Govt defends right to hold accused enemy combatant

A lower court should be able to resolve a challenge to President Bush's authority to detain the only suspected enemy combatant held on U.S. soil, the federal government said in a brief filed Friday to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Solicitor General Gregory Garre wrote that a challenge by Ali al-Marri of his enemy combatant designation can be resolved in federal court in South Carolina, where he is detained. Recently, former generals and U.S. Justice Department officials filed briefs on his behalf exhorting the high court to review Bush administration authority to continue holding the Qatar native as an enemy combatant.

Al-Marri, a legal U.S. resident, has been …

KENTUCKY DERBY: ; Potential Lasix ban could have negative impact, trainer says; Wood Memorial winner Toby's Corner withdraws

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Kelly Breen has a lot on his mind these days.

The trainer is trying to win his first Kentucky Derby on Saturdaywith Pants On Fire.

Breen is also deeply worried about the future of Monmouth Park,his home track in New Jersey.

However, the topic that has Breen most fired up is thepossibility of federal legislation being introduced this week - daysbefore the Derby - to ban all raceday medications.

Breen is concerned that the ban would sweep away commonly useddrugs like Lasix, a diuretic that controls exercise-inducedrespiratory bleeding.

"Lasix is a therapeutic drug," Breen said.

"Studies have been done that show …

North Korea Gets Oil for Closing Reactor

PYONGYANG, North Korea - U.N. inspectors arrived in North Korea on Saturday to monitor the communist country's long-anticipated promise to scale back its nuclear weapons program, while the top U.S. nuclear envoy said he expected Pyongyang's reactor to be shut down in a matter of days.

An initial shipment of oil aid arrived hours earlier Saturday, in return for Pyongyang's pledge to close down its main nuclear reactor. The move would be the North's first step in nearly five years toward the de-nuclearization of the peninsula.

The 10-member team from the International Atomic Energy Agency was heading directly to Yongbyon, about 60 miles northeast of the capital, to begin …

European stocks edge up ahead of rate decisions

European stock markets edged higher Thursday after two days of losses as investors positioned themselves for key statements on central bank plans and new jobs data.

The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 6.62 points, or 0.2 percent, at 4,390.04, while Germany's DAX rose 33.85 points, or 0.7 percent, at 5,088.38. The CAC-40 in France was 31.50 points, or 1 percent, higher at 3,341.15.

European stocks fell sharply on Wednesday after disappointing U.S. economic data stoked renewed concerns about the state of the world's largest economy ahead of a crucial jobs report at the end of the week.

Those concerns spilled through into the Asian …

National League

reds 6, brewers 1

Milwaukee Cincinnati

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Hart rf 4 0 0 0 Heisey rf 4 1 1 0

Braun lf 4 0 0 0 Votto 1b 2 0 0 0

Fielder 1b 4 0 1 0 Rolen 3b 3 0 2 2

McGeh 3b 4 0 1 0 Gomes lf 4 0 0 0

L.Cain cf 4 1 1 0 RHrndz c 2 0 0 0

AEscor ss 3 0 1 0 BPhllps pr 0 1 0 0

Lucroy c 3 0 0 0 Alonso ph 1 0 0 0

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Hanign ph-c …

SDEROT REALITY

REPORT FROM THE WAR FRONT: THOUSANDS OF KASSAMS ARE FALLING. WHEN WILL IT STOP?

SDEROT - From January 1 to 20th (the day I write this), over 430 kassam missiles and mortars were launched towards Sderot, the Western Negev and Ashkelon, according to the IDF spokesman.

In 2007, over 2,300 missiles and mortars were launched towards Israel from Gaza.

How many thousands of Kassam missiles will be launched in the year 2008 towards Israel?

Living through 200 rockets launched in the past few days towards Sderot means:

* Hearing the screeching siren - "Red Color" (Tseva Adorn) - every time a rocket is launched;

* Running for cover in the 15 seconds …

A glance at small parties running in Italy's general election

There are 32 candidates for premier backed by dozens of parties and groups running in Italy's general election. Here is a look at some of the small parties and candidates trailing the front-runners, Silvio Berlusconi and Walter Veltroni:

THE RAINBOW LEFT: A grouping of far-left parties, allies of the outgoing governing coalition, that formed after Veltroni decided his moderate Democratic Party would run alone.

_ The group, expected to be the third political force behind the two major blocs, includes Communists, Greens and other leftists.

_ Fausto Bertinotti, 68, the outgoing speaker of the lower house of Parliament and a longtime Communist …

Ponting named player of year

Cricket: Australia's Ricky Ponting has been named ICC cricketer ofthe year, ahead of England's Kevin Pietersen.

England's Michael Vaughan was a surprise inclusion in the year'sbest Test side.

Ponting was also named captain of the year after leading his sideto their third successive World Cup title.

Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf was top Test player while AussieMatthew Hayden took the one-day version.

cycling: Mark Cavendish extended his overall lead in the Tour ofBritain by winning the first stage into Southampton.

The Manx rider, who won Sunday's prologue, came home in a bunchsprint ahead of Belgian Steven Caethoven.

He was led out by Roger …

Calgary school beats the odds

The sunlight beaming into the atrium of the new Menno Simons Christian School in Calgary was almost as bright as the beaming faces of students, parents and staff who gathered on September 4 to cut the ribbon for the new building.

"People were skeptical because on June 17 there was not one piece of steel above ground," said Janice Rempel, board chair. "But here we are!" Genesis Corporation had said that the school would not be completed by September but that all of the classrooms, common areas and offices would be functional. Teachers and volunteers moved shelves, boxes and posters into the building over the weekend just in time for classes to …

China shares fall, tracking Wall Street drop; investors worried by pending IPOs

Chinese shares fell back Tuesday, reflecting unease after an overnight decline on Wall Street and worries over pending initial public offerings.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.8 percent, or 52.70 points, to 2,850.31. The Shenzhen Composite Index lost 1.5 percent to 855.84.

"In my view, today's drop was because of the decline in the U.S.," said Zhai Peng, a strategist at Guotai Junan Securities in Shanghai.

But he noted that news of plans by China Nanche Corp., a state-owned locomotive manufacturer, for an initial public offering early next month also cast a pall on buying sentiment.

"This has made the …

The parachute brigade ; Marico is an Indian multinational with a difference it is powering its overseas business by becoming a part of life in West Asia, Africa and even Bangladesh.

Marico was in a fix: its Parachute hair oil was a hit withIndians in the Gulf, but why were Arabs shunning it? Well,apparently because they preferred hair creams to oils. Word wentback to headquarters in Mumbai: Send cream, not oil. The result:Parachute Advanse Hair Nourishment Cream, launched in the UAE in2001. Since then, Marico's sales in the region have never slowed.Better still, Marico decided to try the cream back on its home turfand launched it in 2005 as an after-shower cream, and now has 19 percent of the hair creams and gels segment.

Little wonder that Marico today has a Rs 500-crore internationalbusiness group with a footprint in West Asia and Africa, …

this month's topic: Valves

Shut-Off Valve is Suitable for Demanding Environments

With no wetted metals or external fasteners, this 1/2-in. air-operated shutoff valve can be used in high-purity or corrosive environments. Designed for liquid service at pressures ranging from full vacuum to 150 psi, the valve's outlet pressure (backpressure) can be as high as the inlet pressure without affecting performance. The internal metal springs are isolated from the process liquid by redundant seals made of either Viton or EPDM. Body materials are polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride.

Plast-O-Matic Valves, Inc.

www.plastomatic.com

Single-Flange Assemblies Provide a Compact Solution

Kenmac …

Yellow Lantern heralds spring

In the waning days of winter, the wonderfully fuzzy buds of Yellow Lantern cucumber magnolia (Magnolia acuminata "Yellow Lantern") flowers become plump, signaling that spring is approaching. But Yellow Lantern bides its time. Its pale yellow flowers don't appear until after the risk of bud-zapping frosts has diminished, making Yellow Lantern a good magnolia for area gardens.

In May or early June, tuliplike flowers 2 to 4 inches long make the wait worthwhile. Sitting upright on twig tips, Yellow Lantern flowers are both pleasantly fragrant and long lasting. While arguably not as showy as the flowers of other magnolia species, its aristocratic charms are undeniable. And because it's a hybrid of a Midwestern native species, Yellow Lantern feels at home in area landscapes.

This spring-flowering tree offers summer and fall features as well. Among its large, dark green leaves are 3-inch green fruits resembling tiny cucumbers, hence its common name: cucumber magnolia (or cucumber tree magnolia). In fall, fruits become pinkish-red and dark red seeds pop to the surface, providing bursts of color in fall's golden foliage.

Yellow Lantern cucumber magnolia grows 25 feet tall, making it a good shade tree for smaller yards. It can be planted in early spring in a location with full sun to partial shade in moist, well-drained soil. Cucumber tree is pH adaptable, but prefers a lower pH, more acidic soil. It has no serious disease or insect problems, but is intolerant of urban air pollution. Yellow Lantern offers its multiseason rewards to patient gardeners. It can take up to 12 years before trees begin blooming. As with all spring-flowering trees, when pruning is needed, do it immediately after flowering. This helps to preserve the maximum number of fuzzy flower buds and pale yellow flowers the following spring.

CAPTURE AND USE, OR LOSE

An important benefit of a green roof is its ability to quickly absorb large amounts of rainwater. This helps to prevent heavy downpours from overloading sewer systems, and puts rainfall to good use watering plants that provide other important benefits. Rooftop soils slowly release excess rainwater over time, when sewers again have capacity.

But what can you do if you don't have a green roof but have problems with runoff from roofs, driveways, patios or slopes? A rain garden just might be the answer. Rain gardens not only help to remedy storm water problems, they cycle rainfall back into the natural system of local groundwater. Rather than flowing away in sewers, water is captured, allowing it to percolate and refill streams, aquifers and wells.

A rain garden can be created in a shallow depression where water naturally collects. Or a depression can be excavated and bermed close to the source of a runoff. To avoid problems with seepage, keep rain gardens at least 10 feet from a house or other built structures.

Line the perimeter of the depression with trees, shrubs and plants that tolerate both flooding and drought, and can cope with heavy flushes of nutrients or other chemicals.

Good plants to consider using are joe-pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum), goldenrod (Solidago spp.) bristly sedge (Carex comosa), river birch (Betula nigra), and arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum). For more recommendations, call the Plant Information Service at (847) 835-0972.

Denise Corkery is a horticultural writer at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe.

AT THE GARDEN

LECTURE: "The Coming Transformation: American and the Environmental Future," a free lecture with Dr. Gus Speth, dean of Yale University's School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday. Preregistration is required: (847) 835-8261 or www.chicagobotanic.org/ school/symposia/speth.

CLASS: Learn about new varieties and the best choices for Midwestern gardens in a class on flowering Magnolia trees, 1-4 p.m. April 12. To register: (847) 835-5440 or www.chicago-botanic.org/school/class_schedule.

LILIES: Experts will demonstrate how to grow and show lilies, and how to create award-winning floral arrangements at the Wisconsin-Illinois Lily Society lecture, 2 p.m. April 13 in the Regenstein Center. For more information: www.chicago botanic.org/plantshows.

ANTIQUES: Mark your calendars for the Antiques & Garden Fair, April 18-20. For more information and advance ticket sales: www.chicagobotanic.org/antiques.

Color Photo: The Yellow Lantern cucumber magnolia has fuzzy buds that become plump, a signal that spring is around the corner. ; Color Photo: Robin Carlson, Chicago Botanic Garden /Look for the Yellow Lantern's tuliplike flowers to stand 2 to 4 inches in May or early June. ; Color Photo: Learn how to grow and show lilies on April 13 at the Botanic Garden's Regenstein Center. ;

Dublin shelves plans for U2 Tower

Plans to build the tallest building in Ireland _ with new recording studios for Irish supergroup U2 on top _ were suspended Friday because of Dublin's slumping property market and slide into recession.

The Dublin Docklands Development Authority said it remains committed to building the long-planned U2 Tower, but a souring economy at home and abroad means the project must be shelved. It expressed hope of reopening negotiations with potential developers within 12 months.

"The objective is to see this landmark project completed. However, given the current unfavorable economic environment, more time is needed at this juncture," the Dublin development agency said in a statement, adding it was "confident that these economic uncertainties are short- to medium-term."

The project shelving caps a six-year struggle and three rounds of architectural competition to build a U2 Tower. It raises doubts about whether the current lavish design, by world-renowned British architect Norman Foster, will ever get beyond the draftsman's board.

The projected 200 million euro ($250 million) construction would have dominated the low-rise skyline of Dublin, where conservationists have successfully shot down other skyscraper projects.

But Foster's U2 Tower presumed the sale of more than 180 apartments at more than 1 million euros (US$1.3 million) each. That might have been easy as recently as a year ago _ when Irish investors were still pouring money into luxury apartments and town houses _ but seems far-fetched now.

Ireland this year became the first member of the 15-nation euro zone to fall into recession and a decade-old boom in property prices fell swiftly into reverse, bringing sales activity to a standstill. An estimated 20,000 newly built residences lie unsold in this country of 4.2 million.

Foster envisioned a 120-meter (400-foot) triangular tower on the south bank of Dublin's River Liffey with an egg-shaped pod housing U2's new recording studios on top. That would give Bono and his bandmates a view at least twice as tall as any other building in Dublin.

The proposed roof also would house wind-generated electrical turbines and solar paneling, while two sides would be metal-paneled to look like fish scales. Riverside traffic would be permitted to flow through the base of the building.

Bono, guitarist The Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen all would have had a financial stake in the U2 Tower because they are partial owners of a development consortium awarded the construction contract last year. That agreement now has been set aside.

The U2 band members are among Ireland's wealthiest citizens and have invested together in a wide range of Dublin properties, including a luxury riverside hotel that is earmarked for its own futuristic Foster overhaul.

___

On the Net:

U2 Tower announcement, http://www.ddda.ie/index.jsp?p94&n105&a973

Skins QB Williams on way to Raiders?

Those rumors about former Tampa Bay quarterback Doug Williamsgoing to the Raiders are heating up again. Williams is JaySchroeder's backup in Washington and has publicly expressed hisdesire to be moved. The Raiders list Rusty Hilger as their starter,but it's no secret they're looking for help at that position.

The Redskins, meanwhile, appear happy enough with third-stringquarterback Mark Rypien to make Williams available for the rightprice. The sticking point is what the Redskins would get in returnfor Williams.

They are still demanding a No. 1 even though they only paidTampa Bay a fifth-round choice to obtain Williams' NFL rights afterthe USFL folded.

The Raiders' latest reported offer for Williams was a No. 4during last spring's draft. Williams' base salary in 1987 is$475,000.

If the NFL owners keep the roster limit at 45, look for theRedskins to trade Williams. Coach Joe Gibbs has indicated he wantsto keep just two quarterbacks if the roster limit isn't expanded to49. Gibbs has also gone out of his way to praise Rypien lately.

BUSTED BRONCOS: Injuries and retirements have stripped thedefending AFC champion Broncos of five defensive starters - a development that forcedDenver recently to inquire after Tampa Bay defensive end Ron Holmes,the Bucs' No. 1 pick in 1985.

Both regular defensive ends - Rulon Jones and Freddie Gilbert -are nursing knee injuries. And backup defensive ends - Tony Coloritoand Richard Reed - also have bad knees. Colorito is out for theyear.

At one point Bronco coach Dan Reeves engaged in an on-field,post-practice shouting match during a rainstorm with reporters fromthe Rocky Mountain News. Reeves insisted that paper's story about apossible deal for Holmes had put a crimp in the trade.

In the middle of the argument Reeves reportedly stomped off indisgust. The tension finally broke when Reeves realized he hadforgotten his golf cart. He had to walk back to the cart, in therain, to where the reporters were still recovering from his tirade.

FRIDGE WATCH: Listen Up, William Perry. Houston defensive endJesse Baker has reduced his weight to 242 from the 280 he played atlast year.

"We want Jesse as quick as he can be because he's not going toplay against the run," says Oiler coach Jerry Glanville.

The 325-pound Perry will play - and play well - against therun. But he, too, must be lighter to have more success getting tothe passer.

YOU CAN CALL ME AL: Former Notre Dame quarterback SteveBeuerlein, a fourth-round rookie with the Raiders, is in love withhis new team. It is not yet clear whether the feeling is mutual.

"I couldn't have found a better NFL situation for me thanthis," Beuerlein says. "It's the perfect offense, a straight dropbacktype that wants a strong-armed quarterback who can get the ballupfield. And I think that's what I do best. It's also a teamlooking to groom a young quarterback, to train someone who mighthave an impact in a couple of years. Hopefully, that's me."

Perhaps not. Beuerlein is listed behind Rusty Hilger, MarcWilson and Ed Luther on the Raiders' depth chart.

ADAM'S RIB: The Colts have a 5-6, 169-pound running back incamp named David Adams. Adams played collegiately at Arizona. Hemay make the team.

When called upon recently to sing his school song in front ofthe veterans as part of rookie hazing, Adams climbed a chair andfroze. "Well, I can't," he finally blurted out. "It's instrumental."

MUSTACHE RAUL: Giant kicker Raul Allegre on his attempt to growa mustache: "My mustache is a lot like a football team. There are 11hairs on this side and 11 on that side."

ANOTHER MOVE? The Los Angeles Rams had no official reaction toa reported invitation from Memorial Coliseum officials to move to theteam back to the inner-city park following the loss of the LosAngeles Raiders to suburban Irwindale.

A high-ranking official with the Coliseum Commission was quotedin Saturday's Los Angeles Herald Examiner as saying, "We're goingafter the Rams."

The Rams were lured to Anaheim in 1980 after 33 years at theColiseum.

March existing US home sales fall by 3 percent

First-time homebuyers looking for bargains snapped up about half of all U.S. homes sold last month, but the spring selling season is getting off to a lackluster start with sales falling more than expected from February levels.

Home sales fell 3 percent to an annual rate of 4.57 million in March month from a downwardly revised pace of 4.71 million units in February, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday.

Sales had been expected to fall to an annual pace of 4.7 million units, according to Thomson Reuters.

The results were "a little disappointing" given that homes are more affordable than they've been in years and mortgage rates are near record lows, said Lawrence Yun, the group's chief economist.

The median sales price in March was $175,200, a plunge of 12.4 percent from a year ago, but higher than February's median price of $168,200. While median sales prices typically rise slightly in early spring, the 4 percent monthly increase was larger than expected.

Yun also pointed to a strong sales recovery in western cities, where prices have plunged the most. He said the rest of the country could start to see sales improve by early summer.

Real estate agents are getting calls from first-time buyers looking to take advantage of a new $8,000 tax credit. And that should give a boost to sales figures for early summer.

As unemployment grows and fallout from the mortgage crisis continues, foreclosures and distressed sales are dominating the market _ especially in California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona. The Realtors group estimates that about half of sales nationwide are from foreclosures or other distressed property sales.

Sales, while plummeting compared with last year in most of the country, were up by 23 percent in the West from a year ago, without adjusting for seasonal factors. For distressed Western cities, "this is a sharp recovery," Yun said.

The number of unsold homes on the market at the end of March fell 1.6 percent from a month earlier to 3.7 million. But due to the slumping sales pace, it would still take almost 10 months to rid the market of all of those properties.

Are You Practising Safe Computing?

There's no doubt about it: The Internet is a cool tool, and researchers, programmers, and technology companies are continually coming up with ways to make it even cooler. But, as I've warned before, with the good comes the bad-an army of hackers, crackers, and black hats (take your pick!) is working equally hard to corrupt new Internet toys for their own use. And Fm not talking about petty crime-a number of recent reports suggest that even organized crime syndicates are getting into the business.

Knowledge is definitely power when it comes to combating e-crime, so this month I offer a review of some of the more interestingand damaging-ways hackers are trying to get at your computer, along with some resources to help thwart their efforts.

Plague of the spam zombies

I've talked about zombies in previous instalments of this column. A "zombie" is a computer that's been taken over by an intruder by means of a virus. The owner and user of the computer normally don't even know the computer has been compromised -the only thing they might notice is that the computer is running slower than usual.

Increasingly effective anti-spam measures are making networks of zombie computers, also known as "botnets," very attractive to spammers. These networks have also gained the attention of criminal organizations. According to the UK-based Register Newsletter, an illicit trade in botnets is ongoing.'

In addition to spam, these zombie networks could also be used for launching "denial-ofservice attacks." A recent story in the New York Times gives an inkling of what's possible: It appears that an executive of Orbit Communication Corporation was recently indicted on charges of hiring hackers to set up online attacks against the company's competitors.2 According to the article, these hackers used denial-of-service attacks to disrupt competitors' websites. This same technology could also be used for many other equally nefarious purposes.

As Marcus J. Ranum puts it in an article entitled "I, botnet"3: "Hackers are using [botnets] not just to crash target networks, but to send spam and generate click-throughs to ad-laden porn sites.... Using the bot to download more attack tools and wreak more mayhem, the hacker can comfortably eat into a network even if it's behind a firewall, since most firewalls allow inside-outside connections. [Bots] effectively render your firewall transparent to the bad guys."

"Peeping Tom" worm

The output of webcams (website video cameras) is designed to be viewable over the Internet. Ever wondered what your cat gets up to while you're gone? Want to see the faces of your family and friends as you talk to them over the phone? Set up a webcam. (Well, you'll also need some Internet telephony software to set up an Internet-based telephone call.)

Unfortunately, a number of enterprising intruders might also find your webcam of interest. Rbot-GR is the rather cryptic name of a new worm circulating the Internet that can use your webcam to spy on you. (Again, a worm, similar to a virus, is a malicious program that can "infect" your computer.) If you plug your webcam into a computer infected with this worm, everything you do and say in front of the computer can be seen and recorded by countless others without your knowledge. How creepy is that?

Rbot-GR also steals registration information for games and PayPal passwords from your computer. Fortunately, this rather nasty little program was not widespread at the time I wrote this article.

"Phish"ermen net bumper catch

To "phish" is to send out bogus emails that claim to come from a legitimate business in an attempt to get recipients to reveal personal information. These emails direct recipients to a website where they're asked to enter their user-id and password and update personal information. Thus given access to the individual's financial records, the "phisher" collects the information (credit card numbers, etc.) and either uses it or sells it to someone else.

If you receive an email from a business or financial institution asking you for personal or financial information, delete it. Legitimate businesses know how common these scams are and won't ask you for this kind of information by email. It doesn't matter how genuine the link looks-it could still be a fake that will send you to the wrong web address. To learn how to protect yourself against these kinds of scams, contact your financial institution(s).

Protect yourself

Computer security is a big job, and the best person to handle it is a professional with experience in the field. Unfortunately, the average person doesn't have access to experts, but there are more readily available alternatives out there. In addition to magazines and books on the subject, websites like the following offer in-depth information on computer security:

* www.cert.org:

The Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute's CERT Coordination Center (CERT/CC) is a major source of information on Internet security. Its website provides information on the various security threats to your system, and explains ways to avoid, minimize, and recover from any possible damage.

* www.isaca.org:

If you'd like to learn more about IT governance, control, and assurance, check out this website. The Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) also offers seminars, conferences, publications, and certifications.

* www.sans.org

The SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security (SANS) Institute is a cooperative research and educational organization that offers information on security research, certification, and education.

[Author Affiliation]

By Rita Mikusch, Webmaster

2 US service members killed by bomb in Afghanistan

NATO says two U.S. service members have been killed in a bombing in southern Afghanistan.

A statement says the Americans died Sunday but gives no further details.

It's the second strike to kill American troops in as many days in the area, which is expected to be the main focus of a U.S. troop surge.

At least 24 American deaths have been reported so far this month _ compared with 14 for the whole of January last year.

Poland's senators to vote on adopting new EU treaty

Poland's senators have opened a debate before their vote on empowering the president to ratify the new EU treaty.

The 100-member upper house of Parliament is expected to muster the required vote of two-thirds of lawmakers to allow President Lech Kaczynski to ratify the treaty, which streamlines the way the 27-nation EU is run.

The lower house approved ratification Tuesday, following a deal between the government and the opposition-linked president that ended weeks of squabbling over opposition demands for additional regulation guaranteeing Poland's sovereignty within the union.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged the senators before the vote Wednesday to approve the ratification.

Aluminum makers may merge

MONTREAL Alcan Aluminium Ltd. of Canada, France's Pechiney SA andSwitzerland's Algroup said today they may combine to form a companythat would surpass Alcoa Inc. as the world's biggest aluminum maker.

The companies would have about 100,000 workers and $20 billion inrevenue from aluminum smelting, packaging and chemicals, overtakingAlcoa, which had about $15 billion in sales last year. A combinationwould allow them to boost profit by cutting costs as aluminum pricesbegin to recover from the five-year low reached in March.

Industrial companies worldwide - auto-parts makers, oil refinersand electric utilities - are merging because the inability to raiseprices leaves cost cutting as the surest way to shore up earnings.The same pressures now have Alcan, Pechiney and Algroup moving toaccelerate consolidation in the aluminum industry through an unusualthree-country merger.

"What we're seeing here isn't limited to aluminum manufacturers,"said ABN Amro analyst Vahid Fathi. "Producers, by and large, have nocontrol whatsoever over the price of the products that they supply tomarket."

Montreal-based Alcan, the No. 2 aluminum maker, said last monththat second-quarter profit fell 42 percent because of lower pricesfor the metal, used in cars, airplanes, cans and constructionmaterials.

Pechiney owns Chicago-based American National Can, and recentlycompleted a $510 million stock offering for 54.5 percent of thecompany.

To save money, Alcan could eliminate overlapping sales andmarketing jobs with Pechiney in Latin America, Asia and Europeoverlap, said St. James Securities analyst Ray Goldie.

Any combination of aluminum makers from three countries could bescuttled by executive squabbles and cultural differences, which couldhamper integration, said Washington antitrust attorney KeithShugarman.

"Cultural issues are always the biggest problem in the integrationof companies in cross-border transactions, let alone a three-countrydeal," said Shugarman, of Goodwin, Procter & Hoar. "Companies arepeople, too, underneath that corporate shell."

Any merger would also be closely scrutinized by U.S. and Canadianregulators, who may order the companies to sell some operations,Shugarman said. The U.S. Justice Department, which would likelyreview the transaction, declined to comment, said spokeswomanJennifer Rose.

A combined Pechiney-Alcan-Algroup would produce about 2.6 millionmetric tons of aluminum a year, or about 10 percent of global supply,overtaking Alcoa, which now produces 2.5 million tons.

Biden warns of `perilous road' ahead

Vice President Joe Biden warned Friday that the United States faces a tough _ and dangerous _ task as it shifts the military from Iraq to Afghanistan.

"The road remains incredibly, incredibly perilous" in both countries, President Barack Obama's No. 2 told House Democrats just before embarking on the first foreign trip by a top Obama administration official.

Obama made an Iraq drawdown and an Afghanistan buildup a foreign policy cornerstone of his presidential campaign, and the administration is set to move forward toward both goals in coming weeks.

The president dispatched Biden to a gathering of House Democrats at a retreat southeast of Washington to deliver an assessment of international challenges ahead. Biden's somber take on foreign policy _ in contrast to Obama's feisty campaign-style pep talk on the economy the night before _ appeared intended to lower expectations for an immediate troop withdrawal in Iraq and a quick turnaround in Afghanistan.

"The progress is real in Iraq," Biden said before invoking a bit of football lingo. "We're on the 20-yard line moving in but there's an awful lot to be done."

He said the administration must be "very deeply involved" not just in drawing down troops in a careful manner but also in helping Iraqis reach true political reconciliation. "We're going to have to get in there and be much more aggressive in forcing them to deal with these issues," he said.

In Afghanistan, Biden said, "The economic and security and social conditions there are daunting" and the United States has "geography, demography and history working against us." Returning to football analogies, he said the United States has 80 yards in that country to bring stability and eliminate terrorist strongholds.

"We have a long, long way to go there," Biden said.

But he also says the deteriorating situation and Taliban resurgence is a global problem, and there is no solution in Afghanistan without Pakistan.

"We've got to make Afghanistan the world's responsibility, not just the United States' responsibility," he said, eliciting cheers.

The U.S. has some 33,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, and Obama is expected to send another 30,000 this year as his administration shifts its focus from the war in Iraq to the Afghan conflict.

Biden, the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, spoke to the Democratic rank and file just before leaving for a security conference in Munich, Germany. He also was slated to hold bilateral meetings with Russia, Georgia, Germany, France and Britain.

10-year-old, mother shot by gang fire

A 10-year-old boy and his mother were shot and wounded in a SouthSide CHA apartment building Wednesday night after they apparently gotcaught in crossfire between rival gangs, said police.

The boy, whose identity was not released by police, was in faircondition at Michael Reese Hospital after being shot in the face, anursing supervisor at the hospital said.

The boy's mother, Mary Hicks, 37, was reported in good conditionat Michael Reese with a gunshot wound in her chest.

Police said Hicks and her son were shot at about 9:15 p.m. asthey left the Ida B. Wells Homes, where they live.

Bush Lights National Tree for Last Time

WASHINGTON President Bush switched on the national Christmastree Thursday night in a rain-drenched ceremony and offered prayersfor an end to turmoil in famine-ravaged Somalia.

The president, accompanied by his wife Barbara to the annualevent - and his last - on the Ellipse just south of the White House,said he wanted to dedicate the 18-and-a-half foot Christmas tree tothe children of America.

"May I simply say, let us think of the children of Somalia tooand children everywhere who live in fear and want, and our prayersare with them," he said after switching on the lights of the tree.

Several hundred people braved rain and wet snow for the event.

Boise State wins MAACO Bowl over Arizona State

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Boise State's Doug Martin returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, laying the foundation for the Broncos' 56-24 win over Arizona State in college football's MAACO Bowl on Thursday.

Boise State was never seriously threatened, even though the Broncos had three turnovers and allowed a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by the Sun Devils to start the second half.

Arizona State missed on several opportunities to make the game closer, wasting a 241-yard receiving effort by Gerell Robinson, who caught a touchdown in the fourth quarter after the Broncos had already scored 49 points.

Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore played well enough in his last college game to keep his team scoring, despite some missteps. He finished with 266 yards and two touchdowns, plus two interceptions and a fumble in a game that capped his college career with 50 total wins.

Martin finished with 301 all-purpose yards, breaking a bowl record set in 1997 by Air Force's Pat Johnson. It was the first time the opening kickoff had been returned for a score in any bowl game since Ted Ginn Jr. did it in the 2007 BCS title game.

The most costly mistake for Arizona State came in the third quarter, as it tried to capitalize a fumble by Moore. The Sun Devils drove 49 yards to Boise State's 1-yard line, but quarterback Brock Osweiler's fourth-down pass was intercepted by Jamar Taylor, who returned it for a touchdown to make the score 35-10.

Moments before the play, Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson tried to call a timeout as his team was late to the line of scrimmage, but his attempts weren't acknowledged by the referees. Erickson was coaching his last game for Arizona State, which made the decision to let him go in November after the Sun Devils finished the regular season on a four-game losing streak.

Osweiler threw for 390 yards with two touchdowns in defeat.

___

Follow Oskar Garcia at http://twitter.com/oskargarcia .

Japan urges North Korea to resume nuclear talks

Japan urged North Korea on Wednesday to return to international talks aimed at ending its nuclear weapons program, despite the North's announcement that it is booting out U.N. inspectors and restarting its atomic facilities.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said Japan wants a resumption of the six-nation negotiations under which North Korea agreed to disable its main nuclear complex in return for oil and diplomatic concessions.

"Based on close cooperation with all countries involved, starting with the U.S., we want to demonstrate progress in the six-party talks," he said.

North Korea reacted angrily Tuesday to U.N. Security Council condemnation of its April 5 rocket launch, saying it would restart its nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency said it was told by North Korea that it would stop cooperating with inspectors and resume reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, which can used to make nuclear weapons.

North Korea says it launched a communications satellite which is broadcasting patriotic songs, but Japan, the U.S. and other nations believe it actually tested long-range missile technology.

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso used strong language Tuesday in urging North Korea to listen to the Security Council.

"The most important thing is for North Korea to sincerely pay attention to the opinion of the international community as expressed through the council," he said.

A Security Council resolution passed in 2006, days after North Korea carried out an underground nuclear test, prohibits it from engaging in any ballistic missile-related activity. The U.S. and other nations say that includes launching rockets which use the same delivery technology as missiles mounted with warheads.

North Korea agreed in the six-nation nuclear talks in 2007 to disable its main nuclear complex in exchange for the equivalent of 1 million tons of fuel oil and other concessions. In 2008 it blew up the complex's cooling tower in front of reporters to demonstrate its commitment.

But the talks foundered over how to verify North Korea's past nuclear activity, and the latest round of talks in December made little progress.

Tube capturing 210,000 gallons of Gulf oil a day

BP says a mile-long tube it inserted into a leak on the blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico is capturing 210,000 gallons of oil a day, but some is still escaping.

The company has long estimated that 210,000 gallons is the total amount that's leaking, but BP spokesman Mark Proegler said Thursday the tube is not sucking up all the oil. He would not estimate how much is not being captured.

Several professors who have watched video of the leak say they believe the amount is much higher than BP's estimate.

The oil has been leaking since the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank off Louisiana a month ago.

Heavy, sticky oil from the spill is starting to clog Louisiana marshes and some has reached a powerful current that could take it to Florida and beyond.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) _ Heavy, sticky oil from a massive monthlong spill was starting to clog Louisiana marshes on the Gulf of Mexico as another edge of the partly submerged crude reached a powerful current that could take it to Florida and beyond.

Brown ooze that coated marsh grasses and hung in the shallow water of a wetland at Louisiana's southeastern tip was the first heavy oil seen on shore since a BP seafloor well blew out following an April 20 rig explosion. Gov. Bobby Jindal declared Wednesday it was just the outer edge of the real spill, much heavier than the oily sheen seen before.

"This is the heavy oil that everyone's been fearing that is here now," Jindal said during a boat tour. The wetlands at the mouth of the Mississippi are home to rare birds, mammals and a wide variety of marine life.

BP PLC was marshaling equipment and conducting tests Thursday ahead of a new effort to choke off the oil's flow. Crews hoped that by Sunday they can start the "top kill," which involves pumping heavy mud into the crippled equipment on top of the well, then permanently sealing it with cement.

The procedure has been used before to halt gushing oil above ground, but like other methods BP is exploring it has never been used 5,000 feet below the sea. That's why scientists and engineers have spent much of the last week preparing for the complex operation and taking a series of measurements to make sure that the mission doesn't backfire.

"The philosophy from the beginning is not to take any action which could make the situation worse, and those are the final steps we're doing," said Doug Suttles, BP's chief operating officer.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Wednesday that a small portion of the slick had entered the so-called loop current, a stream of faster moving water that circulates around the Gulf before bending around Florida and up the Atlantic coast. Its arrival may portend a wider environmental catastrophe affecting the Florida Keys and tourist-dotted beaches along that state's east coast.

Tracking the unpredictable spill and the complex loop current is a challenge for scientists, said Charlie Henry, a NOAA environmental scientist.

The loop moves based on the shifting winds and other environmental factors, so even though the oil is leaking continuously it may be in the current one day, and out the next. And the slick itself has defied scientists' efforts to track it and predict its path. Instead, it has repeatedly advanced and retreated, an ominous, shape-shifting mass in the Gulf, with vast underwater lobes extending outward.

Even farther south, U.S. officials were talking to Cuba about how to respond to the spill should it reach the island's northern coast, a U.S. State Department spokesman said.

Florida's state meteorologist said it will be at least another seven days before the oil reaches waters west of the Keys, and state officials sought to reassure visitors that its beaches are still clean and safe. During a news conference, David Halstead, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, showed off a picture of a Coppertone bottle on a beach.

"What's the only oil on the beaches? Suntan oil," Halstead said.

Tar balls found earlier in the Florida Keys were not from the spill, the Coast Guard said Wednesday. Still, at least 6 million gallons have already poured into the Gulf off Louisiana since the rig explosion that killed 11 workers and led to the spill, the worst U.S. environmental disaster in decades. The Exxon Valdez tanker spilled 11 million gallons in Alaska in 1989.

Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., said in a news release that BP complied with his request that a live feed of the oil spill be made publicly available on the Web. Markey said it would start Wednesday night on his website.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said the government has access to that live video and scientists will be using it along with satellite imagery to check estimates from early on in the disaster that about 210,000 gallons a day was spewing into the ocean.

"The government will be making its own, independent verification of what those total numbers are," Salazar said on the CBS "Early Show" Thursday.

Greenpeace activists scaled BP's London headquarters Thursday to hang a flag accusing the oil company of polluting the environment. The group said the action was prompted by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill as well as a controversial project in Canada.

BP spokesman Robert Wine called the action "a very calm and genteel protest," and said no employees had been prevented from getting to work.

In Washington, environmental groups criticized how BP PLC has handled the response since the rig Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank, and urged the government to take to take greater control of the situation.

"Too much information is now in the hands of BP's many lawyers and too little is being disclosed to the public," Larry Schweiger, president of the National Wildlife Federation, told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. "The Gulf of Mexico is a crime scene and the perpetrator cannot be left in charge of assessing the damage."

BP has received thousands of ideas from the public on how to stop the oil gusher, but some inventors are complaining that their efforts are being ignored.

Oil-eating bacteria, bombs and a device that resembles a giant shower curtain are among the 10,000 fixes people have proposed to counter the growing environmental threat. BP is taking a closer look at 700 of the ideas, but the oil company has yet to use any of them.

"They're clearly out of ideas, and there's a whole world of people willing to do this free of charge," said Dwayne Spradlin, CEO of InnoCentive Inc., which has created an online network of experts to solve problems.

BP spokesman Mark Salt said the company wants the public's help, but that considering proposed fixes takes time.

"They're taking bits of ideas from lots of places," Salt said. "This is not just a PR stunt."

BP succeeded in partially siphoning away the leak over the weekend, when it hooked up a mile-long tube to the broken pipe, sending some of the oil to a ship on the surface. And the company said Wednesday it hopes to begin shooting a mixture known as drilling mud into the blown-out well by Sunday.

The "top kill" method involves directing heavy mud into crippled equipment on top of the well, then aiming cement at it to permanently keep down the oil. Even if it works, it could take several weeks to complete.

If it fails, BP is considering a "junk shot," which involves shooting knotted rope, pieces of tires and golf balls into the blowout preventer. Crews hope they will lodge into the nooks and crannies of the device to plug it.

About 70 BP workers are taking more suggestions at a tip line center in Houston. The company plans to test one idea from Kevin Costner, the "Waterworld" and "Field of Dreams" actor who has invested more than $24 million on developing a centrifuge that can be dropped into the slick and separate the water from oil, storing the petroleum in tanks.

"It's like a big vacuum cleaner," said Costner's business partner, John Houghtaling II of New Orleans, "These machines are ready to be employed. The technology is familiar to the industry."

___

Associated Press Writers Kelli Kennedy in Miami, Ben Evans in Washington, Chris Kahn in New York, Kevin McGill in Venice, La., and Mike Baker in Raleigh, N.C. contributed to this report.

Justice: Ex-Los Alamos scientist, wife charged in atomic weapon secrets case

WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice: Ex-Los Alamos scientist, wife charged in atomic weapon secrets case

Godbout, Marc (Ottawa—Orléans)

GODBOUT, MARC (Ottawa—Orléans)

B. Jun. 8, 1951 in Ottawa, Ont. Political Career: Elected to H. of C. g.e. 2004. Party: Lib. Address: Leg. Office:House of Commons, Ottawa, Ont. K1A 0A6, (613)995-6296, Fax: (613)995-6298 Riding Office: 2831-A St. Joseph Blvd., Orléans, Ont. K1C 1G6; Email: godbout@parl.gc.ca.

GODBOUT, MARC (Ottawa—Orléans) Né le 8 juin 1951 à Ottawa, Ont. Carrière politique: Élu pour la première fois à la C. des c. é.g. 2004. Parti pol.: Lib. Adresse: Bureau Lég.: Chambre des communes, Ottawa, Ont. K1A 0A6, (613)995-6296, Fax: (613)995-6298 Bureau Circonscription: 2831-A, boul. St. Joseph, Orléans, Ont. K1C 1G6; Courriel: godbout@parl.gc.ca.

SEESAW SEASONS BRING PATS, BRONCOS TOGETHER

RANDY LANGE
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
10-24-1999
SEESAW SEASONS BRING PATS, BRONCOS TOGETHER
By RANDY LANGE
Date: 10-24-1999, Sunday
Section: SPORTS
Edition: All Editions -- Sunday
Column: AFC NOTEBOOK

In today's Bizarro Bowl, the New England Patriots play host to the
Denver Broncos.

The teams have been doing things exactly the opposite of each other
all season. Some (including this observer) thought the Patriots were
ready for a fall, but they won their first four games by two, three,
two, and 12 points. The Broncos, meanwhile, talked a good game about
three-peating without John Elway, then proceeded to lose their first
four.

Just when those trends had been established, New England lost to
Kansas City when Adam Vinatieri doinked what would have been a
game-winning kick off the Arrowhead Stadium upright. Then the Pats lost
to Miami, despite chasing an injured Dan Marino from the game, sacking
backup Damon Huard nine times, and returning two interceptions for
touchdowns.

Denver, meanwhile, went to Oakland without Terrell Davis and
Shannon Sharpe and trimmed the Raiders, then returned home and pummeled
the Packers.

Jerry Glanville is expected to reveal on "The NFL Today" on CBS
that the Pats have been practicing all season under a yellow sun, while
the Broncos have been working out under a red sun.

`There's parity," Pats linebacker Chris Slade said. "You're going
to get in little slumps. The key is getting out of them."

That's difficult for the Pats to do -- they've lost 11 straight to
the Broncs. To prevent a dirty dozen, and to take the wind out of the
latest anti-Pete Carroll storm, the Patriots know what they need to do:
score red-zone touchdowns and get more production out of a running game
that is hobbled by rookie Kevin Faulk's ankle and veteran Terry Allen's
fumbles.

It would also help if they gained the edge in the Kryptonite
Matchup of the Game between wide receiver Terry Glenn and Broncos corner
Dale Carter.

Glenn had been heralded by a few folks east of Keyshawn Johnson as
the best wideout in the league today, while Carter was being roasted as
an expensive free agent bust, especially after his losing battle with
Keyshawn two weeks ago.

But all of a sudden, Glenn had no catches last week against the
Dolphins while Carter, playing more man-to-man each game, did numbers on
the Raiders' Tim Brown and the Pack's Antonio Freeman.

"If I go into any game and try too hard, I know I won't succeed,"
Carter said. "I just have to be comfortable and relax and do what I'm
used to doing."

If he repeats what he did last week, getting his first interception
as a Bronco, he may become the Man of Steal.

Eyes on Kordell

Whose football fundamentals are less sound: Pittsburgh quarterback
Kordell Stewart for continuing to not look off his receivers, or big
mouth Atlanta cornerback Ray Buchanan for telling everyone about it
before the teams' Monday night matchup at Three Rivers Stadium?

"Yeah, he looks where he's throwing the ball -- he's pretty easy to
read," said Buchanan. "I'm going to let these receivers take me to the
football."

"I thank you, Ray," said Stewart. "Now that you told me that, I
have to go practice and not stare down receivers so he can't use that to
his advantage."

It's easier said than done to change a habit like that, but coach
Dan Reeves can't be happy that his 1-5 Falcons have a player who woofed
loud enough to light a fire under the league's 27th-ranked passing
offense and its 25th-rated passer.

Akili on a tear

Cincinnati rookie quarterback Akili Smith patted himself on the
chest again this week, but instead of directing his gesture toward
Cleveland rookie QB Tim Couch, this time he was pointing at his Bengals
teammates.

"I'm working hard, trying hard," Smith said in between sessions to
prepare for today's game against Indianapolis. "Some of the guys around
here aren't giving 100 percent. You can tell because it shows."

Needless to say, the Cincy vets weren't thrilled with that
assessment. Smith backpedaled some, saying he wasn't talking about
physical effort, but rather studying the playbook. And the rook seems to
be getting resistance to his idea for the Bengals' first team meeting
since before the season opener.

"I've been through enough team meetings," said defensive end John
Copeland. "Everybody goes in with something to say, and then what?"

"If you don't have it at the right time and for all the wrong
reasons, it will just turn into a gripe session," said linebacker Takeo
Spikes. "That's how I think fingers start getting pointed."

To get the offense pointed in the right direction, Smith needs to
get the ball to Darnay Scott and Carl Pickens deep -- Cincinnati has one
completion of longer than 30 yards this season, in large part because
opposing defenses are playing off the once big-play wideouts.

Quick hitters

Whatever happened to Captain Comeback? Jim Harbaugh was supposed to
make San Diego fans forget about Ryan Leaf's rookie antics and lead the
Chargers offense back to respectability. But Erik Kramer, signed as a
veteran afterthought, will start his third straight game despite
throwing interceptions to Seattle on his first four second-half
possessions last week, and despite Harbaugh's two cracked ribs feeling
better. Coach Mike Riley says he'll probably decide his starter on a
weekly basis.

Denver running back Olandis Gary, who has been starting for Derek
Loville, who had been starting for Davis, has picked up the nickname
"Baby Riggins" because he resembles bruising former Jets and Redskins
back John Riggins. . . . The Titans, on their bye week, are getting no
respect outside Tennessee despite their 5-1 record. Some Niners fans
held up "Drill The Oilers" signs when the Titans came calling Oct. 3,
and TV announcers have referred to coach Jeff Fisher as Jeff George and
Steve Fisher.

Bob McNair, awarded the Houston franchise that will begin play in
2002, was asked how tough a job it has been to bring NFL football back
to town. "Have you ever kicked over a fire ant hill?" McNair replied. "I
think that's the best description." The Houston Fire Ants. Hmmmm . . .

Keywords: FOOTBALL. PROFESSIONAL

Copyright 1999 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.
SEESAW SEASONS BRING PATS, BRONCOS TOGETHERRANDY LANGE
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
10-24-1999
SEESAW SEASONS BRING PATS, BRONCOS TOGETHER
By RANDY LANGE
Date: 10-24-1999, Sunday
Section: SPORTS
Edition: All Editions -- Sunday
Column: AFC NOTEBOOK

In today's Bizarro Bowl, the New England Patriots play host to the
Denver Broncos.

The teams have been doing things exactly the opposite of each other
all season. Some (including this observer) thought the Patriots were
ready for a fall, but they won their first four games by two, three,
two, and 12 points. The Broncos, meanwhile, talked a good game about
three-peating without John Elway, then proceeded to lose their first
four.

Just when those trends had been established, New England lost to
Kansas City when Adam Vinatieri doinked what would have been a
game-winning kick off the Arrowhead Stadium upright. Then the Pats lost
to Miami, despite chasing an injured Dan Marino from the game, sacking
backup Damon Huard nine times, and returning two interceptions for
touchdowns.

Denver, meanwhile, went to Oakland without Terrell Davis and
Shannon Sharpe and trimmed the Raiders, then returned home and pummeled
the Packers.

Jerry Glanville is expected to reveal on "The NFL Today" on CBS
that the Pats have been practicing all season under a yellow sun, while
the Broncos have been working out under a red sun.

`There's parity," Pats linebacker Chris Slade said. "You're going
to get in little slumps. The key is getting out of them."

That's difficult for the Pats to do -- they've lost 11 straight to
the Broncs. To prevent a dirty dozen, and to take the wind out of the
latest anti-Pete Carroll storm, the Patriots know what they need to do:
score red-zone touchdowns and get more production out of a running game
that is hobbled by rookie Kevin Faulk's ankle and veteran Terry Allen's
fumbles.

It would also help if they gained the edge in the Kryptonite
Matchup of the Game between wide receiver Terry Glenn and Broncos corner
Dale Carter.

Glenn had been heralded by a few folks east of Keyshawn Johnson as
the best wideout in the league today, while Carter was being roasted as
an expensive free agent bust, especially after his losing battle with
Keyshawn two weeks ago.

But all of a sudden, Glenn had no catches last week against the
Dolphins while Carter, playing more man-to-man each game, did numbers on
the Raiders' Tim Brown and the Pack's Antonio Freeman.

"If I go into any game and try too hard, I know I won't succeed,"
Carter said. "I just have to be comfortable and relax and do what I'm
used to doing."

If he repeats what he did last week, getting his first interception
as a Bronco, he may become the Man of Steal.

Eyes on Kordell

Whose football fundamentals are less sound: Pittsburgh quarterback
Kordell Stewart for continuing to not look off his receivers, or big
mouth Atlanta cornerback Ray Buchanan for telling everyone about it
before the teams' Monday night matchup at Three Rivers Stadium?

"Yeah, he looks where he's throwing the ball -- he's pretty easy to
read," said Buchanan. "I'm going to let these receivers take me to the
football."

"I thank you, Ray," said Stewart. "Now that you told me that, I
have to go practice and not stare down receivers so he can't use that to
his advantage."

It's easier said than done to change a habit like that, but coach
Dan Reeves can't be happy that his 1-5 Falcons have a player who woofed
loud enough to light a fire under the league's 27th-ranked passing
offense and its 25th-rated passer.

Akili on a tear

Cincinnati rookie quarterback Akili Smith patted himself on the
chest again this week, but instead of directing his gesture toward
Cleveland rookie QB Tim Couch, this time he was pointing at his Bengals
teammates.

"I'm working hard, trying hard," Smith said in between sessions to
prepare for today's game against Indianapolis. "Some of the guys around
here aren't giving 100 percent. You can tell because it shows."

Needless to say, the Cincy vets weren't thrilled with that
assessment. Smith backpedaled some, saying he wasn't talking about
physical effort, but rather studying the playbook. And the rook seems to
be getting resistance to his idea for the Bengals' first team meeting
since before the season opener.

"I've been through enough team meetings," said defensive end John
Copeland. "Everybody goes in with something to say, and then what?"

"If you don't have it at the right time and for all the wrong
reasons, it will just turn into a gripe session," said linebacker Takeo
Spikes. "That's how I think fingers start getting pointed."

To get the offense pointed in the right direction, Smith needs to
get the ball to Darnay Scott and Carl Pickens deep -- Cincinnati has one
completion of longer than 30 yards this season, in large part because
opposing defenses are playing off the once big-play wideouts.

Quick hitters

Whatever happened to Captain Comeback? Jim Harbaugh was supposed to
make San Diego fans forget about Ryan Leaf's rookie antics and lead the
Chargers offense back to respectability. But Erik Kramer, signed as a
veteran afterthought, will start his third straight game despite
throwing interceptions to Seattle on his first four second-half
possessions last week, and despite Harbaugh's two cracked ribs feeling
better. Coach Mike Riley says he'll probably decide his starter on a
weekly basis.

Denver running back Olandis Gary, who has been starting for Derek
Loville, who had been starting for Davis, has picked up the nickname
"Baby Riggins" because he resembles bruising former Jets and Redskins
back John Riggins. . . . The Titans, on their bye week, are getting no
respect outside Tennessee despite their 5-1 record. Some Niners fans
held up "Drill The Oilers" signs when the Titans came calling Oct. 3,
and TV announcers have referred to coach Jeff Fisher as Jeff George and
Steve Fisher.

Bob McNair, awarded the Houston franchise that will begin play in
2002, was asked how tough a job it has been to bring NFL football back
to town. "Have you ever kicked over a fire ant hill?" McNair replied. "I
think that's the best description." The Houston Fire Ants. Hmmmm . . .

Keywords: FOOTBALL. PROFESSIONAL

Copyright 1999 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.

A priestly life starts at 79

William R. Schumacher is living proof that George Burns is notthe only octogenarian actively pursuing a career.

On June 4, the lifelong Chicagoan, widower, grandfather andretired businessman will be ordained a Roman Catholic priest, just 24days shy of his 80th birthday.

"In all likelihood, this man may be the oldest priest ordainedin the United States," said the Rev. John Tracy Ellis, a noted churchhistorian at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Schumacher, a sharp, witty man whose only physical ailment is anarthritic knee, doesn't think his age is a big deal, however.

"My goal is to call back those who have fallen away, …

Research from M. Sharifi and co-authors yields new data on potato research.(Report)

According to recent research published in the American Journal of Potato Research, "Nitrogen (N) supply from organic sources to the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) crop is difficult to predict and to synchronize with crop demand."

"In this study, Plant Root Simulator ™ (PRS ™) probes were evaluated as a tool for prediction of N supply from two rates (300 vs. 600 kg N ha(-1)) of either a hog manure-sawdust compost (HMC) or a pelletized dehydrated poultry manure (NW) in Atlantic Canada. The cumulative PRS mineral N supply rate (PRS-N) measured for the period of 31 days after planting (DAP), soil mineral N at 10 DAP and soil NO3-N at 31 DAP were closely related …

NEW YORK CAN'T BEAR COSTS ALONE.(PERSPECTIVE)

Byline: SAUNDRA SMOKES

It was a sports pig-out kind of week. On one night, in one city, the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks played game three of the World Series at Yankee Stadium.

Then, there was the return of Michael Jordan to the basketball court. His new team, the Washington Wizards, played the New York Knicks in the NBA season-opener at Madison Square Garden.

And, for the folks upstate, we had more sports nirvana when the Syracuse University Orangemen football team beat the favored Virginia Tech Hokies last weekend. It was a much-needed break from reality -- cotton candy for the brain.

If the nation has been profoundly …

40-year veteran stays on top in Philadelphia by trying new ideas; some win, some lose: Havco Services Inc. made it big with its commissary, but its constant search for innovation has led to handheld computers, GPS vehicle tracking, digital video surveillance, and other points of difference.(Operation Profile)

Ten years ago, Havco Services Inc., Croydon, Pa., was at a crossroad. The company was quadrupling its warehouse space to accommodate new growth. As noted in a 1994 operation profile in Automatic Merchandiser, the company was making a bid to become a key player in the highly competitive Greater Philadelphia market. It was a challenge, to say the least.

Industry observers have noted flint when operations expand beyond the $5 million revenue mark, they require a lot more overhead, but do not enjoy significant economies of scale until riley reach the $10 million mark. Some industry observers have gone as far as predicting the elimination of this size vending operation.

To be sure, Ivan ("Ike") Schultz, founder and president, didn't find the going easy. To become a key player in the Philadelphia market, he knew he had to offer services that competitors weren't providing.

Some initiatives succeeded while others did not. But the fact that Schultz had (and still has) the will to try new things, and the sense to know when to pull back when something doesn't work, has served him well. His company has grown by two-thirds in the last 10 years.

Schultz's formula consists of the following: 1) Stay focused on customer service, 2) Be open to new ways of doing things, 3) Use technology where it makes sense, 4) Don't grow too fast, 5) Know how to purchase equipment, 6) Invest in employees, and 7) Master the flesh food business.

A focus on second-tier accounts

Havco focuses on what Schultz calls the second-tier vending accounts: those that do not require a cafeteria. Like many medium-size operators, he maintains that the national and large regional operations do not adequately serve this second-tier customer.

When the company expanded into its present 36,000-square-foot building 10 years ago, it was indeed a challenging time. Schultz invested more than $200,000 in his commissary, with plans to add manual foodservice.

He also implemented the company's first software system to provide better accounting and inventory control. This represented another major investment.

He also had hopes for a machine that heated frozen hamburgers that he designed, thinking it would allow smaller accounts to have food on demand, thereby further distinguishing himself in the market place.

Manual foodservice didn't pan out

After operating three cafeterias, Schultz determined this was not his niche.

The hamburger machine didn't pan out, either. After testing this concept for a year, he sold these systems to convenience stores.

But the new commissary put …

Charity Tour Ahead for Hootie & Blowfish

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Hootie & the Blowfish announced a 14-city concert tour Wednesday to help collect supplies for disadvantaged schools.

Concertgoers are encouraged to bring school supplies, which are in turn donated to schools in the community. The group started its school charity concerts in 2003, and has collected around $100,000 worth of supplies so far, it says.

The latest Homegrown Concert Series …

U.S. must not fail rebels in Libya as we did in Cuba

Fifty years ago this month, President Kennedy encouraged Cuban exiles and dissidents to rebel against the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Once the mission began, the U.S. abandoned the freedom fighters, who were then slaughtered by Cuban forces. This sad chapter in United States history is known as the Bay of Pigs …

'Greedy' Eskom holds out for 35%, takes flak at charged hearing.(News)

control costs and secure alternative funding. Eskom had secured R60 billion in equity from the government and had borrowed R47.7bn from lending institutions. It was also negotiating with the World Bank for a $3.75bn loan and had secured R�bn from the government.

"There is a limit to what the market, government and customers can bear. Therefore, it is in the best interests of all South Africans that an appropriate tariff increase is allowed. And we think that 35 percent, 35 percent, 35 percent is appropriate."

But most people at the hearing were defiant, saying Eskom should make alternative plans to find further income, including stopping paying …

TRIBUTE TO A ZESTFUL MAN OF PRINCIPLE.(Main)(Obituary)

Byline: Harry Rosenfeld Editor

The purpose of this column is to demystify the art and craft of newspapering for our readers. Many times I try to do this by writing about one or another of our operations, policies or practices.

But there is another way to accomplish the same thing. Let me tell you a little about Buddy Weiss, the notice of whose death appeared on our obituary page last Sunday. It said he died of complications from a stroke suffered while playing tennis.

In a way, Buddy was a cliche and a fairy tale. He began as a copy boy and before he was through he was managing editor of one of the best newspapers ever published in English. That's …

BIZARRE NORTHWAY CRASH SLOWS THE RACE TO POST TIME.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: CHRIS STURGIS Staff writer

A peculiar accident that stacked a sedan on top of a sports car on the Twin Bridges Saturday backed up traffic for miles just one hour before the 1 p.m. post time at Saratoga Race Course.

Two northbound lanes of the three-line span across the Mohawk River were closed, but police managed to squeeze cars through two makeshift lanes to avoid an even more massive tie-up, said Trooper Tim Bonnier.

``The two cars were right on top of each other right between the left-hand lane and the middle lane,'' said Bonnier, who arrived on the scene soon after the collision. He noted that the piggyback crash looked spectacular, but …

Your one-stop legal source.(ASAE Resource)(Brief Article)

It's not always easy for a small-staff association executive to be familiar with all the legal ins and outs of running a nonprofit organization. Many association executives try to keep up to date on legal issues related to nonprofit organizations by reading the "Legal" column in ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT each month. But if those back issues are stacking up, there is another solution.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

For association executives who want a valuable legal resource on a variety of topics at their fingertips, ASAE has produced Associations …

Eleventh worker dies from injuries in Georgia sugar refinery explosion

The death toll from a Georgia sugar refinery explosion has risen again.

A hospital spokeswoman in Augusta says another burn patient has died from injuries suffered in the blast at Imperial Sugar in Port Wentworth. That means 11 people have died since the Feb. 7 explosion.

Beth Frits of the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital says one of the …

Williams stars in losing cause

Last February, Illinois bid farewell to its first four-timeClass AA wrestling champion. Next February, the curtain may berising on a second.

Goodbye, Andrew's Joe Gilbert. Hello, Mount Carmel's JoeWilliams. To say the freshman Williams, the Chicago Sun-Times BoyAthlete of the Week, has made an auspicious debut would be anunderstatement.

Williams' team lost the war Saturday, falling to Proviso East43-17 and top-rated Conant 41-15. But Williams won the battle ofunbeatens at 135, knocking off Conant's Chris Hruska, previouslytop-ranked at that weight, 9-4. Now 14-0, Williams also establishedhimself as the early favorite for the state title.

Williams and …

Eyemouth quad bike accident.

At around 5.30pm on Monday an 11-year-old and nine-year-old had an accident on of one the popular vehicles at a beach in Eyemouth.

They were being supervised by their father at the time and escaped with only …

FOLK HERO GRAIN FARMER TO SPEAK.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: MATT PACENZA Staff writer

A 72-year-old Canadian grain farmer who's become an international folk hero for his battle against agricultural giant Monsanto is coming to the Capital Region on Monday to talk about genetically modified crops.

Monsanto sued Saskatchewan canola farmer Percy Schmeiser in 1998 after he planted a variety that Monsanto had genetically engineered to tolerate a leading herbicide.

But Schmeiser hadn't planted the Monsanto crop by choice. It had blown onto his fields from neighbors who did. When he saved seed that fall to replant, some was Monsanto's.

Schmeiser, who's been growing canola on more than 1,000 acres …

Murder suspect placed in solitary: Judge orders confinement after testimony in shooting case; attorney to appeal.

Byline: Brian Lazenby

Jul. 6--The attorney for a man charged with first-degree murder in a fatal shotgun shooting on June 16 in East Lake Courts said he will appeal a judge's order that amounts to "cruel and unusual punishment."

"I have to appeal the conditions of bond based on the testimony this woman gave," said Robin Flores, who represents Quanan Hutchinson.

Mr. Hutchinson is charged with firstdegree murder in the shotgun shooting death of Jermaine Southers.

A woman testified in Hamilton County General Sessions Court on Wednesday that she had been threatened since she spoke with police about the shooting.

The testimony …

Iran says it expects end to Security Council involvement in its nuclear file

Tehran expects the U.N. Security Council to close the file on its nuclear activities once it has answered all questions about its past atomic programs, a senior Iranian envoy said Thursday, in an indirect challenge to the U.S.

Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's chief delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency, also urged Washington to "come out of ... isolation" and recognize that Tehran is cooperating fully with an IAEA probe into its past.

"The policy of the carrot and the stick ... (has) always been counterproductive," he said of a U.S.-led push for a third set of U.N. sanctions over his country's refusal to give up uranium …

Birds of a feather: companies flock to expense stock options. (News & Trends).(Brief Article)

Some see the rise in corporations deciding to treat stock options as a formal part of the expense of running a business as a response to investor calls for more transparency in corporate financial reporting. To date, more than 68 companies have announced their intention to expense stock options in their financial statements including …

Creative voice: years of technology innovation and pushing the gaming industry envelope earn John Acres Casino Marketing Lifetime Achievement Award accolades.(People)(Cover story)

For John Acres, innovation comes naturally. During his 25-plus years of inventing, refining and enhancing products and technologies for the gaming industry, he has experienced both supreme failure and sublime success. But while few can remember Acres' failures, his successes have played a dramatic role in the creation of today's modern-day casino floor.

Acres was an early pioneer of industry revelations like progressive jackpots and bonusing. And he is largely viewed as the father of player tracking systems and technologies in the industry. He has either helped to found or played a significant leadership role in some pretty noteworthy gaming companies: Electronic Display Technology (EDT); Mikohn Gaming; Acres Gaming; and today, a new venture that combines Acres' latest company--Acres Concepts--with Rich Fiore & Associates (RFA) to create Acres-Fiore.

Throughout the years, Acres' central strategy has been to provide products and technology innovations that are player-centric and improve the patron experience. It's an end-goal he said the entire gaming industry should embrace if it wants to enjoy continued success.

"Gambling is really not about gambling. It's about making the player feel special," Acres said. "Part of the way they feel special is by the wins and losses they experience on the game. But another part is the relationship they enjoy or regret with the casino in which they're gambling. We've always seen in the high rollers how important it is to treat people with extra respect, to make them like they're one in a million and exceptionally important. That's where things like private jets and things like that come into play. When we come down to slot machines, there's not the money to provide those kinds of amenities to players, so we need a lower-cost way to help people feel special."

That's where technological innovations like progressives (offering players a chance for life-changing payouts and building excitement in casinos); bonusing (giving the player numerous chances to win more or increase their play without spending more); and player tracking systems that help the gaming properties really learn about the players' personalities and desires, and be able to cater specifically to them, have all proven more than their weight in gold.

And Acres' long-running role in this player-centric innovation approach has earned him the Casino Marketing Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's Casino Marketing Conference July 17-19 in Las Vegas, which is co-produced by Raving Consulting and Ascend Media. Dennis Conrad, president and chief strategist for Raving, said the award is long overdue.

"Bonusing, player tracking, new slot concepts--John has been a pioneer in all of this, and truth be told, received too little credit for it," Conrad said. "Acres is one of the true gaming innovators in our business, …

SME CLO Volume Rising In Europe.(Small and Medium-sized Enterprise )(collateralized loan obligations)

European securitization of SME financing has experienced strong growth since 1999. SME transactions reached 5.3% of total European ABS issuance in 2005 and in year-to-date represent 2.5% of Euro asset-backed volume. In a report last week, Morgan Stanley said that further growth is anticipated within this asset class going forward, particularly in Germany, aided by government sponsorship, cash transactions and securitization of mezzanine products.

The largest asset-backed SME markets in terms of issuance and risk transferred are Germany and Spain. Smaller volumes have been issued from Holland - 13.8 billion ($17.51 billion) is the total risk transferred - Italy (0.5 billion), Switzerland (3.4 billion) and …