четверг, 15 марта 2012 г.

Air India bomb builder released on bail

The British Columbia Court of Appeals on Wednesday ordered the only man convicted in the 1985 bombing of an Air India flight released on bail, freeing him at least temporarily after more than two decades in prison.

Convicted bomb-maker Inderjit Singh Reyat served his entire sentence for convictions related to the Air India explosion that killed more than 200 people off the coast of Ireland and a fatal blast the same day at the Narita airport in Japan. But he remained behind bars facing perjury charges for allegedly lying during the trial of two men accused of taking part in the plot. Both were acquitted.

The British Columbia Supreme Court had earlier denied …

Daley's right on 'big-box' law

On July 26 the City Council voted to supersede the U.S.government, which, under the Fair Labor Standards Act (passed byCongress in 1938), has set minimum wages in the United States. Whilethey were ruminating over this issue, Council members votedthemselves substantial raises, to compensate for the "heavy lifting"involved in the vote.

The issue? The wages of the so-called big-box employers, such asWal-Mart, which have time-honored and carefully calculated wage ratesbased upon the usual criteria -- i.e., difficulty of the job, arearates and past experience in the same or similar job.

Why would City Council members decide to take this one on? Perhapsbecause of …

Vieillissement, parcours de trajet et compétence environnementale

R�sum�

Notre recherche se situe dans une perspective environnementale et se propose, d'une part, d'�valuer les comp�tences macrospatiales mises en oeuvre par les adultes �g�s lorsqu'ils sont confront�s � une t�che de parcours de trajet dans un environnement r�el inconnu et, d'autre part, de cerner les liens que ces comp�tences peuvent entretenir avec l'�valuation par l'adulte lui-m�me de ses propres comp�tences environnementales. Soixante femmes fran�aises, �g�es de 71 � 92 ans, ont �t� amen�es � (a) effectuer un trajet en se rep�rant � l'aide d'un plan con�u pour notre recherche et (b) remplir la sous-�chelle � Parcours de trajet � de l'�chelle de comp�tence environnementale de …

Rights group calls on army to fire chief rabbi

An Israeli rights group is calling on the army to fire its chief rabbi for "incitement" ahead of Israel's recent Gaza offensive.

In a letter sent by the Yesh Din group to Israel's defense minister and military chief of staff, the group cites passages from a booklet it says was prepared by the office of the chief military rabbi. The group says the booklet was passed on by troops who received it on the eve …

среда, 14 марта 2012 г.

Ex-Jodeci members face tax charges

RALEIGH, N.C.--R&B crooners K-Ci and JoJo are free on bail afterbeing arrested on tax evasion charges.

The brothers, who built their career as part of the early 1990sgroup Jodeci, were released from jail Sunday. They're charged withfailing to pay taxes due to North Carolina for shows they performedin the state during 1999, 2000 and 2001, said their lawyer, JamesWilliams. Neither brother was aware of owing the state money,Williams said.

"Both of these young men, as artists, do not handle their ownaffairs. They were victimized," he said. "The best I can discern,their main problem is that they changed accountants. It's just amatter of paperwork that needs to be filed …

Wise plugs image-boosting campaign: Five companies vie for contract to promote state; plan may not take hold

DAILY MAIL BUSINESS EDITOR

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS - Gov. Bob Wise used an appearance at theBusiness Summit to promote a plan to spend $3 million annually on anadvertising campaign aimed at boosting the state's image.

"We should be telling the story of where we're making gains," Wisesaid Wednesday in a speech that highlighted the state's successesduring his four-year term. "That's why I fought in the lastlegislative session to get a stream of revenue for promotion."

Wise proposed that $3 million of lottery proceeds that previouslywent to tourism be shifted to the development office and the lastsession of the Legislature agreed.

Before the change, the state …

Bombings, shooting kill 6 Iraqi soldiers, police; Sunni Arab leader alleges house arrest

A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol in a Sunni-dominated neighborhood of Baghdad killed two officers on Sunday, while a third officer in the neighborhood was shot to death on his way to work, police said. North of Baghdad, another roadside bomb struck an Iraqi army patrol, killing three soldiers, an officer said.

Violence in Iraq has dropped to levels not seen since January 2006, just before the bombing of a Shiite mosque in Samarra unleashed large-scale sectarian bloodshed that left thousands dead. But roadside bombings, targeted killings and abductions remain daily occurrences, and American officials have warned that without progress toward power-sharing …

Burr, Henry (Harry H. McClaskey)

Burr, Henry (Harry H. McClaskey), popular Canadian ballad singer; b. St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Can., Jan. 15, 1882; d. Chicago, April 6, 1941. Burr is said to have appeared on upwards of 12, 000 recordings, making his tenor voice the most-recorded in history. He was second only to Billy Murray as the most successful recording artist of the first two decades of the 20th century in the U.S., reportedly selling ten million records

Burr made his debut in 1898 and moved to N.Y. to study voice after being discovered by Giuseppe Companari, formerly of the Metropolitan Opera. He turned to popular music when he began recording in 1903, assuming his …

"Understanding Iran" study series available

Briefly noted

LOUISVILLE, KY.-"Understanding Iran," a three-part study series that introduces the people, culture, history, politics and religion of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is now available from The Thoughtful Christian, an ecumenical, online resource centre of studies for adults and youths maintained by Westminster John Knox Press, the publishing house of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The series raises timely and urgent questions about the relationship between the United States and Iran, the purported development of nuclear weapons by Iran, the distinctives of Shia Islam that dominates Iran, and the need for better …

NHL Playoff Scoring Leaders

GP G A PTS

Clowe, SJ 5 4 4 8

Iginla, Cal 5 3 5 8

Crosby, Pit 4 2 6 8

Jagr, NYR 5 2 6 8

Ribeiro, Dal 5 2 6 8

Briere, Phi 4 5 2 7

Gomez, NYR 5 3 4 7

Malkin, Pit 4 2 5 7

Elias, NJ 5 4 2 …

You spend 17 years of your life on the sofa

We All love to relax on the sofa after a long day at work.

In fact, we love it so much that we spend 17 years of our lifethere, according to a new study.

Watching television takes up a massive 20 hours a week of sofatime for the average person.

Reading takes up seven hours and eating six hours.

At weekends we will spend a whopping 19 hours watching Saturdaynight and Sunday morning telly.

But Mary Brown, a psychologist at Robert Gordon University, saidwe should spend time doing nothing.

She said: "I mean literally doing nothing.

"To recharge our batteries we need to do nothing rather thanbeing distracted by watching …

Powder coatings market: Tough as nails

The U.S. powder coatings market generated $727 million in 2002, up 4.9% from 2001 and will nearly double over the next 6 years, reaching $1.1 billion in 2009, according to a recent report (#A390) from market research firm, Frost & Sullivan (F&S; San Jose, CA; www.chemicals. frost.com). Not a bad forecast for an industry that flirts with flooded markets and barely falls short of its goods being labeled as "commodities."

"One driver is end-users' attraction to powder coatings' environmental friendliness," observes F&S analyst and report author, Sumathi Rengarajan. "The ingredients of powder coatings are not among those listed in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA; …

Home'S The Word For A Modern-Day Mum

At long last the parents of children in North Central Bristol havebeen granted the building of the much-needed new secondary school toserve Bishopston, Redland and Henleaze.

For generations, children in this area have had to trek in alldirections to different parts of the city upon reaching the age of11.

Bristol City Council is to be congratulated on this occasion, forlistening to public opinion, expert consultation and considering theurgent need to push up the These days, many women return to theworkplace after having children. But according to a BristolUniversity study, attitudes to family life are changing, with moremothers wanting to stay at home, reports JOANNA QUINN IT used to bethat women had to stop working once they had children and dedicatethemselves to family life.

Men were expected to bring home the bacon, while women kept thehome fires burning.

But thanks to the women's movement of the 1960s, these prescribedroles were over-turned, and by the time the executive 1980s rolledin, women were just as likely as men to be holding down high-poweredjobs and leaving the childcare to someone e l s e.

In fact, in recent years, attitudes seemed to reverse, with womenfeeling under pressure to keep up careers, meaning many returned towork almost as soon as they could.

But a new study by sociologists at the University of Bristolsuggests that today's young women see a combination of work andfamily life as the best option.

Two-thirds of the women interviewed said their ideal familysituation would be to give up work or work part-time and rely ontheir partner to bring in the money.

And despite being better educated and enjoying wider careeropportunities than previous generations, the city's young women alsocontinue to take responsibility for most housework and childcare.

Researchers interviewed 1,100 people aged between 20 and 34 forthe report Winners and Losers, funded by the Economic and SocialResearch Council.

A quarter of the young women in the survey said the ideal familyset-up would be to have the father working and the mother not, while38 per cent said the mother should work part-time and the father full-time.

The working mothers among those interviewed spoke of thefrustration of juggling motherhood and a career and said thatmanaging to do both was a real achievement.

But even though women said the idea of a male breadwinner wasoutdated, the sociologists found the division of labour in thehousehold had not changed and women still tended to take on thechores of housework and childcare.

Professor Harriet Bradley, co-author of the report, said: "Whatwe're saying is that it is very difficult to have a career and bringup small children.

"People maybe in the past minimised that difficulty. Now they arehaving a re-think." Professor Steve Fenton, another co-author, added:"Many young women have a surprisingly traditional view of the placeof mothers in the wo rk p l a c e. " One young mother interviewed inthe survey was 28-year-old Louise, from south Bristol. She had twochildren by age 18, but until her husband left her seven years agoshe had not worked. Now she supports her family with a part -timejob.

She said: "I always think that no one can bring up your childrenand look after them the way you can - that's why I wasn't interestedin getting any work when they were small.

"But my parents work and my sister works so there wasn't anyoneclose who could look after them." Another woman in the survey wasTamira, a 23-year old living in Easton.

She said: "My child and then my new child that's going to come -that is the main thing at the moment, I'm just basically living roundthat really.

"Work is also important, obviously, because the money comes in butI can't work full-time because of my baby and then I'm having anotherb aby. " Twenty-five-year-old Katrina, from Hartcliffe, said: "Myfamily are my first priority and my studies come second and the workhas to fit in.

"My family will always come first regardless and eventually workwill take the priority of where my studies come now." Commenting onthe report, Gill Keep, head of policy at the National Family andParenting Institute, said: "It might be that an emerging generationof mothers is not buying into the idea that the ultimate fulfilmentof women is to have a child and a full-time job." The study also saysthat young Bristol male and female workers are divided between aminority of stay-at-home types with little education and a majorityof adaptable careerists who move for the right job.

Professor Steve Fenton, co-author of the report, said:"Globalisation is forcing the workforce to become more adaptable, andmany young people will respond enthusiastically to such challeng es.

"But their attitude is shaped by their social class and the levelof their education. There is a significant number of young people whohave no wish to move beyond the community where they were brought up,perhaps because of family ties."

вторник, 13 марта 2012 г.

`Hail Mary' bedevils aldermen

Ald. Aloysius A. Majerczyk (12th) assured fellow members of theCity Council he wasn't asking for censorship.

But there stood Majerczyk, a former policeman, leading thecharge against the continued showing of Jean Luc-Godard's film, "HailMary."

"I'm not going to repeat the many reasons why the movie `HailMary' should not be shown in Chicago or anywhere else for thatmatter," Majerczyk growled.

Majerczyk was, of course, playing to a packed gallery offollowers who were in the Council chambers to register their supportfor him.

He went on to point out that Godard's modern dress portrayal ofthe Blessed Virgin's story is blasphemous.

"The story of the Blessed Virgin," he said, "is not one to bechanged by a moviemaker in the name of so-called art.

"If they can do that with the Blessed Virgin, they can do thatwith any historical figure they want."

For weeks, Majerczyk has been active with a group picketingFacets Multimedia on West Fullerton where "Hail Mary" has beenplaying.

The film, thanks to interest created by Majerczyk and hisfollowers, has been extended until April 24.

With help from Ald. Roman C. Pucinski (41st), Majer-czyksucceeded Tuesday in getting a resolution through the City Councildemanding that showing of the film be halted in Chicago.

There were other great and subtle thinkers in the Council whoalso stood up to be recognized for their advanced views.

For example, there was Ald. Burton F. Natarus (42nd), who willspeak any time a TV light goes on.

Natarus gave a typical Natarus speech. Everything he discusseson the floor takes on the seriousness of trying to save a wronglyaccused man on Death Row.

"Maybe there are some things so sacred and so holy theyshouldn't be depicted in this way," Natarus said. He was the onlyCity Council member who admitted seeing the film.

But he said he didn't like it. So now he wants to run it out oftown.

Ald. Ed H. Smith (28th) had an even better reason for kicking"Hail Mary" out of the city: "If the French want to show this film,let them take it to France."

I almost forgot Ald. George J. Hagopian (30th). He labored tohis feet and proclaimed that his ancestors in Armenia had beenmartyred for their faith.

What that had to do with censoring films in Chicago required abig leap of the imagination.

But I continued to pay careful attention because Hagopian speaksin public so rarely.

"I have read about `Hail Mary,' he said. "There is no way Iwould pay to see it."

From what we all know about Chicago aldermen there is no waythat most of them ever pay for anything, so what was different aboutthis film?

"I have seven children and 16 grandchildren," Hagopian said,"and there is no way in the world I would want any of them to seethis filth."

The problem for Hagopian, as with all other know-nothingaldermen involved in this unusual public display of ignorance, isthat they haven't seen the film.

They really didn't know what they were talking about. Theyrarely do. But this time, it was so much more obvious.

But since when has an alderman ever stopped talking justbecause he didn't know what he was talking about?

Ald. Lawrence S. Bloom (5th) was the only alderman who stood upto advise caution and restraint. He tried to be the voice of reason.

Bloom was all alone as he read to the indifferent Councilmembers a review of the film written by Roger Ebert of the ChicagoSun-Times.

The review took the form of a letter to Joseph CardinalBernardin pointing out that " Hail Mary" was neither a very good filmnor was it blasphemous.

Ebert gave the film 1 1/2 stars.

I'd give the Council a single star - for histrionics.

HINTON CHARTERHOUSE

Hall Cottage is an intriguing individual Grade II listed periodproperty, set within the popular village of Hinton Charterhouse tothe south of Bath.

This delightful attached period property dates back toapproximately 1480 and was extended in Georgian times. Charming andindividual, the property has retained many of its period featuressuch as original fireplace, working shutters, original exposedwooden floorboards, wood panelling and ceiling cornice.

The accommodation is evenly spread over two floors, now offeringa large kitchen/diner, a stunning 18ft living room with log burningstove, utility/bootroom, master bedroom with en suite shower room,three further bedrooms and a family bathroom. Externally theproperty benefits from one off road parking space and a level securegarden.

Hinton Charterhouse offers a series of good local amenities,including a village shop and Post Office which complement the twotraditional public houses, The Stag and The Rose and Crown.

Excellent walks are to be discovered in the surroundingcountryside which naturally leads into the Limpley Stoke Valley andto Wellow.

Agents Pritchards Contact 01225 466225 Price Pounds 395,000

IMF: confident Greece can return to markets during 3-year rescue loan program

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — IMF: confident Greece can return to markets during 3-year rescue loan program.

Angels 2, Mariners 1

58Angels 2, Mariners 1
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Keeping Standards High // In Chicago, Come to the Cabaret For 1st-Class Venues and Singers

Let's state this up front: Some people don't believe that there is acabaret scene to speak of in Chicago.

"It's dead, very dead, let's face it," said cabaret star AndreaMarcovicci, darling of New York's Algonquin Hotel, before her benefitshow at the Fairmont Hotel last week. "There are no hotels inChicago that present cabaret on an ongoing basis.

"And how fair is it to your followers to play little rooms likethe Gold Star Sardine Bar, where they can only get in 30 people anight?"In fact, seating at the Gold Star is more like 50. But howevermany people can be squeezed in, numbers aren't the best basis forcomparing the two cities' treatment of cabaret - in which the musicof Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and Jerome Kern,Harold Arlen and Stephen Sondheim is performed in intimate settingsby stylish singers.There are, to be sure, more cabaret artists of note in the BigApple, and more recordings released by them than their Windy Cityequivalents. But in preserving and even advancing this special formof popular music, Chicagoans more than hold their own.With the likes of Audrey Morris, Spider Saloff, Eden Atwood,Patricia Barber, Frank D'Rone, Jackie Allen, Lisa Lauren and NanMason, there is no shortage of talented singers here. And for allthe fame and Manhattan allure of clubs such as the Algonquin's OakRoom, there are at least as many first-class cabaret venues inChicago as in New York."For a singer, this is the only place to be," said Gold Starregular Eden Atwood, who lived in New York and has worked on bothcoasts. "Los Angeles is a cultural wasteland. There are only twoclubs where you can get steady work. In New York, you can playTavern on the Green, which is great, but then no one else will bookyou for six months."Chicago's steady cabaret venues, in addition to the Gold StarSardine Bar, include the Toulouse Cognac Room, Yvette Wintergardenand Yvette. Then there are equally enjoyable but less regular spacessuch as the Fairmont Hotel's Metropole Lounge, the Palmer House'sEmpire Room, Pops for Champagne and the Bop Shop."Chicago is a wonderful city for cabaret," said New York cabaretlegend Julie Wilson, who started out here in the 1940s in a burlesqueshow at the old Oriental Theater and has regularly returned in recentyears to perform her songbooks. "The audiences are spectacular.""Chicago has that charm that New York had in the '50s when thenightclub scene was really happening," said Saloff, who on Thursdayopened a long run at the Toulouse Cognac Bar, where she will appearThursdays through Saturdays through May 11."People know their music, which they can go out and enjoy on aregular basis without paying exorbitant covers. In New York, you pay$45 just to walk in the door."Though the Gold Star has abandoned its much-publicized no-coverpolicy, it still only charges $5 on Thursdays, when Atwood regularlyappears, and $7 on Fridays and Saturdays. There is no cover atYvette Wintergarden and Yvette, and at Toulouse Cognac Bar coversusually range from $3 to $5 but rise to $10 or more for big-namenational talent.Cabaret is easily enough defined by elegance, wit,sophistication, intimacy and romanticism. But not all singers whoembrace those qualities, and the Great American Songbook, qualify ascabaret artists.Even in a rare small setting, Tony Bennett has too much belcanto training and star power to qualify. Ditto for show bizzyMichael Feinstein, who needs cheap seats to reach even when there arenone. Patricia Barber helped launch the Gold Star with an eight-yearresidency, but her introspective intensity and jazz pianism removeher from strict cabaret standards.Artists without obvious cafe society trappings can qualify forcabaret membership. Take singer-pianist Lenny Capp, an unsungveteran of easy-listening jazz whose 40-year resume includes jobs indefunct Rush Street rooms such as Mister Kelly's and restaurantlounges including the old Four Torches on Clark and Armitage.Capp has the lived-in looks and straightforward personality ofthe hardworking veteran he is. But his skillful and appealingrendering of standards and his warmly individual piano style make hima welcome fixture in any cabaret. "I have no problem with that(cabaret artist) tag," he said.And there are other variations within the genre - includingregional ones."New York is influenced most strongly by the musical theater,"said Audrey Morris, whose spare emotion and deep personal imprintmake her the city's highest-ranking cabaret veteran. "In Chicago,most of us find ourselves some place between theater and jazz,floating out there without a name to call what we do. Because ofthat, I think the music is more interesting here."In cabaret, because it is performed in small rooms, singer andaudience are bonded by an intimacy that exists in no other form ofpopular entertainment."People come in search of a more romantic time, when peopleweren't ashamed of inner feelings," said Morris. "They long for aquieter approach. They want to hear the lyrics."The closeness breeds the best kind of familiarity: Given thechance to see singers on a regular basis in Chicago, listenersdevelop ongoing relationships with them - and their material. Suchare the bottomless riches of songs such as Porter's "Night and Day,"Gershwin's "Love is Here to Stay" and Irving Berlin's "How Deep isthe Ocean?" that they can reveal new emotions and attitudes eachtime they're sung.In some cases, the relationships between audience and artistbecome personal. "People follow my life," said Marcovicci, who livesin Los Angeles. "They brought baby presents (after she gave birthlast year to her daughter, Alice) and want to see new baby picturesevery time they see me."Whether or not those kinds of connections are present, thecabaret experience is defined as much by listeners - in the songsthey love, the clothes they wear, the drinks they order - asperformers."I love seeing the twentysomething crowd come in in blackcocktail dresses and nightclub attire," said Saloff, noting a recentincrease in young listeners. "And the drinks are pretty andglamorous - lots of martinis and cognac and cocktails."In recent years, following the shuttering of the late andlamented George's, a stylish restaurant near the Merchandise Martwhere jazz and cabaret thrived, Chicago cabaret and the Gold StarSardine Bar were very nearly synonymous.The very idea of this tiny venue in the 680 N. Lake Shorebuilding - former site of the Furniture Mart - bringing in glitzynightclub stars and charging no admission created a buzz that stillrings in the ears of visiting travel writers, years after it openedin 1983.Here is a place with both chichi appeal (artists including BobbyShort, now one of the Gold Star's three owners, are introduced inFrench) and anti-snob features (including White Castle burgers on themenu). Founder Bill Allen fed the hype with audacious gambits suchas cramming a 34-piece orchestra into the room to back suitably smallLas Vegas singer Pia Zadora.The Gold Star's reputation remains intact. But its inability,financially and otherwise, to hang onto the likes of Wilson andSaloff and book other big names has resulted in its losing thunder tothe beautifully appointed, jewel-like Toulouse Cognac Bar on LincolnPark West.Whichever Chicago cabaret calls itself the toast of the town,the music is reaching out to bigger - and younger - audiences."People have been calling it a dying art form for years," Wilsonsaid. "But it's still here, and getting stronger in my opinion,spreading out, because there's nothing that can replace it. Whereelse can you experience the same kinds of feelings?""It's the only music that has retained lyricism and romance,instead of that very angry thing you hear so much in pop music," saidAtwood, who is recording her third album for the Concord Jazz label."Sometimes, when there are too many people yakking in the audience,about the stock market or whatever, I get angry. I try to hold it inand try to teach them how to listen."When you get everyone in a certain spirit, and they're hangingon your every word and you're feeding off their interest, it'sincredibly gratifying. At times like that, you know there is noother kind of music you'd rather be involved in."

TASTY MORSELS; HOORAY FOR SUGAR DADDIES: SALMON RIVER CHOCOLATE

A few weeks ago, I received a strange package. It was small enough to be a bomb and big enough to be a bomb, so I took the time to examine it before ripping through the tape (bomb-proof, of course). Messy cursive was scrawled down the side in pencil-dark, milk PMS, huckleberry, caf�, bark - what did it all mean? Just then, my managing editor noticed me pawing at the box like a tinfoil-crazed raccoon.

"It was really hard, but I didn't eat any," she said.

"Eat?" I said. That was all I needed to hear. The box flew open, and inside were several pounds of individually wrapped, intoxicatingly fragrant chocolate bars. For me, this was like being told I had won Publisher's Clearing House by an oil-slick underwear model, and I raced home to commence Chocolatemania 2003 (Part 16).

In an embarrassing amount of time, I polished off nine bars of specialty chocolate. All were more than edible, but a few flavors stood out enough to prompt a personal call to salmon River Foods. Sales Manager Jeanie Brown dished on her favorites and the origins of the company, but specifics were left to founder and chocolate guru, Kay Johnson.

Kay's voice sounded nothing like Gene Wilder's but I couldn't shake the image of Willy Wonka as he shared the history of SRF. After a definitive trip down the Salmon River, he decided to sell his food brokerage business and start a company that catered to white water outfitters. It began with the production of "river music" CDs that expanded to include souvenir chocolate bars. The bars were made with custom labels, and the gift idea caught on across the country.

"Two dollars for commemorative bars instead of $18 for T-shirts - people loved it, and we decided to focus on chocolate," said Kay. He and his associates purchased some commercial equipment, hired a graphic artist and sourced a bunch of German companies for the perfect chocolate. And what started with one basic milk chocolate bar has grown to include two milks, two darks, two semi-sweets, one white, one bitter-sweet and various adaptations involving coffee, berries and spices. The base chocolate is shipped in from Germany, melted and flavored before being tempered (a process that aligns the crystals in molten chocolate to produce the best texture balance of firm and creamy). "It's a high-end process," Kay said. "The chocolate is temperamental, and much like wine, there are many different kinds, qualities and layers of flavor. We try to make ours less sugary and more pure such that chocolate is the first thing you taste."

The chocolate is good regardless (says my pile of crumpled wrappers), but the real charm of the product is its custom labeling. For individual sniggity snacking, Salmon River Chocolates are sold in specialty markets like Crane Creek, City Market and the Co-op, but they are also available for corporate use and celebratory events like weddings, birthdays and graduations. There is a &65 fee for setup and artwork, and the minimum purchase is 150 at $1/bar. Photographs, drawings or digital images can be matted with any text, and the result is a novelty gift that warms the heart and enflames the taste buds.

Kay and I talked about his special Idaho Christmas Bars (featuring an Idaho horseman) and the perks of the business (free chocolate and the mystique of owning a factory), but he emphasized the satisfaction of making good sweets.

"Everybody who works around here loves it," he said. "It's a lot of fun and it's an art."

Article copyright Bar Bar Inc.

Arab world mourns Michael Jackson

A Bahraini royal mourned him publicly, young Lebanese held a candlelight tribute, Egyptian musicians hailed him as an inspiration.

Beyond his global reach, Michael Jackson held a special place in the Muslim world, as one of the first major Western entertainers to break through cultural barriers in the 1980s.

Some made a connection with the pop icon because of rumors, never substantiated, that he had converted to Islam. Others embraced him as one of their own after he sought refuge in the Gulf emirate of Bahrain in 2005, following a bruising trial on child molestation charges in the U.S.

"God have mercy on him. He was a Bahraini. He lived with us," said Jassim Ali, 35, shopping for Jackson CDs on Saturday in a music store in the capital, Manama.

Jackson only spent a year in the emirate, as a guest of Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Isa Al Khalifa, a son of Bahrain's king and an aspiring songwriter who had befriended the entertainer. Jackson kept a low profile there, largely staying close to his host.

After Jackson's departure, the sheik sued Jackson for $7 million, saying he had failed to fulfill a joint music venture, but the two settled in November, with terms not disclosed.

The sheik said Saturday, in a statement in the Gulf Daily News, that "the world has lost a giant in the music industry."

"We are all very saddened by that," Al Khalifa said in comments confirmed by his spokesman.

Across the Arab world, the tributes to Jackson, who died Thursday, mirrored those elsewhere around the globe, though some argued the singer had a special appeal in the region.

"Religion is a big part of identity in this part of the world, and the idea he became Muslim boosted his popularity," said Egyptian cultural critic Tarek el-Shinnawi.

The conversion rumors were fueled, in parts, by comments by Jackson's brother, Jermaine, a convert to Islam, who has said his brother showed interest in the faith. In November, a British tabloid claimed Michael Jackson converted at a friend's home in Los Angeles.

The Jackson brothers were raised as Jehovah's Witnesses.

Others simply loved Michael Jackson for his music. At his peak, in the 1980s, a time without Internet and satellite TV, the Arab world was more shielded from Western pop culture. Jackson was one of the few successful crossover artists.

In Egypt, keyboarder and music distributor Fady Badr traveled to Alexandria to take a few days off work to come to terms with the pop star's death.

"He's the reason I got into this business," said 28-year old Badr. "Everything he did was new, he had such a power of voice and style; this industry would wait for his new ideas to get us inspired."

A manager of the Cairo Jazz Club, Shady Hamza, said that he was flooded by calls from local bands and musicians to help arrange a tribute night to the singer.

"I feel like I lost a brother," said Hamza, 30. "He turned so many of us into the whole music thing _ for a lot of musicians, Michael Jackson was their first encounter."

In Lebanon, about 100 young fans lit candles and sang along to his songs in a downtown street lined with bars and restaurants. A few tried to moon walk while others cheered.

Qays al Zu'bi, a Bahraini lawyer who said he helped Jackson with his finances when he lived in the emirate, said the singer had qualities about him that endeared him to people in the region, including his close relationship with his children and his vision.

"He had an aura about him," said the lawyer. "Despite the scandal in the United States, I saw mothers at the lobby of his hotel who brought their children to introduce them to Michael Jackson."

___

Associated Press Writer Reem Khalifah in Bahrain contributed to this report.

Swiss doctors waking Soler from induced coma

GENEVA (AP) — Doctors treating Juan Mauricio Soler said Monday they are slowly waking the Colombian cyclist up from his induced coma, a process that may take days assuming all goes well.

The 28-year-old rider is in a stable condition and his recovery is proceeding as expected, but there are concerns about the extent of his brain injuries and whether he will suffer any lasting damage from his crash during the Tour of Switzerland.

"The anesthetic medication has been stopped and Mr. Soler is in a controlled wake-up phase that will last several days," said Roger Lussmann, the chief surgeon at St. Gallen hospital's intensive care unit.

Soler was flown there by helicopter Thursday after hitting a curb, then smashing into a spectator and a metal fence during the sixth stage of the race.

Fellow rider Baden Cooke of Australia said "the fence did not move at all so Soler took the full impact." A photo published in Swiss daily Blick on Monday showed the Colombian lying unconscious on the ground, blood coming from his ear.

Doctors diagnosed him with a fractured skull and ankle, as well as a lung injury.

"A magnetic resonance scan of the brain today showed several micro injuries that had been expected considering the seriousness of the fall," Lussmann told The Associated Press in an email.

"It is too early to say which functional effects these structural injuries have," he added.

Lussmann described Soler's overall condition as stable, and said the rider's lung injury is healing well.

"The other organ functions aren't affected. All in all, the healing process is as expected," he said.

Lussmann cautioned that if Soler's condition deteriorates during the wake-up phase, he may have to be put back into a coma.

понедельник, 12 марта 2012 г.

Eminem captures Best Male MTV Video Award

MTV's first Video Award ceremony in the new millennium wasn't spectacular, however, it shouldn't be expected that the music and performances at such a specialized event should compare with other ceremonies.

Viewers should remember that primarily the MTV awards are for visual expertise and not necessarily sound. Sound does play an important role, but it is the innovation of cinematic expertise that really determines who is best.

Shawn and Marlon Wayans, producer and actor from the film "Scary Movie," served as hosts for the event but didn't make a good impression to television viewers. The problem was they were given the opportunity to really improvise, as they often do.

Eminem, the young rap entertainer who has emerged as a sensation during the last two years, was selected the best male video awardee for "The Real Slim Shady."

He also won video of the year for the same song. At the Radio City Music Hall in New York where the MTV Awards Ceremony was held, it was the young generations of teens who played the most important role in the event.

Not only did Eminem win his awards, but he also performed "The Real Slim Shady." Eminem with his mentor Dr. Dre, he was the winner for best rap video, along with Dre in their duo "Forgot About Dre"

The Red Hot Chili Peppers came back to win honors for their super-ballad "Californication" as best direction and art direction. Fans will remember that they were once performers with George Clinton and his funky, rip-roaring sounds.

The young audience was thrilled when Shawn Fanning made his appearance. He is recognized for his inventing Napster, a controversial music-swapping Internet site that's under legal scrutiny.

Britney Spears sang a Rolling Stones tune "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" and her whopping tune "Oops...I Did It Again."

Aaliyah won best female video and best video from a film for her song "Try Again." She along with In Sync and Eminem dominated the MTV Video Music Award.

N'Sync's pop video, the viewers choice, won also for choreography. Macy Gray was recognized as best new entertainer and cinematography for "I Try" and offered a very warm acceptance speech; Jennifer Lopez's dance video, "Waiting for Tonight" also won and; Blink 182 copped an award for group video with "All the Small Things"; Destiny's Child won for the video "Say My Name."

The Golden Blond, Sisqo's hip-hop video, "The Thong Song" was also recognized; Limp Bizkit won best rock video for "Break Stuff" and Bjork, an unusual innovative video won for "All Is Full of Love."

Whitney Houston, one of America's greatest vocalist was also there and wooed the audience with a brief touch of "I Will Always Love You," without music.

Article Copyright Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.

List of Constituencies - Prince Edward Island

LIST OF CONSTITUENCIES

LISTE DES CIRCONSCRIPTIONS

Constituency / Circonscription	Name / Nom
Alberton-Miminegash	Cletus Dunn (P.C.)
Belfast-Pownal Bay	Wilbur MacDonald (P.C.)
Borden-Kinkora	Fred McCardle (P.C.)
Cascumpec-Grand River	Hon. Philip Brown (P.C.)
Charlottetown-Kings Square	Richard Brown (Lib.)
Charlottetown-Rochford Square	Robert Ghiz (Lib.)
Charlottetown-Spring Park	Weston MacAleer (P.C.)
Crapaud-Hazel Grove	Carolyn Bertram (Lib.)
Evangeline-Miscouche	Wilfred Arsenault (P.C.)
Georgetown-Baldwin's Road	Hon. Michael Currie (P.C.)
Glen Stewart-Bellevue Cove	David McKenna (P.C.)
Kensington-Malpeque	Hon. Mitchell Murphy (P.C.)
Montague-Kilmuir	James Bagnall (P.C.)
Morell-Fortune Bay	Hon. Kevin MacAdam (P.C.)
Murray River-Gaspereaux	Hon. Patrick Binns (P.C.)
North River-Rice Point	Ronald MacKinley (Lib.)
Park Corner-Oyster Bed	Beth MacKenzie (P.C.)
Parkdale-Belvedere	Hon. Chester Gillan (P.C.)
Sherwood-Hillsborough	Hon. Elmer MacFadyen (P.C.)
Souris-Elmira	Andy Mooney (P.C.)
St. Eleanors-Summerside	Helen MacDonald (P.C.)
Stanhope-East Royalty	Hon. Jamie Ballem (P.C.)
Tignish-Deblois	Hon. Gail Shea (P.C.)
Tracadie-Fort Augustus	Hon. Mildred Dover (P.C.)
West Point-Bloomfield	Eva Rodgerson (P.C.)
Wilmot-Summerside	Hon. Greg Deighan (P.C.)
Winsloe-West Royalty	Wayne Collins (P.C.)

Elemental problems thwart new spot for Celebrity Cruises; Chicago agency raised hopes when it landed important new account, but debut campaign fails to make it all the way out of port

No one was happier than we were when Element 79/Chicago landedthe Celebrity Cruises ad account. In a city where somewhat moremundane packaged goods advertising reigns supreme, a gen-u-ine majorglamor account is a rarity to be welcomed and embraced with greatfervor.

At the time of Element 79's Celebrity Cruise win, we dared toentertain the possibility it might be the start of a rush of similaraccounts into a town starved for new business, especially of thesort the cruise line represents. That rush hasn't come yet. Still wewaited anxiously for the debut of Element 79's first campaign forCelebrity in the hope it would prove Chicago absolutely had what ittakes to handle this kind of business.

That moment is here, and now we sit here crestfallen. This newCelebrity Cruises television and print campaign carrying the tagline "Starring You" is a huge disappointment.

In a highly competitive industry like the cruise ship business,Celebrity Cruises is situated at the higher end. The company is saidto offer a product that promises all manner of pampering and,according to its own press materials, exceptional dining andextraordinary attention to detail. In short, a deluxe cruiseexperience that we would expect to be made manifest in every aspectof the brand's advertising message.

We're not sure what kind of message Element 79 was trying toconvey in its debut television spot called "Veranda," but the launchcommercial most assuredly fails to evoke great style orsophistication. Tacky is more like it.

Maybe there were budget constraints, but nothing about thiscommercial -- least of all the dreary photography and (purposely?)choppy editing -- begins to conjure up a cruise experience worthsavoring.

Everything from the jittery graphics to the peculiar, off-putting rhythms in the line readings of the voiceover announcer workmightily against capturing the aura of luxury and indulgence.

Perhaps the worst creative choice was the use of rocker DavidBowie's chilly and rather impenetrable song "Fame" as the spot'smusical underscoring. In his day, Bowie was, without question, agreat artist, but his music, and "Fame" in particular, seemjarringly at odds with the commercial's overarching reason forbeing.

What's more, we doubt this music will resonate with the olderdemographic that typically supports luxury cruise lines. IfCelebrity was indeed trying to go after younger customers or evenolder folks possessed of a younger mindset, "Veranda" isn't nearlyhip or happening enough -- Bowie notwithstanding -- to do the trick.

Lew's view: D+

LEW'S NEWS

ADVERTISING INDUSTRY MOVES

Quite by coincidence, we happened upon throngs of people standingoutside the 35 W. Wacker world headquarters of Leo Burnett at highnoon Wednesday. Turns out Burnetters from leader Rich Stoddart ondown had been told to assemble in the headquarters lobby to welcomesome 100

General Motors marketing executives who arrived for lunch just aswe reached the building. The scene recalled rumors of a similar biglobby meet-and-greet organized to welcome Wal-Mart executives whenBurnett was still in the running for that huge piece of business.Burnett did not progress to the final pitch for the $570 million Wal-Mart account, but at least the agency has the $400 million in Buickand GMC business in hand. Though Burnett/Detroit was positioned asthe lead shop on the new GM business, a chunk of it might beserviced out of Chicago, which still is a little short on newbusiness wins.

Navy Pier will host a three-day event to promote Excellence ofItalian Style in the fields of business, products, culture, fashionand art from Sept. 21 through 23. Italian companies participatinginclude Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Academia Barilla and morethan 35 other companies throughout Italy. The event is sponsored bythe Italian American Chamber of Commerce in Chicago.

Kevin Beauseigneur was recently named president of Noble/Chicago. He joined the firm as a creative director in 1997. Alsocoming on board is Meghann Okin in the post of broadcast trafficmanager on the Country Insurance, Midwest Airlines and Cousin's Subsaccounts, among others.

America's advertising icons and slogans once again will competefor induction into the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame.Voters across the country are encouraged to vote online for theirfavorite icon and slogan at advertisingweek.yahoo.com. The winnerswill be inducted into the Walk of Fame in New York on Sept. 26during Advertising Week 2007.

Macy's North is launching "M," a new quarterly free magazine thatwill focus on the latest trends for women, men and the home. It willbe available in stores in September and also mailed to some 500,000Macy's customers.

llazare@ suntimes.com

NHL Scoring Leaders

Through Nov. 20
	GP	G	A	PTS
Phil Kessel, Tor	21	16	13	29
Claude Giroux, Phi	19	11	15	26
Joffrey Lupul, Tor	21	10	15	25
Thomas Vanek, Buf	20	11	13	24
Daniel Sedin, Van	20	6	18	24
Marian Hossa, Chi	20	9	14	23
Anze Kopitar, LA	20	9	14	23
Jason Pominville, Buf	20	8	15	23
Kris Versteeg, Fla	19	9	13	22
Henrik Sedin, Van	20	7	15	22
Patrick Kane, Chi	21	7	15	22
Tyler Seguin, Bos	18	11	10	21
7 tied with 20 pts.

Colvin Rises From Love's Ashes

Shawn Colvin Tuesday

Park West Her covers of other people's songs were swell, but her originalscontinue to define what makes her special.

Shawn Colvin likes to joke about employing the "disaster motif"for her love songs. And, indeed, going back to her early gem,"Shotgun Down the Avalanche," the sophisticated modern folkie hasassociated romantic need with destruction. If lovestruck Carole Kingonce felt the earth move under her feet, Colvin feels it pulling herdown.

Performing solo Tuesday at Park West, Colvin was at it again. Alove song from an upcoming album invoked the sinking of the Titanicand the fall of Rome.

Leave it to her, though, to convert despair to hope. Is it theradiance and agile beauty of her voice that pulls that rabbit out ofher hat? Is it the vibrance of her words? Is it the combination ofspunk and waifish vulnerability in her presence, which suggestsJennifer Jason Leigh on a good day?

Whatever the reason, when Colvin sang, "Cross the dark distanceand lay down your guns; For Rome has fallen and morning has begun,"the lyrics conjured not morning-after ashes, but sunlight and thepossibilities of a new day.

Keyed to Colvin's recent album, "Cover Girl," the show wasdominated by other people's tunes. Her sources, ranging fromsongwriting eccentrics Willis Alan Ramsey and Tom Waits to popcraftsmen Sting and Crowded House, reflected an expansiveness that isrelatively new to folk music.

She is a fine interpreter. Her version of Jimmy Webb's "TheseOld Walls" was simultaneously sweet and haunting, and her take onWaits' "Heart of Saturday Night" breathed strength into longing.This singer suggests a depth of experience well beyond herthirtysomething-ness.

That said, it's a little early in the game for her to be relyingso extensively on cover versions. As we are reminded by "Live '88,"a recently released, small-label CD documenting solo performancesfrom that year (plus three from 1990), Colvin is most special whensinging her own songs.

There is an intensely personal element in her vocals thatdemands the intensely personal viewpoint of lines such as "I went outwalking on the streets of the dead; With a chip on my shoulder; And avoice in my head."

Moving alluringly from a bell-like clarity up top to a bluesilyattractive gruffness down below, hers is a voice that stays in ourheads as well. The dust of disaster has never cleared morebeautifully.

White House dismisses Iran's uranium claims

The White House says the United States doesn't believe Iran is capable of enriching uranium to the degree the Islamic Republic claims.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday that Iran has produced its first batch of uranium enriched to a higher level than before, raising fears it may be moving closer to the ability to produce material for a nuclear weapon. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs dismissed Iran's claims, saying that country's leadership has made a series of statement based on politics, not physics.

The claim of new progress in Iran's nuclear program came a day after the U.S. Treasury Department imposed new sanctions, freezing the assets in U.S. jurisdiction of a Revolutionary Guard general and four subsidiaries of a construction firm he runs.

среда, 7 марта 2012 г.

Afghan peace conference starts

President Hamid Karzai opened a national conference Wednesday where he was expected to seek endorsement for his plan to lure Taliban fighters off the battlefield with offers of indemnities and jobs.

The conference, known as a peace jirga, was dismissed before it started by Taliban leaders who threatened to kill anyone who attended.

About 10 minutes into his opening address, Karzai was briefly interrupted by an explosion outside, which police said was a rocket fired from the west of the Afghan capital.

A police officer, Abdullah, who goes by one name, said a rocket hit near Intercontinental hotel _ which lies about 500 meters (yards) from the conference venue. There were no reported casualties. An Associated Press reporter at the hotel, where the media were gathered, saw smoke rising from where the rocket landed.

Karzai heard the thud, but dismissed it, telling delegates, "Don't worry. We've heard this kind of thing before."

Some 1,600 lawmakers, tribal, provincial and religious leaders and other delegates invited by Karzai's government were to hold talks for three days in a giant tent pitched on a university campus in the capital. A jirga _ "large assembly" in Pashto _ is a traditional Afghan gathering of leaders to hash out problems and issues.

The jirga opened Wednesday with Muslim prayers and the national anthem played by a military band, before a headline speech by Karzai.

In a speech introducing Karzai, Education Minister Farooq Wardak told the conference the jirga was intended to get the opinions of the Afghan nation, and then set up a mechanism to reach out to the opposition _ in an apparent reference to the militant groups fighting the government.

Karzai is hoping the jirga will bolster him politically by supporting his strategy of offering incentives to individual Taliban fighters and reaching out to the insurgent leadership, despite skepticism in Washington on whether the time is right for an overture to militant leaders.

The jirga comes even as the U.S. rushes in more troops to ramp up the nearly nine-year war.

The Taliban, which calls Karzai's government a puppet of Washington, says it will not negotiate until all foreign troops leave the country. Active Taliban members are not attending, but some delegates once played key roles in the Islamist movement and doubtless maintain contacts with the militants.

On Tuesday, the Taliban said in a statement to news organizations that the jirga does not represent the Afghan people and was aimed at "securing the interest of foreigners."

It said the participants "are on the payroll of the invaders and work for their interests."

To reinforce the message, a cassette recording was circulated last week by courier within the Taliban's underground government, in which the chairman of the Taliban council, Mullah Abdul Ghani, warned that "the punishment for participating in the jirga is death."

Information about the cassette was provided to The Associated Press by a Taliban member whose information has proven reliable over many years.

Another major insurgent group, Hizb-i-Islami led by ex-Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, called the conference "a useless exercise" because "only hand-picked people" were invited.

___

Associated Press Writer Amir Shah in Kabul contributed to this report.

Dow Closes Up 58, Nasdaq Finishes Up 16

ELLEN SIMON, AP Business Writer
AP Online
03-16-2006
Dateline: NEW YORK

A condominium development is under construction Friday, March 10, 2006 in Hoboken, N.J. The Empire State building and the New York skyline are across the Hudson River. The Commerce Department is scheduled to issue a report Thursday on housing starts for January. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Upbeat reports from the Federal Reserve and DuPont Co. lifted stocks for a second day Wednesday, pushing the Standard & Poor's 500 past 1,300 for the first time since May 2001.

The industrials, materials and transportation sectors led the market higher, allowing the S&P 500 to finally pop above 1,297, a ceiling the index has not been able to cross since November.

"From a technician's point of view, breaking through 1,300 was an important factor," said Tobias Levkovich, chief US equities strategist at Citigroup.

Stocks rose in choppy trading following the New York Fed's Empire State index, which came in much stronger than expected, with the highest reading since July 2004. The survey, which measures the conditions for New York state manufacturers, is seen as a good predictor of the Institute for Supply Management's national manufacturing survey. The Empire State index rose to 31.2 in March from 21.0 in February.

But the advance solidified after the U.S. Federal Reserve's beige book, a compilation of reports from the Fed's 12 district banks, said economic activity continued to expand in January and February. Most of the Fed district banks characterized the pace of expansion as "moderate or steady."

The Dow rose 58.43, or 0.52 percent, to 11,209.77, its highest close since it reached 11,257.24 on May 22, 2001. The Dow rose 75.32, or 0.68 percent, on Tuesday, and surged 104 points on Friday.

Broader stock indicators edged higher. The S&P 500 index rose 5.54, or 0.43 percent, to 1,303.02, and the Nasdaq rose 15.94, or 0.69 percent, to 2,311.84.

Bond prices fell, pushing the yield on the 10-year bond higher after a sharp drop Tuesday. The yield rose to 4.73 percent from 4.69 percent late Tuesday.

The U.S. dollar fell against other major currencies. Gold prices were higher.

Crude oil futures fell. A barrel of light crude settled at $62.17, down 93 cents, in trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

In other economic news Wednesday, a national survey of import prices showed they fell 0.5 percent in February, while export prices were unchanged, indicating that inflation pressures are contained.

Meanwhile, the housing market again showed signs of slowing. The National Association of Home Builders index for sales of new, single-family homes fell to 55 in March from 56 in February, the fourth month it has hovered in a two-point range. When the index is over 50, it means the number of buyers who see "good" sales outnumber the number who see "poor" sales.

In company news, chemicals maker DuPont rose 95 cents to $42.87 _ and gave other industrial and materials stocks a boost _ after it raised its earnings outlook for 2006. The company also said it plans to cut 1,500 jobs and close four facilities in Europe as it restructures its performance coatings business.

Investors didn't seem impressed by record profits from Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., which paled in comparison to a blow-out quarterly report Tuesday from investment firm rival Goldman Sachs Group Inc., which sent the market sharply higher. Lehman fell $1.15 to $144.15; Goldman fell 42 cents to $149 after rising 6.2 percent Tuesday.

Goldman's earnings, "set the bar too high for the group," said Arthur Hogan, chief market analyst at Jefferies & Co.

General Motors Corp. is considering a bid of $12.5 billion to $13 billion for a majority stake in its financing arm from a group led by New York private-equity firm Kohlberg, Kravis & Roberts and some banks, The Wall Street Journal reported. GM rose 36 cents to $21.50.

Sears Holdings Corp., the retailing company formed last year when Kmart bought Sears, rose $15.02 to $132.29 after its fourth-quarter earnings more than doubled due to the addition of Sears' results, beating expectations.

H&R Block Inc., the nation's largest tax preparation service, fell $1.37 to $20.63 after New York state filed a $250 million fraud suit charging that the company steered more than 500,000 customers into a money-losing retirement account plan.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 6.84, or 0.93 percent, to 742.94.

Advancing issues led decliners by nearly 2 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume was 2.41 billion, up from 2.28 billion at the same time Tuesday.

Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average rose 0.50 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.24 percent, Germany's DAX index gained 0.47 percent, and France's CAC-40 rose 0.21 percent.

___

On the Net:

New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com

Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com