interblog23: 2012

четверг, 15 марта 2012 г.

Calif. Fires Force 250,000 to Evacuate

SAN DIEGO - Wildfires fanned by fierce desert winds forced the evacuations of nearly 250,000 people Monday in San Diego County, including hundreds who were being moved by school bus and ambulance from a hospital and nursing homes.

More than a dozen wildfires had engulfed Southern California, killing at least one person, injuring dozens more and threatening scores of structures.

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

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Hundreds of patients were being evacuated Monday from a hospital and nursing homes in the path of one of more than a dozen wildfires engulfing Southern California. The …

Would-be victim leads suspect to US authorities

Illinois authorities say a Michigan man was so intent on robbing a motorist that he unwittingly followed her in his car straight to a sheriff's department, where he was arrested.

The 26-year-old man was arrested Tuesday and remains jailed on charges of attempted armed robbery and possession of a stolen vehicle, the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

…

Mars Again Spawns A Quest for Wisdom

Yet another novel about Mars? Before you groan, consider thatMoving Mars (Tor, $23.95) is by Greg Bear, one of the outstandingscience fiction writers of the 40something generation.

Bear tells the story of the creation of a habitable Mars in the22nd century from the viewpoint of a physicist who links with anartificial intelligence, and a young woman of the Martian aristocracywho embraces revolution in search of a future for her native world.

He also tells it extremely well. It lacks nothing in scientificsoundness or literary excellence, and in spite of its scope, it iscontained within a single volume. It belongs on the same shelf withthe explorations of the Red …

среда, 14 марта 2012 г.

Heather Locklear released from LA-area hospital

THOUSAND OAKS, California (AP) — Heather Locklear was released Friday from a hospital after she was treated in the intensive care unit for an unknown ailment.

She was discharged in the afternoon, Los Robles Hospital spokeswoman Kris Carraway-Bowman told The Associated Press. The 50-year-old "Melrose Place" actress was hospitalized Thursday.

The hospital in the Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks said earlier in the day that Locklear was medically stable and being cared for one-on-one in the ICU. Paramedics transported …

EU bans baby food with Chinese milk, recalls grow

The European Union banned imports of baby food containing Chinese milk on Thursday as tainted dairy products linked to the deaths of four babies turned up in candy and other Chinese-made goods that were quickly pulled from stores worldwide.

The 27-nation EU adds to the growing list of countries that have banned or recalled Chinese dairy products. In addition to the ban, the European Commission called for tighter checks on other Chinese food imports.

Chinese baby formula tainted with melamine has been blamed for the deaths of four infants in China and the illnesses of 54,000 babies there. Health experts say ingesting a small amount of the chemical poses no …

Giants get the chosen 1 Trade QB Rivers to acquire Manning from Chargers

After a tense hour in which Eli Manning was a prospective lawstudent, the NFL's first family of quarterbacks got what it wanted.

Eli will be a New York Giant.

In one of the more bizarre first hours in recent draft history,Manning was taken with the first pick by the San Diego Chargers, forwhom he later announced he wouldn't play.

Manning then appeared on the stage at The Theatre of MadisonSquare Garden with his parents, Archie and Olivia, looking as glum asany No. 1 pick ever has as commissioner Paul Tagliabue held up aChargers jersey with "1" on it. He didn't put on the Chargers hat,and boos cascaded down from the galleries.

An hour later, as Manning …

AVALANCHE KILLS TWO; Is There Enough Avalanche Information Available to the General Public?

At around 1:45 a.m. Friday morning, a rush of snow slid 600 feet down the side of a mountain, burying a vacation home near Soldier Mountain in Fairfield. Dr. Marsha Landolt, Dean of Graduate Studies at the University of Washington, and her husband Dr. Robert Busch an aquatic health consultant in Seattle, were covered by ten feet of thick snow while sleeping in the lower level of the home.

Landolt's son Nicolas Kocan, and Busch's daughter Jenna Rovig and her husband Kelby Rovig, along with their two children were able to escape the slide because they were sleeping in the structure's relatively unburied upper level. Two family dogs also escaped the carnage. One of the animals, …

Dow drops as much as 400 on weak retail sales

Volatility battered Wall Street again Wednesday after a disappointing retail sales report reminded investors that the country is either in a recession or moving toward one. The Dow Jones industrials dropped nearly 400 points, giving back a chunk of their huge 936-point advance from Monday, and all of the major indexes were down at least 3 percent.

In midday trading, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 387.49, or 4.16 percent, to 8,923.50 after dropping as much as 402 points. Broader stock indicators also declined. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 49.24, or 4.93 percent, to 948.77, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 69.33, or 3.90 percent, to 1,709.68.

…

Islands are a trip off the well-beaten tourist track ; Anthony Channer explores the volcanic beauty of the tiny islands in the mid-Atlantic that make up the Azores

There are few, if any, undiscovered travel destinations in theworld, and the Azores are no exception. However, they do existsomewhat on the fringe of the average holiday-maker's radar.

Located in the mid-Atlantic between Portugal and the USA andcovering an area approximately 600km wide, the nine islands of thearchipelago flourish on a junction at three of the world's largesttectonic plates.

For centuries the islands have been a stop-over and retreat forsailors, and have more recently become a much-loved destination foryachtsmen and pleasure cruisers.

Rugged The steep and rugged nature of the mountainous islands,with their characteristic flora and …

40 Minutes Doesn't Get It Done for Isles

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Once the Detroit Red Wings erased their big deficit, finishing off the New York Islanders came easy. Henrik Zetterberg capped Detroit's rally by scoring at 2:57 of overtime and giving the Red Wings a 4-3 win over the Islanders on Tuesday night.

Detroit, which hasn't been shut out this season, trailed 3-0 at the start of the third period but quickly erased that deficit and set the stage for Zetterberg's winner.

Nicklas Lidstrom gloved down a deflected puck on a rush and passed it to Zetterberg, who had the entire left side of the net to fire his wrist shot into.

"We had a 2-on-3," Zetterberg said. "(Lidstrom) got me the puck, and I had an open …

Long game's journey into night a 6-OT Syracuse win

The freight elevator opened and Syracuse players Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris wobbled in, physically and mentally exhausted, heading for a bus to the team hotel.

Also standing there, just after 2 a.m., was Connecticut star A.J. Price, in any other place and time one of their biggest rivals. Without saying a word, the three hugged.

For nearly four hours at Madison Square Garden, their teams had waged an up-and-down, back-and-forth, six-overtime marathon in the Big East tournament. No. 18 Syracuse finally outlasted the third-ranked Huskies 127-117 in a quarterfinal that started Thursday night and ended at 1:22 a.m. Friday _ the second-longest game in Division I …

New displays of wildlife photographs are now on show in city centre

The wildest landscapes and most endangered species are now beingshowcased in Bath with an exciting new outdoor touring exhibition,developed by the Natural History Museum, London.

Taking place from now until September 23 at Kingston Parade andUnion Street, Wild Planet will be free for all bringing the higheststandard of international wildlife photography to the city inpartnership with the council.

Wild Planet will feature 80 of the most spectacular images fromWildlife Photographer of the Year - the world's most prestigiouswildlife photography competition and an international leader inproviding new insights into the natural world.

Merchandise will be …

Hastert grows into speaker job

Facing the daunting task - and pressure - of keeping the GOPmajority in the 2000 elections, House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert saidhe has every intention of retaining his job in the next Congress.

"I intend to be speaker," Hastert said on Wednesday.

It was almost one year ago - Dec. 19, 1998 - when Hastert wasthrust into the speaker's job. On that tumultuous day the Houseimpeached President Clinton, and Newt Gingrich's heir apparent, Rep.Bob Livingston (R-La.), said he would not become speaker because ofan extramarital affair.

Within hours, clashing GOP House factions rallied around Hastert,and he officially claimed the speaker's gavel last January.

Hastert has been referred as the "accidental speaker" becauseunlike Gingrich and Livingston, he did not spend years plotting toget the job.

From the beginning, Hastert knew what his biggest problem wouldbe, and that plagued him the entire year: the slim GOP majority.Hastert started with a six-vote lead, and that dropped to fivebecause of a defector.

Hastert laid out a modest but doable agenda: to balance thebudget, not dip into the Social Security trust fund and increasesupport for the military and education.

Hastert muscled a tax cut through the House, putting hisspeakership on the line. But Clinton vetoed it and the expectedpublic support did not materialize. His "common sense" gun controlmeasure failed. A health care specialist, Hastert could not musterbacking for his patient protection legislation. He took a hit for notpushing through a resolution to back the NATO air strikes in Kosovo.

Overall, "We did all the things we set out to do," said Hastertlast November.

Unlike Gingrich, from the beginning Hastert saw himself as amanager with no compulsion to pontificate on every subject.

Overwhelmed by the job when he got it, Hastert has growncomfortable in his role. His speaking skills have improved, as havehis television appearences.

Hastert remains the same modest man. In Washington, Hastertcontinues to share a town house with two aides. The number of storiesfiguring him as merely a transitional figure or puppet of HouseMajority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas) have fallen off. Hastert's tenurehas been marked by power-sharing arrangements with the top GOPleaders, giving DeLay unusual control over the appropriationsprocess.

To his credit, on his worst day Hastert remained popular with hismembers, something Gingrich could not claim. According to a Harrispoll published in Congressional Quarterly, the public has not givenHastert his due. His job approval rating at the end of the year wastwo points lower than when he started.

Now Hastert's biggest worry is "just the numbers," he said. Themath works out like this: There are 19 Republican open seats to bedefended with about half of them competitive, compared with only fiveDemocratic open seats.

To shore things up, last November Hastert installed his longtimeconfidant and fund-raiser, Dan Mattoon, to be the deputy director ofthe National Republican Congressional Committee.

Hastert has two main chores: to continue to raise money and giveRepublicans, as he said, "a basis to run on."

On the money end, Hastert all year has maintained a heavy fund-raising schedule. In the last week, Hastert traveled to New York,Wisconsin, Virginia and Texas to look for money to bolster HouseRepublicans.

Hastert is working on a House GOP election-year agenda and wantsit out in early 2000, before House races are overshadowed by thepresidential contest.

If Hastert is to keep the speakership, "We need to have somethingto have people talk about in the districts."

E-mail: sweet@dgs.dgsys.com

вторник, 13 марта 2012 г.

Can men and women just be friends?

"Friendship, friendship, what a perfect blendship, when otherfriendships will be forgot, ours will still be hot." - Lyrics to anold-fashioned song

Are the front pages of the newspaper getting you down? Does itseem that no one knows how to deal with the plane crashes,kidnappings and crises in the Middle East? Do you sometimes wantonly to hunker down and get on with domestic life?

Where do you find succor, shelter and reprieve?

In friendship, that's where. Friendship, the theme for the'90s.

How else to explain the long lines waiting to get into the movie"When Harry Met Sally . . . ," an updated, old-fashionedboy-meets-girl story in which members of the opposite sex do notimmediately attract. Instead, two people get to know each otherfirst. They actually talk, laugh, take long walks, even argue. Theensuing confidences, complaints and confessions lead to an intimacythat eschews the bedroom . . . for a while.

The movie is positively revolutionary - or retrograde, dependingon your age - confirming what most of us knew before the sexualrevolution persuaded us that we didn't know anything. Men and womenare different, and though they may eventually want the same thing,they don't play by the same rules in trying to get to it, and theydon't always crave it at the same time.

Rob Reiner, the director, told Nora Ephron, the screenwriter,that he wanted to do a movie about two people who enjoy being "only"friends because they knew if they "had sex" it would ruin everything:"And they have sex, and it ruins everything."

For the girl, sex suggests emotional commitment. For the boy,sex is something that forces him to figure out how long he has tostay around ("30 seconds or all night") before he can say "thank you,ma'am" and be gone.

If you're a trend-watcher (and who among us isn't?), "When HarryMet Sally . . . " addresses current yearnings for friendship betweenthe sexes in a way that the earlier movie "Fatal Attraction" finallydrew on a collective contempt for the liberated "other woman."(Remember how the warm, lovable and sexy character was a wife andmother?)

Of course, it's always risky to generalize from the popularculture, but audience reactions to this movie suggest that youngsingles are experiencing a new awareness, the shock of recognitionthat the sexual revolution has betrayed them in more ways than one.In one huge theater, young men and women in the audience groaned inunison when Harry and Sally finally fell into bed, everyone sensingit was the beginning of the end.

When Harry, sated, wants to make his quick getaway, and Sally,satisfied, wants him to hold her for hours, real intimacy evaporates.Gone is the easy talk, the endearing confidences, the trivialpursuits. Like Adam and Eve after biting that apple, they feel anurge to cover themselves.

What's happening, it seems to me, is that women are beginning torediscover what their mothers and grandmothers understoodinstinctively - that falling into sex is not the same as falling inlove.

Harry tells Sally that man can't be friend to woman withoutdesiring her sexually, but that sex usually intrudes on friendship.Is this a contemporary Catch-22? Maybe, maybe not. You have to seethe movie.

The Evolution of the System of Long and Short Adjectives in Old Russian

(ProQuest Information and Learning: ... denotes formulae omitted.)

Karin Larsen. The Evolution of the System of Long and Short Adjectives in Old Russian. Slavistischc Beitrage, Band 439. Munich: Verlag Otto Sagner, 2005. 283 pp. Appendices. Bibliography, euro26.00, paper.

Karin Larsen's monograph results from her Ph.D. dissertation at the University of California-Berkeley and is concerned with clarifying, largely through empirical means, an important and rather nebulous area of Russian historical morphology-namely, the development of the system of long-form (LF) and short-form (SF) adjectives in Old Russian (OR). The essence of the problem is that "[i]n prehistoric Slavic, the long (pronominal) form of the adjective was used as a means of expressing definiteness, whereas the short (nominal) form expressed indefiniteness. In this system, attributive adjectives could be short or long, whereas predicative adjectives could only be short" (p. II). In contrast, in Modern Russian "the short form can no longer be declined, but exists in the nominative case only. It has disappeared altogether from the attributive position (with the exception of a few fixed expressions), whereas in predicative position, both forms are possible. That is, attributive adjectives can be long, whereas predicative adjectives can be long or short." Larsen's book is concerned with this "profound transformation of the system," concentrating on "the process through which attributive position changed from an environment in which both SFs and LFs occurred to an environment in which only the LF is possible" (loc. cit.). Given the fact that the outcome of the development of attributive adjectives is, of course, known, the somewhat unusual (for such an empirical piece of research) a priori nature of the book is clearly evident: in a sense, Larsen's task is actually to trace and explain the details of the rather sorry decline of the "vertically challenged" forms, both from a linguistic and from a statistical point of view. On both counts this study delivers strongly.

Larsen's methodology is essentially empirical, using seven texts of the chronicle genre ranging chronologically from the ... (1054-1110) to the ... (1646-1691). Although, as she explains, chronicle texts cannot be taken to represent spoken Russian, their chronological scope gives a clear idea of the sequence and scale of changes to the adjectival forms in question, albeit not necessarily at the same time as the corresponding changes in the spoken language were occurring. The first chapter gives a lucid account of the background to the problem and previous scholarship in the area. The key to understanding the use of SFs in OR, according to Larsen, is to be found within the framework of Functional Sentence Perspective and "mode of presentation": essentially SFs are found very regularly in the earlier texts when the noun phrase has rheme status, but also (and this is vital) when "the link between noun and adjective is presented as established at the point of the utterance" (p. 249). Thus, it is not enough for a noun phrase to be the rheme to contain a SF adjective: it may contain a LF if it does not meet both conditions. One other key, and rather complex, issue is the absence of a clear distinction between attributive and predicative adjectives in OR. Larsen's answer is to classify as predicative those NPs (functioning as rheme) where the noun is theme and the adjective gives essential information, and as attributive those NPs where the noun is new in the context and its referent is known to have the quality denoted by the adjective.

The seven chapters which follow-each one devoted to one of the chronicle textsuse a uniform approach in terms of their organisation and subheadings. With the theme/rheme framework in the foreground, Larsen carries out a detailed study of the occurrence of adjectival forms, in particular concentrating on those displaying contextdetermined variation between long and short forms. An appendix giving all the nouns and adjectives in their contexts serves as a useful reference.

Much of the text of the individual chapters consists of detailed analysis of individual cases in an effort to determine contexts giving rise to LFs/SFs, and the Functional Sentence Perspective of the noun and adjective in question. Larsen's considerable achievement in this monograph amounts to a detailed and thorough account, based on a systematic application of Functional Sentence Perspective and of the decline of the SFs. By the 17th century, the chronicle texts clearly show a preference for LFs. even in contexts where previously one could expect a SF. At this point one wonders whether Larsen's explanations for LFs (where SFs would normally be expected) are not becoming increasingly strained or even fanciful, and whether, perhaps, it would not make more sense merely to speak of a breakdown in the system, so that in many instances it may simply not have mattered or been clear to the scribes which form was more suitable. The question of word order also seems to have been overlooked: gradually in Russian, one presumes, adjectives positioned before the noun became attributive, and so it would seem logical that an increasing number of adjectives in this position would have been LFs. On page 217, for example, one wonders if this is not the reason for ... rather than the explanation which follows. Although mention is made of this question, i.e. the importance of the position of adjectives vis-�-vis nouns, on the very last page of the book (p. 250), one would certainly have preferred to see more evidence of it being considered within the core of the book.

Larsen's book is throughout characterised by clarity of style and offers an academically rigorous analysis of the subject matter: this is solid, empirical research, and, as such, represents a most useful service to the discipline of Slavic. In terms of the historical study of (short- vs. long-form) adjectives, it has shed much light on a somewhat murky area of Russian linguistics and it will surely be one of the key studies in this area of the language for many years to come.

[Author Affiliation]

Robert Lagerberg, University of Melbourne

Former Olympic Champion Mathias Dies

FRESNO, Calif. - Two-time gold medalist and former U.S. Rep. Bob Mathias has died, the United States Olympic Committee said Saturday.

AirTran flight returns to FL airport after takeoff

An AirTran flight bound for Philadelphia returned to Orlando International Airport shortly after takeoff because a warning light came on in the cockpit.

Airline spokesman Christopher White says Flight 623 experienced "a minor maintenance issue" with one of its engines after it took off as scheduled Sunday morning. The plane had 117 passengers and five crew members on board.

White said the Boeing 717 turned around "out of an abundance of caution" and landed safely.

The passengers were rebooked on later flights.

Something for all

Here, arranged in ascending order of price, is a selection ofgeneral-interest holiday gift books. Contributors are DoloresFlaherty, Roger Flaherty, Joseph Harrington, Ginny Holbert, TomMcNamee, Delia O'Hara, Lloyd Sachs and Char Searl. UNDER $20

The Arthurian Book of Days, by Caitlin and John Matthews(Macmillan, $19.95). The romance and tragedy of King Arthur and theKnights of the Round Table are presented as the creators of the sagamight have done. Modeled after a medieval book of the hours andrichly illustrated with gold decorations and full-color medieval art,the book presents one episode from the Arthurian saga for each day ofthe year.

Treasure: Lost, Found & Undiscovered, by Mike Groushko (CourageBooks, $19.95). The seas off the Americas are rich with the goldencargos of Spanish galleons and pirate ships that went down to theirdepths. This illustrated book tells the story of great sunkentreasures, as well as tales of lost kingdoms, excavated tombs andeven some notable spoils of war. $20 TO $29.99

The Complete Tutankhamun, by Nicholas Reeves (Thames & Hudson,$24.95). Ah, travel way back to those thrilling days of Tutmania -for Chicagoans, the Tut World Tour arrived in 1977 - via this insidelook at "The King, the Tomb and the Royal Treasure." Reeves digsdeep into the artifacts to reveal such interest-ticklers as theautopsy conducted on the royal mummy, the games Tutankhanmun playedand his wine list. Of the 519 illustrations, 65 are in color.

The History of the World Series, by Gene Schoor (Morrow,$27.95). This remarkable volume recounts every inning of every WorldSeries game played, giving special attention to stories about greatand awful ballplayers. It is crammed with stats, histories andanecdotes, although the 300-plus photos are mostly unexceptional.

Arnold Schwarzenegger - A Portrait, by George Butler (Simon &Schuster, $29.95). The author of the book and film Pumping Iron,which helped transform an obscure Austrian bodybuilder into a moviestar has compiled more anecdotes and photos, mostly from the star'sold bodybuilding days.

The Flowering of Art Nouveau Graphics, by Julia King (GibbsSmith, $29.95). A compact survey of the Art Nouveau style which wascharacterized by flowing natural lines, and rich, exotic colors. Theauthor includes works from the U.S. and Europe, by such artists asBeardsley, Guimard, Toulouse-Lautrec, Klimt, and Parrish. $30 TO $39.99

Grab the Brass Ring: The American Carousel, by Anne Dion Hinds(Crown, $30). What goes around, comes around, but in fewer numbers:Of the more than 5,000 hand-carved wooden carousels built between1880-1930, only about 175 remain today, says Hinds. She chroniclestheir history and restoration through readable text and vividclose-ups.

Chess: An Illustrated History, by Raymond Keene (Simon &Schuster, $35). Chess, whose strategies parallel warfare, has beenaround for two millennia, although it really came into its own duringthe Renaissance. This book tells the story of chess, interspersedwith photographs of the beautiful boards every culture that plays ithas produced.

Ellis Island, by Wilton S. Tifft (Contemporary, $35). No symbolof melting-pot America is quite so powerful or moving as EllisIsland, the port of call through which some 12 million immigrantspassed between 1892 and 1954. This comprehensive volume is timed tothe restoration and reopening of the island, which took 17 years and$160 million to achieve. The book includes 175 archival photos.

The Discovery of the Bismarck, by Robert D. Ballard (Warner,$35). In 1985, Ballard discovered the wreck of the Titanic and wrotea best-selling book about it. This time around he has salvaged theBismarck, Hitler's greatest battleship, and here's the book to tellthat tale - both the history story and the detective story. He tellsit well. He does not skip. And he offers fine photos on every page.

Ireland in Poetry, edited by Charles Sullivan (Abrams, $39.95).This collection of 150 poems and over 100 works of art evokes manyaspects of Ireland: its natural beauty, its political divisions, andthe aspirations - both public and personal - of its people. Thepoems range from a 9th century ode celebrating victories overheathens to the likes of Samuel Beckett's "I would like my love todie." Included are works by Irish Protestants and by non-Irish - insum offering a vivid, balance view of the Irish experience.

The Moulin Rouge, by Jacques Pessis and Jacques Crepineau (St.Martin's Press, $39.95). It's a household word all over the world,and what a remarkable place it has been - the nightclub in Montmartrethat, from the day it opened in October of 1889, set Paris on itsear. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec painted it; the can-can wasintroduced there; Jane Avril, Mistinguett and Maurice Chevalierperformed there. The text, drawings and photographs take the MoulinRouge from its opening to the present.

Yachting: The History of a Passion, by Robin Knox-Johnston(Hearst Marine Books, $39.95). Yachts may be too expensive for mostadmirers to consider owning, but yachting continues to attractgrowing numbers of passionate sailors who somehow find the means tofinance their love of speed and spray. Accompanying this collectionof maritime paintings and photographs is a text chroniclingdevelopments since sailing races started in the Netherlands threecenturies ago. The author was the first man to sail alone around theworld without a stop. $40 TO $49.99

The Sotheby's Guide to Classic Wines and Their Labels, by DavidMolyneux-Berry (Ballantine, $40). The man who helped set up the winedepartment at the world's largest international auction house decodeswine label esperanto for aspiring and established connoisseurs. Thehandsome volume gathers full-color reproductions of 2,500 labels,arranged geographically by regions of production.

The Beauty of Stained Glass, by Patrick Reyntiens (Bulfinch,$40). This illuminating history pieces together the significance,colors, symbolism and inspiration of this misunderstood art form,which falls somewhere between painting and sculpture. An enjoyabletext and photos of modern works by the author himself are highlights.

Japonisme Comes to America: The Japanese Impact on the GraphicArts, 1876-1925, by Julia Meech and Gabriel P. Weisberg (Abrams,$45). A fascinating look at the influence of "Japonisme" on Americanartists such as Louis Comfort Tiffany, Frank Lloyd Wright and WillBradley. In the late 1800s, Americans and Europeans were enchantedby Japanese style, from watercolors to ukiyo-e (woodcut) prints,inexpensive and accessible to middle-class Americans.

At Home: The American Family 1750-1870, by Elisabeth DonaghyGarrett (Abrams, $49.50). At the beginning of the nation's historythe home was the center of activity, the base for family income aswell as shelter, sustenance and emotional life. This account ofearly American household arrangements draws on diaries, letters,household manuals and fiction. Tastes and living arrangements areillustrated in 200 paintings, drawings and prints. $50 AND UP

Thoroughbred Kingdoms: Breeding Farms of the American Racehorse,photographs by Henry Horenstein, text by Carol Flake (Bulfinch, $50).The breeding of horses for racing has deep roots in America, andgreat dynasties have risen and been eclipsed here. The text andgorgeous photographs take the reader on an insider's tour of thisfabulous world of wealth, tradition and history.

The America's Cup: 1851 to the Present, by Beken of Cowes(HarperCollins, $60). This is largely a photo album intended for theavid yachtsman. The 175 full-page black-and-white photos wereselected by yachting photographer Keith Beken from the work of fourgenerations of his family. The introduction is by Olin Stephens, anAmerica's Cup winning yacht designer.

Modern Design 1890-1990: The Design Collections of the Museum ofModern Art, by R. Craig Miller (Abrams, $60). Although the museumhas an extensive collection of modern decorative arts, very little ofit is on display, except here. This heavy volume details fashion,glassware, furniture, textiles, metalwork and ceramics, showing howmuch contemporary design owes to the earliest pioneers.

My Time At Tiffany's by Gene Moore and Jay Hyams (St. Martin's,$60). Window dresser par excellance Gene Moore is best known for hiscontroversial Tiffany's windows showing realistic New York streetscenes complete with bag ladies and winos. But he also was the firstdesigner to use tiny white lights on Christmas trees and votivecandles on restauarant tables.

Posters of the Belle Epoque: The Wine Spectator Collection, byJack Rennert (Rizzoli, $75). Paris 100 years ago was kicking high,alive with the spirit of the can can. Daring new popularentertainment was available in theaters and dance halls, and luxurieslike absinthe, tobacco, and chocolate were abundant. EnticingParisians to join the fun were a band of gifted artists, whoseposters gave birth to modern advertising. There are more than 200color reproductions.

Man shot during attempted arrest

A Chicago police officer trying to make an arrest Thursdayafternoon shot a man who allegedly pulled a gun on him, police said.

The man, whose identity was not released, was wounded in the headand was listed in critical condition at Mount Sinai Hospital, anursing supervisor said.

Two plainclothes officers had spotted two men involved in a drugtransaction on the 4200 block of West Madison at about 12:45 p.m.,police spokesman Robert Cargie said.

After approaching the suspects, one took off running and anofficer chased him, Cargie said.

The officer caught up with the suspect, but as he was arrestinghim, a third man approached with a handgun and tried to stop theofficer, Cargie said.

The officer identified himself and told the person to drop thegun, Cargie said.

Instead, the person pointed the weapon at the officer, who thendrew his own weapon and fired, Cargie said.

In the process, the suspect who had been chased down fled thescene, Cargie said.

Police had two people in custody Thursday night, one of thealleged drug dealers and the person who police said pulled the gun,but neither had been charged, Cargie said.

Narcotics were recovered from the scene, he said.

Chicago police officers also were investigating a separateincident Thursday involving the discharge of an officer's gun, Cargiesaid.

Police responded at about noon to a report of drug dealing in the200 block of West 95th.

They were attempting to arrest someone when one of the officer'sguns was fired, Cargie said.

The suspect was not hit, Cargie said. He had no other details.

Keep Illegal Drugs Out of City

As a Chicago police officer, as well as a resident of theEnglewood community, one of the most crime-ridden and drug infestedin this country, I have a unique perspective on the problem ofillegal drugs.

The consumption of illegal drugs fuels the economy of thedepressed segments of the African American community.

Far too many of my people choose to embark upon thisself-destructive behavior. Once one is introduced to thesesubstances, the purveyors soon have a loyal customer for as long as alifetime. The users of these substances will foresake everything tosatisfy their cravings. Food, clothing, shelter, hygiene, sex, eventhe welfare of their children. To acquire money to obtain thesesubstances, the users will lie, cheat, steal, prostitute, exploittheir children or even kill. Anything!

The few rehabilitation programs have long waiting lists andless-than-perfect success rates. Removing drugs from an addict'slife is almost as hard as weaning non-users from food, water oroxygen. It is also a lifelong endeavor, similar to an alcoholicabstaining from his legalized drug of choice.

The pushers of these illegal substances are too often the moversand shakers in the African American community. They drive the bigluxury and sports cars, wear the fancy clothes and jewelry, and evenown the nicest real estate.

Because of the tremendous amounts of wealth related to thistrade, I see my community as being turned upside down, with childrenas young as 12 controlling the lives and actions of men and womenseveral years their senior. Those who should be the elders,possessing wisdom and experience, are being ordered around anddirected by youngsters. I truly see a society on the verge of totaldecay.

The situation is aggravated by a large economy somewhatreluctant to absorb African Americans in good times and unable to doso in these hard times. And a failed and impotent educationalsystem. And a welfare system that is counter-productive and asaddictive as the drugs that plague the community. And a constantbombardment of images of the "good life" coming at us through theever-present TV screen. And finally, the proliferation andavailability of lethal weaponry.

I do not imply that those who are truly determined to make it inthis society cannot do so. The strong, gifted or connected willusually succeed if they apply themselves adequately. My concern iswith those who are less blessed.

Meanwhile, decent people are afraid to walk the streets of theirneighborhoods or allow their children to play outside, for fear ofbeing robbed or assaulted by crazed drug addicts or struck by straybullets from drug dealers.

Surely we can stop the flow of this drug poison across ourborders. I see it as simply a matter of seriousness, priorities,resource allocation and true commitment. Let's stop it now!

Andrew E. Billups is a Chicago police officer in the GreshamDistrict.

Oscar 3453 is 'born' in Chicago factory

One of the biggest stars of this year's Academy Awards was born on Chicago's northwest side, brought into the world by Martin Vega and prepped for his big close-up by Eladio Gonzalez.

Technically, his name is 3453, but he also goes by Oscar.

In a few weeks, he'll be glistening onstage at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, clutched perhaps by a tearful Kate Winslet or an even tearier Mickey Rourke. They will grab him around his waist, hoist him into the air and thank everyone who helped mold their success _ everyone, that is, except Vega and Gonzalez.

Like most Hollywood sagas, the story of Oscar 3453 begins with casting _ in this case, the transformation of a chunk of metal alloy into a 13 1/2-inch-tall man whose behind, as the story goes, was once described by Bette Davis as resembling her first husband's.

We're on location at the R.S. Owens factory, a nondescript building on North Lynch Avenue, where the statuettes have been made since 1983. It's Jan. 22, and coincidentally enough, this year's Academy Award nominations were just announced in Beverly Hills. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" received a leading 13 nods, so who knows, maybe Oscar 3453 will end up with Brad Pitt or makeup artist Greg Cannom.

But right now, Vega, 40, focuses on his own artistry, as he melts bars made of britannia, a high-grade pewter alloy, in a casting tank. He then dips a ladle in the 780-degree liquid and slowly pours the molten liquid into a steel mold, one of just two ever made, the other now retired. The remaining mold is usually locked up in a safe, brought out only this time of year for the two or so days it takes to cast the 50 Oscars that will be shipped to Hollywood.

Vega tilts the mold slightly as he pours, so he fills the entire mold evenly.

That takes only 13 seconds, and it's just over a minute more before he unclamps the top of the mold, hammers it a bit until the top pops off, revealing to the proud Vega the backside of an 8 1/2-pound Oscar.

"Not bad for an 81-year-old man," says Owens sales manager and our escort for the day, Noreen Prohaska.

Vega takes out the still-hot statuette and lays it down next to seven others, which are all face up on a nearby table.

They cool for maybe an hour before some of the excess around the edges is cut off along with what resembles a piece of hose (think umbilical cord) protruding from the bottom where the molten alloy was poured into the mold.

From there it is taken to Gonzalez, 40, at the buffer machine. He smooths it with a sanding wheel about the size of a wheel on a kid's wagon, taking off what is called flash, a raised edge that runs along Oscar where the pieces of the mold fit together. He then replaces that wheel with a slightly larger buffing wheel.

Forty-five minutes later, Oscar shines.

Every statuette is assigned a serial number, which is engraved in its base, to ensure that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can track each one, hence our subject's very special birth name, 3453.

Engraver Louise White, 56, secures the Oscar, face down, the top of its head against a piece of rubber "so we don't give him a headache," she says. The numbers 3-4-5-3 are lined up in a row on her engraving machine and White, a 36-year Owens veteran, uses what looks like a primitive dental drill to trace them.

That is connected to an industrial diamond stylus, which is pointed at the base of the Oscar and mimics the exact movements of the tracing instrument, only half as big. So, when she traces a '3' with one hand, the stylus is moving in the same way.

Now Oscar 3453 must be cured, which is factory-speak for waiting long enough to make sure there are no air holes or cracks that might weaken it. A few days later it was bath time, as Nunzio Giganti fitted Oscar on a wire rack before dipping him into soapy water to clean him up a bit. Then it was a dip in liquid copper, nickel and then ever so quickly, silver.

Giganti blow dries him, using an air hose that looks and sounds like one used for tires at a gas station. Finally, comes every trophy's dream _ a dip in 24-karat gold in a tub used for Oscar and only Oscar.

Giganti then walks it over to the assembly area, where Bertha Fuentes screws on the brass-encased base, puts a plastic bag over Oscar's head and puts it into a form-fitted foam box, which is then put into a cardboard box for shipping.

Early in February, Mr. 3453 will join his freshly-minted brothers on a journey taken by many a star-struck Midwesterner _ a flight to Hollywood.

To be continued.

____

On the Net:

http://www.oscar.com

http://www.oscars.org

____

Associated Press Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen in Los Angeles contributed to this story.

понедельник, 12 марта 2012 г.

Speaking in love

The apostle Paul writes in I Corin- thians 14 about how we speak to one another. He compares speaking in tongues, a secret language, with prophesy, a public speaking: "Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. For those who speak in a tongue do not speak to other people but to God; for nobody understands them, since they are speaking mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, those who prophesy speak to other people for their build- ing up and encouragement and consolation. Those who speak in a tongue build up themselves, but those who prophesy build up the church" (verses 1-4).

Paul asks those in Corinth to think of three measuring tools when deciding when and how to speak: Do we demonstrate love for one another? Axe we strengthening, encouraging and consoling one another? Does our speech build up the church?

I've been reflecting on Paul's lessons on how to communicate because I think they also shed light on how I see Canadian Mennonite working. Not that the magazine is just for prophetic words (although prophetic voices among us are certainly published here) but that all our speaking together through these pages be guided by our desire to love one another and build up each other and the church.

Canadian Mennonite includes the voices of many people. A total of 1,606 of you had your words and pictures published in 1,308 submissions last year. We continue to be the Mennonite magazine in North America that publishes more issues and more pages per issue than any other. With our church's Germanlanguage magazine, Der Bote, now closed, Canadian Mennonite becomes an even more precious resource for the building up and strengthening of the church.

Letters: I am often asked about Letters to the Editor as I travel to various parts of the country to visit churches and talk to readers. People ask how we choose the ones we print. The common conception is that we select just a few letters out of a big mailbag. In fact, our policy is to be as inclusive as possible in this section, and we publish virtually every letter we receive. Last year, we published 116 letters out of the 126 we received, or 92 percent.

Occasionally, if the same topic has been dominating the Letters section for a few months, I'll decide that's enough on that subject for a while and I also have a rule of thumb that any person can write on any subject they like, but not more than once a year on the same subject. This decision is a reflection of our church practice of having open mikes at delegate sessions, but also expecting speakers to have their say and then make way for the next person to speak.

You might be interested in what was most written about in the Letters section last year: First Nations concerns (especially in response to our report on a talk Sakioeta' Widrick gave), climate change and the environment, and church and state relationships were the top three topics, in that order. (This, and many other editorial, operational and financial details are all available in our 2007 annual report, which is posted on our website).

Design Feedback: I also wanted to thank you for your continuing feedback on our new design. We have been working hard at responding to your comments, ironing out the remaining rough edges and making sure it is readable for everyone.

The biggest issue was readability with coloured backgrounds. We have changed our palette of background colours to use only pale colours and have lightened the colours twice when printing black type onto colour (for example, the light blue we are using in this issue is at 5 percent inking). We now only use a solid black background inside when printing with white type and have increased the font size in Milestones and in our author credits.

I've been testing these changes with some of you who wrote in and they seem to be working. One reader wrote, "We would like to thank you for the new format in the [Canadian] Mennonite, especially the print size. It improved considerably." Another responded, "I was asked to look at the April 28 issue of Canadian Mennonite to assess readability of print on the current use of colour. The colouring has been toned down sufficiendy for good readability. The darker browns were particularly difficult to read in previous issues. The more recent paler tones of various colours have made reading much simpler. I appreciate your effort. Thank you again."

Please let me know if there are other things we can still do to make sure the magazine is the love-demonstrating, covenantal-strengthening communication tool we want it to be.

[Author Affiliation]

TIM MILLER DYCK

EDITOR/PUBLISHER

NH GOP to hold summit on cutting state spending

New Hampshire's House Republicans are holding a summit on Tuesday to discuss ways to cut spending as a counter to a seminar last week by the chamber's tax-writing committee on the state's tax structure.

The event will feature House and Senate Republican leaders, Republican members of the House budget committee, a former health and human services commissioner and two speakers from public policy groups.

The public will be allowed to ask questions.

Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee brought in tax experts, economists and others to discuss the state's tax structure. Republicans called a tax summit and said Democrats were using it to push for an income tax.

Sharp-shooting Cyclones down ETSU, 85-53

Iowa State didn't play like a team that was looking ahead.

Alison Lacey made six of Iowa State's record-tying 16 3-pointers and the fourth-seeded Cyclones routed East Tennessee State 85-53 in the opening round of NCAA tournament on Sunday.

Iowa State (25-8) tied the tournament record for 3s set by Harvard in the opening round of the 1996 tournament and will play fifth-seeded Tennessee or 12th-seeded Ball State in the second round on Tuesday night.

Lacey led the way, finishing with 18 points. Kelsey Bolte added 12, Heather Ezell scored 11 and Nicky Wieben and Amanda Nisleit added 10 points apiece as the sharp-shooting Cyclones moved into the second round for the third straight year.

Iowa State wasted little time taking control as Lacey and Ezell came out firing. Iowa State needed less than 8 minutes to build a double-digit lead and was never threatened the rest of the way. Iowa State made 16 of 38 3-pointers, the 12th time this season the Cyclones have knocked down at least 10 3s in a game.

Taronda Wiles led ETSU (20-11) with 16 points, but star Siarre Evans struggled against the bigger, deeper Cyclones. Evans finished with eight points on 3-of-13 shooting as the Buccaneers shot just 31 percent.

The Buccaneers had hoped to turn the game into a track meet by pushing the pace. Iowa State never let it happen. The Cyclones simply made too many shots, most of them 3-pointers from well behind the line.

Now comes the hard part for the Iowa State, moving on. Though the Cyclones have become one of the Big 12's more consistent programs under coach Bill Fennelly _ making the tournament in 10 of Fennelly's 14 seasons _ getting past the first weekend has been difficult of late.

Iowa State's last two seasons ended in the second round and the Cyclones haven't made it to the regional semifinals since 2001.

They entered this year's tournament in an unfamiliar position: as a slight favorite to make it to Berkeley over two-time defending national champion Tennessee.

Fennelly said he didn't feel any additional pressure to extend the season, though Iowa State's veteran group _ the Cyclones start three seniors _ gives it a decided experience advantage over whoever it would play in the second round.

ETSU played well in its NCAA tournament debut last year, hanging tough with Oklahoma State before losing 85-73. Coach Karen Kemp thought things would be easier the second time around after the Buccaneers successfully defended their Atlantic Sun Conference title.

The Buccaneers, however, were simply overwhelmed in the early going, playing out of control at times, leading to wild shots. Giving up several inches at nearly every position didn't help. Iowa State used its length to alter shots and ETSU couldn't match Iowa State's torrid 3-point shooting.

The Cyclones had as many 3-point baskets _ 10 _ as the Buccaneers had total field goals during a dominant first half. Iowa State led 47-25 at the break and quickly extended the edge to 30 before ETSU found its footing over the final 15 minutes.

By then it was too late even with the urging of a couple thousand Tennessee fans, who threw their support behind the school in Johnson City, Tenn., about 100 miles east of Knoxville.

Rain Helps N.J. Fire Crews Douse Blaze

LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. - A rainstorm Wednesday night helped firefighters make progress against a blaze that apparently began when a military jet dropped a flare on a bombing range. Officials were hoping to determine at daybreak whether the blaze had been contained.

The thunderstorm rolled into the region during the early evening, just after high winds associated with the storm pushed the fire eastward toward a highway, jeopardizing the road and thousands of homes east of it.

"All the reports we are getting are that the fire is laying right down," said Bert Plante, a spokesman for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, after the storm began to subside.

The fire, which began Tuesday, sent walls of flames 80 to 100 feet high racing toward senior citizen communities. Elderly residents grabbed their pets and fled.

No deaths or injuries had been attributed to the fire, but at least 13 homes were damaged or destroyed and about 6,000 people were evacuated from 2,500 homes along the border between Ocean and Burlington counties. About 115 people were in shelters Wednesday evening, authorities said.

"I didn't grab anything but the cat and myself, and we scrammed," said Helen Sura, who spent a sleepless night with her pet, aptly named Smoky, in a Burger King parking lot.

A portion of the Garden State Parkway, one of the state's main north-south routes, was closed briefly Wednesday because dense smoke made it difficult for motorists to see. It was reopened later in the day.

Lt. Col. James Garcia, a spokesman for the New Jersey Air National Guard, said the fire was believed to have been started Tuesday afternoon with a flare dropped from an F-16 fighter jet. An investigation continued, he said.

The Warren Grove Gunnery Range, about 25 miles north of Atlantic City, was also involved in the accidental strafing in 2004 of an elementary school during a training exercise.

Two other major fires were also burning Wednesday in the United States.

Along the Florida-Georgia state line, firefighters were making progress against a blaze that had charred 390 square miles across the two states and forced the evacuation of more than 700 homes. Calm air Wednesday allowed firefighters to strengthen their containment lines, said Jim Harrell, a spokesman for the Florida Division of Forestry.

But Harrell said the weather was expected to worsen over the weekend, with strong winds and high temperatures.

In northern Minnesota, some residents chased from their homes by a forest fire on the Gunflint Trail were told they could return. The fire has burned 117 square miles of Minnesota and Canada, and 61 homes and twice as many other structures have been destroyed. But two days of wet, cool weather have helped firefighters get the blaze 55 percent contained on the U.S. side and 20 percent contained in Canada.

"I'm dreading to see the black," said Lorraine Carpenter, whose lost her garage but not her home on Sea Gull Lake. "That is not going to be pretty."

---

Associated Press writer Jeffrey Gold in Newark contributed to this report.

Punk hero's solo show

Hugh Cornwell, the Box-based former lead singer of legendary punkband The Stranglers, brings his highly respected solo show back toSomerset this weekend as he prepares for what he hopes will be oneof his best years ever.

Hugh, will be appearing at the Weston-super-Mare PlayhouseTheatre on Sunday night, from 7.30pm, where he will be playing anacoustic selection of songs from his rich back catalogue under thetitle of "The Stranglers and Beyond".

The audience can therefore expect to hear a number of Stranglers' hits such as Peaches, Golden Brown, No More Heroes andAlways The Sun but also a selection of his impressive solo material -including a new song which puts Trowbridge firmly in thespotlight. The Wiltshire town is not traditionally known as a placethat inspires great songwriters so why did Hugh chose to write theintriguingly-titled Please Don't Put Me On A Slow Boat ToTrowbridge?

"I've always liked to write about places that I find interestingand Trowbridge is certainly that," said Hugh.

"I have been there many times and every time that I've been thereI've managed to get myself lost. I've also known many people wholive and work there who struggle to find any good things to sayabout it.

"I hope my song will therefore stir up a debate - either frompeople who love Trowbridge and want to defend it or others who seemto agree that, unlike most of the towns around here, it isn't aplace with a lot going for it."

Although such solo numbers certainly capture the imagination,Hugh readily admits that he is probably still best known for hiswork with The Stranglers who notched up 21 top 40 singles and 10 top20 albums in the 17 years he fronted the band.

Although this was commercially the most successful period of hiscareer, Hugh still says that the freedom of being a solo artist issomething which he prefers and indeed relishes.

He said: "When I was in the band, obviously I wasn't able tohave control over everything that we were doing but now I knowexactly what I want and how to get to it.

"I feel I have so much more freedom as a solo artist and Ibelieve that my time as a member of The Stranglers was more of anelongated apprenticeship for where I am now.

"I obviously learnt a lot about music as a member of TheStranglers but since I have left the band, I feel I've developed agreat deal and I know, for instance, that I'm now a far betterguitar player than I was previously."

Hugh has just returned from a successful tour of America where heplayed alongside From The Jam, a group who consist of two of the original members of The Jam and who have been creating quite a stiron both sides of the Atlantic.

With his old band still going strong and many other groups fromthe punk era very active, Hugh can see no reason why the artistsfrom the new wave movement should not be around for some time tocome.

"I think it is great that The Sex Pistols have got back togetherand in many ways I think they could be seen as a big culturalinfluence on young people worldwide as The Beatles," says Hugh.

"People will say 'The Beatles had 300 great songs so that mustmake them more important', but the truth is The Sex Pistols were allabout rebellion and that is why young people of all generations lovethem.

"I can fully understand why bands like that are still around andin many ways the renewed interest in them means they are now gettingtheir just desserts."

And Hugh himself has also got no intention of retiring - in facthe thinks he's about to unleash his own best ever album. The album,Hoover Dam, is due to be released at the end of April and he unashamedly thinks it is a very special record indeed.

He said: "I think it is great and all the people around me havealso been really positive about it and said it sounds like nothingelse they can compare it to.

"One thing it definitely is though is a very powerful electricalbum - it's heavier than an elephant".

Hugh has promised to unveil one or two tracks from his new"Magnus Opus" on Sunday alongside other solo tracks and thoseStranglers hits that propelled him to fame and fortune at the end ofthe '70s.

Sam Holliday

Tickets cost pounds15 and are available on the door. For moreinformation visit www.hughcornwell.com.

For some, Republican John McCain is 'too old'

So how old is John McCain? Six-packs, automatic transmissions and the American Express card were all introduced after he was born, not to mention computers which McCain admits he doesn't use.

McCain, himself, jokes that he's older than dirt. And while his age is being raised as a campaign issue, medical experts say voters shouldn't be concerned that, if elected, McCain would be the oldest man to assume the presidency, at 72.

In politics and other fields, they explain, it's not unusual for talented people to do signature work late in life, when they can apply the cumulative wisdom of experience, and leverage personal connections cultivated over time.

Nonetheless, a significant slice of the electorate has qualms about McCain's age. The presumed Republican nominee will celebrate his 72nd birthday shortly before his party's convention. Polls show the age question isn't going away, despite the Arizona senator's efforts to deflect it with self-deprecating humor, or disprove it by keeping a grueling schedule.

"Sure, people live to be 90, but you are not as sharp," said Virginia Bailey, 73, a retired administrative assistant who lives near Schenectady, N.Y., and is a Republican. "I'm not as sharp as I was ten years ago, and I'm sure (McCain) isn't either _ even though he wouldn't admit it."

McCain's senior-citizen status raises more concerns among voters than Sen. Barack Obama's relative youthfulness, a new AP-Yahoo News poll indicates. Twenty percent said "too old" describes McCain "very well," compared with 14 percent who felt strongly that Obama is "too young." Overall, 38 percent said "too old" describes McCain somewhat or very well, compared with 30 percent who worried that the Illinois Democrat, who turns 47 this summer, is too young.

Capitalizing on the concern, New York City graphics designer Joe Quint has launched an Internet site called thingsyoungerthanmccain.com. Quint, a Democrat, said he doesn't believe septuagenarians should be disqualified from the presidency, but age should be part of the discussion. He's planning a book of his Web site items before the election.

The age issue is "clearly a potential problem" for McCain, said independent pollster Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center. "There is a larger issue of whether people will come to see him as old apart from his age," Kohut added. "Will they think of him as having old ideas?"

Medical science, however, suggests that concerns about McCain's age are exaggerated.

"The presidential campaign is full of chatter _ much of it quite misinformed _ about the role of age," said Dr. William Thomas, a geriatrician and professor at the University of Maryland's Erickson School of Aging Studies. Geriatrics is a medical specialty that focuses on the elderly.

"People in old age are fully capable of imaginative and skillful work," Thomas added. "A person's age is not a block to doing fantastic work."

Although U.S. life expectancy at birth is about 78 years, a person who reaches 70 can expect to live another 15 years. For a seventy-something president, that could work out to two terms in office, plus time for writing memoirs_and cashing in on book sales.

But differences among people in their seventies can be stark, because some have already started into a steep decline.

Dr. David Reuben, chief of geriatrics at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, said he sees no outward evidence of such a problem with McCain, despite the occasional gaffe.

"As a clinician, I look at whether they appear to be robust, whether their sentences flow, whether their thoughts connect, whether they are easily distractible," said Reuben. "McCain appears to be quite robust."

The main medical concern about McCain is not his age, but his history of melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. If McCain is elected, Americans would have to get used to the idea of their president as a cancer survivor, closely followed by doctors for any sign of a recurrence.

But Reuben said there's very little difference in clinical terms between McCain's age and Ronald Reagan's, who turned 70 soon after he was sworn in for his first term. Reagan managed to avoid the "old" label by often riding horses and clearing brush on his ranch in California. But could seem to be forgetful at times. In Iran-Contra testimony in 1990, a year after leaving office, he couldn't remember that Gen. John W. Vessey served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for three years in his administration.

Reagan's Alzheimer's diagnosis came later, nearly six years after leaving the White House.

McCain has embraced what he calls his own "oldness." He jokes that he's older than dirt and has more scars than Frankenstein, but he's learned some useful things along the way. That seems to put many voters at ease. In the AP-Yahoo News poll, 58 percent said the term "too old" doesn't describe McCain at all well, or only slightly.

"I figure he's a very experienced man," said Robert Covarrubias, 38, a trucking company manager from Los Angeles, and a Republican. "We've had presidents who were up there in age before."

Mindful that it could backfire on them, Democrats have mostly broached the age issue indirectly, by trying to link McCain to festering problems that Washington hasn't resolved. That may resonate with some voters.

"Not only age wise is (McCain) old, but he has also been a politician for a long time," said Aaron Andrus, 28, a software developer from Salt Lake City, who is not affiliated with either party. "I don't see how what he would do would be any different from what has been done time and time again, and has brought our country to the point where we are today."

среда, 7 марта 2012 г.

Suns Spoil Durant's Home Debut, 106-99

Amare Stoudemire, playing for the third time since knee surgery a month ago, had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns rallied past Kevin Durant and the SuperSonics 106-99 Thursday night in the home opener of the Sonics' 41st and most awkward season in Seattle.

Steve Nash had 18 points, including the clinching 3-pointer, and 12 assists, while veteran Grant Hill added 13 points, six rebounds and five assists in his Suns debut. Phoenix won for just the second time in nine season openers.

Durant, the second overall draft pick, scored 27 points on 11-for-23 shooting. Chris Wilcox had 23 points and 11 rebounds for Seattle, which blew a nine-point lead it had late in the third quarter one night after getting blown out late in its opener at Denver.

Durant made a 14-foot jumper over Hill with 4:15 left to cut Phoenix's lead to 93-90. After Raja Bell made with a 3-pointer, Durant answered back with his own 3 to keep Seattle within 96-93.

But with the score 98-93, Durant had the ball stolen by Shawn Marion and then charged into Bell for another turnover with 2:11 left. Nash then made his third 3-pointer in three tries and Seattle never got closer.

The night began with fireworks exploding beneath the scoreboard and fans flashing green-and-gold signs such as "This City Needs the Sonics." The crowd, announced as a sellout of 17,072 though there were a few empty seats upstairs, erupted into chants of "Save our Sonics!" during play in the second and third quarters.

Team chairman Clay Bennett, who will announce Friday his next move toward relocation to his native Oklahoma now that his deadline to get a Seattle-area arena deal passed Wednesday, watched it all while talking in a suite with Hall of Fame center Bill Russell, a Sonics regular and resident of suburban Mercer Island, Wash.

The Sonics continually ran inbounds plays for Durant, who had equaled his opening-night total of 18 points by halftime. He made a 14-footer off a set play 4 1/2 minutes into the second half to reach 20 points and put Seattle ahead 66-61. Bell _ who checked the 19-year-old most of the night while giving up five inches to the 6-foot-9 guard _ extended both arms with his palms toward the arena's roof and flashed a baffled look to Suns teammates.

Seattle took an 82-73 in the final minute of the third quarter on a 3-pointer by new arrival Wally Szczerbiak. But three consecutive 3-pointers by Marcus Banks tied the game at 82 with 20 seconds gone in the final period.

Phoenix outscored Seattle 19-8 to take an 88-84 lead on Stoudemire's third consecutive basket with 9:05 left. Durant was on the bench for all but the last 1:07 of that Suns run.

The fired-up crowd stood and roared after Damien Wilkins grabbed a rebound of a miss by Hill, dribbled to midcourt and launched a leaner that swished as the halftime buzzer sounded. Wilkins walked to the scorer's table and pointed into the crowd and Durant gave his teammate a bear hug as Seattle took a 58-55 lead into the locker room.

Jeff Green, the fifth overall pick, missed seven of his first eight shots _ including both a botched dunk and layup in the first half. But he also took a charge and stole a pass that Durant turned into his first 3-pointer in three tries.

Durant yelled over the crowd's roar to punctuate that, which put Seattle up 35-32 three minutes into the second quarter.

Notes: Wilcox played one night after throwing up fluid that was in his lungs at halftime and scoring just two of his 14 points thereafter at Denver. He crashed to the floor after missing a dunk with 7 minutes left but returned. ... Music star Kid Rock, 12 days removed from a fist fight at a Waffle House in Atlanta, Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell and players Marcus Trufant, Rocky Bernard, Julian Peterson, Deon Grant and Josh Brown joined Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon, University of Washington men's basketball coach Lorenzo Romar and women's coach Tia Jackson courtside sitting near the court. ... F-C Sean Marks was inactive after "tweaking" his back in a fall at practice Wednesday, Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. ... Seattle has lost its last three home openers. ... The Suns open at home Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.

THRUWAY AUTHORITY AND TROOP T ANNOUNCE "OPERATION ANTLER ALERT II".

ALBANY, NY -- The following information was released by the New York State Thruway Authority:

The New York State Thruway Authority and State Police Troop T remind motorists to be particularly alert for deer along the highway system during the fall months. The Thruway Authority believes that the key to safety is awareness.

"Deer crashes can cause serious injury, and drivers are encouraged to be alert," said Thruway Authority Executive Director Michael R. Fleischer. "Motorists are reminded to use extra caution, avoid speeding, and watch for deer that may suddenly dart into the roadway."

"Most vehicle-deer collisions occur in the fall, the time of year when deer are most active," said State Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis. "Motorists should be very careful at this time, especially at dawn and dusk."

The national deer population, estimated at 25 million to 30 million, has been growing for decades. In previous years, the peak period for deer-vehicle collisions in New York is October and November. This period corresponds with the peak of the annual deer breeding cycle, when deer are more active and less cautious in their movements.

Motorists should be especially attentive where deer crossing signs are posted along the Thruway. These signs indicate that, in the past, there have been frequent deer crossings in that immediate area.

"It is particularly important that motorists remain aware of their surroundings, and be on the look-out for deer along the highways," said State Police Troop T Major Robert C. Meyers.

The Thruway Authority offers these tips for motorists:

Use extreme caution at dawn and dusk, when deer are most active.

Be more aware of deer during October and November.

Scan the shoulders of the roadside for deer eyes reflecting light.

Do not rely on high beams or honking your horn to warn deer.

Slow down when approaching deer standing at the roadside; they may suddenly bolt into the road.

Deer often travel in pairs or groups, so if a deer is spotted crossing the road, slow down and be alert that others may follow.

Always buckle your seat belts. Ejection from a vehicle is the main reason that fatalities occur in a collision.

If a collision is unavoidable, hold onto the steering wheel; do not swerve to avoid hitting the deer. Bring vehicle to a complete stop. The most serious vehicle-deer accidents occur when drivers swerve at high speeds to elude a deer, and then strike another vehicle, a tree or they roll over.

If you are involved in a car-deer collision, do not attempt to approach or touch the deer.

In the event of a vehicle-deer accident, motorists should make every attempt to drive their vehicle as far off the highway as possible, park on the right shoulder, activate the four-way hazard flashers, and stay in the vehicle and wait until help arrives. Motorists travelling on the Thruway can report an accident by calling the Authority's emergency number at 1-800-842-2233, or 911.

Additional traveler safety tips are available on the Authority's website at www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/safety/drivingsafetytips.html .