Mavs Send Sonics to 10th Straight Loss

Dirk Nowitzki scored 20 points, Devin Harris keyed a game-breaking run, and the Dallas Mavericks beat Seattle 111-96 Saturday night to hand the reeling SuperSonics their 10th straight loss.

Seattle, which last won Dec. 29 against Minnesota, trailed 39-34 with 7:09 left in the first half before the Mavericks used a 27-10 run to build a 22-point halftime lead.

Harris scored nine in the spurt and finished with 17 points.

Josh Howard added 17 points, Jason Terry scored 15 and Jerry Stackhouse chipped in with 10 for Dallas, which has won eight of nine.

Seattle's 10 losses in a row matches the single-season franchise record. The Sonics (9-31) …

Baker, Howard Henry, Jr.

Baker, Howard Henry, Jr. (b. Huntsville, Tennessee, 15 Nov. 1925) US; US Senator 1967–85, Senator majority leader 1981–5 Baker came from a family long involved in politics. His father, Howard H. Baker, Sr., served in the US House of Representatives 1951–64, and on his death was succeeded by Baker's mother, Ira Baker, 1964–5. Baker married the daughter of Senator Everett Dirksen. Following service in the Navy in the Second World War, he took a BA at Tulane University in New Orleans and studied law at the University of Tennessee. He practised law in Tennessee and in 1966 was elected to …

Fastest growing NH companies: EPE Corporation

A five-year plan to diversify its customer base, market more aggressively to the aerospace defense industry and earn key certifications including AS910 (a quality standard for the defense industry) has meant booming business for this small, veteran-owned electronics manufacturing services company.

Thanks in large part to more defense contracts, this third-generation family business not only grew sales during the recession, but was the fastest growing company on this year's Top 100 Private Companies list. The company specializes in ISO 9001/AS9100 certified printed circuit board, backplane, electromechanical and system assembly as well as logistics products.

It is also ITAR …

China still plays down its chances with Beijing Olympics 2 1/2 weeks away

China is still playing down its gold-medal chances at the Beijing Olympics, which open in 2 1/2 weeks.

Zhang Haifeng, a spokesman for the General Administration of Sport, made the most conservative prediction possible on Tuesday, saying China would surpass the 32 gold medals it won four years ago in Athens, when it was second only to the United States.

"We will strive to do better than 32 gold medals this year," Zhang said. "But it will be extremely challenging as our competitors are very strong."

In the last year, China and the United States have made a game out of playing down their medal prospects in Beijing. Many expect …

Bank of Japan holds emergency policy meeting

The Bank of Japan is holding an emergency meeting Monday as political pressure mounts for the central bank to ease monetary policy in the face of a surging yen.

In a statement on its website, the bank said the meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. in Tokyo (0000 GMT; 8 p.m. EDT Sunday). The bank had been expected to convene Sept. 6 at a scheduled two-day policy board meeting.

The news sent Japanese stocks soaring. The Nikkei 225 stock average finished the morning session up 3.1 percent at 9,265.39.

The Japanese government has not intervened in foreign exchange markets since 2004, but Japan's export-driven economy faces growing uncertainty due to a …

Karl's Coaching Future Depends On the Playoffs

SEATTLE When the Seattle SuperSonics open their playoff season,they'll be playing for the future as well as the here and now.

If the Sonics collapse in the playoffs for the third straightyear, coach George Karl knows he could be fired and the team with thesecond-best record in the NBA dismantled.

"I'm very proud of the job I've done here," Karl said. "I knowit's been first class. If they want to change it, they have thatright. Then I have to live with it."Despite the Sonics' 64-17 record after a victory Friday nightagainst Minnesota in Seattle, Karl has not been offered a newcontract. General manager Wally Walker has told Karl that decisionwill be made this …

Guatemala judge postpones ex-general's hearing

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A Guatemalan judge has again postponed a hearing to decide if a former general should stand trial for alleged involvement in dozens of massacres of indigenous people during the Central American nation's civil war.

Prosecutors say the 81-year-old Hector Mario Lopez Fuentes was brought to Friday's hearing sedated, prompting …

Obama asks Congress to aid Israel defenses

The Obama administration is asking Congress to approve $205 million to help Israel speed up deployment of a new short-range rocket defense system, the White House said Thursday.

Israel's "Iron Dome" system is meant to intercept rockets from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

Though it could be years before it is fully operational along those two borders, the missile defense system was expected to be deployed at a few initial locations sometime this year. The Obama administration decided to help fund the effort after being impressed with the system's effectiveness and determining that an infusion of funds now from Washington could allow deployment to …

Sunday's Pro Bowl Summary

At Honolulu

NFC 3 3 0 14-20

AFC 14 14 3 14-45

First Quarter

AFC-R.Williams 1 run (Vinatieri kick), 12:15.

NFC-FG Akers 45, 9:16.

AFC-Gonzalez 11 pass from Gannon (Vinatieri kick), 6:29.

Second Quarter

AFC-Henry 13 pass from Gannon (Vinatieri kick), 10:20.

NFC-FG Akers 53, 4:27.

AFC-R.Williams 1 run (Vinatieri kick), :47.

Third Quarter

AFC-FG Vinatieri 20, 10:41.

Fourth Quarter

AFC-Law 43 interception return (Vinatieri kick), 11:52.

AFC-Ward 32 pass from Manning (Vinatieri kick), 7:31.

NFC-Horn 12 pass from B.Johnson (Akers kick), 5:01.

NFC-Alstott 4 pass from B.Johnson …

Chilean miner crosses finish line at NYC Marathon

NEW YORK (AP) — A Chilean miner ran, walked and hobbled his way to the finish line of the New York City Marathon on Sunday, showing the passionate grit that helped him survive more than two months trapped underground.

Edison Pena crossed the Central Park finish line at 3:24 p.m., with a time of 5 hours, 40 minutes, 51 seconds. The Elvis fan was draped in a Chilean flag as Presley songs played over the speakers.

The 34-year-old survivor had beat his own goal — to complete the course through the city's five boroughs in six hours.

Bags of ice covered his swollen knees as a grim-faced Pena walked the second half of the marathon, but he summoned enough energy to run the last …

BC-US--Gold, US

New York (AP) — Gold futures trading on the NY Merc Friday:

(100 troy oz.; dollars per troy oz.)

	Open	High	Low	Settle	Change
Feb	1758.70 1761.30 1725.70 1737.90 Down 18.90
Mar	1760.90 1764.00 1726.20 1738.90 Down 18.90
Apr	1761.70 1765.90 1727.40 1740.30 Down 19.00
Jun	1762.30 1768.40 1730.60 1743.00 Down 19.10
Aug	1765.00 …

A poet's migration

I've lived nearly all my life down South and it shows in my poetry. The cadence of the lines, the historical subject matter I choose, and my attention to narrative -- that probably comes from sitting by an oil drum barbecue grill listening to my Uncle Vess tell lies. Except for four years -- I can't remember at the beginning of my life, and another year in my twenties teaching college in Cleveland -- I'd never really been anywhere else except down South and I never really wanted to.

Recently, I had an opportunity to teach creative writing at a small liberal arts college in Illinois. It would mean a move of more than a thousand miles, away from my mother and family in Talladega, …

Gebrselassie, Ndereba win 15-kilometer race

Ethiopian great Haile Gebrselassie won the inaugural 15-kilometer Great Australian Run in 42 minutes, 40 seconds on Sunday.

Beijing Olympic marathon silver medalist and former world champion Catherine Ndereba of Kenya won the women's race in 50:43. New Zealand's Alice Mason was second in 51:27 and Australian Lisa-Jane Weightman third in 51:31.

Beijing Olympic marathon champion Constantina Dita of Romania was sixth in a time of 52:33.

Gebrselassie, who has struggled with jetlag since arriving in Melbourne from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on Friday, broke clear of Kenyan Patrick Makau with four kilometers to go.

Makau was second in 43:15, while Collis Birmingham overtook fellow Australian Craig Mottram in the closing stages to claim third place in 43:35.

Mottram was fourth in 44:08 in the road race held in Melbourne's southern suburbs along with 4,000 recreational runners.

"After 11 Ks (kilometers) I decided to stop (Makau) there, otherwise it was just too dangerous if I brought him up to the last kilometer," said the 35-year-old Gebrselassie.

"I expected to run a good time but when I woke up this morning I didn't feel so good because of the lack of sleep. I should have come five or six days ago but I made a mistake because I only arrived on Friday morning."

It was Gebrselassie's first race in Australia since his dramatic victory over Kenyan Paul Tergat in the Sydney Olympic 10,000 meters in 2000.

Gebrselassie's next race is the Dubai marathon in January, where he hopes to challenge his own world record of 2:03:59. Gebrselassie became the first man to go under 2 hours, four minutes for the marathon with that time in Berlin in September.

Ndereba had finished second behind Dita in Beijing, but the Kenyan always looked the likely winner in Sunday's race.

"I was trying to just keep my pace," she said. "It's four weeks since I ran my last marathon and I was looking to press myself."

Defense says O.J. middleman may testify Tuesday

Lawyers for O.J. Simpson were expecting to take another crack at cross-examining an alleged robbery-kidnapping victim after his first time on the stand was cut short by illness.

On Tuesday, the court expected to call Bruce Fromong again and perhaps several other witnesses who could set the stage for the jury to hear from Thomas Riccio, the colorful collectibles broker who arranged a hotel room meeting between Simpson and memorabilia peddlers Fromong and Alfred Beardsley a year ago when the pair said they were robbed at gunpoint.

"Obviously the prosecution may change witness order a little bit, but I would expect Tom Riccio tomorrow or Wednesday," Simpson defense attorney Yale Galanter said.

Fromong, 54, became "lightheaded, dizzy and started to sweat," according to his lawyer, Louis Schneider, before Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass sent the jury out of the room and suspended his testimony.

Fromong has had four heart attacks in the past year, said Schneider, who described his client as "medically fragile." Paramedics examined Fromong in the courthouse hallway, but left without taking him to a hospital.

The break interrupted a pointed cross-examination by Simpson lawyer Gabriel Grasso, who bored in after Fromong said for the first time that he heard "somebody in the room saying, 'put the gun down.'"

Fromong said he didn't know who uttered the words, and acknowledged under questioning that he never mentioned it to police last September or at a preliminary hearing in November.

Whether Simpson knew weapons were in the room is a crucial point. Simpson maintains he didn't ask anyone to bring guns and didn't know anyone was armed when he went to retrieve items that he says were stolen from him.

Simpson, 61, and co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart, 54, have pleaded not guilty to 12 charges, including kidnapping, armed robbery, coercion and assault with a deadly weapon.

The day began with jurors, who had been told to forget Simpson's past, being reminded of a civil judgment against the former football star in the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife and her friend.

"That's a different case and different facts but the effect of the judgment is something you may consider," prosecutor Chris Owens said.

Owens spoke of Fred Goldman, father of slaying victim Ronald Goldman, and said he would show that Simpson came to Nevada to confront Fromong and Beardsley because he thought that if he took back personal property in California, Goldman would seize and sell it.

An angry Galanter told jurors: "This case ... is not about what occurred in California. This case is not about Fred Goldman. It is about what happened in Las Vegas last year this time and whether crimes were committed."

___

AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report.

Netanyahu: no complete West Bank building freeze

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday rejected U.S. calls to freeze all settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, angering Palestinians and putting a New York summit in question.

Netanyahu's announcement came on the eve of a crucial meeting with President Barack Obama's Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, who is trying to arrange an Israeli-Palestinian summit on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly session next week.

A tough line from both Israel and the Palestinians, combined with a Saudi refusal to make new conciliatory gestures to the Jewish state, also could further complicate U.S. efforts to forge a comprehensive regional peace.

Seeking to jump-start peace efforts, Mitchell has been pressing Israel to halt its construction of homes in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The Palestinians claim both areas, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, and say the settlements make it increasingly difficult for them to realize their goal of establishing an independent state.

Netanyahu told parliament's powerful foreign affairs and defense committee on Monday that Israel would consider suspending new plans to build in the West Bank for a limited time only, according to a meeting participant.

Netanyahu said Israel will continue to build some 3,000 apartments already begun, trying to strike a balance between Israel's desire to resume talks with the Palestinians while also enabling "normal life" to continue in the settlements.

He also said Israel would continue to build without restrictions in east Jerusalem, which Israel considers part of its capital.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was closed.

Netanyahu has repeatedly voiced these positions, but delivering the message a day ahead of an important meeting with Mitchell gave them an added note of defiance.

Netanyahu hopes his offer of a settlement slowdown will be enough for the Americans. He has argued that an absolute freeze would spark an uprising in his hardline coalition, which includes settler advocates, making it impossible to conduct peace talks with the Palestinians.

Whether these arguments will sway Mitchell remained unclear. Mitchell is trying to bridge the differences on this visit to set the stage for a summit next week between Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, possibly with Obama joining. All will be in New York for the U.N. General Assembly.

Abbas has left the door open to a meeting next week, but insists he will not reopen peace talks until Israel halts all settlement construction. The latest round of peace talks broke down before Netanyahu took office in March,

Sabri Seidam, an Abbas aide, said the Palestinian position remains unchanged.

"Israel has to stop stalling and focus on creating the atmosphere for a resumption of the peace process. Its sole track should lead to the establishment of the Palestinian state," Seidam told The Associated Press.

Mitchell had been set to meet Netanyahu on Monday. But their talks were delayed for a day so both could attend the funeral of an Israeli air force pilot killed in a training accident. The pilot, Capt. Asaf Ramon, was the son of Israel's first and only astronaut, Ilan Ramon, who died in the 2003 Columbia space shuttle disaster.

Mitchell is also set to meet Abbas on Tuesday. If he can achieve a compromise, a summit next week would mark the first face-to-face encounter between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders since Netanyahu took office.

The U.S. has also tried to link renewed Israeli-Palestinian talks to work toward a comprehensive peace deal between Israel and the entire Arab world. Israeli officials have said the extent of any settlement freeze would depend on whether the Arab world reciprocates with some sort of conciliatory gesture.

Saudi Arabia has rebuffed the effort and indicated it has no intention of making the first move.

Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi ambassador to the U.S., wrote in a strongly worded opinion piece in the New York Times on Saturday that diplomatic normalization with Israel before it returns occupied Arab land would undermine "international law and turn a blind eye to immorality."

____

Associated Press correspondent Dalia Nammari contributed to this report from Ramallah, West Bank.

Wayne Rooney lets off steam with verbal volley

LONDON (AP) — Twelve months of pent-up frustration borne out of media criticism and a nosedive in form burst out of Wayne Rooney when the Manchester United striker delivered an expletive-laced outburst that shocked a worldwide TV audience.

Rooney showed his best and worst in a 15-minute span at Upton Park on Saturday, scoring a quickfire hat trick to earn United a crucial 4-2 win over Premier League rival West Ham but then spewing vitriol into a television camera.

The incident, which resulted in Rooney being charged by England's Football Association on Monday for the use of offensive, insulting and/or abusive language, demonstrated that the striker could be returning to form just at the right time for United. The team is chasing the league, FA Cup and Champions League trophies this season.

However, it also showed a player under severe pressure after a hectic year both on and off the pitch, when his personal life came under intense scrutiny, his sensational form of last season dipped horribly and he came close to quitting the club that signed him for 26.5 million pounds (then more than $40 million) in 2004.

The start of Rooney's woes can be charted back to just more than a year ago, on the night he twisted his ankle in the first leg of United's Champions League quarterfinal loss to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.

At that time, with 35 goals in all competitions, the England striker was being talked up — at least by the British media — as one of the three best players in the world along with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

He has not rediscovered that form, though, and a series of injury setbacks have hampered his progress. A disappointing World Cup campaign with England in South Africa was followed by a lackluster first half of the 2010-11 Premier League season when he scored just one goal — and that from the penalty spot.

In the midst of all that were tabloid allegations that he cheated on his then-pregnant wife with a prostitute, resulting in Rooney being on both the front and back of most newspapers.

Then came his bombshell announcement, around the time his relationship with United manager Alex Ferguson was appearing to be strained, that he wanted to leave Old Trafford.

Rooney was eventually talked around by Ferguson and club officials, and signed a lucrative five-year contract in October worth a reported 150,000 pounds ($235,000) per week.

Only in the last couple of months has he started to prove he is worth those kind of sums, but it is rare to see Rooney playing with a smile on his face, even when he scores a 15-minute hat trick to keep his team on course for a record 19th English title.

Rooney was sanctioned for swearing into a television camera while celebrating his third goal against West Ham, not your average reaction when scoring your first three-goal haul in nearly 15 months.

"Why is he so angry?" Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said Monday. "Why do these young footballers have to be so angry with the world? They make hundreds of thousands of pounds. He's a silly boy for doing what he did."

The profane display appeared to show a man letting off steam and screaming at his critics, some of whom were saying the world had already seen the best of the striker.

Rooney issued an immediate apology, via a club statement, acknowledging his actions may have caused offense to "any parents or children that were watching."

But the British media still targeted Rooney the following day with back-page headlines ranging from "Rood Yob" to "Shame on Roo" and "Red Devil Turns Air Blue."

Teammate Rio Ferdinand called for the media to lay off the criticism of Rooney.

"Newspapers+radio,come on give wayne a break he knows what he did was wrong and he has apologised,spoke 2 him this morning+genuinely sorry.." Ferdinand posted Sunday on his Twitter account.

More importantly for United, though, is whether Rooney can keep up his improved form of late, which has seen him score nine goals since the start of February.

United has managed to stay on course for the treble without a fit and firing Rooney. With their star player back in form, United will be an even more dangerous proposition in the final two months of the season.

Blaze! works four ways to speed up Web access

The Web is so slow for some people that they call it the WorldWide Wait.

As more people clog the Internet, it becomes harder to gettimely responses from our favorite sites. Besides speeding up yournetwork connection, can you do anything to speed up your Internetsoftware?

Yes. Two classes of products - one that aims to speed upWorld Wide Web access and one to take more of it offline - are yourprimary Web access speed helpers.I've written before about software that gives you offlinebrowsing capabilities, such as QuarterDeck's WebCompass, and I'llrevisit them again soon. Today I look at the first type.Two of the most prominent net access accelerators are Net.Jetfrom Peak and Blaze! from Datalytics. I've just reviewed the mostcurrent release of Blaze! and it does indeed speed up Web access.The Blaze! Web Performance Pack 1.1 is a suite ofapplications that address the three biggest complaints of Web users:The Web is too slow.The Web makes it too hard to find or return to information ofinterest.The Web makes it too difficult to organize a high volume ofretrieved information.Blaze! is the first software product to be powered byDatalytics' xSpeed Web server technology, which provides measurablespeed gains for your Web browser as it accesses and loads Web pages.The program works with the two most popular browsers, MicrosoftInternet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. If you have SpyglassMosaic or other older browsers, Blaze! can't help you.In my tests, Blaze! reduced the time it took to link to anddownload a Web page usually by a factor of two and sometimes greater.It speeded up both real-time browsing and Web searching.The Blaze Web Performance Pack 1.1 speeds up your browser fourways:JCompression reduces the amount of information required to downloadWeb pages from Web sites to your browser. This works only on sitesusing Datalytics xSpeed technology.JEncapsulation reduces the typical 20-30 intermittent connectionsrequired to download a Web page to fewer than eight. Likecompression, this works only on sites using Datalytics xSpeedtechnology.JRead-ahead browsing uses idle modem time to pre-fetch links on apage. It uses artificial intelligent techniques to gain a feelingfor how you browse and it puts that knowledge to work inpre-fetching. JIntelligent caching speeds up your native browsercache and loads pages into memory that are likely to be requested -where they run much faster.In other words, Blaze! works like Net.Jet when it's helpingyour browser access a site that does not use xSpeed. Blaze'sread-ahead technology downloads and caches pages linked to thecurrent page you have open. When it's right, this method can improveWeb page display performance by as much as 500 percent, (which isstill not quite as fast as Net.Jet, but the latter product can't usethe xSpeed site improvements like Blaze!), making Blaze! faster withthose kinds of sites.Blaze! can produce some anomalies, however. I had troublewith both Netscape and Internet Explorer crashing after I installedBlaze! These problems forced me to reconfigure both browsers' cachefile sizes and to tinker with other preferences to make them performproperly with other Blaze! features. Blaze! was also consistentlyless fast at accelerating straight read-ahead cached pages thanNet.Jet, although it still managed to cut in half the page accesstimes for most of the pages I hit.Despite its problems, I liked Blaze! and will continue to useit.Blaze! costs $49.99 and you can download a free, 15-day trialversion from the Datalytics Web site. You need a Windows 95 or NTmachine with at least 16MB of RAM, 10MB of free hard drive space,either Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer and an Internetconnection to make it all work.Crabb's Bottom Line: Blaze! Web Performance Pack 1.1. TheGoods: A software-only accelerator for the Internet. Rating: 9.0.Vendor: Datalytics. Platforms: Windows 95 or NT, Netscape orInternet Explorer. URL: http://www.datalytics.com. Phone: (937)226-7700. List price: $49.99; 15-day trial version available forfree downloading at their Web site. In Short: Speeds Internet accessfrom top to bottom.

Marlins place RHP Leroux on DL; sign RHP Donnelly

The Florida Marlins have placed right-hander Chris Leroux on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation and signed reliever Brendan Donnelly.

The moves were announced on Sunday before the Marlins' game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Donnelly was active for the game and will pitch out of the bullpen.

Donnelly, who turned 38 on Saturday, was originally signed by the Chicago White Sox in 1992. He started his major league career with the Anaheim Angels in 2002. He pitched for Boston in 2007 and Cleveland in 2008. He won World Series titles with the Angels (2003) and the Red Sox (2007).

He is 26-9 with a 3.12 ERA with four saves in 318 appearances. He opted out of a contract with the Houston Astros earlier this season.

Essex show set for new series ; In brief

BRENTWOOD: Fans of the hit ITV2 series The Only Way is Essex canbreathe a sigh of relief - the show is set to be aired up to 48weeks of the year. Following the show's success, and recent BAFTA,executives have mooted turning it into a long-running serial,similar to Holby City or Waterloo Road.

Yes We Can: A Biography of Barack Obama, by Garen Thomas

Children and teens interested in learning more about Sen. Barack Obama will get a wealth of information about the man who could be the next president of the United States by reading children's book editor and writer Garen Thomas' new book, Yes We Can: A Biography of Barack Obama.

The book is intended for middle-grade and teen readers about 10 to 16 years old, and it is the only new children's biography of Obama that is currently available.

Yes We Can gives an educational glimpse into the life of the Illinois senator as he was growing up a child of mixed race in Hawaii and Indonesia all the way up through the groundbreaking speech, A More Perfect Union, which dealt with racial matters in the U.S. that he delivered on March 18. Updated reprints of the book will be made available after the Democratic National Convention next month and the presidential election in November.

The overall tone and language of the biography are simplified for a younger readership who may not have an interest in reading Obama's memoirs Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope but want to learn about the Democratic nominee and why his candidacy is so important.

Throughout Yes We Can are photos of Obama from his childhood, his college years and, more recently, with his family and during his campaign trail, as well as quotes from his famous speeches. The author also provides sidebars with further explanations of facts, like the results of state primaries and caucuses, laws Obama helped pass and a map displaying Obama and his extended family's travels and residences and his family tree.

The book is enjoyable for the targeted audience, if only to gain a basic understanding of Obama as a person and potential United States president. It is a great publication to give young readers background about the man who has ultimately changed the view of politics in America.

[Author Affiliation]

by Frances Moffett

DEFENDER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Smartphone maker HTC cuts revenue forecast

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan smartphone maker HTC Corp. has cut its fourth quarter revenue forecast as the weak global economy hurts sales and Samsung Electronics Co. steps up competition.

HTC's shares tumbled 7 percent on Thursday after its announcement that revenue for the October-December quarter would be flat compared with a year earlier.

HTC has grown on the strength of the design of its handsets, based on Google Inc.'s Android operating system.

But it faces increasing competition from its top rival, South Korea's Samsung, while the global economic downturn has hit sales in its two main markets, the U.S. and Europe.

HTC predicted in October that fourth quarter revenue would grow 30 percent to $4.4 billion.

HTC has predicted fast growth in China shipments.

Baldwins are brothers in acting, not in politics

For years, we've been more than aware of Alec and Billy Baldwin'sroles as outspoken liberal Democratic activists. Both actors had beenfrequent campaigners for the Democratic Party -- stumping for thelikes of President Clinton and Al Gore and now for for Sen. JohnKerry.

But now, in the Baldwins' hometown of New York, their brotherStephen is stepping up to the political plate -- as a Bush supporter!

This right-leaning Baldwin tells the Big Apple newsies he'sboosting the president because he believes Dubya is the candidatewith the most religious faith.

Baldwin became a serious born-again Christian while in recoveryfrom his long battle with drugs and alcohol.

MCCAIN -- THE MOVIE: Arizona GOP stalwart John McCain, theRepublicans' featured speaker Monday night, is working closely withthe A&E cable network on a two-hour movie based on his life. Set forrelease in 2005, the film -- focusing on his imprisonment and heroismin Vietnam -- could serve as a key jump-start to a renewed McCain runfor the White House in 2008.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The stars at the MTV Video Music Awards Sundaycertainly were well-fed by Chicago's own Levy Restaurants. Strictvegetarians Jessica Simpson and Alicia Keys stuck to eating thingsthat never had mothers, but Stevie Wonder, Bruce Willis, Sean "P.Diddy" Combs, Paris Hilton, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, J. Lo,Queen Latifah, OutKast and Nelly were spied chowing down oneverything from sushi to 48-ounce Porterhouse steaks and chocolatefondue with fresh berries and fruits.

BENNETT BITS: The heavy rains didn't dampen the spirits of fanscheering the incomparable Tony Bennett making his 20th appearance atRavinia Saturday -- surprising the crowd by having his daughter andtalented jazz singer Antonia Bennett make a special guest appearance.While in town, Bennett, natch, dined at good pal Alex Dana's Rosebudon Rush -- gifting the popular restaurateur with a portrait thelegendary crooner painted of Dana, shown with the Chicago skyline.

SEEN ON SCENE: Yes, that was Brande Roderick ("Starsky & Hutch,""Baywatch Hawaii," "Surreal Life") spied dining at Gibsons inRosemont, joining Chicago's own Reggie Benjamin. Roderick will appearin Benjamin's new music video (slated for an October shoot).

BABY BEAT: Congrats to WBBM-Channel 2's vice president and stationmanager Fran Preston and hubby Lee on the arrival of their firstgranddaughter. "Forget about buying anything pink in town," jokesFran -- "I've bought it all!" The lucky little lady is Emma Chloe,born Thursday night to Kim and Michael Preston -- joining her excitedbig brothers Koby and Joe.

SPORTS SHORT: Corey McPherrin and his WFLD-Channel 32 "Final Word"Sunday night Bears wrap-up will utilize George and Patty Loukas'Cubby Bear North in Lincolnshire, beginning Sept. 10. McPherrin willoriginate live from the Channel 32 studio on Boul Mich, with Bearsdefensive back Charles "Peanut" Tillman reporting from the NorthShore sports bar.

Bill Zwecker is seen at 6:50 a.m. and 4:50 p.m. weekdays on WBBM-Channel 2 and reports on entertainment and celebrities at 9:10 a.m.Fridays on "The Eric & Kathy Show" on WTMX-FM (101.9).

Decadent desserts; When a sweet tooth needs satisfying, here are the right replies

It seems as the weather has warmed up you, the readers, have beenhankering for something sweet. You asked, and we got got yourrequests, as well as a recipe for classic corn flake chicken.

These desserts are absolute knockouts. Plus, if you're planning abridal shower or hosting other spring gatherings -- whether it beMother's Day or graduation celebrations -- these desserts will bereal crowd pleasers.

This is M.H. of Chicago's lucky day. E.J. Lenzi, the congenialgeneral manager of Erie Cafe, 536 W. Erie, happily shares chefVictor Saavedra's recipe for tiramisu.

Not surprisingly, the gorgeous tiramisu served in a strawberry-raspberry sauce has been the most popular dessert for a decade atthe classic steakhouse on the banks of the Chicago River.

Follow Lenzi's advice: do not skip the berry sauce. That's whatmakes Erie Cafe's velvety tiramisu so memorable.

- - -

It wasn't just one reader yearning for flourless chocolate cake;it was several. We're offering this simple and oh-so-satisfyingversion from the J.R.

Watkins Co., producers of pure vanilla extract.

- - -

Chaya Rubenstein of Northfield shares the corn flake chickenrequested by L.S.

of Oak Park:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine 1 cup Kellogg's CornFlake Crumbs and 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt. Dip 3 pounds ofbroiler chicken pieces (rinsed and dried) in 1/2 cup evaporatedskimmed milk and coat with the corn flake/salt mixture.

Place in a single layer, skin side up, in a shallow baking pancoated with cooking spray. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons meltedmargarine. Bake 1 hour or until chicken is tender, no longer pink,and juices run clear. Do not cover the pan or turn chicken whilebaking.

REQUESTS Can anyone offer a tasty recipe for fried catfish?

L.P., Danville How about publishing a recipe for a cheesyasparagus soup?

M.A., Cicero Does someone have a recipe for a bread with raisinsand caraway seeds? I think it's Irish.

T.J., Chicago Send recipes and requests to: Swap Shop, ChicagoSun-Times, 350 N. Orleans, 9th Floor, Chicago 60654 or by e-mail,swapshop@suntimes.com.

All mail must include a daytime telephone number. Sorry, requestscan't be answered personally.

ERIE CAFE TIRAMISU

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

1 3/4 cups white sugar

1/2 cup espresso coffee (brewed)

1 teaspoon very finely ground coffee

1/2 cup Frangelico liqueur

5 1/2 cups mascarpone cheese

16 egg yolks

3 cups whipping cream

40 ladyfingers

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar

Mix ingredients through Frangelico together and set aside.

In blender, mix together mascarpone, egg yolks and whipping creamuntil whipped. Set aside.

In a 13-by-9-by-2-inch pan, lay down a layer of ladyfingercookies in bottom.

Slightly moisten ladyfingers with coffee mixture. Smooth on alayer of the mascarpone/whipped cream mixture. Then repeat a layerof ladyfingers; slightly moisten with coffee mixture. Add layer ofmascarpone/whipped cream. Build another layer of ladyfingers, coffeemixture, mascarpone/ whipped cream. Dust top with cocoa powder andconfectioners' sugar.

Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cut into squares and serveatop berry sauce (recipe follows).

BERRY SAUCE

1 cup strawberries

1 cup raspberries

6 cups water

3 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup Grand Marnier

1/2 lemon

Cornstarch, enough to thicken

Clean berries; cook in water. Boil down 20 minutes over mediumheat. Add sugar and Grand Marnier. Squeeze in lemon. Thicken with alittle cornstarch (as much as needed to give it a syrupconsistency). Refrigerate until cool. Spoon on plate.

Erie Cafe, Victor Saavedra

Nutrition facts per serving: 1613 calories, 86 g fat, 50 gsaturated fat, 847 mg cholesterol, 176 g carbohydrates, 24 gprotein, 587 mg sodium, 3 g fiber

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Makes 12 servings

2 cups semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 sticks plus 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter

8 large eggs

1/4 cup sugar

2 to 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

Sauce:

1 1/2 cups semisweet dark baking chocolate or dark chocolatechips

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

Fresh raspberries and mint leaves, for garnishes, op tional

Grease a 9-inch spring form pan; line bottom with a parchmentround. Combine the chocolate and butter in a bowl. Set the bowl oversimmering water or in the top of a double boiler. Melt the mixture,stirring constantly until smooth (about 5 minutes). Set aside.

Combine eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt in large bowl. Mix with anelectric mixer until frothy and almost doubled in volume (about 5minutes). Fold 1/3 of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture.Repeat this process until all of the egg mixture has been folded in.

Pour batter into prepared pan; bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 50minutes or until the cake has risen and the edges are set. Cool onwire rack to room temperature. Remove spring form pan side; invertcake onto a plate, and peel off parchment paper. Re-invert cake on aserving platter.

Heat chocolate and cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Stiruntil melted and smooth. Remove from heat; add extracts. Drizzlechocolate sauce over cake.

Garnish individual slices with fresh raspberries and mint leaves,if desired.

Watkins Pure Vanilla Extract

Nutrition facts per serving: 415 calories, 34 g fat, 20 gsaturated fat, 199 mg cholesterol, 24 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein,150 mg sodium, 2 g fiber

Island's voters reject secession // Close result keeps Nevis linked to St. Kitts

CHARLESTOWN, St. Kitts and Nevis Nevis seccessionists narrowlylost a vote to break away from St. Kitts, reflecting fears ofbecoming the smallest nation in the Western Hemisphere, according tounofficial results.

With a couple hundred votes still to be counted, 2,427 voted infavor of secession and 1,418 against. It fell short of thetwo-thirds of votes needed.

Some voters said they were dissuaded from voting "yes" in thehastily called referendum because no one had explained what wouldhappen if they seceded.

When the islands became independent in 1983, Nevis reluctantlyjoined in a federation with neighboring St. Kitts, population 32,000.But Nevisians insisted on a constitutional clause allowing them tobreak away.

After years of complaining that they are treated likesecond-class citizens by the federal government on St. Kitts, theyinvoked that right with Monday's vote.

Premier Vance Amory, the force behind the independence drive,urged citizens to ignore naysayers who warned the tiny island cannotsustain itself in a global economy.

"Small is not an indication of capability," Amory said Sunday.

But opposition leader Joseph Parry said the island wasn'teconomically, politically or psychologically ready for secession.

UN force in Congo warns of rebel build-up

The U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo said Tuesday it has mounting evidence of a build-up by rebels along key roads in the volatile east.

Laurent Nkunda's National Council for the Defense of the People, or CNDP, has brought Congo to the brink of war and said Monday it will walk away from peace talks if negotiators fail to address cease-fire violations allegedly committed by the Congolese army.

The U.N. peackeeping force in Congo, known as MONUC, released a statement Tuesday at U.N. headquarters saying that as a result of the mounting evidence of the CNDP build-up, peacekeeping bases in Masisi territory have been placed on high alert.

The Masisi area is northwest of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, where Nkunda launched an offensive in late August. He declared a cease-fire on Oct. 29 as his forces reached the edge of Goma.

U.N. peacekeepers are now conducting additional patrols in strategic areas of the region, MONUC said.

MONUC said it is also concerned about a reported clash Tuesday between the CNDP and ethnic Mai Mai forces, who are normally allied with the government.

The U.N. peacekeeping force called on all armed groups to halt the build-up and movement of troops likely to inflame the situation and cause new displacement of civilians.

The conflict in eastern Congo is fueled by festering ethnic hatred left over from the 1994 slaughter of a half-million Tutsis in Rwanda, and Congo's 1996-2002 civil wars, which drew neighboring countries in a rush to plunder Congo's mineral wealth.

Nkunda gained control of a large swath of North Kivu during his latest offensive which drove over 250,000 people from their homes. Many Congolese soldiers fled the advancing rebels, and U.N. peacekeepers were unable to protect civilians from being killed or raped.

The rebels and representatives of the Congolese government have been meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, to try to broker a solution to the latest outbreak of fighting. The first round of talks ended last weekend, and discussions are due to resume in Nairobi on Jan. 7.

The two sides agreed that a buffer zone would be created between rebel-held and government-held areas, controlled by U.N. peacekeepers. But the rebels accuse government troops of occupying territory the rebels have recently vacated.

CNDP spokesman Bertrand Bisimwa said Monday the group will not attend the talks unless the negotiators witness the reality on the ground.

"Government forces have occupied Kibati and Kiwandja _ areas we recently pulled back from," said Bisimwa. "They are 100 meters (330 feet) from our position and they are provoking us by opening fire on our position each morning. Up to now, we have abstained and not returned fire because we are trying to respect the cease-fire."

Human rights groups hold the CNDP responsible for a recent massacre at Kiwandja, where as many as 150 people were killed. But rights groups have also documented abuses by government forces, including systematic rape.

Abbott signs licensing deal with Zydus, forms unit

Drug and medical device maker Abbott Laboratories says it will license at least 24 products in emerging markets through a new unit that it hopes will expand sales outside of the U.S.

The company, based in North Chicago, Ill., said Tuesday it is licensing the products from Zydus Cadila, based in India, and will sell them in 15 emerging markets. As part of the expansion, Abbott is formally creating a separate unit to boost sales in those emerging markets. The company says it already has $5 billion in affiliated sales.

Terms of the deal with Zydus Cadila haven't been disclosed, but includes an option to license an additional 40 products. The product launches are planned for early 2012.

Dynamite Driving Dynamics

Neues CDC System von ZF Sachs ist viel sneller als ein Augenblick!

Papenburg, Germany, is the site of a Damlier/Chrysler owned proving ground and we were there recently to test automobiles fitted with the ZF Sachs continuous clamping control (CDC).

This system debuted in 2001 as an option on upmarket cars such as the Maserati 3200 Coupe, Ferrari Modena and the BMW 7 Series, then spread to the Audi A8, the Porsche Cayenne, VW Phaeton and Touareg, but now it has come down to earth as an option on the 2004 Opel Astra, a high volume automobile.

It's expected that about 8 percent of Opel Astra buyers will select the CDC option this year and penetration is projected at 12.4 percent next year. That means ZF Sachs will be putting approximately 250,000 CDC systems on vehicles in 2005 for all applications.

We drew a nice clear day in late March for test driving. A rain or snow laden track might have been more interesting in some ways, but there was still plenty of excitement reacting to various road surfaces, a tight slalom course and a challenging double lane change.

Most of the automobiles mentioned above, 17 in all, were available, some with CDC and some without, so comparisons could be made readily. Some of the Brazilian journalists were far better drivers than I so I learned as much or more as a passenger as I did while driving. Picture this venue which lasted about five hours. A typical vehicle test run lasted about 20 minutes.

The venue even included a couple turns round the track with retired Formula 3 and 1999 LeMans champion Joachim Winkelhock at the wheel. It's fascinating to be thrilled and intimidated by the same experience.

Before turning to the technology behind the CDC system, let me give you my impression of the testing. The best handling car for me on the rough or smooth road surfaces was the BMW 7 Series, but I wasn't any good in the slalom or double lane change with this auto because the steering wheel was so big and required too much input. I couldn't react quickly enough; someone else probably could.

Although no match for the CDC equipped BMW or Phaeton on road surfaces, I was best with the CDC equipped Opel Astra and could cany more speed in the slalom and lane change because of the smaller steering wheel, requiring less input. The smaller mass of the Astra and wheelbase also simplify maneuvering.

ZF Sachs talks about the "skyhook" effect, the idea being it's as though the car hangs from an invisible rail in the sky and the wheels hang down to meet the uneven road surface from that stabilized platform. The vehicle body is kept as calm as possible as the shocks react instantly to the road surface and driving conditions. And the ride did kind of feel like that.

Journalists generally agreed the CDC equipped cars had markedly reduced pitching and rolling motion in all road conditions, superior ride, handing and maneuvering characteristics and, of the cars available for testing, the most improvement was found on the CDC equipped Touareg versus the standard suspension Touareg.

All vehicles equipped with CDC give the driver a selection of two or three suspension tuning options that can be selected on the fly while driving. In the Astra you can select a ride for comfort mode or a sporty mode - and the system adjusts from softer to harder just like that. It's a question of providing bias in one direction or the other. We tried most test cars in all damping modes and you can feel the change instantly.

This ushers in a new era of adaptive tuned suspensions. And it lets drivers pick the mode they want instantaneously. If an emergency situation is detected, the bias is eliminated and the system proceeds independently to adjust damping.

ZF Sachs talks about the "lightning speed" of the CDC system and let us put some perspective to that to appreciate what the system accomplishes.

First consider that the blink of an eye, ein Augenblick to my friends in Papenburg, is given at 300 milliseconds (ms). This CDC control unit makes a calculation every 2 ms and adjusts the value sent to each of the four proportional control valves in the CDC dampers at each wheel, softening or stiffening the damping action.

Now appreciate that a vehicle traveling at 60 mph moves 88 feet per second. So in 2 ms it travels only 2.1 inches. For reference, in the blink of an eye, the vehicle would travel 13 feet, nearly the overall length of the Astra. Now that simply wouldn't get the job done, not even close.

Owing to different application requirements, ZF has developed two types of damper shock cylinders for the systems, one with an integrated proportional valve and the other with an external valve mounted at the base. But the operating principle is the same for both.

A solenoid in each valve meters the position of a cone in and out of an orifice to restrict or increase the flow of fluid in the cylinder which produces a softer or harsher response movement of the shock to road input. The system will default to a harsh ride in case of failure. A current of only 0-1.6 amps controls the solenoid. Nominal system power consumption is approximately 15 Watts.

Because of the desired response sensitivity of the system, special care has to be taken to assure the correct bearing resilience especially where either end of the damper connects with the axle and the vehicle body.

This point came up when asking Thomas Kutsche, manager of product development for variable damping systems, what kind of suspension geometry CDC works best with.

"It really doesn't matter what type of suspension system is used. On the Astra we have McPherson struts on the front and a beam axle at the rear. The critical thing, however, is that the friction in the system is as low as possible in the shocks and ball joints so the CDC can accurately sense the road and driving conditions and react accordingly. You want a very nimble suspension system, that's all," Kutsche told us.

The current CDC control unit uses a 16-bit microprocessor to process information from accelerometer sensors at each "wheel, a pitch/yaw sensor and information from the vehicle's CAN (controlled area network) bus to come up with the correct input to each shock. It also provides system diagnosis and can store errors in memory if needed.

On the Astra application the CDC system is married into Opel's Interactive Driving System (IDS), which links it together to an electronic stability system (ESP) and ABS system, electronic power steering system and shift control unit using CAN bus architecture.

With all these systems tied in, and with the CDC system keeping the wheels firmly on the road, it is also possible to optimize wheel contact forces and significantly reduce braking distances.

No U.S. built autos offer the CDC system yet, but it probably isn't too far away. My bet is it will be an SUV application that comes first, probably an up-market model where the cost of the system becomes less significant. But then again if Opel can offer it in an Astra level car, there are certainly numerous possibilities.

Car lands on tracks, struck by Chicago train

Service along the Chicago Transit Authority's Blue Line was disrupted for three hours Thursday morning after a car jumped a retaining wall, landed on the tracks and was struck by a train.

CTA spokeswoman Kimberly Myles says the driver got out of the vehicle before the collision and was being treated at a hospital.

Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford says the car was in an accident with two other vehicles before it jumped the barrier. Two people in another vehicle and several train passengers who complained of minor injuries and were taken to hospitals.

Service along a three-mile stretch of the Blue Line on Chicago's West Side was shut down for three hours in both directions.

Treasure Hunt Wisconsin starts Sept. 15

MILWAUKEE - American Treasure Hunts will launch its first race this September with the story of Queen Anne's Revenge. Treasure Hunt Wisconsin is a race to solve clues that unlock the mystery of where the grand prize or "treasure" is located somewhere in the state of Wisconsin.

A Grafton, Wis., couple founded American Treasure Hunts for those who enjoy adventure, the challenge of solving puzzles, learning a little about Wisconsin history, and the chance to win a grand prize anywhere from a guaranteed minimum of $5,000 up to $100,000, depending on the number of registered treasure hunters.

The story of Queen Anne's Revenge is a recount of a young man's struggle to find the long lost treasure of the notorious pirate Blackbeard. It begins with a journal found in the attic of Jeffery Williams' grandmother's house after her death. Jeff and his family immediately realize the implications of clues hidden within the text of the journal, a trail through history leading to the location of gold and silver. Jeff is lead down a pathway of undiscovered events chronicled only in the journal. As the search intensifies, the very existence of the treasure is questioned, but Jeffery has no doubt he will find wealth beyond his dreams. Treasure hunters will have the chance to unlock the mystery and find the long-lost treasure somewhere in Wisconsin.

The race begins at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, when the first clue is released on the Treasure Hunt Wisconsin Web site. Participants will receive one clue per night for the next 13 nights. The final clue will be released according to how fast each participant had solved the previous 14 clues.

Participants will use their map reading, internet searching, and riddle solving skills to figure out where a treasure box has been hidden. The first person to find the box wins the grand prize.

"Treasure Hunt Wisconsin is a great opportunity for groups of families or friends from throughout the state to sit down together and have fun trying to solve the clues and figure out where the treasure is located," said Dean Olson, founder and author of Treasure Hunt Wisconsin. Olson and his business partner, his wife Meghan, live in Grafton.

Three percent of the proceeds from Treasure Hunt Wisconsin will be donated to Children's Hospital and Health System�s Child Abuse Prevention Fund. To register or for more information, visit the Web site at www.treasurehuntwisconsin.com.

Treasure Hunt Wisconsin starts Sept. 15

MILWAUKEE - American Treasure Hunts will launch its first race this September with the story of Queen Anne's Revenge. Treasure Hunt Wisconsin is a race to solve clues that unlock the mystery of where the grand prize or "treasure" is located somewhere in the state of Wisconsin.

A Grafton, Wis., couple founded American Treasure Hunts for those who enjoy adventure, the challenge of solving puzzles, learning a little about Wisconsin history, and the chance to win a grand prize anywhere from a guaranteed minimum of $5,000 up to $100,000, depending on the number of registered treasure hunters.

The story of Queen Anne's Revenge is a recount of a young man's struggle to find the long lost treasure of the notorious pirate Blackbeard. It begins with a journal found in the attic of Jeffery Williams' grandmother's house after her death. Jeff and his family immediately realize the implications of clues hidden within the text of the journal, a trail through history leading to the location of gold and silver. Jeff is lead down a pathway of undiscovered events chronicled only in the journal. As the search intensifies, the very existence of the treasure is questioned, but Jeffery has no doubt he will find wealth beyond his dreams. Treasure hunters will have the chance to unlock the mystery and find the long-lost treasure somewhere in Wisconsin.

The race begins at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, when the first clue is released on the Treasure Hunt Wisconsin Web site. Participants will receive one clue per night for the next 13 nights. The final clue will be released according to how fast each participant had solved the previous 14 clues.

Participants will use their map reading, internet searching, and riddle solving skills to figure out where a treasure box has been hidden. The first person to find the box wins the grand prize.

"Treasure Hunt Wisconsin is a great opportunity for groups of families or friends from throughout the state to sit down together and have fun trying to solve the clues and figure out where the treasure is located," said Dean Olson, founder and author of Treasure Hunt Wisconsin. Olson and his business partner, his wife Meghan, live in Grafton.

Three percent of the proceeds from Treasure Hunt Wisconsin will be donated to Children's Hospital and Health System�s Child Abuse Prevention Fund. To register or for more information, visit the Web site at www.treasurehuntwisconsin.com.

Safety verses economy over speed limits ; POLITICS: Motorway limits

In a climate where every penny is crucial and the idea of savingthe planet and saving money go hand in hand, the speeding debate hasbeen reopened following suggestions that the Government is planningto increase motorway speed limits.

Roads minister Mike Penning said: "We need to look at theeconomic benefits of shorter journey times as well as consideringimplications for road safety," but also added: "Any proposals tochange national speed limits would be subject to publicconsultation."

The 70mph motorway limit was originally brought into force in themid-1960s as a …

ROUND TABLE ON AZERBAIJAN`S INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES HELD IN LONDON.

Baku, June 5 (AzerTAc). A round table on Azerbaijan`s investment opportunities held at the International Financial Services Center of London (IFSL), on Thusday, Azerbaijan Embassy to Great Britain and North Ireland said. Ambassador Fakhraddin Gurbanov delivered report on the subject Today`s Azerbaijan at …

SHUTTLE CREW BOARDS SPACE STATION.(MAIN)

Byline: MARCIA DUNN Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The crew of space station Alpha finally welcomed space shuttle Endeavour's astronauts aboard on Friday, after six days of flying in locked formation.

The commanders of the two spacecraft, both Navy officers, followed the etiquette of the high seas.

``The crew requests permission to come aboard,'' shuttle skipper Brent Jett Jr. called out as soon as the space station hatch swung open.

``Permission granted,'' replied station skipper Bill Shepherd.

As Jett floated inside followed by his crew, Shepherd rang a ship's bell and announced in a singsong voice: ``Endeavour, …

Ford wins survivor game in Argentina; Automaker uses unusual marketing to boost sagging sales.(Marketing)

Byline: Marty Bernstein

A little more than a year ago Ted Cannis was promoted to president of Ford of Argentina. His timing could not have been worse.

Argentina's economy collapsed in early 2002, bringing auto sales down with it. The market for vehicles fell from a high of almost 500,000 units in 1998 to less than 100,000 last year.

Cannis, 36, plunged into a top-to-bottom review that became a course in survival marketing. He had to figure out how to sell cars and trucks profitably during a devastating financial crisis. Ford sales in Argentina fell from 72,828 in 1998 to a paltry 15,811 in 2002.

First, a few pertinent facts about Argentina:

* In January 2002, the nation defaulted on international loans amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars.

* Savings accounts were frozen and banks closed without notice.

* The peso was devalued from 1:1 with the U.S. dollar to a ratio of 3:1. This means unbelievable values for visitors and tourists - not for Argentinians who have lost billions.

* There is no …

Our Help in Ages Past: The Black Church's Ministry Among the Elderly

Our Help in Ages Past: The Black Church's Ministry Among the Elderly With Jean Alicia Elster Judson Press, April 2005 $14, ISBN 0-817-01483-7

Excerpt from Chapter 6:

Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

-Psalm 34:11

Emotional Support and Counseling

For a grandparent, facing the daunting responsibilities of child rearing while at the same time recognizing the signs and limitations of aging can prove to be an emotional challenge. The stigma wrongly associated with counseling and psychological therapy may dissuade a senior parent from seeking the very support that he or she needs.

If a church has a counseling center …

Quick Hits; Belly up: 'Red Herring' publishes last issue.(Briefs)

Red Herring sleeps with the fishes. The pioneering title, which was launched in 1993 and was one of the first magazines to cover the nexus of technology and finance, has confirmed that its March issue will be its last. San Francisco-based RHC Media Inc., which is majority-owned by Broadview Capital Partners, decided to close the magazine as ad revenues continued to sag after the Internet bubble burst. Red Herring, which enjoyed skyrocketing growth during the dot-com boom, saw ad pages plummet over the past two years. Its revenues were $45.6 million in 2001 but just $15.6 million in 2002, a decline of more than 65%, according to Publishers Information Bureau figures.

IDC report upbeat about IT spending

In what should be good news for the reeling tech publishing industry, a new study from International Data Corp. found that 85% of companies in the U.S., Europe and the Asia/Pacific region expect to increase or …

Alta van Zyl sworn in as MPL for Cope in wake of Boesak's exit.(News)

BYLINE: AZIZ HARTLEY

CONGRESS of the People interim provincial deputy chairwoman Alta van Zyl was sworn in as MPL yesterday to replace Allan Boesak who left the party last week.

Accompanied by her husband, Sep van Zyl, their daughter and three Cope officials, the new MPL was welcomed by Speaker Shahid Esau.

Van Zyl said later that she had been involved in politics for about 20 years.

"It started with the NP, then with the NNP. Later the NNP went with the DP to form the DA. Afterwards the NNP went to link up with the ANC. I went through all these phases in politics, but in an administrative capacity. In November last year, the flickering of …

COLLEGE GRADUATES DOCTORS.(Local)

Compassion, dedication to the highest of medical standards and scholarly integrity - those are the attributes all good doctors possess.

That was the message Thursday from a distinguished 1977 Albany Medical College graduate to this year's graduating class.

Dr. Leonard S. Lilly was awarded the prestigious Harvard Medical School Faculty Prize for Excellence in Teaching in 1986 and is also the recipient of three letters of commendation for his teaching at Harvard, where he is an assistant professor.

The 1977 cum laude graduate of Albany Med is also an associate physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

A class of 125 received …

BUHRMASTER TO LEAVE COUNTY POST FOR STATE.(CAPITAL REGION)

SCHENECTADY -- Margaret B. Buhrmaster will resign from the County Legislature at the end of the year to begin work as the state Health Department's director of regulatory reform on Dec. 30.

Buhrmaster, 57, will be paid $81,000 a year in the newly created post. She has been a Republican county legislator representing Niskayuna and Glenville for 18 years, including serving as chairwoman for the last five years. The county salary is $16,026.

Republicans Francis H. Potter, legislature vice chairman, and Ralph N. Comanzo, majority …

Woerkens, Martine Van. The Strangled Traveler: Colonial Imaginings and the Thugs of India.(Book Review)

WOERKENS, MARTINE VAN. The Strangled Traveler: Colonial Imaginings and the Thugs of India. Translated by Catherine Tihanyi. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2002. xvi + 360 pages. Map, illustrations, thug lexicon, references, index. Paper US$24.00; 17.00 [pounds sterling]; ISBN 0-226-85086-2.

The Strangled Traveler is the latest addition in the scholarship on the Thugs of India. As the author mentions, the word "Thug" has found place in the English dictionary and in common international parlance signifies criminal acts executed by deception (116-7). The Thugs of India were brought to the notice of the world in the early nineteenth century by the British colonizers, specifically by Colonel Sleeman who headed a decade-long campaign to exterminate the Thugs and the practice of Thuggee. Since then it …

Chavez, Ahmadinejad: US Power on Decline

Venezuela's outspoken president joined with Iran's leader Monday in boasting that they are "united like a single fist" in challenging American influence, saying the fall of the dollar is a sign that "the U.S. empire is coming down."

Hugo Chavez also joked about the most serious issue the U.S. is confronting regarding Iran _ nuclear weapons _ during his get-together with Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The visit came after a failed attempt by the firebrand duo to move OPEC away from pricing its oil in dollars.

OPEC's weekend summit displayed the limits of their alliance _ their proposal was overruled by other members, led by Saudi Arabia …

Iran's defiance on nuke plan fuels tension: Could be slapped with referral to U.N. Security Council

VIENNA, Austria -- The U.N. nuclear watchdog expressed "seriousconcern" Thursday over Iran's resumption of activities that couldlead to an atomic bomb.

Diplomats said Tehran has a Sept. 3 deadline to stop or faceanother possible referral to the Security Council.

Iran, showing the defiance it has increasingly displayed sinceits new president was inaugurated last weekend, responded withindignation.

Tehran's chief delegate here vowed that Iran would become anuclear fuel producer and supplier within a decade.

"This resolution is political," said Iranian Foreign Ministryspokesman Hamid Reza Asefi, according to the state-run news agency."It comes from …

Europeans Agree To Rules On Transboundary GMO Movement.

BioWorld International Correspondent

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Union reached agreement Friday on new EU rules governing the transboundary movements of genetically modified organisms. The agreement won backing from the European Parliament two days earlier.

A formal endorsement by EU ministers is expected before the end of June.

The new regulation gives force at the EU level to part of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the United Nations agreement on common rules for transboundary movements of GMOs in order to ensure global-level protection of biodiversity and human health. The new EU rule will establish a common system of notification and …

TAIWAN BELONGS IN WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION.(PERSPECTIVE)

Byline: WILLIAM LEE President Taiwanese American Association of Capital District, New YorkLatham -

Your May 24 editorial, ``SARS and politics,'' pointed out the sad plight and uphill battle against the epidemic disease by Taiwan. That nation has had little emergency help from the World Health Organization because of China's obstruction.

Taiwan was denied admission for the seventh time as an observer of the World Health Organization convention in Geneva because of the objection of China. China's action is not only cruelly inhuman and against the welfare of the 23 million residents of Taiwan but also seriously deters the world's efforts to control the spread of …

The cost of this pump has been reduced.(New Products)

Thanks to new injection-molded production parts, the latest version of the FLG01 rotary-vane liquid pump (photo, bottom right) is more competitively priced than its predecessor, and has a lifetime exceeding 1,000 h. The small pump (30 mm dia., 68 …

Duchene scores to lift Colorado past Los Angeles

DENVER (AP) — Semyon Varlamov stopped 29 shots and Matt Duchene scored early in the third period as the Colorado Avalanche beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 Sunday night for their first home win of the season.

Milan Hejduk and Chuck Kobasew also …

Organization transformed to focus on the stores.(Eckerd Corp.)(Brief Article)

LARGO, Fla. -- Entering 2001, Eckerd Corp. revamped its organizational structure to better service its stores, according to Dave Aston, the drug chain's executive vice president and chief operating officer.

"Before that we had a headquarters-centered organization, with the focus on decisions made from there," says Aston, a supermarket industry veteran who joined Eckerd in January. "But we have changed our focus to district managers, store managers and pharmacists, because we believe the most important decision makers in our organization are at store level."

To facilitate that shift, the company moved from 10 operating regions to five -- Florida, Texas, …

'Ghost Rider' stays on top.(Arts & Entertainment)

Byline: Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - The comic-book adaptation "Ghost Rider" burned the competition at the weekend box office, fending off a rush of new movies to rake in $19.7 million in its second week, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Sony film starring Nicolas Cage as a motorcycle stuntman turned Satanic bounty hunter continued its momentum after debuting last week with $52 million over the four-day President's Day weekend, the biggest opening ever for that holiday.

Premiering at No. 2 with $15.1 million was the New Line Cinema psychological thriller "The Number 23," starring Jim Carrey as a man obsessed with the …

Arkansas a hot spot in debate over Alito.

With Senate hearings over the confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court scheduled to begin on Monday, supporters and opponents of his nomination said Tuesday they will campaign hard in …

"Architect of the Army"-TRADOC Adapting to Change

The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) remains heavily engaged in serving our nation and Army at war, as evident through its contributions to improving soldier training and its commitment to the Future Combat System. Leading change to meet the needs of today's Army is extremely complex and difficult work. As stated in the TRADOC Campaign Plan (TCP), "TRADOC is an Army Command, but more importantly, it has an enterprise role to drive change across the Army."

The senior leaders and staff at TRADOC collectively serve as the "architect of the Army" to recruit and train soldiers, develop adaptive leaders, design the Army's modular force and maximize institutional learning …

WELL-RESTED YANKS ARE COMING UP ACES.(SPORTS)

Byline: MIKE FITZPATRICK Associated Press

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees were back home Monday, resting up for the AL championship series while the Red Sox, their next opponent crisscrossed the country and scrambled to advance.

The imposing rotation is all lined up, and the first two games of the ALCS will be played at intimidating Yankee Stadium.

New York seems to have a big edge heading into the next round against Boston.

``I don't know about unstoppable,'' closer Mariano Rivera said. ``We're feeling good.''

To say the least.

After finishing off the Minnesota Twins in four first-round games, everything seems to be …