Thursday, March 15, 2012

Boehner: High hopes for debt 'supercommittee'

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker John Boehner said Monday that he has high hopes that a congressional "supercommittee" will be able to reach common ground on a plan to cut the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion over a decade.

But the most powerful Republican in Washington says that finding common ground doesn't necessarily mean compromising one's principles, a none-too-subtle hint that he remains strongly opposed to increasing taxes as part of the solution to deficits exceeding $1 trillion a year.

"Common ground doesn't mean compromising on your principles," Boehner said in a speech to a group of students at the University of Louisville. "Common ground means finding the places …

Salazar: Gov't failed to assure drilling safety

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar conceded Tuesday that the government failed to hold the oil industry accountable and ensure safety in offshore oil drilling.

Salazar, in his first appearance before Congress since the April 20 Gulf accident, promised an overhaul of the agency that regulates offshore oil drilling to give it "more tools, more resources, more independence and greater authority."

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., in opening a hearing into the spill, said Congress will examine "the role of regulatory failure" in the accident at the BP PLC oil rig that unleashed millions of gallons of oil into Gulf waters.

While the cause of the …

Girl was stabbed first, witness says

The niece of a Kanawha County man accused of stabbing to death hiswife and daughter says her uncle knifed her cousin first.

The 8-year-old girl told Kanawha County sheriff's investigatorsthat Christopher W. Blackwell stabbed his daughter multiple timesafter she said her father hit her, according to transcripts of policeinterviews released Thursday.

The witness, whose name was not released because of her age, saidBlackwell got angry after his wife confronted him about theirdaughter's claim.

Blackwell, 30, is charged with two counts of first-degree murderin the deaths of Sherry Blackwell, 26, and their 11-year-olddaughter, Brittany. Blackwell appeared Thursday …

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Analysis: Possible Mideast Push by Bush

President Bush once talked bullishly about Middle East peacemaking. He would "ride herd" on recalcitrant leaders, picking up the telephone whenever necessary and helping produce a long-elusive agreement.

In truth, Bush has been more a sporadic speaker than engaged enforcer during his seven years in office.

This week's peace conference is an effort by his administration to step more deeply into trying to help settle one of the world's most intractable conflicts. Two key questions are how much Bush himself will become involved and how much good he could do during the final year in the White House after a hands-off history.

Past presidents …

Greek police arrest 10 crime gang suspects

Greek police say they arrested 10 suspected members of a criminal gang involved in the killings of business leaders and the January abduction of a shipping magnate.

Attica region police chief Yiannis Dikopoulos says the gang was being run by prison inmates.

He says "the gang members were carrying out killing contracts, among other …

City's police probers vote to join union

Members of the city's Office of Professional Standards, whoinvestigate shootings by police officers and brutality complaintsagainst them, yesterday voted 39-3 to join the American Federation ofState, County and Municipal Employees.

Some 46 civilian investigators in the unit created in 1974 wereeligible to vote.

David Fogel, OPS administrator, said he did not believeunionization would hamper his office's work.

"I don't think it will really matter one way or another," …

Forbes Doubles Bloomberg Wealth Estimate

NEW YORK - Mayor Michael Bloomberg is apparently even richer than anyone realized. Forbes magazine's annual list of richest Americans is estimating his wealth at twice the number it gave last year, vaulting him to the rank of 25 with a fortune estimated at $11.5 billion.

Last year, he was at a mere 40th place, with a net worth valued at $5.5 billion. The difference shows how hard it has been to guess the wealth of the mayor and potential presidential candidate.

He retains 68 percent ownership of his company, Bloomberg LP, but it is privately held and does not release much financial data. Fortune magazine estimated in an article this year that the company's 2006 operating …

Jordan looks to oil shale for energy hope

An energy pauper in a region of oil barons, Jordan is pushing ahead with efforts to tap its vast oil shale deposits, looking beyond crude's current price slump as it scrambles for energy self-sufficiency.

The kingdom's latest step was a concessionary agreement signed earlier in May with oil giant Shell PLC to explore for and assess deep oil shale deposits _ a resource base has yet to be tacked onto the already proven 40 billion tons of surface shale deposits in the country. Those reserves, alone, are a mother lode that translates into roughly 28 billion barrels of oil for a country forced to import 95 percent of its energy needs.

But while officials hope …

A Little Splurging Spree Rings Up Holiday Cheer

It wasn't that she was feeling grinchy - it was just that shecommitted the ultimate unthinkable pre-Christmas act . . .

Jeanne went shopping. Just for HERSELF.

"I don't know," she sighs, not even retroactively remorseful,"you just get so sick and tired of doing all this running around andstuff-buying for the world at large. So my girlfriends and I decidedto call a one-day moratorium on the whole exhausting process. Wepiled into the car, left our lists at home, and spent the day inMilwaukee at this fabulous factory outlet sale."

All three of the women say that it was one of the most terrificthings they have ever done for themselves.

"I mean, let's …

Migrants push Beijing population to 19.6 million

BEIJING (AP) — Six million newcomers, mostly migrant workers from elsewhere in China, have moved to Beijing in the past decade and pushed its population to nearly 20 million people.

The statement posted online Thursday with city government statistics showed 19.612 million permanent residents. …

Venus, Serena win doubles title at Australian Open

Venus Williams is a much better doubles partner for her sister Serena than she is a keeper of the score.

The Williams sisters won their fourth Australian Open doubles title on Friday, beating Cara Black and Liezel Huber 6-4, 6-3 in the final at Rod Laver Arena.

At the end, Venus couldn't figure out why Serena was so excited about what she thought was a game point. And Serena was perplexed why Venus was so subdued on match point.

The problem: Venus had lost track of the score.

The sisters, sitting in front of their newly won silverware in a news conference, couldn't contain their laughter when asked about the comical finish to the …

Hermon, Indiana A Match

Former King basketball star Michael Hermon, rebuffed in effortsto attend Illinois and Southern California, appears headed forIndiana University.

Hermon, a 6-3 guard, was the Chicago Sun-Times Class AA Playerof the Year last season. He was not heavily recruited because of hisuncertain academic situation. But he qualified academically by NCAAstandards in June and is among the top unsigned players in thenation.

Illinois, which already had signed guards Bryant Notree andKevin Turner of Simeon, backed off last month. Hermon did not meetUSC's academic standards, which are tougher than the NCAA's, andcoach George Raveling, who had shown interest in Hermon from …

Gastar Exploration credit line expanded

HOUSTON (AP) — Gastar Exploration Ltd. said Tuesday a company credit line has been expanded by almost 19 percent to $47.5 million.

The Houston oil and natural gas producer said its borrowing base under the company's credit agreement was raised by $7.5 million from $40 million. The base was previously reduced as a result of delays in returning its Belin No. 1 well to production.

President and CEO J. Russell Porter said the company doesn't expect to draw from this credit line anytime soon.

Gastar explores and develops natural gas assets in North America. It owns and operates exploration and development acreage in East Texas, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Iraq War Vote Tests Dem Candidates

WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential contenders on Capitol Hill will cast critical votes on the Iraq war this week, when lawmakers decide on a $120 billion bill to keep military operations afloat through September.

The House planned to vote Thursday with the Senate to follow suit by week's end.

The legislation does not set the deadline for U.S. troop withdrawals many Democrats wanted. Unable to achieve the two-thirds majority needed to override one presidential veto because of such a deadline - or the threat of another - Democratic leaders announced Tuesday they would proceed to provide money for the war anyway because they wanted to support the troops.

"I believe as long as we have troops in the front line, we're going to have to protect them," said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del. "We're going to have to fund them."

Biden was alone among the potential Democratic candidates in immediately pledging his support for the bill.

Two front-runners, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, declined to say how they intended to vote on the measure.

Both have voted against binding timetables for troop withdrawals in the past, before public sentiment against the war hardened or they became presidential contenders. Last week, the two voted to advance legislation that would have cut off money for U.S. combat operations by March 31, 2008, cutoff.

Challengers Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio said they would oppose the measure because in their view it issued a blank check to President Bush on the Iraq war.

"Half-measures and equivocations are not going to change our course in Iraq," Dodd said in a statement. "If we are serious about ending the war, Congress must stand up to this president's failed policy now - with clarity and conviction."

The hefty spending bill has become a lightning rod for political attacks on Bush and his handling of the deeply unpopular war, which has killed more than 3,400 U.S. troops and cost more than $300 billion. But it also has exposed a sharp divide among Democrats on how far Congress should go to end the war.

Democratic candidates are vying for the anti-war vote, but at the same time do not want to appear as though they are turning their backs on the military.

The bill includes about $100 billion for military and diplomatic efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as $8 billion in domestic projects such as farm aid and hurricane relief and $9 billion in military-related spending such as improved health care for service members.

While the measure does not include a timetable on the war, it does threaten to withhold U.S. aid dollars for Iraq if Baghdad fails to make progress on political and security reforms. The president, however, could waive that restriction.

Biden said that while he would vote for the measure, he disagreed with the approach because it could hamper the Iraqi government's ability to take on more responsibility.

The legislation resulted after weeks of negotiations with the White House, which agreed to accept $17 billion in funding not requested by Bush as long as there were not restrictions on the military campaign.

Democratic leaders planned multiple votes in the House on Thursday to ensure the measure would ultimately pass because of disagreements among members on elements of the bill. One vote was to be on war funding, while another would be to approve the extra money for domestic and military-related projects.

While liberal Democrats were expected to vote against the war funds measure, GOP members were expected to make up for the losses. On the added spending, Democrats likely were to be unified in their support for the measure, overcoming GOP objections.

Hurricane Jova strengthening in eastern Pacific

MIAMI (AP) — Forecasters say Hurricane Jova has strengthened in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Sunday night that Jova had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (165 kph). The Category 2 storm is centered about 260 miles (420 kilometers) southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. It was moving east at 7 mph (11 kph).

Forecasters expect Jova could become a major hurricane by Monday night or Tuesday. A hurricane warning is out for Punta San Telmo north to Cabo Corrientes. A tropical storm watch is in effect south of there.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Irwin continued swirling in the eastern Pacific, about 785 miles (1260 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Irwin had maximum sustained winds of about 50 mph (85 kph).

QB battle brews in Public League

The Public League doesn't need a public relations firm to toutits opener Sept. 3 between Julian and Robeson at Gately Stadium.Just talk to coaches Roy Curry of Robeson, J.W. Smith of Julian andAl Scott of Simeon.

"We have the three best quarterbacks in the state in ourleague," Curry said. "If the college coaches feel they have to burnup the interstate to find a QB prospect, they can save gas and cometo Gately."

The three are Julian's Torrance Garfield, Robeson's JermaineFleming and Simeon's Steve Foster. Garfield, who passed for 2,100yards and 26 touchdowns last fall, and Fleming get the mostpublicity. But Scott defends Foster.

"The only difference between Foster and Garfield was a (PublicLeague) championship," Scott said. "Ability-wise, Foster is better. He can do more things. (All-state wide receiver) Brian Howard madea big difference for Garfield last year."

BETTER IN 1989? Brother Rice coach Tom Mitchell on the Catholic League: "It's stronger and morebalanced this year. There are a lot more Division I prospects. Itappears as though every team has moved up. The question is how muchof a move."

SCOUTING REPORT: Whitney Young's Sherman Ginyard, a 6-2,250-pound junior lineman, and John Collins, a 6-4, 230-pound seniorlineman, were worked out recently by a scouting service.

NEW COACH: Marshall, favored to win the Public League Northwestfor the third year in a row, has a new coach in John Bellamy.Former coach Eli Ephraim remains an assistant.

WHO'S NO. 1? Palatine may be favored to win the Mid-SuburbanNorth, but don't count out Fremd. "Potentially, we can be a realforce," said coach Joe Samojedny, who will rely on a strong rushingattack led by Rob Lindsey (977 yards last year) and Dan Deeke (4.5speed).

WELCOME NEWCOMER: Libertyville's Bart Nielson, an All-NorthSuburban outfielder in baseball, has rejoined the football squadafter sitting out last year. The 6-3, 190-pound senior has 4.58speed and will play quarterback and defensive back.

CONTENDER: Fenton coach Bob Ciancio believes his defense canrepeat its 1984 feat of recording eight shutouts. Eight defensivestarters return, including 250-pound tackle Jason Miller and a pairof 6-1, 195-pounders in Gordon Boyd and Steve Greene.

1-2 PUNCH: Lake Forest coach Tom Myers says seniors MikeStamison and Alan Benes are as good as any other duo in the NorthSuburban. Stamison is a two-way back and punter. Benes (6-4, 200)is a two-way end and missed all-conference honors in 1988 by onevote.

HOW ABOUT US? Antioch boasts two of the north suburbs' bestplayers in tackle Mark Daley (6-5, 250) and fullback Ryan Shea (6-3,225). But the Sequoits' hopes rest on quarterback Rick Beattie.

"We have to rely on Beattie," coach Del Pechauer said. "It's atough league to run in and we lack size. Beattie can throw 60 yardsand is a good leader. He could be the best quarterback in theconference."

KEY LOSS: Niles North's hopes of bouncing back from an 0-9season were diminished by offseason surgery to all-conferencehalfback Dwight Smith, who rushed for 746 yards in eight games beforebeing injured.

"Smith is a powerful runner, but his knee is only about 80percent," said coach Paul Giambeluca, who got a boost when 5-11,220-pound senior Joe Pehar left the soccer team to play football.

Summary Box: Activision 3Q net income soars

THE QUARTER: Video game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc. more than tripled its third-quarter net income, and its adjusted results easily surpassed its previous forecast and Wall Street's expectations.

THE GAMES: Activision's results were driven by strong demand for its top games, including "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2," ''StarCraft II" and "World of Warcraft."

THE HOLIDAYS: Activision launches its biggest game of the year, "Call of Duty: Black Ops" on Nov. 9. The company is forecasting adjusted earnings of 47 cents per share on revenue of $2.2 billion for the fourth quarter.

DHA & the omega-revolution

How the margarine craze brought America to the brink of Nutritional Armageddon-and how omega-3s brought us back

BY NOW YOU'VE HEARD THE ADVICE TO BOOST OMEGA-3 fatty acid intake in order to improve your health. It's no wonder. In tandem with omega-6 fatty acids, omega-3s help balance the body by keep. ing inflammation in check, and by helping with mental function, vision, blood pressure, immunity, metabolism and cell-membrane health, notes Andrew L. Stoll, M.D., in The Omega-3 Connection.

But how do you decide what form of omega3 fatty acids to seek out in food or supplement form, and in what amounts? Where do all of the acronyms-DRA, EPA, ALA-fit into the equation? And what does the latest research suggest in regard to potential health benefits of these friendly fatty acids?

While the topic of omega-3s can seem complex and confusing, it is possible to make sense of it all-and the effort is likely to pay off, healthwise. So sit back, take a deep breath and read on.

Essential facts about essential fats There are four major kinds of fats found in foods we eat: cholesterol, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. All fats are made up of the same basic building blockscarbon, oxygen and hydrogen. In saturated fats, the carbons in the chain are completely "saturated;' meaning that they are "saturated" with all of the hydrogen atoms they can carry. Although most of us don't think about it, some plants and nuts are fairly high in saturated fat-coconut oil, palm/palm-kernel oil, peanuts and walnuts. Other examples of saturated-fat rich sources include butter, animal fat, shea nut butter and cocoa butter.

Monounsaturated fats, part of the now-famous Mediterranean Diet, include olive and almond oils, pecans, cashews and macadamia nuts. Unsaturated fats with two or more double bonds are known as "polyunsaturated," which includes both omega-3 fats (found mostly in algae, cold-water fish, dark-green vegetables and certain plants) and omega-6 fats (found mostly in nuts and seeds). Examples of foods rich in omega-3-rich polyunsaturated fats are ocean-dwelling microalgae, fish oil, flaxseed oil, hemp oil, pumpkin seed oil. Examples of foods rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats are vegetable and seed oils. Some excellent omega-6-rich foods are borage, evening primrose oil, safflower oil, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, corn and pumpkin seeds. Fats out of balance

"The good news is that our evolutionary ancestord didn't have a problem with an imbalance of omega-6 fats compared to omega-3 fats-their ratio was close to 1:1,: said James Gormley in DHA, A Good Fat ( 1999). "The bad news is that we do have Fat problem. "The typical U.S. diet has a profile of anywhere from 10:1 to 22:1 omega-6 to omega-3 fats."

Over the past 50 years, the cholesterol/low-fat craze pushed Americans into a diet top-heavy in omega-6 seed oils and trans fatty acids (from traditional stick margarine and fried foods). In other words, most of us get plenty of omega-6s in our diets, but not enough omega-3s.

The omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are headed up by alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA; from this, the following fats can be produced: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA). The "mother of all omega-6 fats" is linoleic acid, from which we can produce gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), dihomogamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) and arachidonic acid (AA).

Hearts love omega-3s

Heart disease kills roughly half a million Americans each year, so eating right for heart health should be high on everyone's priority list. Harvard's Walter Willett, Ph.D., M.D., wrote: "It can be conservatively estimated that approximately 30,000 deaths per year in the U.S. are attributable to trans fatty acids from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil" [e.g. traditional stick margarine]. While cholesterol and saturated fat contribute to heart disease, omega-3 fatty acids can actually reduce the risk of heart disease in several ways.

For one, they keep inflammatory processes associated with coronary artery disease and driven by omega-6s in check. If our intake of omega-6s isn't balanced by omega-3s, this can encourage heart attack, atherosclerosis and fatal cardiac arrhythmias, explains Stoll in The Omega 3 Connection. Inflammation caused by excess omega-6 fats plays a major role in promoting the development and buildup of plaques in coronary arteries, which can be damaged by inflammation and eventually lead to narrowing or entire blockage of the coronary artery, resulting in a heart attack. Excess omega-6 fats also increase platelet aggregation (or stickiness), potentially causing blood clots that, when large enough, can block blood flow and result, again, in a heart attack.

The omega-3s, EPA and DHA, conversely, reduce platelet stickiness and clotting, also preventing plaque buildup by raising levels of HDL, or good cholesterol.

DHA/omega-3 research and the heart

1997. Balance of good fats and reduction of trans fats are most important to reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, especially in women. A landmark study came out in the New England Journal of Medicine on November 20, 1997 that looked at 80,082 women who, in 1980, did not have any sign or history of coronary disease, stroke, cancer, hypercholesterolemia or diabetes. In 14 years of follow-up, the authors documented 939 cases of non-fatal myocardial infarction or death from coronary heart disease. Total consumption of fat was "not significantly" related with the risk of coronary disease. The authors calculated that replacing a portion of trans fats (like margarine and other partially hydrogenated oils) with monounsaturated fats (like olive oil) and polunsaturated fats (like DHA) "would decrease [coronary heart disease] risk by 53 percent"!

1998. In addition to supplementation with purified DHA, DHA in eggs may help additional people boost their cardiovascular-health-promoting levels of DHA. S.M. Herber-McNeill and M.E. Van Elswyk, of Texas A&M's Department of Poultry Science, looked at cardiovascular health and a different way of delivering the enriched microalgae-source DHA-- through supplementing the feed of egg-- laying hens with DHA. The author's study of consumer acceptance of DHA-- enriched eggs appeared in the journal, Poultry Science, and is, the authors say, an attempt to address the fact that fish consumption in the U.S. averages less than one serving per week.

1999. Margarine/trans fats and heart disease. In this study (Biological Research [Santiago]), the researchers state that "industrial [partial] hydrogenation of vegetable or marine oils is [ .... I the main source of trans fatty acids in our diet." The authors contend that "trans isomers [trans fats] are considered more atherogenic [heart-disease causing] than saturated fatty acids."

2000. Postmenopausal women and coronary heart disease. Recent research by Bruce Holub's team at the University of Guelph, Canada, looked at omega-3 marine-oil supplementation in 36 postmenopausal women, some of whom were already receiving hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The results? Supplementation lowered triglycerides by 26 percent; the ratio between triglycerides to HDL, or good, cholesterol was lowered by 28 percent. According to the authors, supplementation could "potentially reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 27 percent in postmenopausal women."

DHA/omega-3s-- the brain and vision

DHA is a crucial part of the phospholipids of cellular membranes, particularly in the brain (which is composed largely of fat) and retina. Its essential to the growth and development of infant brains and is needed to maintain normal brain function in adults, too. While some organ systems can incorporate ALA from plant sources, the human brain needs DHA and EPA, found primarily in fish oil, according to Stoll. Newborn babies seem to be better at transforming ALA to the longer-chain omega-3s than are adults, he explains, but the conversions may still be inadequate. Soon vegetarians may be able to buy DHA supplements made from algae, which is where the fish get these omega-3s in their diets.

Sources of DHA include fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel) and mother's milk. (DHA is found in the milk of all lactating women, though amounts can vary based on diet.) For babies who aren't breast-fed, however, DHA- and DHA/AA-- supplemented formulas can provide the needed good fats.

Thanks to a letter published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 17, infant formula makers in the U.S. can now sign agreements to include patented DHA and AA blends in all term infant formula. Although the fats are not yet included in formula, look for them in the near future, as soon as formula makers fulfill the FDA's pre-market notification procedures.

This is great news, since healthy, fullterm, formula-fed infants have better vision when fed formulas including DHA. Deficiencies of this important omega-3 are associated with fetal alcohol syndrome, adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), cystic fibrosis, long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (LCHADD), Zellweger/Pseudo-Zellweger syndromes, Folling's disease/PKU, retinitis pigmentosa, unipolar depression, aggressive hostility, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other problems. As we age, DHA helps keep us sharp. Decreases of this omega-3 in the brain often accompany cognitive decline in aging and the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Milestones in DHA-supportive research

The Pediatrics study. There were several groundbreaking studies which came out in 1998, the first of which appeared in the journal, Pediatrics. The authors of this study, L. John Horwood, Msc, B.A., and David M. Fergusson, Ph.D., reported that in an 18-year study of over 1,000 children, those who were breastfed as infants were "more intelligent" and had attained greater academic achievement than those who had been fed standard infant formula.

The children who had been breastfed were even 38 percent more likely to complete high school than were the formula-- fed kids. The authors described it this way: "The weight of evidence clearly favors the view that exposure to breast-feeding is associated with small, but detectable, increases in childhood cognitive ability and educational achievement, with it being likely these increases reflect the effects of longchain polyunsaturated fatty acid levels and, particularly, DHA levels on early neurodevelopment." How is this supportive of DHA? Since the DHA-enriched formulas out there match breast-milk levels of DHA, the connection is clear.

The Pediatric Research study. In this study, conducted by E.E. Birch, and colleagues, 79 healthy full-term infants received either a standard infant formula (not fortified with DHA or AA) [control group] or the same formula enriched with DHA or DHA and AA for 17 weeks. The visual acuity (vision), growth and fatty-acid profile of these babies were compared-- over the first year of life-with those of exclusively breastfed infants. The infants fed DHA and AA developed vision on par with breastfed babies; the visual development was significantly poorer in the standard-formula-fed group. To put it in perspective, infants fed standard formula had a visual deficiency of about "one line on an eye chart." In fact, the beneficial "effects of dietary supply of DHA on [visual] acuity were still" evident at 52 weeks [one year later], even though DHA was only provided for the first 17 weeks. The study concluded that: "early intake of DHA and AA appears necessary for optimal development of the human brain and eye."

The prestigious Nutrition Information Center of New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and the Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center issued a statement about this study, saying: "The Nutrition Information Center applauds this research which lends support to our conviction that optimal brain and eye development requires docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). This study supports the conclusion of many other similar well-controlled studies which have been reported in the literature over the last 20 years."

The Lancet study. In this study, 44 term infants were randomly assigned to receive a standard formula or a DHA (long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid) enriched formula, which they received from birth to age 4 months. At 10 months of age, cognitive (learning) measurements were used to compare both groups. The results were impressive. The authors found that "an infant's three-step problem solving ability is significantly improved with [DHA and AA-supplemented formula]."

No fishing pole required

Omega-3 fatty acids have additional health benefits, but those listed above should give you enough reason to boost your omega-3 intake. So how can you get more omega-3s? Some of the research on omega-3s has been done with fish and fish oil, which contain EPA and DHA. Eating fish is one way to get more of both, but limit your intake of tuna and other fish (especially pregnant and lactating women) that may be contaminated with mercury or cancer-causing pollutants such as PCBs. Freshwater fish are more likely to be contaminated than ocean species. Healthy alternatives include migratory Atlantic or Pacific salmon, deep-water halibut and Atlantic cod.

If you're choosing supplement s, aim for either 200 mg of purified DHA daily or one-to-two grams (1,000-2,000 mg) daily of total omega-3 fatty acids (EPA plus DHA). People taking blood thinners including warfarin or aspirin, and pregnant and lactating women, should consult their healthcare practitioner before taking omega-3 supplements.

Although controversy continues about the body's ability to convert ALA to DHA and EPA, vegetarians can eat foods high in ALA-such as flaxseed and other land-based plants-and algae-source DHA supplements. Flaxseed oil is relatively inexpensive in liquid form and is highly concentrated in ALA (it's also available in capsules).

[Reference]

august resources

[Reference]

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Horrocks LA, Yeo YK. "Health benefits of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)," Pharmacological Research, 1999;40(3):211-225.

Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, et al. "Dietary intake of alpha-linolenic acid and risk of fatal ischemic heart disease among women," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999;69(5):L890-897.

Leaf A, et al. "n-3 fatty acids in the prevention of cardiac arrhythmias," Lipids, 1999;34 Suppl;S187-5189.

Marchmann P, Gronbaek M. "Fish consumption and coronary heart disease mortality. A systematic review of prospective cohort studies," European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999;53(8):585-590.

Nestel PJ, Pomeroy SE, et al. "Arterial compliance in obese subjects is improved with dietary plant n-3 fatty acid from flaxseed oil despite increased LDL oxidizability," Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, 1997;17(6):1163-1170.

Nordoy A. "Dietary Fatty Acids and Coronary Heart Disease," Lipids, 1999;34:S199S22.

Stone NJ. "The Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell' Infarto Miocardio (GISSI) Prevenzione Trial on fish oil and vitamin E supplementation in myocardial infarction survivors," Currrent Cardiology Reports, 2000;2(5):445-451.

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Barilla, Jean. The Nutrition Superbook 2: The Good Fats 0 Oils. New Canaan, Conn.: Keats Publishing, 1996.

Cloutier, Marissa; Adamson, Eve. The Mediterranean Diet. New York: HarperTorch, 2001.

Erasmus, Udo. Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill. Burnaby BC, Canada: Alive Books, 1993.

Gormley, James. DHA, A Good Fat. New York: Kensington Books, 1999.

Rudin, Donald; Felix, Clara. Omega-3 Oils. Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing, 1996.

Schmidt, Michael A. Smart Fats. Berkeley, Calif: Frog, Ltd., 1997.

Stoll, Andrew L. The Omega-3 Connection. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001.

Blasts Strike Baghdad's Green Zone

A volley of rockets or mortars has been fired toward the U.S.-protected Green Zone in Iraq's capital.

Smoke rose from the heavily fortified area in central Baghdad after some 10 blasts were heard starting shortly before 6 a.m. The U.S. public address system there warned people to "duck and cover" and to stay away from windows.

U.S. officials have not issued any comment on Sunday's attack.

The sprawling zone on the west bank of the Tigris River houses the U.S. and British embassies, the Iraqi government headquarters and thousands of American troops.

It has been frequently struck by rockets and mortar rounds, but the attacks have tapered off amid stepped up security measures and a recent lull of violence.

Funderburke to Missouri?

Missouri basketball coach Norm Stewart said Monday that missingIndiana University basketball player Lawrence Funderburke hasinquired about transferring to the Big Eight school, but the staffthere has advised the player against it.

Stewart, in an interview broadcast on Indianapolis televisionstation WTHR, said he contacted coach Bob Knight and the IU athleticdepartment and informed them of the inquiry.

WTHR reported the Missouri staff counseled Funderburke to remainat Indiana. Funderburke has been missing from the Hoosier basketballteam since Knight kicked him out of practice Thursday. When the restof the team returned to the locker room, Funderburke already was goneand he did not accompany the team to its game Saturday at Texas-ElPaso.

Funderburke's mother said Monday she wanted her son to stay atIndiana, but that he would make up his own mind on the matter.

Another injury rocks 'Spider-Man' Broadway musical

NEW YORK (AP) — Is this the curse of the Spider-Woman?

T.V. Carpio, who stepped in to replace another actress injured in Broadway's "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," has now herself been sidelined after an accident on stage.

Producers of the $65 million musical said Tuesday that Carpio was hurt March 16 during a battle scene with an actor. Details on her injury were not immediately available.

Carpio plays an evil spider woman called Arachne, one of the handful of large roles in the complicated, stunt-heavy production. She will be out of the show for the next two weeks and will be replaced by America Olivo.

Carpio was elevated from a smaller role when her predecessor, Natalie Mendoza, pulled out after she suffered a concussion in December when she was hit in the head offstage by rope.

The 29-year-old actress had understudied several roles, including Arachne and Mary Jane, since joining the show in 2007 and was a natural choice when Mendoza left. Arachne had six songs and dominates the second act, appearing as a goddess of all spider powers who wants Mary Jane's boyfriend Peter Parker for herself.

The show, which features original songs by U2's Bono and The Edge, is the most expensive in Broadway history but it is also proving to be among the most troubled.

Producers earlier this month announced that Tony Award-winning director Julie Taymor would no longer direct the show, and a new creative team was brought in to change and polish the musical, which has also been plagued with a series of injuries to cast members and aerial stunt mishaps. Its opening has been delayed for a sixth time, to June 14.

Carpio's biggest moment until the Spider-Man musical was appearing as the cheerleader Prudence who sings a rendition of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in "Across the Universe," a Taymor movie set to the music of The Beatles. She also appears in the current film "Limitless" with Bradley Cooper.

During an interview in February, Carpio insisted that she felt safe in the show — almost too safe. She said she was a trained trapeze artist who loves amusement park rides and squealed with delight at the memory of repeatedly plunging from the top of the Las Vegas Stratosphere.

"Here I have four strings attached to me at any given time. Each one of those cables I think can carry 9,000 pounds," she said. "So when people ask me am I scared, no."

When it opens — if it does, that is — "Spider-Man" will have set a record for becoming the first musical with more than 100 preview performances. For comparison, among musicals currently on Broadway, "Wicked" had 25 previews, "American Idiot" had 26 and "The Lion King" had 33. All benefited from out-of-town tryouts before coming to Broadway.

The "Spider-Man" show is unusual in that it has been built specifically for the 1,928-seat Foxwoods Theatre on 42nd Street, meaning a traditional tryout outside New York to fix glitches and smooth out problems wasn't possible.

Producers have asked for patience as they try to finish their acrobatic take on the Marvel comic book hero, which includes new characters and villains grafted onto the traditional story, along with dozens of aerial stunts performed over the audience's head.

By early February, most theater critics from Variety to the Los Angeles Times had had enough and decided to weigh in, a violation of the established agreement by critics to wait for opening night. They unleashed mostly savage pans, with The New York Times saying the show may rank among the worst shows in Broadway history.

Most of the reviewers cited the show's unprecedented string of delays and the fact that producers hadn't discounted tickets yet during the preview period, meaning theatergoers were paying up to $300 for a single seat to a show that wasn't finished.

The musical continues to enjoy a near sold-out run, though some discounted tickets have begun appearing. So far, it has had more than 113 performances, which translates into more than 217,000 tickets sold for a show that despite being open in previews for more than three months is clearly far from finished.

Monday, March 12, 2012

American 8th-graders gain on foreign kids

WASHINGTON -- U.S. eighth-graders are gaining on their peersacross the globe in science and math, but fourth-graders are beingpassed as their test scores remain stagnant, according to aninternational review of school performance.

The 2003 test results released Tuesday offer some hope and reliefto the United States, coming just a week after its 15-year-olds didpoorly in math in another prominent comparison.

The achievement gap between black and white children is shrinking,the new scores show, a goal of the government's education policiesunder President Bush.

Yet several countries, particularly in Asia, continue tooutperform the United States in science and math, fields at the heartof research and economic competitiveness.

Playing it down

Given this country's recent emphasis on achievement in the earlygrades, the flat performance by fourth-graders drew concern, and someplaying down, from U.S. officials.

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, orTIMSS, is a test of curriculum taught in all participating countries,from chemistry and physics to geometry and algebra.

"It's really the only way we have to determine how the UnitedStates as a nation is doing in preparing its children and itsstudents in math and science," said Russ Whitehurst, director of theInstitute of Education Sciences at the Education Department.

Federal officials also suggested that a better measure of U.S.achievement would be how students do on the test known as theNational Assessment of Educational Progress. On that U.S. test, morealigned to standards in schools here, fourth-graders and eighth-graders made sizable gains at every level in math in 2003.

AP

Main points of the EU's 'Lisbon Treaty'

The main points of the "Lisbon Treaty" the European Union leaders are signing Thursday in Lisbon and which aims to simplify how the bloc will be run in the decades ahead. The new EU treaty must be ratified by the parliaments of 26 EU nations and voters in Ireland by 2009.

___

BURYING THE CONSTITUTION:

If ratified, the "Lisbon Treaty" will replace the aborted draft constitution voted down by French and Dutch voters in 2005. The new treaty is of a more modest charter, amending previous EU treaty rulebooks, and drops some of the symbolic elements of the constitution such as formally recognizing the EU flag and anthem. Although the treaty retains many elements of the now-dead constitution, the slimmed-down version can be approved by parliaments, avoiding tricky referendums. Ireland is an exception and has to put it to a popular vote.

___

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS:

A 50-article charter contains an exhaustive list of well-established rights, such as freedom of speech and religion, but also includes the right to shelter, education, collective labor bargaining and fair working conditions. It will be legally binding for 25 of the 27 EU members. Worried by the impact on business and their legal systems, Britain and Poland insisted on and obtained opt-outs.

___

POWER AND INFLUENCE IN AN EXPANDED CLUB:

The EU will have a president for 2 1/2-year terms and a more powerful foreign policy chief who answers to the EU governments but is a member of the European Commission, the EU executive. That person will get control over the EU's aid budget and its extensive network of diplomats and civil servants. Although the title "European foreign minister" is dropped, the arrangements should counter the old American gripe of "who do you call when you want to speak to Europe?"

___

SMALLER EUROPEAN COMMISSION:

The EU executive office will be cut from the current 27 members to 17 as of 2014. Commissioners will be selected on a rotation system among the states, and will sit for five-year terms.

___

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT:

The European Parliament gets more power _ especially in justice and interior affairs _ to influence or reject EU legislation. The EU assembly will have its membership capped at 751 members from the current 785, which would mean fewer seats for 17 of the 27 EU nations.

___

DECISION-MAKING:

A new, fairer voting system comes into play in 2014: as of then a decision is passed if 55 percent of the EU states representing more than 65 percent of the bloc's population (now 490 million) agree.

The treaty will mean the EU can take decisions by majority rather than unanimous voting in 50 new areas including judicial and police cooperation, education and economic policy. Britain and Ireland get opt-outs in judicial and police areas. Unanimity is still required in foreign and defense policy, social security, taxation and culture. National parliaments get more oversight powers of EU legislation. The treaty elevates energy and fighting climate change to formal EU policy areas and makes it possible for members to leave the EU, if they so wish.

Also: If anyone can get a million signatures on a petition asking for EU law in a specific area, the European Commission must draft such legislation.

___

NEXT STEP:

Nations will have until June 2009 to complete ratification in time for EU-wide elections to the European Parliament.

Perofrming for Children Gives Instant Feedback

Performing in children's theater (that is, theater for childrenrather than theater by children) isn't as easy as you might think.

"You get immediate feedback," says Edward Kerros, co-artisticdirector of the Papai Players, a company in the northwest suburbs."You will know right away if they are with you or if they arebored."

The Papai Players do seven or eight shows per season and canuse actors at all experience levels (see audition notice below)."You must be free on Saturdays and Sundays and also some weekdays,"says Kerros. The base pay is about $35 per performance, but can goup to $70 per performance for touring shows.

The troupe now is offering "Winnie the Pooh," "Snow White,""Pinocchio" and "The Velveteen Rabbit."

Another company offering theater for children is AlphaBet SoupProductions. Based at Lewis University in Romeoville, AlphaBet Soupalso has touring companies performing at the Candlelight ForumTheatre, Triton College, the Museum of Science and Industry andPheasant Run Theatre.

"We use both singers and non-singers, but all our actors mustbe out of school," says Mark Pence, who, with Susan Holm, serves asowner, producer, director and writer. "We do from three to sevenshows per week, most of them in the day, and the pay can range from$15 per performance on up based on tenure with the company."

AlphaBet Soup is offering "Hansel and Gretel Go Cajun," "ThreeLittle Pigs or Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf," "Pinocchio" and"Alice in Wonderland."

AlphaBet Soup auditions in September and February. "This is agreat training ground for actors," says Pence. AUDITIONS The Papai Players will hold auditions from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Dec. 9.Seeking men and women over 18. Must have strong musical theaterbackground, be available weekdays and Saturday mornings and own acar. Prepare 16 bars up-tempo and ballad and a two-minute comicmonologue from a play or story. For appointments call (312)202-8487. Walt Disney World, Florida, will hold auditions inChicago for male and female actors as well as choral singers. Allmust be at least 18 years old. Actors should prepare a one-minutecomic monologue and bring picture and resume. If you sing, prepareone up-tempo song and bring sheet music. Choral singers shouldpresent two short vocal selections showing range, style andversatility. Bring sheet music, picture and resume. Auditionswill be held Saturday at Columbia College, 72 E. 11th St. Choralsingers will be seen at 11 a.m., male actors at 1 p.m. and femaleactors at 3 p.m. No appointments. Very good pay plus benefits. Forinformation call the recorded message at (407) 345-5701. Do notcall Columbia. The Illinois Theatre Center in Park Forest will holdauditions for "The African Company Presents Richard III" from noon to2 p.m. Monday at the Theatre Building, 1225 W. Belmont. Seeking twoAfrican-American women, one 35-50 and one to play 25; twoAfrican-American men, one 35-45 and one 50-65, and two Caucasian men,35-45. Prepare a two-minute Shakespearean monologue. There is pay.For appointments call (708) 481-3510. Elgin Community Theatre is seeking men and women, all ages andtypes, and one teenage boy for "On Golden Pond." Auditions will beat 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at the offices of Contec, 364 Divisionin Elgin. No appointments. No pay. For information call (708)741-0532. Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre is seeking African-Americanmen and women, all ages and types, and one Caucasian man, early 50s,for "Joe Turner's Come and Gone." Auditions will be from 7:30 to9:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at 2010 Dewey, Evanston. Prepare atwo-minute monologue. No pay. Appointments are suggested. Call(708) 328-5740.

Call the Casting Call Hotline at (312) or (708) 976-CAST(updated Monday and Thursday). Cost is 30 cents per minute. Thehotline is not connected to the Chicago Sun-Times in any way.

Croatian parliamentary election gives no clear winner, results show

Both sides in Croatia's close-fought parliamentary elections began talks to form a government Monday, but the ruling conservatives appeared better equipped to muster a coalition to lead the ex-Yugoslav country into the European Union.

Both Prime Minister Ivo Sanader's Croatian Democratic Union and opposition center-left Social Democrats fell short of the estimated 77 deputies required for a majority in parliament in Sunday's election and began wooing allies on Monday.

Both leaders claimed they would make it but analysts believe Sanader's party has more chance.

Sanader's party, known by its acronym HDZ, was to get 61 deputies and the Social Democrats 56, the state-run Electoral Commission said with 99 percent of votes counted.

HDZ is likely to add five to six seats won by Croats living abroad, HDZ's traditional voters' base, giving him 66 seats.

The Social Democrats, or SDP, could get a total of 66 deputies as well with its two certain leftist allies, but that alliance would require some deals and concessions.

President Stipe Mesic said he would give a mandate to the one that provides "convincing evidence" that it has a majority in parliament.

Croatia's pro-Western course is not at stake and the new government is expected to lead the ex-Yugoslav nation into the EU by 2010.

The EU official in charge of the bloc's enlargement, Olli Rehn, said: "I trust the future government will strive for EU membership and work on fulfilling the necessary criteria" required for membership.

Sanader declared victory around midnight and his spokesman, Ratko Macek said the HDZ has "greater coalition capital. We should get a mandate."

The HDZ said European and regional leaders, including German chancellor Angela Merkel and Rehn, congratulated Sanader.

The Social Democrats, or SDP, was not giving up. Its leader, Zoran Milanovic, said Monday the party "started gathering support for forming a new government."

The kingmakers are the eight deputies of the third-strongest coalition of Liberals and the Peasants Party and 13 others from various small parties.

Political analyst Davor Gjenero believes Sanader is an experienced negotiator more skillful at sealing coalition deals.

"He is no longer Mr. Hyde, as in the pre-election campaign," when he alienated smaller parties, Gjenero said. "He's Dr. Jekyll again, a fine gentleman who negotiates with gentlemen."

Most Croatian newspapers say that HDZ is likely to win the mandate.

Whoever leads the new government will have the tough task of delivering on pre-election promises: to overhaul the economy to reduce the 14-percent unemployment and raise the average monthly wage of 4,900 kuna (euro670; US$980).

It will also have to tackle corruption _ a problem the EU says it must resolve before joining the bloc.

The new government would also need to speed up reforms needed to reach EU membership in three years and be invited next year, as expected, to join NATO.

President Mesic said late Sunday that whoever wins, "it would have a strong opposition, which is good for democracy."

Sanader's party _ then run by nationalists _ ruled for a decade until the Social Democrats seized power in 2000 to turn Croatia to the West. In 2003, the HDZ returned to government, with Sanader transforming the party to continue Croatia's pro-Western makeover.

Violence in Algeria leaves 5 dead

Algerian security forces killed three suspected terrorists in a sweep in the east of the country, while Islamic extremists disguised as police killed two communal guards at a fake checkpoint, official and independent media reported Sunday.

The three suspected insurgents were killed in a shootout early Saturday during a sweep by army and police in the Tebessa region, some 600 kilometers (370 miles) east of capital, the state-run APS news agency said. It did not give their identities but said two of the slain men were accused of having previously killed a security officer.

A security official declined to say whether there were any casualties among security forces or if arrests had been made during the sweep.

Separately on Saturday, militants killed two communal guards at a fake check point near Tizi Ouzou, some 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Algiers, independent media reported.

The daily newspaper Liberte quoted local security sources as saying the Islamist militants were dressed in stolen uniforms when they stopped a bus to check passengers' identities.

Two passengers belonged to the communal guards, an armed citizens' unit that supplements police in rural areas. The two men were executed on the spot, Liberte and other newspapers reported.

Similar killings of communal guards or security forces have been reported in various parts of the country in recent weeks.

Violence has dramatically increased in Algeria since 2006 when a leftover militant group from a 15-year-old Islamic insurgency joined forces with al-Qaida under the name Al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa.

A string of bombings and attacks killed over 100 people in August alone, according to an Associated Press count.

The insurgency began in 1992 when the army canceled national elections to squelch a likely victory by Muslim fundamentalists. The insurgency had been reduced to sporadic violence but returned as a threat when the Salafist Group of Call and Combat was reborn as an al-Qaida affiliate.

Janet Jackson delays 3 more shows due to illness

Janet Jackson has postponed three more shows because of an undisclosed illness.

Her publicist said in an e-mail late Saturday that Jackson was postponing a Saturday show in Greensboro, N.C., one on Sunday in Atlanta and a third on Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale.

A statement from Jackson said she arrived in Greensboro, N.C., hoping to perform there Saturday, but a local doctor advised that she not perform after it became "evident" she was not fully recovered.

Representatives for the 42-year-old singer say she became "suddenly ill" and was hospitalized Monday night in Montreal shortly after she arrived for a show. She also canceled concerts in Boston and Philadelphia on Wednesday and Thursday.

Jackson's publicist did not elaborate Saturday, only saying she was "recuperating." The note said Jackson will return home, at her doctor's direction, for further treatment.

In the note Jackson asked people to keep their tickets for the postponed shows, and said the promoter is working to reschedule dates.

Jackson is on her first North American tour in seven years.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Olympic, world champion boxer Parlov dies at 59

Mate Parlov, an Olympic and world champion boxer from the former Yugoslavia, has died, sports officials said Wednesday. He was 59.

Parlov died late Tuesday, five months after being diagnosed with lung cancer. The Croatian died in a hospital in his hometown of Pula.

Parlov was regarded as one of the best sportsmen to come from the former Yugoslavia, which Croatia was part of until 1991.

He won the light heavyweight gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and was also a two-time European amateur champion and the 1974 world champion.

As a professional, he won the WBC light heavyweight title.

SURVIVING THE AVALANCHE DEMOCRATS: 10 SIMPLE STEPS TO RECOVERY.(COMMENTARY)

Byline: MARGARET EDDS

RICHMOND -- A post-election message to distraught Democrats wandering Capitol Hill with the vacant stares of avalanche survivors: Buck up. The sun still rises.

Even after Tuesday's wipeout, your prospects certainly don't look any more bleak than Gov. George F. Allen's did in the spring of 1993 when he faced an incumbent who controlled all the money, all the polls and the entire state power structure. He won. You can too.

But first, the party needs to do an enormous amount of soul-searching. Consider it an opportunity. Here's some advice on getting started.

1. If you've forgotten or never knew, decide what you believe. And - unless you're talking individual rights - it can't be ``the government that governs best governs least.'' The Republicans already took that one.

This is critical. The party's nominees for governor in 1993 and 1997 have been fine people. But a clear sense of line-in-the-sand, no-retreat philosophical underpinnings has been conspicuously absent.

2. Recognize that ``You're the underdog, stupid.'' Start acting like it. That means you have to be bolder, think smarter and hustle faster than the Republicans. Even then, you may not win. But it's a sure thing that you won't if you don't.

3. Generate some new ideas, based on turn-of-the-century realities. (Turn of the next century, that is.) This would seem to be obvious; judging from recent Democratic campaigns, it isn't.

For example, Democrat Don Beyer's plan to raise teacher salaries to the national average was Chuck Robb's plan when he ran for governor in 1981. It sounded fresh then. It had a ``been-there-done-that'' ring in 1997.

But if Beyer had coupled the ``carrot'' with a fully fleshed-out plan for elevating good teachers and culling out bad ones, it might have resonated with a public deep into accountability.

4. Puh-leez. Lay off Pat Robertson and abortion rights. You cannot, to use a phrase coined by a former governor on another matter, keep ``chewing on that old rag'' year after year after year.

If the Supreme Court changes the lay of the land on abortion or if Robertson influences a Republican governor to act outrageously, then go for it. Until then, it's like trotting out the same spook Halloween after Halloween.

Scared the first time. Bored the second. Irritated the third.

5. In keeping with the last suggestion, rely less on national consultants and more on home-grown ones. Boyd Marcus, who ran Gov.-elect James S. Gilmore III's campaign, had the advantage of knowing and understanding the state over the long haul. It showed.

6. Find a way of building some enthusiasm and competition into the nominating process. Former party Chairman Paul Goldman is touting a return to primary elections. There are some disadvantages in terms of cost and airing your dirty linen in public. But the recent alternative - deadly dull conventions where the torch is passed to an heir apparent - isn't working.

7. Elevate 3rd District Rep. Robert C. Scott's role in state party affairs. Your African-American base needs energizing, and Scott is a good person to light the fuse. If former Gov. Doug Wilder is determined to go elsewhere, let him go.

8. Take heart from the fact that the public still thinks Democrats are stronger than Republicans on education issues, and from your demographic advantage among women. You can gain a toehold if you concentrate (creatively) on what young, working families care about most: their children.

Solid messages on taxes and crime are fine. But you're treading on Republican turf. You center a campaign there at your own peril.

9. Don't appear obstructionist. Rather than waste time explaining Tuesday's losses on the basis of out-of-state GOP money or a teeny turnout or fuzzy planning, accept the outcome. Virginians voted for a reduction in the personal property tax on cars and trucks. Help them get one. But put your own stamp on it, if you can. And make sure voters understand the tradeoffs in education and roads and other services.

10. Finally, come to terms with the fact that Republicans may do it right. If Governor-elect Gilmore governs from the center with compassion and common sense, celebrate Virginia's good fortune and enjoy the time with your families.

But if you suspect that, down the road, intraparty GOP feuds will surface or stagnation will set in or services will slip, then be ready. The odds are good that Democrats will one day find there's life after Tuesday's death.

SURVIVING THE AVALANCHE DEMOCRATS: 10 SIMPLE STEPS TO RECOVERY.(COMMENTARY)

Byline: MARGARET EDDS

RICHMOND -- A post-election message to distraught Democrats wandering Capitol Hill with the vacant stares of avalanche survivors: Buck up. The sun still rises.

Even after Tuesday's wipeout, your prospects certainly don't look any more bleak than Gov. George F. Allen's did in the spring of 1993 when he faced an incumbent who controlled all the money, all the polls and the entire state power structure. He won. You can too.

But first, the party needs to do an enormous amount of soul-searching. Consider it an opportunity. Here's some advice on getting started.

1. If you've forgotten or never knew, decide what you believe. And - unless you're talking individual rights - it can't be ``the government that governs best governs least.'' The Republicans already took that one.

This is critical. The party's nominees for governor in 1993 and 1997 have been fine people. But a clear sense of line-in-the-sand, no-retreat philosophical underpinnings has been conspicuously absent.

2. Recognize that ``You're the underdog, stupid.'' Start acting like it. That means you have to be bolder, think smarter and hustle faster than the Republicans. Even then, you may not win. But it's a sure thing that you won't if you don't.

3. Generate some new ideas, based on turn-of-the-century realities. (Turn of the next century, that is.) This would seem to be obvious; judging from recent Democratic campaigns, it isn't.

For example, Democrat Don Beyer's plan to raise teacher salaries to the national average was Chuck Robb's plan when he ran for governor in 1981. It sounded fresh then. It had a ``been-there-done-that'' ring in 1997.

But if Beyer had coupled the ``carrot'' with a fully fleshed-out plan for elevating good teachers and culling out bad ones, it might have resonated with a public deep into accountability.

4. Puh-leez. Lay off Pat Robertson and abortion rights. You cannot, to use a phrase coined by a former governor on another matter, keep ``chewing on that old rag'' year after year after year.

If the Supreme Court changes the lay of the land on abortion or if Robertson influences a Republican governor to act outrageously, then go for it. Until then, it's like trotting out the same spook Halloween after Halloween.

Scared the first time. Bored the second. Irritated the third.

5. In keeping with the last suggestion, rely less on national consultants and more on home-grown ones. Boyd Marcus, who ran Gov.-elect James S. Gilmore III's campaign, had the advantage of knowing and understanding the state over the long haul. It showed.

6. Find a way of building some enthusiasm and competition into the nominating process. Former party Chairman Paul Goldman is touting a return to primary elections. There are some disadvantages in terms of cost and airing your dirty linen in public. But the recent alternative - deadly dull conventions where the torch is passed to an heir apparent - isn't working.

7. Elevate 3rd District Rep. Robert C. Scott's role in state party affairs. Your African-American base needs energizing, and Scott is a good person to light the fuse. If former Gov. Doug Wilder is determined to go elsewhere, let him go.

8. Take heart from the fact that the public still thinks Democrats are stronger than Republicans on education issues, and from your demographic advantage among women. You can gain a toehold if you concentrate (creatively) on what young, working families care about most: their children.

Solid messages on taxes and crime are fine. But you're treading on Republican turf. You center a campaign there at your own peril.

9. Don't appear obstructionist. Rather than waste time explaining Tuesday's losses on the basis of out-of-state GOP money or a teeny turnout or fuzzy planning, accept the outcome. Virginians voted for a reduction in the personal property tax on cars and trucks. Help them get one. But put your own stamp on it, if you can. And make sure voters understand the tradeoffs in education and roads and other services.

10. Finally, come to terms with the fact that Republicans may do it right. If Governor-elect Gilmore governs from the center with compassion and common sense, celebrate Virginia's good fortune and enjoy the time with your families.

But if you suspect that, down the road, intraparty GOP feuds will surface or stagnation will set in or services will slip, then be ready. The odds are good that Democrats will one day find there's life after Tuesday's death.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Yellow Jackets hope to make Eagles one-dimensional in WVC showdown: ; West Virginia Conference notes

West Virginia State sack specialist Elisha Merchant will take onelook across the line on Saturday and see the University ofCharleston's unique triple-gun offense.

"Our goal on defense is to make every team one-dimensional," saidMerchant, whose Yellow Jackets visit the University of Charleston ina 1 p.m. game on Saturday that is free to the public.

Merchant has 13 career sacks in just his second year, but onlyone of those has come against the run-happy UC offense.

How it will affect Merchant's ability to rush the passer isanybody's guess, but the Golden Eagles don't pass as much as otherteams in the West Virginia Conference.

Charleston is fourth in …

Kathie Lee Gifford has re-signed with Buena Vista Television.(Brief Article)

Kathie Lee Gifford has re-signed with Bum Vista Television for another season as co-host of the popular syndicated …

YOGA IS FASHIONING ITS MANTRA INTO ACTIVE WEAR BY TRACY ACHOR HAYES THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS.(LIFE & LEISURE)

When Johnny Depp remodeled Sunset Strip's Viper Room last January, the $200-a-ticket sellout celebration was a benefit not for drug abuse or Kosovo, but a Los Angeles yoga studio. Gurmukh Kaur, the Center for Living's white-turbaned founder, arrived by limo -- in a blaze of camera strobes -- with one of her students, singer Courtney Love.

``What she does is kundalini yoga,'' Love told a reporter covering the bash for fashion-bible Women's Wear Daily. ``It's better for me than Prozac -- and the clothes are nice, too.''

Love is hardly the only celebrity singing the praises of yoga -- or helping to catapult the 5,000-year-old practice onto the cutting edge.

Madonna has become the well-muscled poster child for vigorous ashtanga, or power yoga. The Aug. 5 cover of Rolling Stone features …

AP Investigation: Calif. pension bonuses examined

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As its investment portfolio was losing nearly a quarter of its value, the country's largest public pension fund doled out six-figure bonuses and substantial raises to its top employees, an analysis by The Associated Press has found.

Board member Tony Olivera said the California Public Employees' Retirement System tried to reduce the bonuses but was under contractual obligations to pay them.

CalPERS' plunging value came as stock values tumbled around the world, the state's economy suffered its worst decline in decades and basic state services faced severe budget cuts.

Virtually all of CalPERS' investment managers were awarded bonuses of more than …

Finney, judge: 'Time to end desegregation'

Agreeing that it's time to retire "Big Brother" from the classrooms, Rev. Dr. Leon Finney Jr. agreed with U.S. District Court Judge Charles Kocoras, who Tuesday said it's time to end the Chicago Public Schools' (CPS) desegregation case.

Both Kocoras and Finney, who is president of The Woodlawn Organization (T.W.O.), and former chair of the Monitoring Commission for School Desegregation for the Chicago Public Schools from 1980-1985, said that the time is ripe to end the federal 24-year-old case because it's no longer needed.

"Things cannot go on forever," said Kocoras, adding: "It is time for Big Brother to bow out."

Their remarks come on the heels of the CPS releasing …

FDA opposes Oregon GM labeling initiative. (Business & Finance News).(Brief Article)

Officials at FDA are opposing a ballot initiative in Oregon that calls for mandatory labeling of foods containing genetically modified (GM) ingredients. Labeling requirements in the state would "impermissibly interfere' with the ability of food manufacturers to market their products, and may violate rules protecting interstate commerce, FDA said in an October 7 letter to Oregon Governor John Kitzaber (D.).

Biotech and food companies oppose mandatory labels, and have raised at least $4.6 million to fund an …

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Research conducted at M.A. Martin and co-authors has provided new information about agricultural and food chemistry.

According to a study from Madrid, Spain, "Soluble melanoidins from biscuits were enzymatically solubilized and isolated by sequential ultrafiltration and separated by molecular mass in three different fractions, below 3 kDa, between 3 and 10 kDa, and over 10 kDa; the latter was subsequently digested by simulating gastric plus pancreatic digestive conditions. The four fractions were investigated for their protective effect against an oxidative challenge in HepG2 cells."

"Pretreatment of cells for 20 h with 0.5-10 mu g/mL of any of the four fractions prevented the increased cell damage evoked by the challenge but, except for the intermediate size fraction, did not …

NEW TAX LAW TO PROMPT MAD FLURRY OF SOLICITATION.(Main)

Byline: Anne Swardson

In the next month or so, Americans can expect to find their mailboxes stuffed with solicitations from universities, museums, religious groups, arts organizations and charities. All will carry the same message: Give now while the giving is good.

Charitable institutions are telling millions of contributors, some in not- so-subtle terms, that provisions of the tax-overhaul bill signed into law by President Reagan Wednesday will make donations more costly on an after-tax basis, effective next year.

"TAX ALERT," blares the headline of a flyer from Wellesley College, replete with a six-column table indicating that the after-tax cost of giving could rise …

FIRE DAMAGES SCHENECTADY BUILDING.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: CAROL DEMARE Staff writer

SCHENECTADY Firefighters made quick work of a raging apartment building fire early Wednesday, while paramedics successfully revived two pet cats that were overcome in the suspicious Warren Street blaze.

All of the people who lived in the six apartments in the three-story brick structure at 419 Warren St. evacuated safely, some using the fire escape. One firefighter, Scott Doherty, was treated for neck burns at Ellis Hospital and released, according to Assistant Fire Chief Bob Farstad.

Capt. Rod Rosate and Lt. Mark Fragomeni rescued one of the cats, Farstad said. He didn't know who rescued the other. Once …

At a glance.(Marketing)(Ian Beavis, Mitsubishi Motors North America )(Brief Article)

Name: Ian Beavis

Age: 50

Title: Senior vice president of marketing, Mitsubishi …

Egypt tourism receipts slip nearly 30 pct in 2011

CAIRO (AP) — Revenues from Egypt's vital tourism sector plunged almost 30 percent last year, dragged down by the unrest following the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak, the government said Thursday. The shortfall has forced the country to turn to the International Monetary Fund to bridge a burgeoning budget deficit.

The decline in revenues caused by near-daily protests and strikes underscores the challenges as its military rulers and the interim government plot a course toward handing over power to an elected civilian administration.

Tourism Minister Mounir Abdel-Nour said that the number of tourists who came to Egypt in 2011 dropped by over 33 percent — to 9.8 million …

Banking veteran joins the team at Swedish group

which has prompted many new inquiries from individuals andcorporate customers alike."

Handelsbanken defied the credit crunch and continued to expandthroughout 2008 by opening 14 new branches in the UK. Its Bathbranch now serves 160 customers, including companies and privateclients such as solicitors, accountants, dentists and consultants.

Bristol branch manager Martin Fey said: "Long term, the UK isseen as Handelsbanken's number one growth market in the world.

"It remains committed to expanding its presence here in thefuture."

A veteran banking expert with more than 40 years' experience isjoining one of Bath's youngest banks.

Senior corporate …

Lava lights. (art exhibition venue at Naples, Italy)

Naples, like Los Angeles and Mexico City, has always existed in a state of postmodernity, a stratified agglomerate on the brink of natural catastrophe. The fact that the city sits geographically "under the volcano" has become a metaphor for its culture and its life. One lives there in constant expectation; anything can happen at any time. This is why Naples is simultaneously chaotic and a laboratory for the possible.

The Casina Pompeiana is a case in point. Artists Eugenio Giliberti and Nino Longobardi and filmmaker Mario Franco managed to convince the Municipality of Naples - specifically the "Assessorato all'Identita" (Identity office), perhaps the only government …

Saturday, March 3, 2012

EMPLOYER FLEXIBILITY HELPS MOTHERS GIVE THEIR BEST.(CAPITALAND RPT)

Byline: PAUL GRONDAHL Staff writer

Meryl Brown has managed to mesh her dual roles as full-time banking professional and mother of two young boys.

What makes that possible is a flexible work schedule she has arranged with her employer, FleetBoston Financial Inc., which operates 49 Fleet Bank branches in the Capital Region.

Fleet was among the companies with local operations that were named to Working Mother magazine's 2001 list of ``100 Best Companies for Working Mothers'' for progressive policies and benefits that foster a better balance between work and home.

Among the others honored were MetLife Inc., which employs 300 in its Rensselaer Information Systems Center in Rensselaer Technology Park in North Greenbush, and …

European operator pledges to bring in 20,000 visitors.

Byline: Achadtaya Chuenniran

Aug. 13--PHUKET -- The European tour operator Thomas Cook has pledged to bring around 20,000 international tourists from Europe to Phuket this November.

Peter Fankhauser, deputy chief executive officer of the British travel giant, said after a recent visit to Phuket that the firm would promote tourist attractions and about 70 hotel sites in Phuket as well as other Andaman provinces in its brochures at Thomas Cook outlets around the world.

From November, Thomas Cook clients will arrive in Phuket by three airline flights a week, two from Germany and one from Belgium. The estimated 20,000 visitors in the groups will be more …

Yum bumps dividend and shares hit 52-week high

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Yum Brands Inc. has increased its quarterly dividend by 19 percent, the company said Tuesday.

The operator of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver's said its consistent performance and substantial …

West Coast Art & Frame Show Returns to Las Vegas.

LYNBROOK, N.Y.--Picture Framing Magazine, Art Trends and Digital Fine Art have announced the return of the West Coast Art & Frame Show. Schedule to kick off the new year, the show will take place Jan. 15 to 17 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino and will feature more than 250 booths showcasing art, framing products and equipment and digital art.

A portion of the show will be focused on education and will …

PULITZERS HONOR PRESS'S FINEST.(Main)

Byline: Harry Rosenfeld Editor

The Pulitzer prizes for journalism passed through their third stage last week, with one more to go before the winners are announced in the spring.

Some 65 writers and editors came together on the campus of Columbia University for three days to judge the entries submitted for this year's awards.

The first stage took place in 1986 when the work was done. The second stage came earlier this year, when editors at the various publications selected their entries. The third stage was the consideration of the entries by the jurors.

Jurors were divided into groups of five, each with a chairman or chairwoman, to consider 13 separate categories. These ranged from public service, which brings the winning publication a gold medal, through investigative reporting, explanatory journalism, commentary, criticism and so on. My assignment was international reporting.

That was a lucky draw, not only because I have spent much of my working life in foreign news (at the New …

Free boilerbooklet.(CHEMICAL ENGINEERING's Literature Review)

Topogo-E Gasket Co. is offering a free booklet that details important facts about boilers in 15 illustrated pages. With an accent on safe operations of properly installed no-leak rubber formulations to steam-safety pop values. Another premium available free from the company …

Key fumble recovery results in 2 big losses

MIAMI The Bears' defense produced a big play Sunday night inMiami, but it also proved to be costly.

Safety John Mangum picked up a fumble by the Dolphins' KarimAbdul-Jabbar and returned it 59 yards to the Miami 1. Raymont Harrisscored on a one-yard plunge two plays later.

But the defense lost two starters on the return. Safety MartyCarter and linebacker Sean Harris both will have MRIs performed oninjured knees today.Carter's injury was not caused by contact - he said he just tooka bad step while making the tackle on Abdul-Jabbar. Harris got hiton the play."With Marty, they don't think it was ligaments because he wasmoving it, but it is getting tight right …

GOVERNMENT ACTION.(CAPITAL REGION)

Brittonkill SchoolsThursday, Aug. 23Action Items: Approved a $7.17 million tax levy for 2001-02.0 Authorized the $973,150 reconstruction of school buildings, including site improvements, furnishings, equipment and machinery. Authorized purchase of a 2001 Chevrolet suburban bus for $30,970 from DePaula Chevrolet Inc. Denied a request for a leave of absence by physical education teacher Michael DeAngelis for 2001-02. Appointed Deborah A. Etman, substitute bus driver. Accepted the resignations of Joe Comito, …