ashura. At least 11 Iraqi troops were killed along with two Americans, whose helicopter was shot down during the battle.

Ralph oswick: Ten days of me-time

I'm supposed to retire in four years' time. People say I'll bebored. Not on your nelly! I've just had 10 days off work. No officeemails, no cultural interface meetings, no dressing up as LadyMargaret et al. Just 10 whole days of doing what I want for achange. My notes on the experience follow:

Prepared three proper meals a day with recommended number ofvegetable and fruit portions, made trip to London to sort outexhibition of my drawings, took walk along cliffs to Beachy Head,spent whole day at the sales (bought new coat, buttons hanging offthe old one for months. Bought new bed, old one has been lumpy sinceI forced it up the spiral staircase in my Bradford on Avon cottage.Realised this was more than 18 years ago. Procrastination or what?).

Chucked out three bags of old receipts and useless bills: anyonewho wants to steal my identity should look in my recycle bin now!Did crossword every day, used exercise bike each morning therebycuring achy knee that has made me feel old for at least 18 months.

Remortgaged house and used balance to pay income tax in advancefor once and buy gigantic plasma telly, washed beige curtains (firsttime in 11 years) and discovered they were actually white, cleanedwindows (first time ever).

Got up earlier than on work days, cut visits to pub by 60 percent (pub is next door to work), did serious holiday planning,worked out a feasible kitchen compost regime, enrolled in the MaxWall Society (you get to go to private showings of ancient andobscure variety acts captured on film, which is a bit close to work,I suppose, but we need ideas for the Bonbon cabarets).

Went to the Victoria Art Gallery (usually never have time andresort to Googling the artist and pretending I've been to theexhibition), spent a whole morning moving microwave around kitchento obtain maximum feng shui advantage. (Great success, microwave nowseems to welcome me in rather than lurking shame-faced in thecorner).

Experimented with multi-tasking by ironing all my shirts, cookinglunch, writing this column in head and listening to Woman's Hour atsame time.

Actually, one of the negative points about having time off isthat Woman's Hour seems to be on every time I tune in to Radio 4.Serialisation of that stupid hit book about men not being able toiron (see above). Apparently the author (male, snicker snicker)purchased some spray starch and then phoned the helpline to ask whatit was for.

He'd never make it into the Natural Theatre. Spray starch is whatholds the company together and no self-respecting member would everadmit to not being able to press a shirt (even if some of them onlyiron the bits that show).

Which reminds me... back to work this week. Deadlines, decisions,dressing up, faxes, fundraising, phone calls, in-boxes, out-boxes,shoe boxes, building plans, business plans, future plans.

Ah, yes, future plans. Roll on retirement I say.

Sega capitalizes on Olympics with 'Beijing 2008'

The Beijing Olympics are about to get under way. And thanks to NBC and its assorted networks and Web sites, you'll be able to spend the next two weeks pondering the intricacies of sports you never cared about before.

Table tennis? Water polo? Badminton? I'm far more interested in watching obscure athletes take their shot at glory than in watching Kobe Bryant and the Redeem Team try to break the U.S. basketball jinx.

And when video games become an Olympic sport, I'll be ready. My prime "Quake" deathmatch days will probably be long past, but maybe NBC will invite me to provide expert commentary. Until then, I can participate in Olympic competition the same way I've come to enjoy football, baseball and auto racing: with a joystick in my hands.

_"Beijing 2008" (Sega, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, $49.99): Sega has the official Olympics license this year, and this is the publisher's second crack at simulating the summer games. The lighthearted "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games" was a diverting collection of Wii minigames, but "Beijing" takes a more serious approach that may turn off casual sports fans.

There are 38 events in this package, including track and field, aquatics and gymnastics. The racing events all require similar technique, requiring you to rapidly push two buttons to simulate running or swimming. (Fans of Konami's '80s-era "Track & Field" games will feel right at home.) Gymnastic events ask you to duplicate onscreen patterns, like "Dance Dance Revolution" without a floor mat. And events like discus or pole vault each have their own control schemes.

All the action is beautifully presented, which almost distracts from the game's biggest flaw: It's very difficult. "Beijing" starts you off with ridiculously weak characters (considering they're supposed to be Olympic-caliber athletes), and it takes a long time to build them up to a competitive level. That's OK if you're playing with friends and everyone's sluggish, but the single-player mode is bound to frustrate all but the most dedicated Olympics followers. One-and-a-half stars out of four.

_"Big Beach Sports" (THQ, for the Wii, $29.99): You don't have to be a world-class athlete to participate in "summer games"; when school's out and the days are long, anything you play in the backyard or at the beach fits the definition. "Big Beach Sports" brings six outdoor challenges _ volleyball, disc golf, cricket, bocce, soccer and football _ to the Wii.

As with every other "Wii Sports" wannabe that's come out over the last two years, the games here are a mixed bag. Disc golf is pretty good, requiring you to develop a decent sidearm throw, and volleyball duplicates the set-and-spike action of the real thing. Even if you're not familiar with bocce, it makes for a fun head-to-head competition.

However, soccer and football (even two-on-two) aren't well-suited to the Wii remote, and the inclusion of cricket in an American game is just weird. And even the sports that work aren't likely to hold your interest for long. "Big Beach Sports" is a passable party game, but doesn't have the substance to satisfy a solo player. One star.

_"Summer Sports: Paradise Island" (Destineer, for the Wii, $29.99): The games featured in this anthology _ badminton, volleyball, miniature golf, horseshoes, lawn darts, basketball and croquet _ are the ones you're more likely to see Americans playing during their summer vacations.

Unfortunately, only a few of them are well-executed enough to make you want to stay inside and play on a hot day. Paradise Island looks like an inviting place, but beneath the lush tropical scenery lurks some dreadful programming. In lawn darts and horseshoes, for example, you're supposed to mime throwing with the Wii remote, but the game doesn't seem to register how hard you're throwing. Likewise, there's no connection between the way you swing the remote and the animations in volleyball and basketball.

Mini-golf and croquet are more accurate, and almost fun to play. But when you can play all these games (except for lawn darts) for less money in real life, why bother with the virtual versions? No stars.

___

On the Net:

"Beijing 2008": http://www.olympicvideogames.com/

"Big Beach Sports": http://www.bigbeachsports.com/

"Summer Sports: Paradise Island": http://www.summersportsgame.com/

India 140-3 at close on day 3

Sri Lanka seized the initiative in the first cricket test by reducing India to 140-3 at stumps on day three after declaring its first innings at 520-8 on Tuesday.

Opener Virender Sehwag remained unbeaten on 85 when bad light stopped play but vaunted teammates Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid were already out.

Tendulkar, test cricket's greatest run-scorer, was out lbw for 8 to Muttiah Muralitharan, the greatest wicket-taker. Muralitharan, playing his final test, moved to 793 wickets in his career when he caught Tendulkar misjudging a sweep.

Muralitharan finished the day with 1-31 off seven overs.

India started poorly when Gautam Gambhir was dismissed off the second ball of the innings, trapped lbw for 2 by seamer Lasith Malinga.

Sehwag and Dravid combined for a 66-run partnership until Dravid misjudged a second run and was run out for 18.

By stumps, Sehwag had faced 98 balls, hit 14 boundaries and a six, and looked set for his 20th test century. VVS Laxman was with him on 18 not out.

Earlier in the post-lunch session, Sri Lanka tailenders Rangana Herath and Malinga heaped misery on a depleted India bowling lineup by scoring their maiden half-centuries and sharing 115 for the eighth wicket.

Tharanga Paranavitana topscored with 111 and captain Kumar Sangakkara made 103 to set up the big total.

India looked to have regained some venom in its attack when paceman Ishant Sharma took three wickets in the morning session as Sri Lanka lost four wickets for 105 runs to go to lunch on 361-6.

But Herath and Malinga batted like seasoned batsmen as they flayed the bowlers with some delightful shots.

Herath was unbeaten at 80 when the innings closed, having faced 93 balls, hitting 10 boundaries and a six. Malinga was out for 64 off 75 balls after hitting nine boundaries and two sixes.

Muralitharan walked in to bat to a guard of honor by the India fielders and umpires as firecrackers were set off. Muralitharan, in probably his last test innings, finished not out on 5.

Seam bowler Abhimanyu Mithun had a dream debut for India, returning the best bowling figures of 4-105 off 28 overs. Sharma looked to have got back some lost rhythm to take 3-145 off 28.

Almost four sessions have been lost because of rain, reducing the likelihood of a result in the series opener.

Fairyland switch on attracts crowd of 5,000

The venue for 5,000 Bathonians and visitors at the beginning ofAugust in 1954 was Sydney Gardens, where they found themselves in a"veritable fairyland of colour and excitement", as the Chroniclereported.

The event was the summer illuminations that was the signal, thereport continued, for Bath to "go gay".

One of the attractions at the park was Spot Bobby Bath, theChronicle mystery man. People stood to win pounds2 if they couldidentify him correctly.

Several times, a Chronicle reporter heard exclamations of "Thatlooks like him" or "That's Bobby Bath over there!" but the mysteryman escaped detection.

Bobby Bath was to be at large again the following Saturday, andthe reward for his capture was to increase to pounds4. The coverprice of the Chronicle was 2d, or a little under 1p, by way ofcomparison.

Getting breaks: Broken bones don't stop Seattle

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks are alone in first place in the division they dominated for so long. Arizona, the team that dethroned them to win the NFC West the last two seasons, is in tatters.

Matt Hasselbeck dissected the Cardinals' defense for 273 of his 333 yards passing in the first half, went down with a cracked bone in his left wrist, then came back to finish off a 36-18 victory on Sunday.

Hasselbeck, out with a concussion the previous week, had a cast on his wrist after the game, resting it on the podium as he talked to reporters.

"I texted my wife and said, 'Hey, I hurt my wrist,'" Hasselbeck said. "She wrote back and said, 'Good, I thought it was your head.' I was like, 'Good? Really? Good?' Hopefully it will be OK."

Coach Pete Carroll, who has the Seahawks (5-4) with a winning record in his first season, expressed optimism Hasselbeck would be able to play next Sunday against New Orleans.

"He's got a little crack on his left wrist but it's one that looks to be manageable," Carroll said. "Obviously, he went out and played. They X-rayed it and all that and splinted him up and he was OK about playing and he did a marvelous job with it."

Mike Williams had his best day yet in his return from two seasons out of the NFL, catching 11 passes for a career-high 145 yards. The 11 catches tied his career best, set earlier this year against Arizona.

He fractured his pinkie in practice on Thursday but said "it wasn't that big of a deal."

Carroll seemed to think otherwise.

"Mike played a beautiful game today," he said. "If you can imagine a couple of days ago Mike's bone was sticking out of his finger and a couple of days later he's playing and starting in the game. It was really a huge statement about his toughness and all."

Among Williams' catches was a one-handed grab with his ailing right hand.

"It was one of those plays where the ball is kind of out of reach and you just make an attempt at it," he said. "Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't."

When the Seahawks beat Arizona 22-10 in Seattle three games ago, Williams caught 11 passes for 87 yards.

Outscored 74-10 by Oakland and the New York Giants the previous two weeks, Seattle was comfortable to be back in its division, which has been subject to ridicule much of the season. The Seahawks swept the Cardinals for the first time since 2005.

Arizona (3-6) lost its fourth straight, its longest skid since dropping eight in a row in 2006, Dennis Green's final season as coach. The Cardinals have fallen into a last-place tie with San Francisco.

"Just so many mistakes out there," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "It's too hard to talk about them all. Obviously it's tough. These are tough times for us."

On several occasions, boos echoed through the building.

The Seahawks could have made this win far more one-sided. Seattle had to settle for four of Olindo Mare's five field goals when second-half drives stalled at the 16-yard line or closer. Two of them ended at the 1.

Arizona's Derek Anderson completed 23 of 45 passes for 322 yards. He was intercepted once, fumbled the ball away once and was sacked five times, two apiece by Aaron Curry and Chris Clemens.

Hasselbeck repeatedly threw with success toward cornerback Greg Toler and safety Adrian Wilson, often defending against Williams. Eventually, Toler was benched in favor of Michael Adams.

After the game, Toler and Wilson sat silently at their lockers, not turning to face reporters.

The game plan, Williams acknowledged, was to stay away from cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

"He is so instinctive and fast," Williams said. "We kind of worked our way away from him while we took advantage of the guy on the other side."

Whisenhunt called Arizona's first-half defense "very poor."

"We lost a lot of one-on-one battles," he said. "We didn't tackle well. We didn't do very much well in the first half. ... I don't think we did a whole lot well the whole day, to be honest with you."

Arizona kick returner and running back LaRod Stephens-Howling injured a hamstring in the first half and running back Jason Wright went down with a head injury. That left the team, already without Beanie Wells, down to one running back, Tim Hightower.

Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett was out with a shoulder injury, ending his streak of 104 consecutive games played, second-longest (behind Justin Smith of the 49ers' 151) among active defensive tackles.

Wells missed his third game of the season because of his ailing right knee.

Seattle first-round draft pick Russell Okung missed his third straight game at left tackle because of a high ankle sprain. He has missed six games this season.

Let coke addict boyfriend flail in his kinky morass

Q. I snooped around my boyfriend's house after he left for work. Iknow this was bad, but I found a few things that made methink he was gay (transvestite porn, women's clothing and such). WhenI confronted him, the truth floored me: He was addicted to cocaineand would use these things when he was on the drug. I had no idea. Hesays he stopped cold turkey and wants to get better for me. I thinkit's time for me to move on, but I'm scared that if I end therelationship he'll return to drugs. I love him, but it feels like I'mbeing used. What can I do?

SHOCKED

A. Revert from girlfriend mode to secondary support. If he wantsto address his drug dependency successfully, he cannot make "you" aprerequisite for doing so. And with all the paraphernalia youstumbled over, there's no way you could simply resume your recentrelationship. Look up Narcotics Anonymous and find a support chapterfor friends and family of addicts. Or go talk to someone on your own.Just make sure you have something in place for yourself when he triesto guilt trip you or access the code to your heart when he's feelingneedy. It's not your job to make it all OK. His victory or failureover of the lure of drugs belongs to him.

Q. My best friend was seeing this guy for about a month. Whilethey dated, I became good friends with him, too. When they broke up,she insisted that I not hang out with him anymore--in fact shethreatened to end our friendship if I did. Both friends are dearlyimportant to me, and I don't want to lose either one. How should Ideal with this?

IN STICKY MESS

A. Well, if we attack this problem in a mathematical way, yourfriend would be the pick from column A. You may think you are reallyclose to your buddy's ex, but you've known her a long time, and him amere month. On the other side of this dilemma is your friend'sunreasonable stance. Her expectation that you not even whisper a wordto her ex is petty and controlling. No one likes to be blackmailed ina relationship--and if you yield, you'll resent her power over you.You're old enough to pick your own friends. She's probably afraidyou'll either start dating him yourself, or that you'll share infoabout her. Go talk and assure her neither plan is part of youragenda.

Send your questions to: Ask Rhona, Box 3254, Chicago 60654. Or e-mail Rhona@suntimes.com.

Only photos, memories left for 2 grieving dads

The wail of police sirens woke up Warren Johnson Sr. in theearly morning hours of Aug. 22, 1985. The reason for the sound, ashe found out later, changed his life.

His 22-year-old daughter Laura and her friend Dina Bell, 21,both of Carol Stream, had been killed in a car accident.

Speaking in a Wheaton courtroom yesterday during a sentencinghearing for Timothy Sullivan - the man convicted of reckless homicidein the deaths - Johnson said that his son Gary told him of theaccident, saying, "Dad, she didn't make it."

"Those words - `She didn't make it' - still go through my mind,"Johnson said as other family members wept softly. "People say they'venoticed a change in me."

"What can I say in a few words?" asked Dina Bell's father,Steve. "All I have left are pictures and memories and a deaddaughter."

The 27-year-old Sullivan, who has had five alcohol-relatedtraffic citations since 1983, was convicted last month. Sullivan, ofHanover Park, faces a maximum three years in prison, but Du PageCounty Assistant State's Attorney Paul DeLuca is seeking a doublesentence. The law allows for that in cases of "wanton cruelty," hesaid.

Sullivan had attended a White Sox game with two of his brothersthe evening before the incident. Sullivan, who had testified that hedrank six or seven beers and a shot of whiskey during the evening,had a blood alcohol level of .108.

A blood level of .1 is legally drunk in Illinois.

Sentencing was postponed until next week by Du Page County JudgeRobert A. Nolan for personal reasons, frustrating the victim'sfamilies. "It appears to be like a game for them," said one of themothers, Leah Johnson. "The system is for the defendent."

Another mother, Diane Bell, said the mothers had agreed not toread their impact statements aloud in the interest of time, thoughthe letters were given to the judge.

"I waited a whole year to have my say and now I've lost it,"complained Mrs. Bell, who said her family is moving to Nevada to getaway from the terrible memories.

The Johnsons continue to visit their daughter's grave everySunday, said Johnson.

"When she was happy, I was happy," Johnson told the court. So,when he visits the grave, he brings his daughter a single rose.

"And I ask her if she's happy."

Kathy Griffin

Her life is like a sitcom. Wacky redhead strolls down MichiganAvenue. A guy approaches. "Hey, aren't you on some TV show?" heasks hopefully. She runs a hand through her frizzy hair. "Don't yourecognize me? I was profiled on `60 Minutes,' but I feel much betternow. I've had some therapy," she says, laughing like a madwoman.

Suddenly, it's Kathy Griffin striking again. Watch out for thezany sidekick to Brooke Shields on NBC's hit series "Suddenly Susan,"because the Chicago native will pummel anyone who gets in the way ofa punch line.

Q. Would you ever want to play the series lead instead of thesidekick?A. If I had my own show, I'd cast someone else in the lead andgive myself the role of the mousy sidekick. It's the law orsomething.Q. How does a Chicago girl become Must See TV?A. I went to Oak Park High School, where I used to do theplays. I came to L.A. and didn't want to do the standup club scene,so I worked with the Groundlings doing sketches. Then I did bitmovie roles. I was in ``Pulp Fiction."' When Bruce Willis runsover Ving Rhames, I'm the girl screaming, ``That guy is crazy! He'sa maniac!"' Then I played Jim Carrey's mom in ``The Cable Guy."'Q. What has been your weirdest role?A. On ``ER"' two seasons ago I was a troop scout leader. Ialso played Jerry's college friend who gives him the wrong barbecuesauce on ``Seinfeld."' If that's not enough, I did a famouscommercial for Kenwood stereos where I'm dressed like a '70s discoqueen and I recite the lyrics to ``Play That Funky Music WhiteBoy."'Q. Does having a hit sitcom mean men are ringing your phone offthe hook?A. Now I have my pick of losers. Now guys can mistreat me allover the country.Q. Can't Brooke set you up with someone?A. Andre Agassi, Brooke's husband, wants to set me up with aRussian tennis player. OK, I pushed him. The first time I met Andreon our set I very sweetly said, ``Hi, nice to meet you. Who's singleon the tennis scene? Come on, Andre. Names. Names! I wantnumbers, too! Give it up now!" I was hurt when Andre ran from theroom screaming, but come on.Q. What is the key to your heart?A. Two of the best things a man can say to a woman are, ``Ilove to watch you eat,"' and ``You know, honey, you really do lookbetter without makeup."Q. What's the worst thing a man has ever said to you?A. Once I went out with a makeup artist and he looked at me,shook his prissy little head and said, ``You might want to blendmore."

Army truck collision in Egypt kills 1 soldier

An Egyptian security official says a road accident near the border with Israel has killed one Egyptian soldier and left 21 others seriously injured.

The official says a truck carrying soldiers driving back to base after their night shifts collided head-on with a merchant truck. The accident took place on Tuesday morning in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, about 19 miles (30 kilometers) from the Israeli border.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media.

He says some of the soldiers had serious head injuries and were receiving medical attention at the hospital in nearby city of El-Arish.

About 6,000 people die every year in road accidents in Egypt because of bad roads and poor traffic laws enforcement.

Today in History - Aug. 27

The Associated Press
AP Online
08-27-2005
Today is Saturday, Aug. 27, the 239th day of 2005. There are 126 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Aug. 27, 1945, American troops began landing in Japan following the surrender of the Japanese government in World War II.

On this date:

In 1770, German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was born in Stuttgart.

In 1883, the island volcano Krakatoa blew up; the resulting tidal waves in Indonesia's Sunda Strait claimed some 36,000 lives in Java and Sumatra.

In 1892, fire seriously damaged New York's original Metropolitan Opera House.

In 1894, Congress passed the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act, which contained a provision for a graduated income tax that was later struck down by the Supreme Court.

In 1908, Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, was born near Stonewall, Texas.

In 1928, the Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed in Paris, outlawing war and providing for the peaceful settlement of disputes.

In 1962, the United States launched the Mariner II space probe, which flew past Venus in December.

In 1967, Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles, was found dead in his London flat from an overdose of sleeping pills.

In 1975, Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia's 3,000-year-old monarchy, died in Addis Ababa at age 83 almost a year after being overthrown.

In 1979, British war hero Lord Louis Mountbatten was killed off the coast of Ireland in a boat explosion claimed by the Irish Republican Army.

Ten years ago: American and Chinese officials agreed to begin planning a fall summit between President Clinton and Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

Five years ago: Continuing a two-day visit to Nigeria, President Clinton said Africans had to "break the silence" about AIDS or risk losing hard-fought democratic and economic gains. Fire broke out in Moscow's landmark Ostankino television tower, killing three people. A botched Israeli military raid on an Islamic militant hide-out in the West Bank ended with three Israeli soldiers being accidentally killed by their comrades.

One year ago: President Bush signed executive orders designed to strengthen the CIA director's power over the nation's intelligence agencies and create a national counterterrorism center. Three students were killed in a fire at a University of Mississippi fraternity house.

Today's Birthdays: Cajun-country singer Jimmy C. Newman is 78. Actor Tommy Sands is 68. Bluegrass singer-musician J.D. Crowe is 68. Musician Daryl Dragon is 63. Actress Tuesday Weld is 62. Rock singer-musician Tim Bogert is 61. Actress Marianne Sagebrecht is 60. Actress Barbara Bach is 58. Country musician Jeff Cook (Alabama) is 56. Actor Paul Reubens is 53. Singer Willy DeVille is 52. Rock musician Alex Lifeson (Rush) is 52. Actress Diana Scarwid is 50. Rock musician Glen Matlock (The Sex Pistols) is 49. Actor Peter Stormare is 47. Country singer Jeffrey Steele is 44. Gospel singer Yolanda Adams is 43. Country musician Matthew Basford (Yankee Grey) is 43. Writer-producer Dean Devlin is 43. Rock musician Mike Johnson (Dinosaur Jr.) is 40. Rap musician Bobo (Cypress Hill) is 37. Rock musician Tony Kanal (No Doubt) is 35. Actress Sarah Chalke is 29. Rapper Mase is 28. Rock musician Jon Siebels (Eve 6) is 26. Singer Mario is 19. Actress Alexa Vega ("Spy Kids") is 17.

Thought for Today: "In soloing _ as in other activities _ it is far easier to start something than it is to finish it." _ Amelia Earhart, American aviator (1898-1937?).

Copyright 2005, AP News All Rights Reserved
Today in History - Aug. 27The Associated Press
AP Online
08-27-2005
Today is Saturday, Aug. 27, the 239th day of 2005. There are 126 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Aug. 27, 1945, American troops began landing in Japan following the surrender of the Japanese government in World War II.

On this date:

In 1770, German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was born in Stuttgart.

In 1883, the island volcano Krakatoa blew up; the resulting tidal waves in Indonesia's Sunda Strait claimed some 36,000 lives in Java and Sumatra.

In 1892, fire seriously damaged New York's original Metropolitan Opera House.

In 1894, Congress passed the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act, which contained a provision for a graduated income tax that was later struck down by the Supreme Court.

In 1908, Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, was born near Stonewall, Texas.

In 1928, the Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed in Paris, outlawing war and providing for the peaceful settlement of disputes.

In 1962, the United States launched the Mariner II space probe, which flew past Venus in December.

In 1967, Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles, was found dead in his London flat from an overdose of sleeping pills.

In 1975, Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia's 3,000-year-old monarchy, died in Addis Ababa at age 83 almost a year after being overthrown.

In 1979, British war hero Lord Louis Mountbatten was killed off the coast of Ireland in a boat explosion claimed by the Irish Republican Army.

Ten years ago: American and Chinese officials agreed to begin planning a fall summit between President Clinton and Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

Five years ago: Continuing a two-day visit to Nigeria, President Clinton said Africans had to "break the silence" about AIDS or risk losing hard-fought democratic and economic gains. Fire broke out in Moscow's landmark Ostankino television tower, killing three people. A botched Israeli military raid on an Islamic militant hide-out in the West Bank ended with three Israeli soldiers being accidentally killed by their comrades.

One year ago: President Bush signed executive orders designed to strengthen the CIA director's power over the nation's intelligence agencies and create a national counterterrorism center. Three students were killed in a fire at a University of Mississippi fraternity house.

Today's Birthdays: Cajun-country singer Jimmy C. Newman is 78. Actor Tommy Sands is 68. Bluegrass singer-musician J.D. Crowe is 68. Musician Daryl Dragon is 63. Actress Tuesday Weld is 62. Rock singer-musician Tim Bogert is 61. Actress Marianne Sagebrecht is 60. Actress Barbara Bach is 58. Country musician Jeff Cook (Alabama) is 56. Actor Paul Reubens is 53. Singer Willy DeVille is 52. Rock musician Alex Lifeson (Rush) is 52. Actress Diana Scarwid is 50. Rock musician Glen Matlock (The Sex Pistols) is 49. Actor Peter Stormare is 47. Country singer Jeffrey Steele is 44. Gospel singer Yolanda Adams is 43. Country musician Matthew Basford (Yankee Grey) is 43. Writer-producer Dean Devlin is 43. Rock musician Mike Johnson (Dinosaur Jr.) is 40. Rap musician Bobo (Cypress Hill) is 37. Rock musician Tony Kanal (No Doubt) is 35. Actress Sarah Chalke is 29. Rapper Mase is 28. Rock musician Jon Siebels (Eve 6) is 26. Singer Mario is 19. Actress Alexa Vega ("Spy Kids") is 17.

Thought for Today: "In soloing _ as in other activities _ it is far easier to start something than it is to finish it." _ Amelia Earhart, American aviator (1898-1937?).

Copyright 2005, AP News All Rights Reserved

Check for clothing hang-ups // Inspection helps purchaser avoid tricky-tacky garments

Perfectionists who lament poor workmanship in contemporary clothinghave ample evidence to support their case these days. Shoddyproduction can be a problem in anything, from cheap foreign importsto clothes boasting status designer labels.

The risk of ticky-tacky being what it is, prudent consumers arewell advised to examine clothing carefully when they shop. Thatmeans going beyond style, color and fit for a close look at theinside of anything you buy.

Even if the fine points of sewing and tailoring are a closedbook to you, it will pay to learn enough to identify the warningsigns of poor construction. Probably the simplest way to get startedwith your education is to …

Spending.

"Where are the male Muses?" painter Monica Szabo asks a Provincetown gallery audience. "Right here," B answers and they're off to dinner, dancing, sex, and one of those offers you can't refuse - two years' salary, a new apartment, a maid, whatever she needs to do the best work of her life. "The first important thing he said to me was this: 'You work too hard.'" Now there's a good line. Need a trip to Milan for research? No problem. B's a commodities trader. First class tickets coming up. Want to fuck? So you're fifty. He far prefers you to any twenty-year-old. Talk about a euphoric plot.

One night B says he is "completely spent" and falls asleep "with a towel draped over his crotch, his arms on the arms of the chair, his head leaning against the back . . ." The pose reminds Szabo of Jesus in Carpaccio's Meditation on the Passion. What if all the dead Christs in the history of painting were post-orgasmic?, she wonders. …

E-MAIL ME THE ROSETTA STONE.(MAIN)

Byline: ANDY ROONEY

If I'm in a hurry reading the newspaper, I don't pause for long over something I don't understand. I figure it isn't important enough to spend any time worrying about it.

The other day, though, I read a story that was very important. I wouldn't have known it was so important except that two scientists were quoted as saying the discovery was ``a monumental technical feat.''

Another scientist said, ``It may be the Rosetta Stone for deciphering the human genome.''

The story said that they had decoded the complete genetic diagram for making the Drosophila fruit fly. It was important, they said, not because of the fruit fly …

Use of immunoregulatory cells in stem cell transplantation reviewed.

2003 DEC 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The use of immunoregulatory cells in stem cell transplantation has been reviewed.

"Various immunoregulatory cells that inhibit graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and induce the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect are found after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation," hematologists in Japan explained. "These cells comprise CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T-cells, regulatory dendritic cells (rDCs), gammadelta T-cells, natural killer (NK) T-cells, and NK cells and T-cells with inhibitory NK receptors."

"Although the first four types of cells effectively inhibit GVHD in animal models, with rDCs showing an inhibitory …

No. 15 Arizona Pounds Samford 86-57

TUCSON, Ariz. - Marcus Williams scored 14 points in the first half, Chase Budinger added 12 in the opening 20 minutes and the 15th-ranked Arizona Wildcats went on to rout Samford 86-57 on Wednesday night.

All five starters reached double figures for the Wildcats (3-1), who led 46-18 at the half. Williams, Budinger and Mustafa Shakur each scored 14 points, Jawann McClellan finished with 12 and Ivan Radenovic had 10.

Four Arizona players had at least eight rebounds, led by Radenovic and Mcclellana with nine apiece, as the Wildcats dominated the boards 47-21.

Randall Gulina led Samford (1-3) with 21 points, finishing 5-of-10 from 3-point range. Jerry Smith added 13 …

Talk Back

OFFENSIVE LINE TOO WEAK TO PROTECT BEARS QB

All I've seen last season and these first two preseason games is an offensive line that couldn't hold back four rushing grandmas. The Bears will need more than three QBs this year.

RAISE STICKER FEES

In many neighborhoods in Chicago are streets where one cannot park unless he lives there and the car has the appropriate permit allowing parking. Over time, the program has expanded exponentially, yet the cost of $25 a year has remained the same. As this fee no doubt does not cover program costs, and the city is facing a budget crisis, this fee should be increased to somewhere in the neighborhood of $300 per vehicle. This …

Other News To Note.

o Acacia Pharma Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, said it started its first clinical trial, a Phase I study of APD 405 for the prevention and treatment of nausea and vomiting after surgery and treatment with chemotherapy drugs. The trial is a single ascending dose study of the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of APD 405, a reformulation of an existing marketed drug, in healthy volunteers. Acacia identified the new use for the drug after noting that the active ingredient in APD 405 hits two proven, complementary anti-emetic pathways.

o Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics BV, of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, obtained a license from Amgen Inc., of Thousand Oaks Calif., to use its GDNF gene for the development of a gene therapy treatment for Parkinson's disease. AMT said its gene-delivery platform potentially may provide a solution for delivering GDNF to the brain. The GDNF gene contains the information for a protein necessary for the development and survival of nerve cells.

o Apogenix GmbH, of Heidelberg, Germany, said its research programs have received two grants totaling C1.65 million (US$2.38 million) from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Under the terms of the first grant, Apogenix s research collaboration partner at Stuttgart University will receive C500,000 of a grant totaling C1.35 million to study the potential application of stable, apoptosis-inducing ligands of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily for therapeutics against tumors. Another collaboration with the Junior Group Molecular Neurobiology at the German Cancer Research Center will receive C300,000 to study Apogenix' lead candidate APG101 in a new indication, glioblastoma multiforme.

o Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd., of Basel, Switzerland, said Toctino (alitretinoin), a once-daily …

POSEN LEADS 10 ENTRIES IN GALLANT MAN STAKES DISQUALIFICATION BREAKS DEAD HEAT HOPEFUL NOMINATIONS LIST GROWING VEITCH RETURNS, LAMENTS SLOW PACE CORDERO'S TOTAL INCREASES TO 30.(Sports)

Henryk de Kwiatkowski's Posen, who finished second in an allowance race here last week, is the favorite in today's GradeIII Gallant Man Stakes at a mile and an eighth over the main turf course.

Posen, who drew the unenviable outside post in the field of 10, is a two-time stakes winner on the lawn. The 3-year- old son of Danzig won the Forerunner at Keeneland and the Saranac at Belmont, beating Sunshine Forever in that one.

He was second to Maceo here Aug.17. Jerry Bailey will ride for trainer Woody Stephens.

The race will mark the grass debut of Fourstardave, winner of the Albany Handicap on the main track here Aug.8.

Other contenders include Bill …

CLAYTON E. PECK, SR.(CAPITAL REGION)

ALBANY -- Clayton Edwin Peck, Sr. died suddenly at the VA Hospital, December 16, 1997. Born on July 21, 1933 in Albany, NY. An Army Veteran of the Korean Conflict and a member of the American Legion. He was a member of Laborers Local #190 for 40 years. Beloved husband and father. Survivors include his wife, Eileen (Browarski); his children, Clayton Peck, Jr., Dawn Keeler, Jeff Peck, Guy Peck, Christine Ribley and Benjamin Peck; his brothers, …

The Business Press, San Bernardino, Calif., Executive Summary Column.

Feb. 9--ECONOMIST SAYS OFFICE WORKERS WILL TAKE PAY CUT TO STAY LOCAL: 20 percent to 30 percent of people commuting from the Inland Empire to high-end jobs in Los Angeles and Orange Counties would be willing to take a 10 percent to 15 percent pay cut to work closer to home, economist John Husing told 200 members of the Inland Valley Interchamber Alliance at the Candlelight Pavilion Jan. 30.

DEVELOPERS SUBMIT PLANS FOR ONTARIO'S SOUTH SIDE: The first steps toward development of the former agricultural preserve of south Ontario are under way. Developers have submitted plans for portions of the former agricultural preserve, representing about 20 percent of the 8,200 …

EU Regulators Reach Deal With Apple

Apple Inc. has agreed to scrap its online pricing policies across Europe for its iTunes music downloads, the European Union said Wednesday.

The maker of the popular iPod media players had been under investigation since April by EU authorities after a British consumer group complained that Apple and major record companies were unfairly restricting the choice and ramping up the cost of downloads at the company's European music stores.

EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes welcomed the agreement, saying it would "allow consumers to benefit from a truly single market for music downloads" across the 27-nation bloc.

EU regulators opened a …

Rev. Willie Clay, pastor and United Methodist official

Rev. Willie B. Clay, 57, pastor and United Methodist Churchofficial, died Thursday in South Chicago Hospital.

Born in Yazoo City, Miss., Rev. Clay came to Chicago in 1961.He had been pastor at Gorham United Methodist Church, 5600 S.Indiana, for six years.

Rev. Clay formerly was superintendent of the southern Chicagodistrict of the church and program staff coordinator of its northernIllinois conference.

He was active in the Midwest Community Council and the MileSquare Federation.

Rev. Clay was a graduate and trustee of Gammon TheologicalSeminary in Atlanta and had served as pastor of Gammon MethodistChurch at …

HSBC ups VW preferred stock to "overweight".

(ADPnews) - Jan 29, 2010 - HSBC upgraded on Friday its recommendation on the preference shares of carmaker Volkswagen (ETR:VOW3) to "overweight" from "neutral" and hiked the share price target to EUR 79 from EUR 63.

According to analyst Horst Schneider, the potential risks for the automotive industry are well-known, while the market pays little heed to the opportunities in the car sector. Car sales will add 5% in 2010 worldwide, propelled by solid figures in Brazil, Russia, India and China, or the so called BRIC countries, and the USA. However, European sales will probably fall by 7%, …

CRANBERRY DISHES DESERVE A PLACE AT YOUR TABLE.(LIFE-FOOD)

Byline: DANA CARPENDER United Features Syndicate

I'm not a betting woman, but I'll lay odds that most people have heard cranberries are filled with nutritional benefits. I'll also up the ante and throw down some chips -- poker, not potato -- to bet that most people only consume cranberries as juice or at the Thanksgiving table. Do I win? It's a shame if I do, because cranberries are healthful and low-carb.

Half a cup of cranberries -- probably more than you'll eat -- has only 3.6 grams of usable carbs and a measly 22 calories. It also packs vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. You may not know the berry boasts powerful antioxidants that …

Leprosy a lingering scourge.(Vatican)(Brief article)

Vatican City -- January 29 2006 was recognized as the 53rd World Day of Leprosy. Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers in a message to bishops responsible for pastoral health care warned that a drop in the number of lepers worldwide must not lead to less medical attention for them. Today, there are fewer than 408,000 cases worldwide of people suffering from leprosy (down from 763,000 in 2001), but we must not stand by idly; we must share in the suffering of lepers and their families, be sensitized to the problem, and support the …

Roddick edges Lopez at Queen's Clubs

LONDON (AP) — Andy Roddick began his bid for a record fifth title at Queen's Club on Tuesday by defeating 2010 semifinalist Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (2), 6-7 (5), 6-4.

Defending champion Sam Querrey also advanced into the third round with a 7-6 (6), 5-7, 6-3 win over Rainer Schuettler.

Roddick overcame 35 aces and claimed victory on his third match point after playing for 2 hours, 13 minutes. The third-seeded Roddick missed the French Open because of a right shoulder injury.

"I love it on grass and am so happy to be back on it," Roddick said. "I feel good."

There was little to separate the two players, with Roddick holding the slightest of advantages in the opening set …