Lee County authorities say a 24-year-old Lehigh Acres woman taught children how shoplift then abandoned them when the group was stopped. The woman was jailed on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, child cruelty and larceny petit theft.
An investigator said the woman walked into a Lehigh Acres store with four children and showed a 12-year-old …
Branko Segota, the Sockers' leading scorer with 75 points, couldbe sidelined for the rest of the season with a broken cheekbone hesuffered last week.
Sting forward …
New York - Daniel Cabrera of the Baltimore Orioles lost his no-hit bid with out out in the ninth inning Thursday night on a single by Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees on Thursday night.
Cano lined a single to left to end Cabrera's bid. The Orioles' pitcher finished with a one-hitter as Baltimore won 7-1.
The Yankees scored …
Commonwealth Games Federation chief Michael Fennell has warned New Delhi that delays in its preparations for the 2010 Games are putting the success of next year's event in jeopardy.
Fennell was reported by the Press Trust of India on Sunday to have written to Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the local organizing committee, saying: "I'm looking forward to some urgent actions in order to bring about the successful celebration of the games in 2010."
He added: "Our concerns are such that unless there is significant change in the management culture and operation of the organizing committee these Games will fail from an operational …
Dr. Gabriel F. Tucker Jr., 62, a renowned pediatrician, diedMonday in his Lincoln Park home near Children's Memorial Hospital,where he had served more than 30 years.
Dr. Tucker pioneered treatments of childhood ear, nose and throatdiseases and the standardization of related medical instruments.
Specializing in constrictions of the airway below the vocalcords, he headed the hospital's ear, nose and throat division and theLaryngeal Development Laboratory.
He was honored at a recent international symposium in Cincinnati,where a …
CAPITAL DOMES: HEAD TO HEAD
Brouillette: Forced pooling and Diet Coke
We all know that drinking Diet Coke is better for maintaining our weight than drinking "The Real Thing." But should government force us to drink what is better for us in our batt�e with the bulge? Of course not; freedom of choice includes the freedom to choose poorly. Yet the arguments for forced pooling in the extraction of natural gas are the same as those who would outlaw sugary cola.
Forced pooling would require landowners to allow a natural gas drilling company to capture the natural gas under their property - against their will - if a majority of homeowners (three-fourths, according to one …
Mao Mao the panda's remains were gently laid in a wooden crate and wheeled to a patch of ground in China's famed Wolong Nature Reserve where a freshly dug grave awaited.
The center's director stood cap in hand and shoveled in a few spades of dirt. Then Mao Mao's keeper stepped forward crying, and arranged two apples and a piece of bread by the grave. Three minutes of silence followed as workers gathered around the grave.
Nearly a month after she was crushed to death when China's devastating earthquake collapsed the wall of her enclosure, 9-year-old Mao Mao was laid to rest Tuesday in a quiet corner of the Wolong panda breeding center.
The facility …
This review originally appeared April 14, 2002. The average retailprice of a 2002 Suzuki Aerio is $6,550-$7,450.
While best known for sport-utility vehicles, Suzuki has come upwith a lively, roomy new small car with one of the most powerfulengines in the subcompact market.
The new four-door model is called the Aerio, which is anappropriately lighthearted name for a car that looks and drives as ifit has a carefree personality. Suzuki said it picked the name becausethe car has smooth, aerodynamic styling. It certainly selected theright colors to emphasize the Aerio's sportiness: They range frombright red and yellow to "bold, high-tech silver."
The front-drive …
Daley kicks off `Gift of Reading' campaign for youth
Signing a huge 12-by-15 foot book at Pioneer Court, Mayor Daley helped to launch the "Gift of Reading" campaign where the sponsors of the program, in a spirit of "corporate good will," have vowed to donate one book per signature to low-income children in Chicago.
Daley joined Jeff Dunn, president and COO of Coca-Cola America; Kyle Zimmer, president of First Book; Dick Robinson, president/CEO and chairman of Scholastic, Illinois; Secretary Jesse White, CHA CEO Terry Peterson, School CEO Arne Duncan, Library Comm. Mary Dempsey and other officials, at a press conference at 401 N. Michigan Ave.
Daley said they couldn't …
The United States took a two-shot lead over Scotland in the World Amateur Teams golf championships Thursday with Rickie Fowler and Jamie Lovemark carding 5-under 68s at Royal Adelaide.
"After I made a 40-footer for a birdie on the first hole, I kind of just cruised from there," the 19-year-old Fowler said. "It was a good day."
Billy Horschel finished 1-under for the Americans but his round didn't count toward the total. Each of the 65 competing nations has three players, but only the lowest two scores are combined for placings in the Eisenhower Trophy competition.
The U.S. was 10-under, two clear of Scotland, three ahead of …
Dance Please!, a brand new performance created by Italy's leadingchildren's theatre company, TPO, and British choreographer Tom Dale,visits the egg theatre, Bath from Saturday, November 12 to Tuesday,November 15.
Award-winning technology and movement come together in DancePlease! to create an absorbing experience that is part performanceand part play, featuring beautiful dance devised by choreographerTom Dale and animation from Elsa Mersi.
Suitable for children aged five to 10 years, the show is afascinating playground of movement, sound and light. Combining adigital world of magical animations and spectacular sounds, thisunique performance invites …
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - If the last two games are any indication, Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins could go a long way in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Backup goalie Jocelyn Thibault stopped 25 shots for his first shutout in more than three years and the Penguins completed a two-night sweep of the conference's top two teams with a 3-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night.
"It's awesome, the past two nights," Thibault said after giving starter Marc-Andre Fleury a break. "I thought we played great last night against Buffalo even though it was 5-4, and to come here to New Jersey and shut them out, it's tremendous. We have a lot of work ahead of …
A 41-year-old Loop lawyer who couldn't bring himself to shoot aburglar was disarmed and seriously wounded Friday morning in hisoffice.
Alan T. Schencker of Glencoe was shot twice in the back at 179W. Washington. He was in fair but stable condition at NorthwesternMemorial Hospital after undergoing surgery.
He told police he walked in on a burglary after leaving hisoffice suite briefly to get water to make coffee.
He said he confronted the burglar with a 9-mm. pistol kept inhis office, but couldn't bring himself to shoot the intruder, whodisarmed him in a struggle and shot him, said Area 1 detective Cmdr.Frederick Miller.
Police evacuated the building and conducted a three-hour searchwith police dogs of all 12 floors of the building, but the attackerhad escaped, said Central District Cmdr. Michael Malone.
Schencker told police he entered the building about 7 a.m., hisusual time, and left his office suite about 8 a.m. to get water tomake coffee. Police said he apparently left the door unlocked.
When he returned, he heard a noise and spotted several officemachines stacked up on a desk near the front door, Miller said.
Schencker stepped into his own nearby office and got his pistol,then confronted the burglar, Miller said.
After the shooting, the burglar fled, leaving the pistol behind,police said.
Schencker said he phoned police himself, then locked the door tothe suite because he feared the intruder might return, Malone said.The first officers to respond smashed open a window to gain entry.
Schencker described the intruder as a white man in his late 20sor early 30s with dark hair and wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.
NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Schwartzman's dog had the face for TV — just not the back for it.
Schwartzman stars in HBO's offbeat detective comedy "Bored To Death," and show creator Jonathan Ames says he wanted to have Schwartzman's French bulldog, Arrow, in the show. Ames liked Arrow because of his "incredibly beautiful crushed, tormented face."
Unfortunately Arrow has a bad back and was not up to the rigors of acting. So they cast another dog in his place.
Arrow did have a cameo in the show though.
"Bored to Death" also stars Ted Danson and Zach (Gal-if-fin-NAK-ihs) Galifianakis.
___
Online:
http://www.hbo.com/bored-to-death
NEWS AND NEGOTIATIONS
TASKED WITH REVIEWING the organization and management of U.S. national security-related space activities, a congressionally mandated commission issued a report January 11 faulting the government for neglecting U.S. space capabilities. The commission warned that U.S. space assets are vulnerable and recommended that Washington develop additional space capabilities for deterrence and defense-possibly including space-based weapons.
The 13-member "Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization," headed by Donald Rumsfeld until he was nominated to serve as defense secretary on December 28, noted that the United States is "more dependent on space than any other nation." This dependence, the commission reported, makes the United States an "attractive candidate for a 'Space Pearl Harbor."' As evidence, the commission cited, among other examples, a Chinese news article that Beijing is exploring strategies to defeat the U.S. military in a high-tech and space-based war.
Because of U.S. dependence on space, the commission said Washington must remain engaged in shaping the rules and regulations for space use, cautioning that the United States should be leery of any agreement that could, even if unintentionally, restrict U.S. space activities. While the commission acknowledged the "sensitivity" surrounding weapons in space, it declared that ignoring the issue would be a "disservice." The commission further believed that conflict in space is a "virtual certainty" and that the United States should "vigorously pursue" capabilities to guarantee the option of deploying space weapons if necessary. China, Russia, and other countries are currently pressing for negotiations on preventing an arms race in outer space at the UN Conference on Disarmament, an effort Washington is opposing. (See p. 30.)
In addition, the report said the United States should review "existing arms control obligations in light of a growing need to extend deterrent capabilities to space." The 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty proscribes the development, testing, and deployment of spacebased systems or components for defending against strategic ballistic missile attacks.
The commission, comprised of several retired U.S. military officers who previously held space-related commands, spent six months assessing U.S. space activities. Much of the commission's report focused on critiquing U.S. government management of its space activities, concluding that current responsibility for space issues is spread too broadly, leading to insufficient attention, direction, and funding of U.S. space programs. As a remedy, the commission called on the president to make space a national priority and for the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence community, as first steps, to better organize their space commands to improve "responsibility and accountability." -Wade Boese
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Chris Massey and Asheton Jordan each rushed for more than 100 yards and two touchdowns as South Carolina State routed Benedict 61-20 on Saturday.
Massey, a senior, had 20 carries for 148 yards and scored on runs of 11 and 2 yards while Jordan, a sophomore, had 14 carries for 126 yards and scored twice from 2 yards out.
Jordan came into the game averaging 103.3 yards.
The Bulldogs (2-1) had their highest scoring total since beating Morgan State 65-15 in 2005.
South Carolina State rolled up 415 yards total offense, 371 on the ground, before a record crowd of 13,334 in the HBCU Classic.
The Division II Tigers (0-4) took a 7-0 lead when Domenic Silvera returned a blocked punt 6 yards for a score, but the Bulldogs needed just 47 seconds to tie the game on Massey's 11-yard run with 5:33 left in the first quarter.
Benedict had six fumbles, losing four.
Idon't wear a fur coat. Not now anyway - it's spring.
But come next December, I would really like to wear myfive-year-old fur coat during the arctic Chicago winter and not gethassled about it. Not get made to feel as if I am the moralequivalent of Charles Manson. And I'm wondering if that's gonna bepossible.
Because now we have to wear ethical outfits.
Which of course is the logical followup to the '80sobsession with eating only ethical foods. And no doubt will soon befollowed up by some '90s mandates to sleep in ethical beds (i.e. nogoose down quilts) or sit on ethical chairs (i.e. no endangeredwoods), or whatever. I don't want to sound cavalier here, but thequestion, "Where does it end?" does come to mind.
Because this year many of us were emphatically told, ("told"being sort of a euphemism for "harassed") that putting a fur on istantamount to saying, "I support torture and cruelty of animals inthe name of luxury."
And I take a whole lot of issue with that.
Let's do the luxury part first. I don't exactly live inPalm Springs and drag my mink behind me when I walk into arestaurant. It's cold in Chicago, and my fur coat not only keeps mewarm, it's gonna last maybe 15 more years. So one person's "luxury"could be another person's pragmatism. I personally feel it's ever somuch more pragmatic to be warm than cold, not to mention ever so muchmore economical to buy one coat rather than five coats every twodecades. Sure I could wear wool. But some of the more rabid animalrights groups such as the Animal Liberation Front are even opposed tothat, because sheep get nicked during shearing and can either bleedto death or freeze to death after being shorn. So what's a girl todo?
Well, maybe the answer is she should be allowed to do whatshe wants to do. She should not be made to feel that her choice isdecadent simply because a fur coat is not absolutely essential. Thefact is, if we only consumed products that were essential, wouldn'tleather shoes be an indulgence when we could have made do with jute?Wouldn't a weekend drive in the country be somewhat intemperate whenwe could have conserved gasoline and stayed home? And wouldn't afish dinner be a tad epicurean when we could have eaten pasta?
Ah . . . fishies. That brings us to the torture and crueltypart. The one that really utilizes the old blood and guts visuals inthe media. For starters, according to the Fur Farm Animal WelfareCoalition, between 80 and 90 percent of the furs that are sold areranch-raised. Not trapped. Even so, traps are checked every 24hours and are designed as much as possible to contain - not to maim -an animal. This is not just because it makes for better pelts, butbecause it is obviously more socially responsible and humane for theanimal.
Now before anyone gets all self-righteous with me and startspontificating that nothing connected to furs could be considered"socially responsible," I think they'd better take a look at the"socially responsible" choices they are making. For instance, theybetter be wearing no synthetic fibers, because chemicals used inprocessing those pollute the atmosphere. And they better be wearingno cotton, because it depletes the soil and requires tons ofpesticides. And they better own no gold or diamonds since 90 percentof those come from South Africa.
Then these indignant folks should examine all the "humane"choices they are making. For instance, they better own no leather(think of the cows), use no soap (think of the whales) and no silk -because the worms can be killed in the silkmaking process. And theybetter be extremely careful about what they eat. They can't eatmeat; they can't eat chicken; they can't eat fish.
In fact, they can barely even be a vegetarian. Because youwon't believe what happens to a carrot when it gets peeledcommercially. First you take a big vat, cram in hundreds of carrots,drown them in water, and then beat and abrade them over and over andover, until the skin falls off and this bloody orange liquid comesout.
So next winter, if you want to give me a hard time about myold fur coat, I promise to be a real good listener. But only if youare dining on roots and wearing something extremely attractive inhemp.
KABUL, Afghanistan - The bullet-riddled body of a South Korean hostage was found by police Wednesday in central Afghanistan after a purported Taliban spokesman said the militants had killed one of the captives.
The male victim had 10 bullet holes in his head, chest and stomach, and was discovered in the Mushaki area of Qarabagh district in Ghazni province, said police officer Abdul Rahman.
The Taliban spokesman said earlier that the hostage was was killed because Afghan authorities hadn't met their demands to release other militants from prison.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) - A police official said Wednesday that Taliban militants told him they shot and killed one of 23 South Korean hostages, while two Western officials said some others from the group of captives were freed and taken to a U.S. military base.
Purported Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said one of the captives had been shot and killed around 4 p.m. (7:30 a.m. EDT), and a police official who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation said militants told him the hostage was sick and couldn't walk, and therefore was shot.
Ahmadi said the Korean's body was left in the Musheky area of Qarabagh district in Ghazni province. Police said they were going to look for the body.
Some of the Koreans, meanwhile, were freed and were taken to the U.S. base in Ghazni, according to two Western officials who asked not to be identified because they weren't authorized to speak publicly. The officials did not know how many were freed.
The South Korean news agency Yonhap, citing unidentified Korean officials, reported eight Koreans had been released.
Earlier, a German journalist and two Afghans colleagues apparently kidnapped by Taliban militants in eastern Afghanistan were freed, an Afghan governor said.
Officials found the German and other two captives with the help of villagers in Kunar province, said Gov. Dedar Shalezai.
The three told Shalezai by phone that they are in good health and with Afghan officials.
The German news magazine Stern confirmed that one of its reporters had been in Afghanistan, and the German Foreign Ministry said it was investigating reports of the journalist's abduction.
The South Korean hostages, including 18 women, were kidnapped July 19 while riding a bus through Ghazni province on the Kabul-Kandahar highway, Afghanistan's main thoroughfare.
South Korean negotiators have traveled to Ghazni province to take part in the negotiations.
An Afghan official involved in the negotiations had said a large sum of money would be paid to free eight of the hostages. The official spoke on condition he not be identified citing the sensitivity of the matter, and no other officials would confirm the account.
Foreign governments are suspected to have paid for the release of hostages in Afghanistan in the past but have either kept it quiet or denied it outright.
But Ahmadi had said the Afghan government had not responded to any of the Taliban's demands and that the militants planned to kill "a few" of the captives.
Three previous deadlines have passed with no consequences.
Though some of Ahmadi's statements turn out to be true, he also has made repeated false claims, calling into question the reliability of his information.
The series of recent kidnappings - 26 foreigners have been abducted in the last week - prompted the Afghan government to forbid foreigners living in Kabul from leaving the city without police permission.
Police said officials stationed at checkpoints at the city's main gates would stop foreigners from leaving Kabul unless they informed officials 24 hours in advance of their travel plans, said Esmatullah Dauladzai, Kabul's provincial police chief. The directive, issued Wednesday, is related to the recent kidnappings, he said.
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Associated Press writers Amir Shah and Jason Straziuso in Kabul, Afghanistan, Burt Herman in Seoul, South Korea, and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, Germany, contributed to this report.
LAS VEGAS "Looks like it's gonna be one of those years," U2frontman Bono told a crowd of 40,000 as the band kicked off its worldtour. "This is the only place where no one is going to notice a40-foot lemon."
Ah, but the fact is, everyone at Las Vegas' Sam Boyd Stadium onFriday noticed the freaky lemon mirror ball. It was impossible tomiss, much like the 100-foot yellow arch that supported an orangebasket-shaped sound system, the 150-by-50-foot LED video screenflashing pop art and images of the band, and the humongous olivespeared on a 100-foot toothpick.
And that was the point.The fabulous visuals of U2's tour, which brings them to SoldierField for sold-out concerts on June 27 and 28, are there tocompensate for the fact that the band members will look less likehuman beings than tiny action figures to most of the fans flocking totheir stadium shows. Not that the Irish musicians didn't try tomake the show as intimate as possible in the cavernous venue. AsM's "Pop Muzik" blared on the speakers, they made their entrance fromthe middle of the stadium, walking between aisles of fans. Later,they played several cuts on a small second stage set up about 25 rowsinto the crowd.Simply put, U2 is the greatest group making rock 'n' rollrecords today. But the show wasn't the smooth ride the band or itsfans had hoped for. No group has put together a concert with somuch spectacular eye candy, but the sensory overload couldn't maskthe fact that the 2-hour-plus show needs some tweaking before itlives up to all the hype.There were some standouts, such as guitarist The Edge'sdelightful vocal turn on a cover of the Monkees' "Daydream Believer"and the band's buoyant performance of "I Will Follow," its singleconcession to its 1980 debut album "Boy."But some songs didn't work at all. After a few bars of thebeguiling "Staring at the Sun," Bono stopped singing, much to drummerLarry Mullen's displeasure."We're just having a short family row," Bono said to theaudience, before conferring with the band. When they re-did thesong, it was more aggressive, though not necessarily better.The 22-song set list included 10 cuts from U2's currentalbum "Pop," but the biggest crowd-pleasers were the older songs,anthemlike and soulful. The grinding beat of "Mofo," the evening'sopener, couldn't match Bono's impassioned delivery on "Pride (in theName of Love)" or The Edge's delirious, chiming guitar intro to"Where the Streets Have No Name."U2 started off its six-song encore with a mighty lemon drop -literally. Riding in the giant mirror ball, the musicians left morethan a few fans wondering whether they might have a "Spinal Tap"moment and get stuck in the contraption. (They didn't.) Rather than"Lemon" - the obvious choice - they played a slowed-down version of"Discotheque" that stripped the song of its oomph. Much better werethe haunting ballads "With or Without You" and "One," which closedthe show.
NEWS flash: Apparently, for the second straight time, Kentuckymay have hired the wrong basketball coach.
"Long distance information, give me Memphis, Tennessee ... "
In his people-packed introductory news conference Wednesday inLexington, John Calipari said, "I'm not the grand poobah. I'm notthe emperor. That's not what I want to be."
Uh-oh.
If all UK wanted was a basketball coach, it would have kept BillyGillispie ... OK, maybe not.
The deal, on one hand, is eight years, $31.65 million plus perksfor that stack higher than the roof of Rupp Arena for Coach Cal. Thedeal, on the other hand, is that Coach Cal really is the grandpoobah, the emperor.
Whoever is the UK basketball coach is that, like it or not. TubbySmith got tired of trying to fit his more-than-solid record under astatewide microscope. That's why he bailed to Minnesota, where theFrozen Four is bigger than the Final Four.
It doesn't matter how well you coach; it's how you play the role.It's been that way since Rupp made the position into royalty in amore than four-decade span that ended nearly four decades ago.
Never mind that during Rupp's years, other SoutheasternConference schools didn't know if a basketball was blown up orstuffed. Times have changed; Kentucky attitudes about hoops haven't.Going about 20-12 and sneaking into the NCAA bracket - or, horrorsthe NIT - don't cut it.
It isn't a sport. It isn't a religion. It is an obsession. Assomeone who spent all but a few months of his formative years in theBluegrass State, I know. I went to UK. I was a basketball managerduring my freshman year.
There is a certain paranoia that always has been attached to theUK coach - whoever it has been - and for good reason. It's a dickensof a job, but "Great Expectations" doesn't quite cover it.
Calipari takes over never having won an NCAA championship, and heshould know the UK faithful is getting rather impatient because theprogram has won only two titles in the past 31 years. He'll needmore than players and the dribble drive motion offense he'll bringfrom Memphis.
Back in 1971-72 when Rupp was aging and being nudged out the door(and I was graduating), there was a situation in which it was saidthe Baron wanted young assistant Gale Catlett as his successor.
The obvious top candidate, however, was assistant Joe B. Hall,who had been on the staff since 1965, was a Kentucky native and hadplayed at UK. The Rupp-UK tug-of-war over who would succeed himbrought about the kind of stall the legendary coach never would haveused on the floor.
So Hall, tired of waiting, took the head coaching job at SaintLouis - until he was coaxed back by a job offer from the higher-upsin Lexington a week later. Hall deservedly got the UK job. Ruppreluctantly retired (only to coach later in the ABA in Memphis).Catlett went north to Cincinnati the next season for his first headcoaching job before moving to Morgantown.
That entire situation is instructive because it is the kind ofpublic soap opera that UK basketball fans have been accustomed tofor generations.
It's instructive to look back at the furor that swept Kentucky'sneighbor West Virginia when Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan.Kentucky is like the Mountain State in that it doesn't have a majorleague pro sports franchise.
So, the flagship university is the big daddy, but that's wherethe comparison stops. Kentucky basketball is Alabama football-big,and Kentuckians still expect the Big Blue to dominate in the sportas it did until UCLA and John Wooden (who once coached high schoolbasketball in Northern Kentucky) came along.
To draw on another basketball analogy that speaks volumes aboutthe hoops mindset in Kentucky, there's the recent State Tournamentat Rupp Arena.
In a four-day, eight-session span, the Sweet Sixteen attractedalmost 131,000 fans. The title game drew more than 15,000. Thosefigures pretty much double what West Virginia has for its boys'tournament, with 24 teams.
Calipari invoked the Mountain State a few times in hisintroductory news conference, which said plenty in that -transcribed - it is 10 pages, single-spaced.
He gave plenty of credit to Marshall Athletic Director Bob Marcumfor administrative support in backing Calipari as he built theMassachusetts program into a Final Four appearance while Marcum wasthe UMass AD.
The suburban Pittsburgh native spoke of how his Italiangrandparents on his father's side came through Ellis Island andlanded in West Virginia, where his granddad worked in mines and was58 when he died of black lung disease.
He talked about his mother's family being from Webster Springsand "dandelion soup ... I heard all of the stories."
His next words?
"So, I want you to know that my wife and I, I'm not the grandpoobah," Calipari said. "I'm not the emperor. That's not what I wantto be. We're regular people."
UK doesn't want a regular basketball coach. Kentucky - exceptthose in a much smaller contingent of Louisville supporters -doesn't want a regular coach at UK.
Coach Cal had better be as slick as his hair. I suspect he willbe. If not, he'll be called the first half of "poobah."
The Microsoft Brute: With PR machinery as bad as Israel's, is the response a surprise?
The truth about Microsoft which every one knows - even the computer illiterate - is that the software giant has no one to blame for its tzuris but itself. Over-and-over again it has proven that to be so. In courtroom testimony, in statements by its leader Bill Gates, in television and newspaper advertisements, Microsoft has shown that notwithstanding the remarkably successful computer operating system which it produced, when it comes to public relations it can barely surpass the abysmal efforts of the Israel government. and that's no easy achievement.
Not that the company is innocent of wrongdoing. Having first used computers in 1970, and begun using PCs for business purposes in 1983, we have watched the rise of Microsoft and have seen it beat the competition. And then we have witnessed Microsoft pummel it, and grind it into dust.
Such conduct - rightfully characterized as that of a "predatory monopoly" by judge Thomas Penfield Jackson - is neither necessary nor beneficial. It calls for a remedy.
But the best response is not the recommended breakup of Microsoft which was put forward last month by the Justice Department and supported by many states.
The attorneys general of Illinois and Ohio had it right in dissenting from that tactic. Those two states, while not pulling any punches in their criticism of Microsoft, rightly argued that "strong conduct limitations and restrictions and affirmative requirements" ought to be tried, at least initially, and considered preferable to structural changes to the company.
The Justice Department's position that breaking up Microsoft will promote competition and benefit consumers remains unpersuasive; its determination to do so seems more an act of pique and justifiable annoyance than a positive solution to a brutish company's competitive tactics.
NEW YORK - Here's a brooch you probably won't see pinned to thelapel of Secretary of State Madeleine Albright - an 18-carat yellowgold piece showing a face being punched by a fist.
Still, it was made with her in mind.
"To me diplomacy sometimes becomes a form of verbal punching,"said Daniel Jocz, creator of the "Punch" pin. "It is how I seeMadeleine Albright, as a person able to deliver the ultimate punchinnegotiations."OK, so maybe it's not the right message for talks on Kosovo.But Albright has made a habit of wearing brooches with subtlepolitical messages - like the tangled spider-and-web pin for MiddleEast peace talks, or a serpent brooch as a reproach to an Iraqidiplomat after his country's newspapers compared her to a venomoussnake."Read my pins," she has quipped.In tribute to her political jewelry, 61 artists from 16 countrieshave created 71 brooches that they would have Albright wear whileconversing with the world's top diplomats.They are being displayed in an American Craft Museum exhibitcalled "Brooching it Diplomatically: A Tribute to Madeleine K.Albright."Some brooches make strong political statements, some are patrioticand others are simply whimsical. Some are gaudy and huge - as largeas 9 inches - making them unwearable. They are made of gold, silver,diamonds, plastic, paper and other objects.Albright agreed to be photographed for the cover of the show'scatalog, wearing a silver pin of the Statue of Liberty's head.A handy piece for her long negotiating sessions with worldleaders, the 4 1/2-inch brooch has two round watches for thestatue'seyes.Gijs Bakker, the Dutch artist who made it, explained that onewatch is set upside down "for Mrs. Albright to know how long herappointment will last and the other for her visitor to know when toleave." c
FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY
eARIES (March 21-April 19). It is not as important as you thinkto be right. Let others lead while you learn from their mistakes.Someone could hire you to do what you normally do for fun. There isno need for drastic measures in your love life.
rTAURUS (April 20-May 20). You could be offered special favorsthat would turn friends green with envy. You don't have to telleveryone everything about your life.tGEMINI (May 21-June 21). You have support from people who willalso benefit from you. Stop being suspicious about help. You couldmeet a new love through your pursuit of artistic talents.yCANCER (June 22-July 22). You want to take the power position,but you could learn more if you don't. Colleagues help you with acareer goal if you demonstrate how your advancement can help them.uLEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You move forward by acting on passionatefeelings. New friendships are more valuable than new love now; don'tdiscount someone's attributes just because he or she is not readyforromance.iVIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Don't forget to tell someone howgrateful you are for your special connection. A past lesson keepsyou from making mistakes this afternoon. Try to see the connectionbetween today's anxiety and an old struggle.oLIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Nothing's more trivial than gossip now- don't indulge in it, refute it or listen to it. A person who'susually a bully can now be softened by your sound reason and gentleapproach. Watch for manipulation of a child tonight.pSCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You may be energized through contactwith a productive person. If you're not giving enough in your life,you'll know it by your dissatisfaction with what you're getting.Your family may bombard you with problems.{SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You are looking for inspiration,and you will find it. In fact, many seek answers that turn out to beright in front of their faces. Money comes and goes unless you get afirm grip on it. SCAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Don't be intimidated into thinkinganyone knows your job better than you! It's easy to fly off thehandle, but you must resist. Your intentions are unclear to apowerful person, which is why he or she hasn't helped.qAQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Since your options are wide open,it's the perfect day to consider where you've been and decide whereyou want to go next. At work, compromise is not as impossible as itseems. Keep making an offer until you agree.wPISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Let loved ones help with your mostambitious plans. If the results you want are still elusive, you mayneed to examine your motivation.IF JAN. 6 IS YOUR BIRTHDAY: You are driven, but just be sure it'syour own goals that drive you and not the expectations of others.Make your primary ambition something you'll actually have funpursuing. An ex-love comes back in February, and yes, this personreally has changed. Be open to an unexpected, fascinating adventurein June. Your luckiest months financially are September and July.
Tony Bennett WHEN: 8 tonight and 8 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Ravinia Festival, Lake Cook at Green Bay, Highland Park
TICKETS: Pavilion, sold out; tonight only, lawn, $10
CALL: (847) 266-5100
August, 1962. President John F. Kennedy is in the White House.Little Eva leads the Top 10 with "The Loco-Motion." The Soviet Unionlaunches Sputnik 19. On TV, America "Sings Along With Mitch." AndTony Bennett picks up career momentum with what would become hissignature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."
Written by two then-unknown songwriters, George Cory and DouglassCross, "San Francisco" still calls to Bennett, "high on a hill," asit does to many of his fans.
"People ask me constantly if I tire of singing it, but if you lovesomething, you could do it endlessly," said Bennett in a phoneinterview from his New York home. (He returns for his annual Raviniaengagement tonight and Friday.) "I've never sung it the same waytwice. There's a vitalness to it each night."
Back in 1962, the song's vitality inspired Bennett to take hisrepertoire in a new direction. In the '50s, Bennett had been saddledwith grandiose pop ballads produced by Mitch Miller, then head ofColumbia Records (who started following "the bouncing ball" in 1961),and arranged by Percy Faith, the Godfather of Easy Listening.
Bridging the gap between Broadway ballads and jazz standards,which Bennett had embraced in the late '50s, "San Francisco" pointedthe way to a happy medium. As critic Will Friedwald wrote in JazzSinging (1990), " 'San Francisco' makes a perfect example of how lowand high brows mingle in Bennett's music. It's a good, though hardlygreat tune, [with] words infused with as much warmth as Bennett canmuster--and that can be quite a lot."
"Ralph [Sharon] is the one who discovered that song for me," saidBennett, referring to his longtime music director and pianist. Andthis summer, for the first time in decades, Bennett has taken to theroad without his musical sidekick.
So now Bennett has outlasted Mitch Miller, the Soviet Union andhis muse, whose percussive style propelled his master's best discs,from "The Beat of My Heart" (1957) to "Playin' With My Friends:Bennett Sings the Blues" (2001). "He's closer than my brother--we'vebeen tied together for so many years," Bennett said wistfully.
Sharon retired because he had grown weary of "the rules of theroad," so to speak. "It was difficult to rehearse new material,because he lives on the West Coast and I'm on the East," Bennettsaid. "It was imperative to have someone right around the corner."
Now those duties have fallen to pianist Lee Muskier, who "has atouch of genius," according to Bennett. "We've already put four newsongs in the show."
But of course, there will always be a place for "San Francisco,"which, Friedwald notwithstanding, Bennett regards as part of thegreat American songbook. That term refers to the standards penned byArlen, Gershwin, Kern, Porter and newer names such as Johnny Mandeland Billy Joel (many of which appear on "The Essential Tony Bennett,"a two-disc set released in July).
"The great part of the traditional era was that they knew how towrite for a singer--their songs had lots of open sounds," Bennettsaid. "They really studied Shakespeare and Shaw, and they worked hardat being great craftsmen."
Bennett paused for a moment and then added, laughing, "I'm a bigname dropper. I really believe in the star system--the ones whoreally contributed to the American songbook. People everywhere knowthose songs--they're not old, just great."
Not old, just great--that axiom applies to Bennett himself. Heturned 76 on Aug. 3, and shows no signs of slowing down. This summeralone, he went to London to visit the queen, singing at the RoyalJubilee in June ("I got a private walk through the palace, I likedseeing the masterpieces of art there") and spent July in Tuscany,painting while vacationing in the Italian countryside (he's anaccomplished visual artist as well).
Though he travels the world, his heart remains not in the city bythe bay, but in the Big Apple.
"New York City is the greatest place," Bennett said. "There's morefor everything here. Duke [Ellington], who never really livedanywhere, used to call it his mailing address. It's a magnificentcity."
And even more so after the shock of Sept. 11. "I love it here,"Bennett said. "No one's going to chase me out of here."
The impact of Sept. 11 didn't fully register with Bennett "until Iwent to London to sing at the same time they had those big memorialsfor 9/11 [throughout Europe last fall]. For the first time, Americancitizens got a full shot of what Europe went through in years past.The shock of Sept. 11 really hit me for the first time."
Despite the horrors of the last year, Bennett will never feel"terribly alone and forgotten in Manhattan," to recall once again thelyrics of "San Francisco."
"I travel everywhere, I like the bigger cities," he said. "Thecultural level is better. And in Chicago, there's something so greatabout your city, it's so energized. Like your Art Institute--I alwayswalk out 12 inches taller after visiting there."
He reserves the same affection for Ravinia, the verdant paradiseof the North Shore, where music lovers commingle with the greatoutdoors. "I love it there. You can feel the audiences when youperform."
Then quoting fellow artist David Hockney, Bennett adds, "Andnature never tells you down."
WASHINGTON (AP) — Never before have so many governorships been up for grabs — and with so much at stake.
The races come just ahead of once-in-a-decade congressional and legislative redistricting to reflect the U.S. population of the 2010 census, a process in which governors will play a central role. Of the 37 governorships on the ballot, more than half are open seats. And many of the contests are in prime 2012 presidential battleground states.
Democrats control 26 governorships and must defend 19 in November. Sheer math, the sour economy and historical trends favoring the out-of-power party in midterm elections suggest big Republican statehouse gains.
"We are now tasked with remaking the political map," proclaims the website of the Republican Governors Association, headed by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a potential presidential candidate.
Republicans are hoping for eight or more pickups. "We can't wait until 2012 to start taking our country back," says Barbour.
Democrats are striving to minimize losses and pull off some upsets.
"We knew it was going to be a tough year just by virtue of the fact that we elected a Democrat to the White House in 2008," said Nathan Daschle, executive director of the Democratic Governors Association. "History shows the president's party loses 5.5 governors seats in midterm elections."
Furthermore, the poor economy and growing tea-party activism are weighing on all incumbents and those perceived as establishment candidates.
"In a year like this, no one is safe," Daschle said.
Underscoring the high stakes: The GOP governors association is poised to spend up to $65 million on the races; its Democratic counterpart, about $50 million.
Republicans' best shot for pickups may be a string of governorships now held by Democrats across Great Lakes and upper Midwestern states, including Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa as well as Pennsylvania.
Democrats have fewer opportunities for gains, although they appear on track to pick up Republican governorships in Hawaii, Connecticut and possibly Minnesota.
Both parties were pumping resources into high-profile campaigns in populous California, Texas and Florida, all won by Republicans four years ago. Democrats hope to add at least one of those big three to their column.
These have been particularly trying times for governors.
On the front line of the economic crisis, many have been forced to cut services or raise taxes — or both. And they've been bloodied by voter anger and the tea party movement sweeping the nation. Unlike the federal government, governors can't print money and many are barred from deficit spending.
That, along with term limits in some states, is why so few sitting governors are running. Only 13 incumbents are on the ballot.
And some standing for re-election are in close races, including Democratic Govs. Chet Culver in Iowa, Ted Strickland in Ohio, Martin O'Malley in Maryland, even Deval Patrick in Massachusetts.
Governors in 31 of the 37 states on the ballot will have a pivotal role in redrawing congressional and legislative district lines. Whichever party has more control over the process is likely to get a larger number of favorable districts.
Rust Belt and upper Midwestern states are among the hardest hit by the Great Recession and provide some of the best hunting grounds for Republicans.
President Barack Obama recently campaigned for Ohio's endangered Strickland in his race against Republican John Kasich, a former chairman of the House Budget Committee. Obama also stumped for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who is struggling to keep the Wisconsin post in Democratic hands and faces the winner of a Sept. 14 GOP primary.
In Michigan, where unemployment is at 14 percent, Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm is finishing her term with slumping ratings. Republican businessman Rick Snyder has a big lead in polls over Democrat Virg Bernero, the mayor of Lansing.
In Illinois, interim Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn is weighed down by the Rod Blagojevich scandal. In Iowa, Culver must contend with popular former GOP Gov. Terry Branstad. In Kansas, the seat formerly held by Democrat Kathleen Sebelius — now secretary of health and human services — is open and retiring Republican Sen. Sam Brownback has a strong lead.
In the Northeast, Republicans captured New Jersey in a 2009 off-year election and now hope to capture open governorships now held by Democrats in Pennsylvania and Maine. In Pennsylvania, polls put Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett ahead of Democrat Dan Onorato, who is Allegheny County's elected chief executive.
Democrats hope to pick up an open governorship now held by Republicans in Connecticut but face aggressive GOP challenges in two other New England states now held by Republicans: Rhode Island and Vermont. In Massachusetts, Patrick had appeared endangered, but he may be able to take advantage of a split in the anti-Patrick vote between a Republican and an independent candidate.
Democrats should be able to hold onto New York, with state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo as their nominee.
In the West, the top race is California, where Democrat Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, a former governor and current attorney general, is running against former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman for the job being vacated by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. Whitman is breaking individual spending records, investing more than $104 million so far. Brown is one of five ex-governors seeking to get their old jobs back. Most polls put the race at a virtual dead heat.
In Colorado, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, may be able to keep the seat in Democratic hands as Republicans split support between establishment GOP candidate Dan Maes and former Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo, who is running as an independent. Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter dropped a re-election bid amid weak poll numbers
Democrats could have a hard time holding open governorships in New Mexico, Oregon and Wyoming.
In the increasingly GOP South, Republicans captured a Democratic governorship in Virginia in 2009 and polls show them ahead in the race for the open post now held by Democrats in Tennessee.
Republicans also lead in polls for the open seat now held by Democrats in Oklahoma, and they appear likely to keep open governorships in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, is favored over Democratic former Houston Mayor Bill White, but Democrats are pouring a lot of money into the race and hoping for an upset.
In Florida, wealthy businessman Rick Scott won a bitter GOP primary by tagging Attorney General Bill McCollum — a former longtime congressman — as the establishment candidate. Scott, a political newcomer, is running against Democrat Alex Sink.
Democrats see the state as a pickup prospect. Most polls see a toss-up. Florida's governor, Charlie Crist, took office as a Republican but switched to independent in his Senate bid.
Governor jobs have long been known as fertile ground for future presidents, and there could some among this year's bumper crop of new faces. Four of the past six presidents were governors first — Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Major League Baseball Playoffs
National League Division Series
Favorite Line Underdog Line
at Arizona -180 St. Louis +170
at Atlanta -160 San Francisco +150
Favorite Open Today O/U U'dog
NCAA Football
Tonight
Favorite Open Today(O/U) U'dog
at Florida St. 171/2 141/2 (59) Clemson
at Minnesota 31/2 31/2 (56) Illinois
Friday
Colorado St. 4 6 (55) at Fresno
BYU 14 17 (66) at Utah St.
Saturday
at Tennessee 131/2 11 (46) Arkansas
at Georgia Tech 12 13 (48) W. Forest
at West Virginia 3 3 (48) Maryland
at Syracuse 21/2 11/2 (461/2) Pittsburgh
Virginia 12 12 at Duke
Florida 14 13 (60) at Ole Miss
at Iowa 71/2 81/2 (531/2) Purdue
at Texas A&M 6 6 (44) Texas Tech
at East Carolina 21 20 Army
at Baylor 3 4 Kansas
at Notre Dame 71/2 8 (541/2) Stanford
at Air Force 24 23 Navy
at TCU 121/2 11 Houston
San Jose St. 31/2 61/2 at SMU
Kansas St. 1 31/2 (46) at Colorado
at Washington 121/2 12 (60) California
at Wisconsin 21/2 2 (54) Penn St.
Oregon 71/2 8 (51) at Arizona
at Alabama 4 31/2 (47) Georgia
at South Carolina 5 4 (45) Miss St.
at Oregon St. 41/2 4 (49) UCLA
Southern Cal 3 3 (50) at Wash. St.
Oklahoma 13 131/2 (50) at Missouri
at Texas 231/2 241/2 (57) Okla.St.
Ohio St. 231/2 25 (59) at Nrthwstrn
Louisiana Tech 4 6 at Rice
at Boise St. 4 4 (63) Hawaii
Nevada +1 2 (56) at UNLV
at Arizona St. 10 81/2 (57) N.C.
W. Michigan 13 101/2 at Buffalo
at Cincinnati 51/2 51/2 (54) Miami (Oh)
Marshall 121/2 14 at Kent St.
N. Illinois 4 21/2 at Ball St.
at Bowling Green 241/2 24 Ohio
Middle Tenn. 201/2 201/2 at Ark. St.
Akron 10 11 at E. Mich.
Tulane 13 131/2 at La-Mon.
at Miami 46 44 Connecticut
at LSU 29 28 La.-Lafaytte
at New Mexico St. 16 17 UTEP
South Florida +1 2 at N. Texas
NFL
Sunday
Favorite Open Today (O/U) U'dog
at Miami 21/2 3 (431/2) N. England
at New Orleans 3 3 (431/2) Pittsburgh
at Tennessee 51/2 51/2 (45) Washington
Tampa Bay 21/2 11/2 (39) at Atlanta
Oakland 3 3 (53) at Buffalo
at Carolina 4 31/2 (361/2) Arizona
at Dallas 1 Pk (351/2) N.Y. Giants
at Indianapolis 131/2 131/2 (44) Cincinnati
Kansas City 3 3 (45) at N.Y. Jets
at Denver 5 5 (41) San Diego
at San Fran 7 7 (401/2) St. Louis
Philadelphia 3 3 (411/2) at Jksonville
at Cleveland 7 7 (361/2) Baltimore
Monday
at Chicago 1 11/2 (44) Green Bay
Postseason Baseball
DIVISION SERIES
American League
New York vs. Anaheim
Tuesday, Oct. 1
New York 8, Anaheim 5
Wednesday, Oct. 2
Anaheim 8, New York 6, seried tied 1-1
Friday, Oct. 4
New York (Mussina 18-10) at Anaheim (Ra.Ortiz 15-9), 8:06 p.m.(ABC Family)
Saturday, Oct. 5
New York (Wells 19-7) at Anaheim, 4:17 p.m. (Fox)
Sunday, Oct. 6
Anaheim at New York, 7:47 p.m., if necessary (Fox)
Minnesota vs. Oakland
Tuesday, Oct. 1
Minnesota 7, Oakland 5
Wednesday, Oct. 2
Oakland 9, Minnesota 1, series tied 1-1
Friday, Oct. 4
Oakland (Zito 23-5) at Minnesota (Reed 15-7), 4:06 p.m. (ABCFamily)
Saturday, Oct. 5
Oakland at Minnesota, 1:06 p.m. (ABC Family)
Sunday, Oct. 6
Minnesota at Oakland, 4:08 p.m., if necessary (ESPN2 or ABCFamily)
National League
Atlanta vs. San Francisco
Wednesday, Oct. 2
San Francisco 8, Atlanta 5, San Francisco leads series 1-0
Tonight
San Francisco (Rueter 14-8) at Atlanta (Millwood 18-8), 8:17 p.m.(Fox)
Saturday, Oct. 5
Atlanta (Maddux 16-6) at San Francisco (Schmidt 13-8), 4:08 p.m.(FX)
Sunday, Oct. 6
Atlanta at San Francisco, 4:08 p.m., if necessary (ESPN2 or ABCFamily)
Monday, Oct. 7
San Francisco at Atlanta, if necessary
Arizona vs. St. Louis
Tuesday, Oct. 1
St. Louis 12, Arizona 2, St. Louis leads series 1-0
Today
St. Louis (Finley 7-4) at Arizona (Schilling 23-7), 4:06 p.m. (ABCFamily)
Saturday, Oct. 5
Arizona (Batista 8-9) at St. Louis (Benes 5-4), 7:36 p.m. (ABCFamily)
Sunday, Oct. 6
Arizona at St. Louis, 1:06 p.m., if necessary (ABC Family)
Monday, Oct. 7
St. Louis at Arizona, if necessary
GIANTS 8, BRAVES 5
SAN FRAN ATLANTA
ab r h bi ab r h bi
Lofton cf 4 1 1 1 Furcal ss 5 0 2 0
Aurilia ss 5 0 1 2 JuFrco 1b 5 0 1 0
JKent 2b 4 1 1 0 Shffield rf 4 1 1 1
Bonds lf 4 1 1 0 CJones lf 3 0 1 0
BStiago c 5 1 3 2 AJones cf 4 2 1 0
RSndrs rf 4 1 1 0 JLopez c 4 1 1 2
Snow 1b 5 1 1 2 Castilla 3b 4 1 2 0
DaBell 3b 4 1 2 1 Lckhrt 2b 1 0 0 0
RuOrtiz p 4 1 1 0 Moss p 0 0 0 0
Worrell p 0 0 0 0 MFrco ph 0 0 0 0
Eyre p 0 0 0 0 MGiles ph 1 0 0 0
Nen p 0 0 0 0 Holmes p 0 0 0 0
Glavine p 1 0 1 2
Bragg ph 1 0 0 0
CHmnd p 0 0 0 0
Grybsk p 0 0 0 0
DeRosa 2b 1 0 0 0
Totals 39 8 12 8 Totals 34 5 10 5
San Francisco 030 302 000-8
Atlanta 020 000 030-5
E-Bonds (1), BSantiago (1). DP-San Francisco 3. LOB-San Francisco9, Atlanta 7. 2B-Aurilia (1), JKent (1), BSantiago (1), Snow (1). HR-Sheffield (1), JLopez (1).
IP H R ER BB SO
San Francisco
RuOrtiz W,1-0 7 5 2 2 4 3
Worrell 2/3 4 3 1 0 0
Eyre 1/3 0 0 0 0 0
Nen S,1 1 1 0 0 1 0
Atlanta
Glavine L,0-1 5 10 6 6 2 3
CHammond 2/3 2 2 2 2 0
Gryboski 11/3 0 0 0 1 2
Moss 1 0 0 0 0 2
Holmes 1 0 0 0 0 2
WP-RuOrtiz.
Umpires-Home, Mike Reilly; First, Paul Emmel; Second, AngelHernandez; Third, Jerry Layne; Left, Tim Tschida; Right, Ted Barrett.
T-3:24. A-41,903 (50,091).
ATHLETICS 9, TWINS 1
MINNESOTA OAKLAND
ab r h bi ab r h bi
JJones lf 3 0 1 0 Drham dh 3 3 1 0
Mohr lf 1 0 1 0 Httberg 1b 4 1 2 1
CGzmn ss 3 1 1 1 Mabry 1b 1 0 0 0
Koskie 3b 3 0 0 0 Tejada ss 4 1 1 1
LeCroy dh 4 0 2 0 EChavz 3b 4 2 2 3
THnter cf 3 0 0 0 Dye rf 4 1 1 0
Hcking rf 1 0 1 0 Justice lf 5 1 2 3
Mntkw 1b 4 0 0 0 Byrnes lf 0 0 0 0
Cddyer rf 1 0 0 0 MEllis 2b 4 0 3 1
Kielty rf 2 0 0 0 Long cf 4 0 2 0
Przyns c 2 0 0 0 RaHrdz c 4 0 0 0
Prince c 2 0 0 0
Rivas 2b 2 0 1 0
Totals 31 1 7 1 Totals 37 9 14 9
Minnesota 000 001 000-1
Oakland 300 510 00x-9
E-JJones (1). DP-Minnesota 1, Oakland 2. LOB-Minnesota 7, Oakland9. 2B-Mohr (1), Durham (3), Hatteberg (1), Tejada (1), Dye (1),MEllis (2). 3B-Justice (1). HR-CGuzman (1), EChavez (1). S-CGuzman.
IP H R ER BB SO
Minnesota
Mays L,0-1 32/3 9 6 6 2 1
Fiore 11/3 4 3 3 2 0
Lohse 2 1 0 0 0 2
Hawkins 1 0 0 0 0 2
Oakland
Mulder W,1-0 6 5 1 1 2 3
Bradford 2 1 0 0 0 1
Koch 1 1 0 0 0 1
HBP-by Bradford (Koskie), by Mays (Durham). WP-Fiore.
Umpires-Home, Chuck Meriwether; First, Alfonso Marquez; Second,Derryl Cousins; Third, Joe West; Left, Laz Diaz; Right, Gerry Davis.
T-3:04. A-31,953 (43,662).
ANGELS 8, YANKEES 6
ANAHEIM NEW YORK
ab r h bi ab r h bi
Eckstin ss 5 0 1 0 ASrano 2b 4 1 1 2
Erstad cf 5 0 1 0 Jeter ss 5 1 3 1
Salmon rf 5 1 1 1 JaGbi dh 3 1 1 0
Ochoa rf 0 0 0 0 BWllms cf 5 0 0 0
GAndsn lf 5 3 3 1 Vntura 3b 5 1 2 0
Glaus 3b 5 1 2 1 Posada c 5 0 1 1
Spiezio 1b 5 1 3 3 EWilsn pr 0 0 0 0
Wooten dh 4 1 3 0 NJhson 1b 4 1 1 0
Figgins dh 0 1 0 0 Mndesi rf 4 0 2 0
Fllmer dh 0 0 0 0 JRivra lf 3 1 1 2
BMolna c 5 0 2 0 Vn Wal lf 1 0 0 0
BGil 2b 2 0 1 1
AKndy 2b 1 0 0 1
Totals 42 8 17 8 Totals 39 6 12 6
Anaheim 121 000 031-8
New York 001 202 001-6
E-BGil (1), Jeter (1). DP-New York 1. LOB-Anaheim 9, New York 11.2B-Spiezio (1). HR-Salmon (1), GAnderson (1), Glaus (3), Spiezio (1),ASoriano (1), Jeter (2). SB-Figgins (1). SF-AKennedy.
IP H R ER BB SO
Anaheim
Appier 5 5 3 3 3 3
Rodriguez W,1-0 2 2 2 2 0 1
Weber 1/3 2 0 0 0 0
Donnelly 1/3 0 0 0 0 1
Percival S,1 11/3 3 1 1 0 3
New York
Pettitte 3 8 4 4 0 1
OHrndz L,0-1 4 3 2 2 0 4
Karsay 1/3 2 1 1 0 0
Stanton 2/3 1 0 0 0 0
Weaver 1 3 1 1 1 0
OHernandez pitched to 2 batters in the 8th.
HBP-by Percival (ASoriano), by Appier (Mondesi).
Umpires-Home, Doug Eddings; First, Jim Joyce; Second, MikeWinters; Third, Tim McClelland; Left, Fieldin Culbreth; Right, JerryCrawford.
T-4:11. A-56,695 (57,478).
National Football League
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
East
W L T Pct PF PA
Miami 3 1 0 .750 130 85
New England 3 1 0 .750 129 80
Buffalo 2 2 0 .500 132 131
N.Y. Jets 1 3 0 .250 50 133
South
W L T Pct PF PA
Indianapolis 2 1 0 .667 64 49
Jacksonville 2 1 0 .667 76 47
Houston 1 3 0 .250 42 92
Tennessee 1 3 0 .250 93 128
North
W L T Pct PF PA
Cleveland 2 2 0 .500 103 91
Baltimore 1 2 0 .333 41 58
Pittsburgh 1 2 0 .333 47 73
Cincinnati 0 4 0 .000 23 119
West
W L T Pct PF PA
San Diego 4 0 0 1.000 102 38
Oakland 3 0 0 1.000 113 59
Denver 3 1 0 .750 98 87
Kansas City 2 2 0 .500 142 133
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
East
W L T Pct PF PA
Philadelphia 3 1 0 .750 140 64
Dallas 2 2 0 .500 57 86
N.Y. Giants 2 2 0 .500 55 64
Washington 1 2 0 .333 48 80
South
W L T Pct PF PA
Carolina 3 1 0 .750 76 45
New Orleans 3 1 0 .750 111 89
Tampa Bay 3 1 0 .750 106 47
Atlanta 1 2 0 .333 77 54
North
W L T Pct PF PA
Green Bay 3 1 0 .750 111 114
Chicago 2 2 0 .500 91 98
Detroit 1 3 0 .250 85 138
Minnesota 0 4 0 .000 99 141
West
W L T Pct PF PA
San Francisco 2 1 0 .667 50 47
Arizona 2 2 0 .500 83 74
Seattle 1 3 0 .250 84 87
St. Louis 0 4 0 .000 61 88
Sunday's Games
N.Y. Giants at Dallas, 1 p.m.
Oakland at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Arizona at Carolina, 1 p.m.
Washington at Tennessee, 1 p.m.
Cincinnati at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
New England at Miami, 1 p.m.
Pittsburgh at New Orleans, 1 p.m.
Kansas City at N.Y. Jets, 4:05 p.m.
San Diego at Denver, 4:05 p.m.
Philadelphia at Jacksonville, 4:15 p.m.
St. Louis at San Francisco, 4:15 p.m.
Baltimore at Cleveland, 8:30 p.m.
Open: Seattle, Detroit, Minnesota, Houston
Monday's Game
Green Bay at Chicago, 9 p.m.
BASEBALL
American League
BOSTON RED SOX-Claimed RHP Jason Shiell off waivers from SanDiego.
CLEVELAND INDIANS-Released LHP Heath Murray unconditionally.Assigned LHP Dave Maurer outright to Buffalo of the IL.
DETROIT TIGERS-Assigned RHP Jason Beverlin, RHP Seth Greisinger,RHP Brian Powell, C Mitch Meluskey, INF Chris Truby, OF Jacob Cruzand OF Wendell Magee outright to Toledo of the IL.
SEATTLE MARINERS-Signed C-INF Chao Kuan Wu to a minor leaguecontract.
National League
CINCINNATI REDS-Released RHP Jose Silva unconditionally.Reinstated RHP Seth Etherton and RHP Luis Pineda from the 60-daydisabled list. Reinstated 1B Sean Casey, OF Austin Kearns, IF BrandonLarson, C Jason LaRue and LHP Gabe White from the 15-day disabledlist.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS-Fired Jerry Royster manager.
NEW YORK METS-Claimed RHP Doug Nickle off waivers from San Diego.Designated LHP Adam Walker for assignment.
SAN DIEGO PADRES-Sent OF Kory De Haan, INF Julius Matos and RHPJonathan Johnson outright to Portland of the PCL. Announced LHP MikeHoltz cleared waivers and elected free agency. Released RHP MattDeWitt. Activated RHP Kevin Jarvis, RHP Brian Tollberg, LHP JoseNunez and LHP Rob Ramsay from the 60-day disabled list.
BASKETBALL
National Basketball Association
NEW ORLEANS HORNETS-Placed F Matt Bullard on the injured list.
FOOTBALL
National Football League
NFL-Suspended Buffalo DT Tyrone Robertson four games for violatingthe league's substance abuse policy.
CLEVELAND BROWNS-Signed OL Chad Beasley. Waived FB R.J. Bowers andsigned him to the practice squad. Waived OL Kaulana Noa from thepractice squad.
GREEN BAY PACKERS-Signed G Al Jackson to the practice squad.Released TE Bill Seymour from the practice squad.
HOUSTON TEXANS-Signed G Milford Brown.
OAKLAND RAIDERS-Signed TE Austin Wheatley to the practice squad.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS-Signed OL Tim Stuber to the practice squad.
COLLEGE
NEW MEXICO-Announced Janice Ruggiero, senior woman administrator,has been named to the NCAA Women's Basketball Committee.
MASSACHUSETTS-Named Betsy Mosher associate athletic director forcompliance services.
WASHINGTON-Suspended Cameron Dollar men's assistant basketballcoach, for one month without pay for a series of recruitingviolations.
CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Recommended
When: 8 tonight and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan
Tickets: $19-$199
Phone: (312) 294-3000
- - -
One of the many attractions of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra'sinternational appeal is the unique artistic collaborations itoffers. If that's a euphemism for "strange bedfellows," then so beit.
The Russian-born conductor Semyon Bychkov and the reservedChinese pianist Yundi Li seemed a potential mismatch for theirThursday night subscription concert at Symphony Center. Yet wheneach asserted his own artistic voice, the two very differentpersonalities came together for a refreshing departure on familiarrepertoire.
In Ravel's Piano Concerto in G, the artists appeared to be atodds with each other: Bychkov's knack for leading a powerfulorchestra sometimes left Li's delicate pianism buried beneath theclamor, particularly early in the first movement.
If anything, though, this slightly unbalanced dynamic onlyreinforced how textural and brilliant Ravel's orchestration is. Andsince the CSO does not tend to play much French music, thisexceptional performance made us wonder why.
Unlike his popular compatriot and rival Lang Lang, Li offers fewphysical distractions, keeping his music in focus. His tone glowedin the doleful slow movement, and Li never flinched over a marathonstretch of rapidly delicate runs. His feathery touch may not haverisen above Bychkov's orchestral thunder, but given Ravel's oftencalming and liquid lines for the piano, this wasn't a bad thing.
After intermission, Bychkov led the CSO in Shostakovich'sSymphony No. 7, "Leningrad," a gargantuan work so soaked in thebloodbath of World War II that few brave conductors take it on. Thefirst movement featured solos galore: notably concertmaster RobertChen's violin, Mathieu Dufour's flute and William Buchman's bassoon,all, of course, meticulously delivered.
The symphony leaves no region of the orchestra untapped, andeveryone from the xylophone to the bass clarinet got extendedattention. The prospect of Bychkov's heft mixing with the explosiveCSO brass was exciting, and the finale's raucous fanfare upheld allexpectations.
After the concert, a friend, apparently drained after the 75-minute work, remarked that he felt as if World War II had just beennarrated to him. If Shostakovich did intend for this work to captureall the emotions of battle, then Bychkov and the CSO deserve highpraise.
Bryant Manning is a locally based free-lance writer and reviewer.
The top business news from The Associated Press for the morning of Thursday, May 22, 2003:
Fla. Court Tosses $145B Tobacco Verdict
MIAMI (AP) _ A Florida appeals court erased a record-setting $145 billion award against the tobacco industry Wednesday, ruling thousands of Florida smokers could not group themselves together for a class-action attack on cigarette makers. Tobacco company stock prices jumped on news that the 68-page order by a three-judge panel of the 3rd District Court of Appeal found several flaws with the largest punitive damage verdict in U.S. history and the two-year trial that produced it.
___
American to Lower Fares, Add More Seats
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) _ There's less room coming to coach at American Airlines, which plans to restore seats to some of its jets and limit fares on a few cross-country routes. The decisions are part of a campaign to restore the world's largest carrier to profitability, although new chief executive Gerard Arpey declined to predict Wednesday when that would happen as he addressed American shareholders.
___
House, Senate Reach $350B Tax Cut Deal
WASHINGTON (AP) _ House and Senate tax writers struck agreement Wednesday on a $350 billion tax cut that Republicans leaders plan to pass by Memorial Day and that cuts President Bush's stimulus package in half. Negotiators said they had the votes to pass the bill in the House and Senate this week, much less than the $726 billion Bush originally requested. "We do have 50 votes," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.
___
White House Warns on National Debt Limit
WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Bush administration warned Congress on Monday it would run out of room by May 28 to juggle the government's books to stay within the current national debt limit. Legislation to boost the debt limit by $984 billion _ the largest increase in history _ has been caught up in a battle between Democrats and the White House over President Bush's proposed new tax cuts.
___
Calif. Panel Explores Satellite TV Tax
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Satellite television companies are rallying to stop a move to add an 8 percent tax on their services _ even before the proposal makes its way to the state Legislature. A commission looking into tax policy is considering a handful of recommendations, including the tax on satellite television, as a means to raise revenue for the cash-strapped state. A proposal to add a 5 percent tax on satellite customers failed in the Legislature last year.
___
DaimlerChrysler Drops Planned $1B Plant
DETROIT (AP) _ DaimlerChrysler has abandoned plans to build a $1 billion plant in Windsor, Ontario, that would have created 2,500 jobs, the automaker said Thursday. DaimlerChrysler cited poor economic conditions in the automotive market, including low demand and sales in the United States.
___
Poor Credit Can Drive Up Insurance Rates
Up to 95 percent of insurers now take credit into account to some extent when determining what you'll pay for your auto and homeowners' insurance policies, according to the Insurance Information Institute in New York. The trend has accelerated in the past decade, fueled by insurers' attempt to mitigate losses and develop more sophisticated ways of pricing risk. Yet the practice is far from an exact science. No direct link exists between poor credit and driving record, although there's a "strong correlation" between bad credit and an increase in claims filed, both for auto and homeowners insurance policies, according to Eddy Lo, insurance manager at Fair Isaac Corp. in San Rafael, Calif.
___
Attorney Aims to Take HealthSouth Private
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) _ Donald V. Watkins, the Alabama businessman and attorney representing former HealthSouth Corp. chief executive Richard M. Scrushy against fraud accusations, said he plans to form a consortium to buy the beleaguered company and take it private. Watkins said Wednesday he has not discussed the plan with any of HealthSouth's major shareholders, such as pension fund and money managers, who would have to agree to sell their shares. He also has not approached bondholders and banks, whose debt claims put them in control of the company.
___
WorldCom Deal in Iraq Troubles Critics
NEW YORK (AP) _ The Pentagon made an interesting choice when it hired a U.S. company to build a small wireless phone network in Iraq: MCI, aka WorldCom Inc., perpetrator of the biggest accounting fraud in American business and not exactly a big name in cellular service. The Iraq contract incensed WorldCom rivals and government watchdogs who say Washington has been too kind to the company since WorldCom revealed its $11 billion accounting fraud and plunged into bankruptcy last year.
___
Greenspan: Fed Ready to Tackle Deflation
WASHINGTON (AP) _ With short-term interest rates near rock bottom, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said he still has plenty of "monetary ammunition" to prevent a destabilizing drop in prices. The Fed's goal: pump up demand for cars, homes and other items and get the economy moving again. At Greenspan's appearance Wednesday before the congressional Joint Economic Committee, he gave his first detailed comments about deflation since Fed policy-makers warned May 6 they would be on guard against the remote possibility of such a rare and dangerous episode of widespread price declines.
___
Gold Prices
LONDON (AP) _ Gold bullion opened Thursday at a bid price of $369.50 a troy ounce, up from $368.60 late Wednesday.
___
Japan Markets
TOKYO (AP) _ Tokyo stocks closed up Thursday, led by a rise in major banking and telecom issues. The U.S. dollar was higher against the Japanese yen.
___
Dollar-Yen
TOKYO (AP) _ The U.S. dollar traded at 117.62 yen on the Tokyo foreign exchange market Thursday, up 0.94 yen from late Wednesday.
AP Executive Morning Briefing00-00-0000
A service of The Associated Press. Copyright 2003 All rights reserved.
The top business news from The Associated Press for the morning of Thursday, May 22, 2003:
Fla. Court Tosses $145B Tobacco Verdict
MIAMI (AP) _ A Florida appeals court erased a record-setting $145 billion award against the tobacco industry Wednesday, ruling thousands of Florida smokers could not group themselves together for a class-action attack on cigarette makers. Tobacco company stock prices jumped on news that the 68-page order by a three-judge panel of the 3rd District Court of Appeal found several flaws with the largest punitive damage verdict in U.S. history and the two-year trial that produced it.
___
American to Lower Fares, Add More Seats
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) _ There's less room coming to coach at American Airlines, which plans to restore seats to some of its jets and limit fares on a few cross-country routes. The decisions are part of a campaign to restore the world's largest carrier to profitability, although new chief executive Gerard Arpey declined to predict Wednesday when that would happen as he addressed American shareholders.
___
House, Senate Reach $350B Tax Cut Deal
WASHINGTON (AP) _ House and Senate tax writers struck agreement Wednesday on a $350 billion tax cut that Republicans leaders plan to pass by Memorial Day and that cuts President Bush's stimulus package in half. Negotiators said they had the votes to pass the bill in the House and Senate this week, much less than the $726 billion Bush originally requested. "We do have 50 votes," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.
___
White House Warns on National Debt Limit
WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Bush administration warned Congress on Monday it would run out of room by May 28 to juggle the government's books to stay within the current national debt limit. Legislation to boost the debt limit by $984 billion _ the largest increase in history _ has been caught up in a battle between Democrats and the White House over President Bush's proposed new tax cuts.
___
Calif. Panel Explores Satellite TV Tax
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Satellite television companies are rallying to stop a move to add an 8 percent tax on their services _ even before the proposal makes its way to the state Legislature. A commission looking into tax policy is considering a handful of recommendations, including the tax on satellite television, as a means to raise revenue for the cash-strapped state. A proposal to add a 5 percent tax on satellite customers failed in the Legislature last year.
___
DaimlerChrysler Drops Planned $1B Plant
DETROIT (AP) _ DaimlerChrysler has abandoned plans to build a $1 billion plant in Windsor, Ontario, that would have created 2,500 jobs, the automaker said Thursday. DaimlerChrysler cited poor economic conditions in the automotive market, including low demand and sales in the United States.
___
Poor Credit Can Drive Up Insurance Rates
Up to 95 percent of insurers now take credit into account to some extent when determining what you'll pay for your auto and homeowners' insurance policies, according to the Insurance Information Institute in New York. The trend has accelerated in the past decade, fueled by insurers' attempt to mitigate losses and develop more sophisticated ways of pricing risk. Yet the practice is far from an exact science. No direct link exists between poor credit and driving record, although there's a "strong correlation" between bad credit and an increase in claims filed, both for auto and homeowners insurance policies, according to Eddy Lo, insurance manager at Fair Isaac Corp. in San Rafael, Calif.
___
Attorney Aims to Take HealthSouth Private
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) _ Donald V. Watkins, the Alabama businessman and attorney representing former HealthSouth Corp. chief executive Richard M. Scrushy against fraud accusations, said he plans to form a consortium to buy the beleaguered company and take it private. Watkins said Wednesday he has not discussed the plan with any of HealthSouth's major shareholders, such as pension fund and money managers, who would have to agree to sell their shares. He also has not approached bondholders and banks, whose debt claims put them in control of the company.
___
WorldCom Deal in Iraq Troubles Critics
NEW YORK (AP) _ The Pentagon made an interesting choice when it hired a U.S. company to build a small wireless phone network in Iraq: MCI, aka WorldCom Inc., perpetrator of the biggest accounting fraud in American business and not exactly a big name in cellular service. The Iraq contract incensed WorldCom rivals and government watchdogs who say Washington has been too kind to the company since WorldCom revealed its $11 billion accounting fraud and plunged into bankruptcy last year.
___
Greenspan: Fed Ready to Tackle Deflation
WASHINGTON (AP) _ With short-term interest rates near rock bottom, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said he still has plenty of "monetary ammunition" to prevent a destabilizing drop in prices. The Fed's goal: pump up demand for cars, homes and other items and get the economy moving again. At Greenspan's appearance Wednesday before the congressional Joint Economic Committee, he gave his first detailed comments about deflation since Fed policy-makers warned May 6 they would be on guard against the remote possibility of such a rare and dangerous episode of widespread price declines.
___
Gold Prices
LONDON (AP) _ Gold bullion opened Thursday at a bid price of $369.50 a troy ounce, up from $368.60 late Wednesday.
___
Japan Markets
TOKYO (AP) _ Tokyo stocks closed up Thursday, led by a rise in major banking and telecom issues. The U.S. dollar was higher against the Japanese yen.
___
Dollar-Yen
TOKYO (AP) _ The U.S. dollar traded at 117.62 yen on the Tokyo foreign exchange market Thursday, up 0.94 yen from late Wednesday.
How people prepare and serve family meals provides some helpfulclues on how to design their kitchens.
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BYLINE: XOLANI MBANJWA Political Bureau
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma yesterday heeded the concerns of his finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, and awarded a 7 percent salary increase to elected public office bearers instead of the 8 percent recommended by the Independent Commission on Remuneration.
"In light of the current economic situation, and the pressure on government finances, I have decided to adjust downwards the percentage recommended by the commission," Zuma said in a statement issued by the Presidency.
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Byline: Associated Press
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