Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Indiana holds Irish in check
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. Sure, there were some early-season miscues.But these teams shouldn't play a game this interesting so early.They're going to give themselves too tough an act to follow.
About all you can say after Indiana beat Notre Dame 76-59Tuesday night is: Bring on Saturday's doubleheader at Indianapolis,when these two teams will mix it up with Louisville and Kentucky,respectively.
"I loved this game tonight," Irish coach Digger Phelps said."We'll get better from this. We're going to play 28 games. So let'sgo play."
It was the basic chess match you've come to expect when Phelpsand Bob Knight get together. The difference …
Group Calls for Probe Into Editor's Death
MOSCOW - The journalism watchdog group Reporters Without Borders on Friday called for the leaders of Russia and the United States to request a U.N. investigation into the killing of journalist Paul Klebnikov.
The American, who was editor of Forbes magazine's Russian edition, was gunned down on a Moscow street on July 9, 2004.
Two men were brought to trial on charges of carrying out the killing on behalf of a Chechen separatist who was the subject of a critical book written by Klebnikov, but were acquitted. The trial was dogged by criticism that prosecutors failed to pursue other lines of investigation in the case.
"At the end of a farce of a trial ... it is clear …
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
For the Holidays, Consider These Car-Related Presents
Car buffs of all ages like specialized auto-related gifts, andaverage car owners can use general-interest car presents.
Here are a variety of auto-gift ideas - including some prettyfar-out ones - their cost and where to get the mechandise:
Al Unser Jr. Racing Suit: Perhaps the ultimate auto-relatedapparel item. It's the actual race suit of the guy who won thisyear's Indianapolis 500. For $1,400. At the Motorsport Collector,5120 Belmont Rd., Suite L, Downers Grove. (708-515-1440).
The Big Ride Art …
Moving toward equality
With the midterm elections behind ns, it's time to look ahead. The recent Republican victories would seem to be a major setback for the LGBT community. Since the early 1980s, the Republican Party has cozied up to the "religious right" in its efforts to win federal and state offices around the country and here in Michigan. Most prominent Republican officials have publicly stated their opposition to any measures that would guarantee equality based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The current debate over repeal of the military's "Don't ask, Don't tell" policy is an example of this, with Senate Republicans standing in the way of even debating this issue, despite overwhelming public …
Colombia denies Venezuelan claim that its troops crossed border
Colombia's defense minister on Sunday denied a Venezuelan claim that Colombian troops had crossed into that neighboring country.
"I've investigated and there was no incursion," Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos told Bogota-based Caracol radio. Rough terrain along the border would have "made it practically impossible for (the incursion) to have happened the way they say it happened," he said.
But Venezuelan Information Minister Andres Izarra told Venezuelan state television that officials had photographs showing "a military incursion in our territory."
Venezuela's foreign ministry sent Colombia a diplomatic note …
Bush says he isn't backing down in Iraq President says it's been 'tough,' but war isn't another Vietnam
Conceding a couple of "tough weeks in Iraq," President Bushsignaled Tuesday night he is ready to increase American troopstrength in the country, adding he intends to usher in a new era ofdemocracy and "finish the work of the fallen."
At a combination speech and news conference at the White House,Bush rejected a suggestion that Iraq was becoming another Vietnam --a quagmire without a ready exit. "I think that analogy is false," hesaid. "I also happen to think that analogy sends the wrong message toour troops and sends the wrong message to the enemy."
One year after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Bush said a recentspike in savage violence is neither a civil war nor a …
`By the Music of the Spheres' is compelling with anguish
Goodman Theatre's Resident Director Chuck Smith who brought to the stage Carson Grace Becker and David Barr III's pathetic drama "By the Music of the Spheres," his most challenging drama that was tremendously triumphant as he interpreted the piece with literally hearing impaired actors that continues in Goodman's Owen Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. through March 16.
Starring in "By the Music of the Spheres" are Antoinette Abbamonte as Katherine, Fred Michael Beam as Nicholas, John Lordan as Doctor Newholm; Arlene Malinowski as Ellenore and Troy West as Thomas. Dawn "Sam" Alden is part of the Ensemble along with Daniel Bryant, Freeman Coffey, Sasan Frampton, Karl Sean Hamilton and …
French spy case suspect says he hired private eye
The head of the French distributor of Taser stun guns has acknowledged hiring a private eye to gather information about far-left politician Olivier Besancenot.
Antoine Di Zazzo, who heads Taser distributor SMP Technologies, was one of seven people handed initial charges in a probe Thursday. The investigation grew out of Besancenot's complaint that he and his family …
Dying Dr. Death walks next year: Wins parole with promise to swear off suicides
LANSING, Mich. -- After more than eight years behind bars formurder, an ailing Dr. Jack Kevorkian will be paroled in June on apromise not to help anyone else commit suicide, prison officialssaid Wednesday.
Corrections Department spokesman Russ Marlan said the paroleboard took the 78-year-old Kevorkian's declining health intoconsideration, along with the question of whether the formerpathologist would be a danger to society if were set free.
"They decide if he is safe for release. And in the decision ofthe parole board, he is," Marlan said.
ADMITTED 'INFRACTION'
Over the summer, Kevorkian's lawyer said that Kevorkian wassuffering from hepatitis C …
Edwards Assails Bush, GOP Rivals
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Democratic presidential contender John Edwards argued on Thursday that President Bush has made the nation less safe and the Republican candidates are trying to become "a bigger, badder George Bush."
Edwards' remarks came one day after he challenged the idea of a global war on terror, calling it an ideological doctrine advanced by the Bush administration that has strained the U.S. military and emboldened terrorists.
Bush told reporters Thursday that Edwards' view was naive.
A short time later, during an appearance in Montgomery, Ala., Edwards answered back: "George Bush has made America less safe and less respected in the world. What we are …
Japan's Stocks Dive on Weak Dollar
Japan's main stock index plunged to its lowest close in 2 1/2 years Thursday, as market anxieties were stirred by the dollar's dive against the yen and by persistent concerns about the U.S. economy.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index tumbled 427.69 points, or 3.33 percent, to close at 12,433.44 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The figure set a new low for the year, and marked the index's lowest close since Aug. 31, 2005.
Shares dropped as the dollar fell precipitously close to the 100-yen mark. The greenback sagged to as low as 100.02 yen in the Asian trading session, its lowest level since hitting 99.94 yen on Nov. 10, 1995.
"The major reason of …
SLOPE STYLE
Valley County's 2012 ski and board outlook
The 2011-2012 ski year had been shaping up to be one of the most stubborn on record ... and then last week happened. Sweet Mother Nature worked her magic and loosed the floodgates on the Central Idaho mountains. Finally.
For those of you wondering what's cracking up north, here's a peek at why the pilgrimage to Valley County will boast some of the best winter recreational offerings for the rest of the season. Over the New Year holiday and again last week, BW headed north to check in.with the Valley County resorts and operators to see how the lessthan-optimal conditions had affected them. Here's what we found.
TAMARACK RESORT
In addition to miserly dumpings in the early season, Tamarack had to weather an unusual operational structure in recent years that subtly imparts a "when the going gets tough,- the tough get going" vibe with patrons.
Uncertainty and instability had been the modus operandi for the newest ski resort in America up until last season. Since its reopening in 2010 by a stalwart and determined group from the Tamarack homeowners association, the resort has retooled and re-themed itself as more of a locals' spot: While the days of extravagance are long gone, Tamarack still draws a pretty robust crowd, and its offerings are perhaps even better than in flashier times.
Tim Flaherty, Tamarack Municipal Association director, is proud of what the homeowners have been able to do and thinks the resort is on solid footing for a sustainable future and a good 2012 to boot.
"We were the only resort open in the west-central mountains for the first part of the year, which has put us about 16 percent ahead of where we were at this time last year," said Flaherty.
Tamarack has a state-of-the-art snowmaking system that allowed it to get a jumpstart on the season. When BW was there in late December, it was raining throughout much of Valley County, but Tamarack had surprisingly good coverage. Since then, more than 4 feet of fresh snow have turned bony groomers into steep and deep powder shots. All runs off the summit have nice drier snow, making for excellent skiing top to bottom.
Tamarack's leaner but more efficient Thursday-Sunday operation has been gussied up since last year's inaugural reopening - including weekend day-care service, a new ski rental fleet, a snow accumulation camera on the website so patrons can see how much untouched snow blankets the mountain between Sunday and Wednesday, a streamlined lift ticket sales upgrade, and expanded groomed Nordic skiing.
According to Flaherty, it cost a little more money to get going this year, but Tamarack's "we don't like lines" philosophy is better than ever. Consequently, ticket prices are up slightly for 2012.
BRUNDAGE MOUNTAIN RESORT
Just north of Tamarack, Brundage Mountain Resort had just barely opened for business for our late December visit. Not having the same snow-making equipment as Tamarack or Sun Valley left Brundage a little behind the curve for an expedited opening date, but the resort's surge of more than 40 inches has set it up for an excellent mid-tolate season.
The rainy, sloppy early season conditions have given way to powder, powder and more powder. We skied Brundage recently and the conditions were phenomenal: powder top to bottom with a constant soft layer over limited groomed runs.
April Russell, Brundage communications director, is excited for the resort's 50th season, despite the late start.
"We were extremely happy with the turnout on opening day. ... About 2,000 people came up to the mountain," said Russell.
Brundage should see big numbers over the next few weekends as well, as Central Idaho readies for the McCaIl Winter Carnival Jan. 27-Feb. 5 - now with plenty of snow.
Like Tamarack, Brundage has also been improving its operation, including the expansion of the upper lodge, the renovation of Smoky's Bar and Grill, and the addition of a new family friendly wing at the resort. Brundage has added two new grooming cats this year to ensure that its expanded terrain and two recently added chair lifts are ready to ride.
LITTLE SKI HILL
McCall's super basic but super awesome Little Ski Hill is the most convenient and certainly the most "local" of Valley County's resorts. Known for its after school programs, fully lit terrain park and ridiculously affordable ($13 for adults) prices, LSH offers a family friendly alternative for those looking to make some turns.
This 405-vertical-foot resort is serviced by an old school T-bar, and offers a wide variety of educational programs to get folks learnedup on having safe winter fun.
This little gem also hosts high-flying regional skier/boarder cross events throughout the season and has recently expanded the adjacent Little Bear Basin with 30km of groomed cross-country trails.
BACK COUNTRY
If you aren't feeling the resort scene, then Valley County also boasts some of the best backcountry skiing in the region. McCaIlbased Payette Powder Guides takes guests out to some of the best stashes in the area for an all-inclusive experience for people looking to get away. Snowmobile and touring trips are available, as are avalanche training and rescue classes for those looking to learn the tools needed to go it alone. PPG offers yurt-based touring adventures in the Lick Creek area, where the snow pack tends to be healthier than in many other areas in Valley County.
"We're getting dumped on," wrote PPG's Chuck Rea. "The Lick Creek area received well over a foot of new snow on just Wednesday, [Jan. 18]." That brings the snow depth to more than 6 feet in the PPG neck of the woods.
Dismal beginnings aside, the slopes are looking decent to great for the rest of this season. Bogus Basin is open, the Foothills are wearing their January leisure suit, and that mountain bike can finally be put away for at least the next few months. OSI
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Castro: Not Well Enough for B-Day Bash
HAVANA - Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro on Tuesday told hundreds of admirers who traveled here for his 80th birthday celebrations that he is not well enough to meet with them yet.
In a written message read at the launch of his five-day birthday bash, Castro said his doctors told him he was not in condition to attend the kickoff of celebrations on Tuesday night.
Metallica's No. 1 debut may shake rock world
Since May when Billboard magazine began relying on the high-techSoundScan system to monitor retail sales, albums by two other rockgroups - Van Halen and Skid Row - have also entered the charts at thetop spot.
But it is news - and good news - when an album as daring asMetallica's new "Metallica" enters so convincingly at No. 1, selling,according to industry estimates, as many as 600,000 units in itsfirst week in stores.
That is the biggest single week sales of any album since theBillboard began using the SoundScan system and, according to themagazine's Geoff Mayfield, more than twice as many copies as theprevious single week high-seller - the Van Halen album.
Kenny Hamlin, senior vice president of sales for ElektraRecords, says that orders for the Metallica album now total 2.2million.
This dramatic sales surge of Metallica is an importantdevelopment in rock, far more so than the No. 1 entries of Van Halenand Skid Row.
Where those two bands' albums were conventional works thatshould have little impact on the direction of rock, Metallica'ssuccess may represent an important breakthrough.
Mainstream rock has been mired in recent years in a commercialand creative slump partially created by radio programmers who favorpassive pop sounds over the challenging or independent rock spiritthat was celebrated in earlier decades.
Though some '80s bands - most notably U2 - found ways to makechallenging records that also appealed to a mass audience, many ofrock's most creative outfits have become so frustrated in recentyears by the slow erosion of mainstream pop-rock vitality that theyseemed content to operate outside of that mainstream.
Metallica was a prime example, exhibiting a force on stage andon record that was so powerful the San Francisco-based groupvirtually was viewed by hard-core metal fans as the Beatles of thegenre.
Unlike the numbing repetitiveness and mindless ramblings of mostheavy-metal acts, Metallica was a group that combined stimulatingsonic assault with thoughtful themes and career integrity.
Its 1988 album, ". . . And Justice for All," stands as amasterpiece of metal - a swirling collection of long, intricatemusical soundscapes that was a triumph in almost every way - exceptfor it's virtual inaccessibility to mainstream listeners.
Though the Metallica qualities of integrity and imagination areso badly needed to help jump start mainstream rock, the band, evenafter "Justice," meant almost nothing in the larger rock community.That began changing after a video for the song "One," from the"Justice" album, started getting lots of MTV airplay.
Perhaps stimulated by the response to "One" and the challenge ofreaching a wider audience, Metallica had the courage to step out ofits metal shell with its new album. Not only did the quartet come upwith songs that are more compact and accessible, it brought inproducer Bob Rock, whose past credits - much to the horror of manymetal purists - included such pop-leaning rock outfits as Motley Crueand Bon Jovi.
Some fans - and some critics - see the new album as a stepback, a work that sacrifices too much individuality and impact. Yet,there is much to admire in "Metallica," and critics, generally, arehailing the album.
The most immediate thing about the album, as Robert Palmer notesin his Rolling Stone review, is that it may be the best sounding rockalbum in years. Rock has done a remarkable job of giving Metallicaclarity and definition without sacrificing force.
The album's songs, examining issues ranging from obligations todeceits, also stand as convincing expressions, and even JamesHetfield's singing, which often seems too close to the stiff,regimental style favored in metal, shows signs of greater emotionalrange. This is especially true in the tender "Nothing ElseMatters."
But perhaps the most exciting thing about "Metallica" is therelationship it builds between the band and mainstream rockaudiences. With albums also due shortly from Guns N' Roses and U2,this may be entering the most stimulating period for mainstream rockin years.
Cammalleri leads Flames past Canucks
Michael Cammalleri scored three times, and Curtis Glencross added the winner on a breakaway with 6:31 left in the Calgary Flames' 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.
Cammalleri's hat trick goal gave the Flames a 3-2 lead 1:18 into the third period.
Mason Raymond tied it with his first goal in 10 games on a 2-on-1 break on a delayed penalty, but Glencross intercepted a pass at the Vancouver blue line just over 2 minutes later and beat Curtis Sanford with a backhand shot.
Miikka Kiprusoff made 27 saves to help the Flames win for the fourth time in five games and move within three points of the Northwest Division-leading Canucks _ with a chance to close the gap Saturday night in the rematch in Calgary.
Darcy Hordichuk, with his first as a Canuck, and Daniel Sedin also scored for the Canucks, who lost in regulation for the first time in 11 games (8-1-2).
Sanford made 29 saves but lost for the first time in four games, the last three after star goalie Roberto Luongo hurt his groin Saturday.
Cammalleri's first goal was a good break _ a power-play pass from the goal line that went in off Canucks defenseman Sami Salo's skate _ but his next two were perfect one-timers after nice passes from Calgary captain Jarome Iginla.
Cammalleri got his second goal on a delayed penalty, snapping in Iginla's cross-ice feed before Sanford could get across his net with 2:59 left in the second period. Cammalleri scored his third goal from the left faceoff circle, snapping a shot past Sanford on the short side after Iginla's pass from behind the net.
Kiprusoff was at his best shortly before Cammalleri's second goal, stopping Jannik Hansen on a breakaway and getting his blocker out to rob Mason Raymond at the end of consecutive power plays that included a 53-second 5-on-3.
Calgary center Daymond Langkow matched Iginla with two assists.
Notes:@ Vancouver, which swept a home-and-home series with Calgary to start the season, plays its next seven games on the road. Both teams were missing two forwards from their previous wins. Calgary was without Dustin Boyd (shoulder) and Wayne Primeau (foot), while the Canucks were missing Steve Bernier (shoulder) and Ryan Johnson, who played six weeks with a broken foot before being sidelined by a broken finger. Johnson is expected to miss three to five weeks. ... Vancouver D Kevin Bieksa, who leads the defense in scoring and the team average ice time, returned just two weeks and six games after being diagnosed with a broken foot.
AP Enterprise: Army treats brain injuries in field
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (AP) — The traumatic brain injury that Army Staff Sgt. Isidoro Castillo suffered when a suicide bomber attacked his unit in Afghanistan could have meant the end of his deployment.
Instead, Castillo's doctors handled his injury without sending him back to the United States, part of a military effort to better treat and track brain injuries that have become a signature affliction of the war.
Castillo, originally from Fayetteville, N.C., described the bombing days later while he was recovering in a new specialized housing unit for soldiers being treated for brain injuries.
"He was in my peripheral vision. I heard a pop and I hit the ground and the explosion went off," Castillo said. Five soldiers from his 18-member mentoring team were killed during an April meeting with Afghan soldiers at an outpost in the eastern province of Nangarhar.
The Army has had to rethink the way it deals with traumatic brain injury in Afghanistan and Iraq because U.S. soldiers often are targeted by roadside or suicide bombs. Not treating the sometimes hard-to-spot injury can lead to physical and emotional problems that linger long after the soldier returns home. But sending troops out of country for treatment can leave battle units short-handed.
Medical evacuations from combat zones for traumatic brain injury have been growing, from 194 in 2008 to 303 in 2010, according to statistics provided to The Associated Press from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center. Last year, the military implemented a strict new policy on treating and tracking soldiers with concussions right on the front lines of war.
Medical officers in Afghanistan say the new approach, which required opening seven new rehabilitation centers called Level II clinics throughout Afghanistan, is allowing more soldiers to go back to their units rather than be evacuated for treatment. Soldiers who are sent home for treatment generally don't come back.
Castillo was treated under the new guidelines. After diagnosis in the field, he was sent to the rehabilitation clinic the 101st Airborne Division set up at Bagram Air Field for about a week before returning to his unit.
On the hot and dusty military base, Castillo had his own room in a cool, quiet housing unit near the hospital, where he could watch movies on a flat-screen TV, play video games or toss a volleyball around on the sandy court outside. Medical crews use these leisure activities combined with military fitness tests, such as running with body armor or maneuvering around obstacles, to determine whether the soldier is fit to return to duty.
The clinics are also stocked with card games and Wii video games, which help occupational therapists look for memory loss or balance issues.
Castillo and other soldier patients meet daily with doctors and have dedicated occupational therapists who monitor symptoms like concentration, balance, headaches and dizziness. The care they are receiving in Afghanistan is similar to TBI rehabilitation programs at military hospitals in the U.S.
"It makes you feel like the stress is gone," Castillo said. "You have nothing to think about but how am I going to get better, what's my next appointment. They just let you breathe."
Clinics that opened last year in eastern Afghanistan returned about 1,000 soldiers to their units, said Maj. Kevin Ridderhoff, the pharmacist for the 101st Airborne Division who oversaw the program during the division's deployment. Ridderhoff said about 97 percent of soldiers who were referred to a Level II clinic were returned to duty after an average three-day stay.
"A big thing is eight hours of uninterrupted rest. Sleep is the goal," Ridderhoff explained. "With concussion, most of these guys get better. That's a good thing."
One of the final assessments is a military performance test. The soldiers don their body armor, go on a road march or a run, maneuver around obstacles, jump in and out of vehicles — all normal activities for active duty. If a soldier is able to complete them without problems or recurring symptoms, the occupational therapist can recommend a return to their unit.
The 101st Airborne Division, which sent 24,000 soldiers to Afghanistan over the past year, has been at the forefront of the new care regimen for what's called mild traumatic brain injury, often called concussion. It trained all unit medics on symptoms and brought the occupational therapists to Fort Campbell for additional training before opening the Afghanistan clinics.
The policy says soldiers are to be given at least 24 hours rest after the first concussion, seven days of rest after the second concussion and an in-depth neurological exam after the third. The policy also directs medics to check for signs of a concussion after key events, such as if a soldier is near a blast, is in a vehicle rollover accident or has a direct blow to the head.
The soldiers recovering at Bagram are separated from their units, but they could still bond with other injured troops over their near-death experiences.
Photos get passed around of a pile of charred, twisted metal — all that's left of the armored vehicle that Pfc. Kyle Kinmartin was in when it rolled over a pressure plate armed with homemade explosives. Kinmartin said he was still having trouble sleeping because he kept thinking about the explosion and fire that could have killed him or his buddies.
"I don't feel like I got blown up, but my body feels it," he said. "I just want to get back and see the guys."
Capt. Barbara Drawbaugh, an occupational therapist who worked at the mTBI center at Forward Operating Base Fenty in Jalalabad, said they are not pushing injured soldiers back into the fight if they aren't ready. "It's not so much that we are trying to force them back out there. It's that we are providing a really good environment of care to allow them to heal," she said.
Soldiers are at risk of more severe and enduring symptoms if they are not allowed to heal after a concussion and suffer a second one too quickly, Drawbaugh said.
But not all soldiers return to their units after a brain injury if more specialized care is needed.
Spc. Matthew Wright, a military policeman, spent weeks at Bagram and watched other soldiers get better and return to their units, but his symptoms weren't improving. Wright had stepped on a hastily planted bomb and got the brunt of the force of the explosion, but the shrapnel went into the ground instead of his body.
Eventually he was medically evacuated back to Fort Knox, Ky., to get further treatment in a Warrior Transition Unit. He hopes he can return to his job soon.
"It's nice to see they are taking this brain thing seriously," he said.
Feeling a sense of obligation to the mission, Castillo returned to the base where his unit was attacked. He still deals with symptoms, like headaches and feelings of anger. But the 40-year-old non-commissioned officer who has had three previous deployments said he's learned not to ignore the real consequences of a concussion.
"Don't fake the funk. If you're not real and let it out, then you're not going to heal properly and it will cost you in the future," Castillo said.
_
Kristin Hall can be reached at http://twitter.com/kmhall
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
Suez Severs Ties with Ondeo Nalco, Now a Privately Held Business
In a transaction valued at $4.350 billion, Suez, S.A. (Paris, France; www.suez. com) has sold Ondeo Nalco Co. (Naperville, IL; www.nalco.com), its subsidiary specializing in chemical water treatment and industrial processes, to the private equity group consisting of The Blackstone Group, Apollo Management, L.P. and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners is complete. The group tendered an offer for Ondeo Nalco in September 2003. As of the closing of the sale, the officially renamed Nalco Co. will operate as a privately held, independent business.
Baker Hughes Bades Farewell to Bird Machine Co.
Before the end of Jan. 2004, Baker Hughes, Inc. (Houston, TX; www.baker-hughes.com) will have sold Bird Machine Co., the remaining operating division of its process segment, to Andritz (Graz, Austria; www.andritz. com) for an undisclosed sum. Baker Hughes is recording pre-tax restructuring and impairment charges of $27 million ($17 million after tax) and expects to write off approximately $18 million after tax, to account for cumulative losses in currency exchange related to the sale.
BASF Goes Solo in Feed-Enzymes Manufacturing
The long-standing alliance between BASF AG and DSM (Herleen, Netherlands; www.dsm.com) to produce feed enzymes for animal nutrition has come to an end. BASF will build a plant to independently produce and market phytase, an essential animal nutrient that was developed by the partnership under the name Natuphos, as well as other feed enzymes. Until that plant is on-stream, DSM will continue to produce feed enzymes exclusively for BASF.
Dupont Purchases Antec's Biosecurity Assets
Antec International (Sudbury, Suffolk, U.K.; www.antecint.com), a developer of products and biosecurity programs specific to fighting environmental disease in farms, food-processing plants and storage facilities, is now part of the DuPont Chemical Solutions Enterprise. Antec will spearhead innovations in DuPont's product development pipeline, while keeping its own name and customer ties in tact.
DaimlerChrysler CEO Defends Name Change
BERLIN - DaimlerChrysler AG Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche reassured shareholders Thursday that the automaker was not forgetting its history with a proposed name change to Daimler AG - instead of Daimler-Benz, the company's name for much of the 20th Century.
The Benz name would remain in the company's flagship luxury brand, Mercedes-Benz, and get plenty of attention, Zetsche told 4,700 shareholders before a vote on dropping Chrysler from the name, a formality after selling a majority stake in the U.S. automaker earlier this year.
Zetsche said the company needed to clearly differentiate its individual product brands from that of the corporate entity, and that surveys showed that Mercedes-Benz was "the most coveted automobile brand in Germany."
"Rest assured we will treat both it and our other brands with the greatest respect," Zetsche said. "And that's why we want to clearly distinguish between our group brand on the one hand and our product brands on the other."
The Benz name will get added visibility as the company's Mercedes Car Group, which makes the luxury brand and the Smart compact, is renamed Mercedes-Benz Cars, he said.
Shareholder Bernd Gans of Vaterstetten, Germany, argued that returning to the original name would right a wrong - and added a motion to that effect to the agenda.
"Replacing the traditional name of Benz with the name of the U.S. corporation, which at that time was already sufficiently well-known as a crisis company, was always regarded as arbitrary and in bad style," he wrote.
Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler did pioneering work at the dawn of the automobile age in the 1880s but never met.
The companies founded by the two men were merged in 1926 to form Daimler-Benz AG. Daimler-Benz AG merged with Chrysler Corp. in a $36 billion deal in 1998 as the German company looked for new markets and new opportunities.
But the deal was never popular with German shareholders.
In May, DaimlerChrysler AG's supervisory board gave its final approval to sell 80.1 percent of its stake in Chrysler to the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP in a $7.81 billion deal.
Hawks beat Cavaliers 90-81 for first home win in series since 2003
Joe Johnson scored 27 points to lead five Atlanta scorers in double figures and the Hawks held off a late comeback to beat the Cavaliers 90-81 on Wednesday for their first home win over Cleveland since 2003.
The Hawks ended a four-game losing streak and snapped Cleveland's four-game winning streak, giving the Cavaliers their first loss in 2008.
The Hawks ended the Cavaliers' six-game winning streak in Atlanta. The Cavaliers' last loss in Atlanta was Nov. 22, 2003.
James, who also had 10 rebounds and six assists, scored 14 points in the fourth quarter _ more than any teammate managed in the game.
Josh Smith had 19 points and Marvin Williams and Josh Childress each added 12 for Atlanta. Rookie Al Horford had 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Raptors 109, 76ers 96
At Toronto, Anthony Parker matched his season high with 22 points, Chris Bosh had 21 and Toronto handed Philadelphia its season-high fifth straight loss.
Jose Calderon had 17 points and nine assists for the Raptors, and Carlos Delfino added 12 points.
Toronto snapped a three-game home losing streak and avoided its longest home skid since a five-game slide from March 29-April 9, 2006.
Willie Green led the 76ers with 18 points, Iguodala and rookie Thaddeus Young both scored 16 and Andre Miller had 14 points and seven assists. Philadelphia lost its fifth straight road game to drop to 7-12 away from home this season.
Rockets 101, Knicks 92
At New York, Yao Ming scored 36 points, and the Houston Rockets got big final quarters from Rafer Alston and Luis Scola to beat New York for their season-high fourth straight victory.
Alston added 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Rockets, who seized control immediately after Knicks coach Isiah Thomas was ejected in the opening minute of the final quarter when he came onto the floor to argue with referee Eric Lewis.
The Rockets improved to 6-2 since All-Star guard Tracy McGrady went out of the lineup with a strained tendon in his left knee. Scola finished with 19 points, nine in the final quarter.
Jamal Crawford scored 21 points, Nate Robinson had 16 and Stephon Marbury 15 for the Knicks, who won Tuesday in Chicago but failed to match their season high of two straight victories.
Nets 99, SuperSonics 88
At East Rutherford, New Jersey, Richard Jefferson scored 28 points, and New Jersey cruised in a blowout that probably prevented Jason Kidd from recording a fourth straight triple-double.
Kidd finished with 16 points, 11 assists and five rebounds in a game in which he sat on the bench for the final 12 1/2 minutes.
Vince Carter added 18 points and eight rebounds as the Nets won for the eighth time in 10 games.
Johan Petro came off the bench and tied his career high with 22 points for Seattle, which lost its fifth in a row and seventh in eight games. Nick Collison tied his season-high with 18 points, while rookie Kevin Durant, who sprained an ankle against Cleveland on Tuesday night, added 15.
Bobcats 95, Celtics 83
At Boston, Jason Richardson scored 34 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Gerald Wallace had 15 points and 10 rebounds boards, and Charlotte handed Boston its fourth loss of the season.
The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak for Boston (29-4) and spoiled its bid for the fastest start in team history to 30 wins. The 1959-60 Celtics started 30-4 before going on to win the NBA title.
The Bobcats, who entered with an Eastern Conferenece-worst 1-11 road mark, also got 16 points and eight assists from Raymond Felton.
Kevin Garnett led Boston with 24 points and eight rebounds. Paul Pierce scored 13 points on just 4-for-14 shooting.
Lakers 109, Hornets 80
At New Orleans, Kobe Bryant scored 19 points, Andrew Bynum added 17 and the Los Angeles Lakers downed New Orleans for their fourth straight win.
The Lakers made 54.9 percent of their shots, hitting nine 3-pointers and while outscoring New Orleans 52-36 inside. Los Angeles scored on its first eight possessions and led by double digits for most of the game.
Chris Paul scored 32 points and David West added 19 points for New Orleans, which shot 36.9 percent.
Bucks 98, Heat 92
At Milwaukee, Mo Williams scored a season-high 35 points to help Milwaukee send Miami to its ninth straight loss.
Dwyane Wade scored 34 points to lead Miami, which extended its longest losing streak since dropping 12 in a row in the 2001-02 season and also lost its eighth straight on the road. Jason Williams scored a season-high 23 points in his first game since recovering from inflammation in his left knee.
Andrew Bogut scored 17 points to lead Milwaukee, which played without guard Michael Redd for the fourth game in a row because of a deep thigh bruise.
Mavericks 102, Pistons 86
At Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki had 23 points to lead Dallas in scoring again, and the Mavericks handed the Pistons their second straight loss after an 11-game winning streak.
Nowitzki led the Mavericks in scoring for the 10th straight game on 10-of-15 shooting, while Devin Harris had 19 points. Jerry Stackhouse and Jason Terry had 15 potions each.
Richard Hamilton had 18 points to lead the Pistons, while Billups had 16.
Suns 129, Pacers 122, OT
At Phoenix, Raja Bell sank two 3-pointers in the final 2 1/2 minutes of overtime and the Phoenix Suns rallied from 16 points down without Steve Nash.
Bell scored a season-high 27, including 6-of-11 on 3s. Leandro Barbosa scored 25 of his 27 points after halftime, 16 in the third quarter, and the Suns handed the Pacers their seventh consecutive road loss.
Amare Stoudemire had 25 points, including a turnaround 10-footer from the baseline that tied it with 26 seconds left in regulation. Stoudemire clinched it by making five of six free throws in the final 1:18 of overtime.
Danny Granger and Shawne Williams scored 22 points apiece for Indiana.
Trail Blazers 109, Warriors 91
At Portland, Oregon, Steve Blake had a season-high 24 points before leaving the game with a left calf injury and Portland won for the 17th time in 18 games.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 19 points for the Blazers, who led by as many as 25 points. Joel Przybilla had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Golden State was led by Matt Barnes with 14 points. Baron Davis, the team's top scorer, had an off night with four points.
Magic 113, Clippers 106
At Los Angeles, Hedo Turkoglu scored 13 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, five teammates reached double figures, and Orlando snapped a season-high three-game losing streak.
Rashard Lewis scored 20 points, Dwight Howard had 17 points and 17 rebounds and Jameer Nelson added 14 points and nine assists for the Magic (23-15), who have an NBA-high 16 road victories.
Turkoglu had seven rebounds and seven assists to go with his 28 points, which matched a season-high.
Corey Maggette scored 27 points to equal his season high for the Clippers (10-22), who lost for the 10th time in 11 home games and for the ninth time in 10 games overall. Tim Thomas added 20 points, Chris Kaman had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Cuttino Mobley scored 16 for Los Angeles.
Brewers beat Cubs 3-1, await Marlins-Mets final
CC Sabathia and Ryan Braun put the Milwaukee Brewers on the verge of their first playoff appearance since 1982.
Making his third consecutive start on three days' rest, Sabathia pitched a four-hitter and Braun hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning to lift the Brewers over the Chicago Cubs 3-1 Sunday.
Milwaukee and the New York Mets began the final day of the regular season tied for the NL wild-card spot. As Sabathia (11-2) got Derrek Lee to ground into a game-ending double play, the Mets were losing in the late innings to Florida.
The Brewers stayed on the field as the Mets game was shown on the stadium's video monitor, and thousands of fans stayed at Miller Park to watch.
If Milwaukee and the Mets wind up even, there will be a one-game tiebreaker Monday at Shea Stadium.
Should the Brewers win the wild card, they would face Philadelphia and the NL Central champion Cubs would play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round.
Sabathia pitched his NL-leading seventh complete game _ those came in just 17 starts after the Brewers got the big lefty in July from Cleveland. The only run he allowed was unearned after an error by first baseman Prince Fielder, and he finished with a 1.65 ERA for the Brewers.
Sabathia struck out seven, walked one and threw 122 pitches.
The Brewers couldn't get much of anything going offensively against Cubs manager Lou Piniella's by-committee approach to pitching the final game of the regular season _ until Braun's towering two-run homer off Bob Howry (7-5) broke a 1-all tie.
Conventional wisdom figured that the Brewers got a break by facing Angel Guzman instead of Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano on Sunday. But Guzman mowed through the first two innings, giving up a leadoff single to Mike Cameron but retiring six straight, including four strikeouts.
And the rest of the Cubs' bullpen combined to keep the pressure on the Brewers. Piniella used four pitchers in the first six innings, who combined to retire a whopping 18 straight Brewers batters after Cameron's first-inning single.
Milwaukee tied the game in the seventh, but squandered a chance to take the lead.
Milwaukee's Ray Durham led off the seventh with a double off Sean Marshall, and advanced to third on a groundout by Ryan Braun. After an intentional walk to Fielder, Michael Wuertz relieved Marshall and walked J.J. Hardy on four pitches to load the bases with one out.
Corey Hart struck out on three pitches, but Wuertz walked Craig Counsell to score a run to tie the game. Jason Kendall grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
Sabathia made a stunning play in the field to end the top half of the eighth inning, barehanding a ground ball from Koyie Hill and throwing to first for the out.
Sabathia was allowed to hit for himself to lead off the eighth, and struck out looking. Cameron followed with a single.
With the crowd cheering as Florida's 4-2 lead over New York was posted on the scoreboard, Durham flied out deep. Then Braun hit the first pitch he saw from Howry into the second deck in left field, triumphantly holding his fist in the air as he rounded the bases.
Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the second, thanks in part to an error by Fielder.
With Aramis Ramirez on first base with one out, a ground ball from Micah Hoffpauir squirted between Fielder's legs, allowing Ramirez to advance to third. Ronny Cedeno then hit a potential double-play grounder, but was called safe on a close play at first as Ramirez scored.
Zambrano actually did end up making an appearance Sunday _ as a pinch-hitter for Guzman to lead off the third. Zambrano, one of the best-hitting pitchers in the league, struck out swinging against Sabathia.
Sabathia nearly homered himself in the sixth, narrowly sending a long fly ball foul down the right field line.
If Sabathia was feeling any pressure Sunday morning, he certainly wasn't showing it.
Sprawled out on a couch in the Brewers' clubhouse, Sabathia boisterously debated college football with teammate Rickie Weeks and flipped through channels on a big-screen television, eventually settling on "America's Funniest Pets."
Monday, March 12, 2012
`Mad Men,' `Damages' vie for historic Emmy bids
"Mad Men" and "Damages" have a shot at Emmy nomination history. AMC's 1960s Madison Avenue drama and FX's legal thriller, both semifinalists for the Emmy nods that were to be announced early Thursday, could be the first basic cable series to get best-series bids.
"The Wire," the critically acclaimed HBO drama about police and drug dealers in Baltimore, had one last shot at ending years of Emmy snubs after wrapping its final season.
The shows were on the list of 10 drama series and 10 comedies that emerged as favorites in balloting by TV academy members.
The final list of nominees was determined with the help of blue-ribbon panels that screened submitted episodes for the top vote-getters.
Nominees in the top categories for the 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were to be announced at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences by Kristin Chenoweth, Neil Patrick Harris and TV academy Chairman John Shaffner.
The Emmy Awards ceremony will be held Sept. 21 and broadcast on ABC.
Other Emmy honors, including those for technical achievement and guest actors and actresses in series, will be given at the creative arts ceremony on Sept. 13.
___
On the Net:
Report: 2 preliminary bids for Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is reporting that two Boston groups have submitted preliminary bids to buy the newspaper.
The Globe reported Friday that the bids were submitted Thursday, meeting a deadline set by its owner, The New York Times Co.
The Globe citing unnamed people with knowledge of the offers.
The report says one of the offers comes from a group led by Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca and former advertising mogul Jack Connors. The other is headed by Stephen Taylor, a former Globe executive and member of the family that sold the Globe to the Times for $1.1 billion in 1993.
The Globe says the group led by Pagliuca and Connors suggests a "civic approach" that calls for a nonprofit foundation to help fund and run the Globe.
FBI says Washington subway-bomb sting defendant tried to buy firearms in 2008, 2009 for fighting jihad
WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI says Washington subway-bomb sting defendant tried to buy firearms in 2008, 2009 for fighting jihad.
Hill is no help as Sox lose
Orioles 8 Sox 5
Ken Hill lasted only 2 1/3 innings in his White Sox debut andBrook Fordyce drove in three runs against his former team as theBaltimore Orioles beat Chicago 8-5 Thursday at Comiskey Park.
Hill (5-8), released earlier this month by the Anaheim Angels, wassigned to a minor-league contract by the White Sox. He was added toChicago's roster before the game to give the team's beleagueredstarting rotation a boost.
But Hill was shaky from the outset and gave up six runs on fivehits and four walks.
Chicago's lead over Cleveland in the AL Central was sliced to 6 1/2 games with the Indians facing Oakland on Thursday night.
Fordyce, traded from the White Sox to the Orioles last month, hita two-run single and a sacrifice fly.
Jose Mercedes (9-5) allowed six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He held theWhite Sox without a hit until Carlos Lee's one-out single in thefifth.
Trailing 6-0, the White Sox broke through in the sixth on JoseValentin's RBI single. Herbert Perry's run-scoring double and an RBIsingle by Chris Singleton in the seventh finished Mercedes, who is 6-1 since the All-Star break.
Jerry Hairston hit an RBI double in the Orioles' ninth.
Charles Johnson, traded to the White Sox in the deal that includedFordyce, had a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth. It markedthe first earned run allowed by rookie reliever Ryan Kohlmeier, whohad made 10 appearances spanning 12 innings.
Hill walked Jeff Conine and Chris Richard in the second beforegiving up a two-run, two-out double to .235 hitter Mark Lewis.
Brady Anderson walked in the third and scored on Melvin Mora'striple high off the left-field wall. Albert Belle singled to make it4-0 and another single by Conine and walk to Richard loaded the basesand finished Hill. Fordyce greeted reliever Mark Buehrle with a two-run single.
The White Sox had second and third and no outs in the eighth butmanaged just a single run on Frank Thomas' sacrifice fly.
NOTES: Cal Ripken, on the disabled list, celebrated his 40thbirthday Thursday.
It was Jose Mercedes' second win over the White Sox in 10 days. Hebeat them with an eight-inning, one-run effort Aug. 14 at CamdenYards.
Right-hander Kevin Beirne was demoted to Class AAA Charlotte toclear room for Ken Hill on the roster. Hill had been bothered by anarthritic elbow and strained ribcage muscle this season.
Who's holding things up?
After reading Carol Marin's two opinion pieces recently blaming Catholic bishops for holding up the health-care bill, couldn't you make the same argument by blaming abortion rights supporters?
Abortion is a subject that deeply divides the country. You will find as many people for it as against it.
If Marin and others truly want affordable health care for all Americans, why let abortion hold up that all-important legislation?
Tony LaMantia, Logan Square
Photo: Frank Polich, AP File / Anti-abortion protesters demonstrate in Rockford.
Garcia comes up short once again in a major
Another duel on the last holes. Another shot that hit a pin and kicked away. Another loss in a major championship.
Sergio Garcia has to be disappointed _ yet don't ever suggest that to him.
He bristled when asked about his disappointment after finishing tied for second at the U.S. PGA Championship on Sunday, two shots behind Padraig Harrington.
"Why are you making this a disappointment?" he snapped at his questioner in the twilight glow outside Oakland Hills. "Obviously I was trying to win, but that's it. It's not disappointing."
It's just that everyone expects it to be. How can someone fall short again on the biggest stage and not be disappointed?
Garcia says he does not brood about his defeats, even the three seconds in majors. He gives it his best, sees where he finishes and then heads home. Mission accomplished. Sort of.
But that's not the way most premier athletes think.
Asked later if, when he was leading by a shot heading into the final nine holes on Sunday, he thought he finally was on his way to that elusive first major victory, he couldn't withhold his anger.
"Next question," he said. "Let's try to keep this as positive as we can, please."
It's just that more than the victories, Garcia's decade in the spotlight has been measured by his close calls in the biggest tournaments.
He exploded on the world scene by challenging Tiger Woods as a callow 19-year-old at the 1999 U.S. PGA Championship at Medinah, showing he was a marvelous shotmaker like his idol Seve Ballesteros only he played with the joy of a kid.
Still, he finished second to Woods that year. In 2007 he lost to Harrington (again) at Carnoustie, having his heart broken when his shot to the 16th green in the playoff ricocheted off the base of the pin and ended up 18 feet away.
He also played in the last group at the British Open at Hoylake in 2006 before fading to a tie for fifth and, that same year, tied for third at the U.S. PGA, six shots back of Woods (again).
After those setbacks things appeared to be going his way on Sunday.
"It was looking like it was his day," Harrington said.
Three shots defined Garcia's latest, uh, shortcoming.
Tied with Ben Curtis and a shot ahead of playing partner Harrington at the uphill, par-4 15th, his iron approach tracked the pin all the way, hitting it flush, sliding down the shaft, then glancing out of the cup and ending up 15 feet away. It was eerily reminiscent of what happened at Carnoustie, another bad break that could have turned things his way.
Then on the next hole, on a 6 iron to the green from 178 yards, he said, "I came out of it just a touch." The ball went right on a hole where the green is surrounded on three sides by a lake. The ball hit on a bank, clicked off a stone and ended up sinking to the bottom of the water, leading to a bogey and dropping him into a tie with Harrington.
Harrington stuck his 5-iron on the par-3 17th about 10 feet away. Garcia stuffed his 5-iron even closer. But Harrington rolled his putt in, while Garcia's missed.
Another major lost.
"He's been close," Curtis said of Garcia. "He's such a talented player that it's just a matter of time."
The Spaniard, now 28, agrees. He tries to be philosophical about his setbacks.
"There's guys that get a little bit fortunate. They get in contention, in a major, and manage to get things going their way, either because they play well or because somebody else comes back," Garcia said. "Unfortunately, it hasn't happened to me."
No matter what he says, that has to be a major disappointment for anyone.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
[Mary Emma Showalter Eby]
Mary Emma Showalter Eby, author of the bestselling Mennonite Community Cookbook, died May 3 at the age of 90 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Showalter Eby, who held a doctorate in home economics education, founded the home economics department at Eastern Mennonite College in 1946. She taught there until 1972. Before her teaching career began, she served for four …
21 years later, quiet day on Tiananmen Square
Tourist throngs and kite-flyers milled around Tiananmen Square on Friday under the watchful eye of security forces on alert for any attempt to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations.
In the semiautonomous Chinese territory Hong Kong, thousands were expected to attend a candlelight vigil later Friday.
China's government has never fully disclosed what happened when the military crushed the weekslong, student-led protests on the night of June 3-4, 1989, possibly killing thousands of students, activists and ordinary citizens. It has long maintained that the protests were a "counterrevolutionary riot."
…Monday, March 5, 2012
Burglars Use Backhoe To Smash Down Wall.
Burglars using a stolen backhoe wrecked a Food Industries Credit Union branch here when they carved a 26-foot hole out of a back wall and yanked a 4-foot vault out of the floor in what may be a first for credit union break-ins.
"I never expected anything like this to happen," said Patricia Wilson, president of the $26-million, 7,000-member CU. "When they tore the wall down they tore out our phone system, computer system, the alarm system and it destroyed a lot of our equipment, our coin counter, our copier, the cabinets that stored all of our marketing pieces, forms, etc. It looked as if someone had just blown a hole right in the wall."
A SWAT team …
Diagnosing bipolar disorder.
Berk M, Berk L, Moss K, Dodd S, Malhi GS. Diagnosing bipolar disorder: how can we do it better? MJA 184:9;459-62.
Difficulties and delay in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder impede effective treatment and increase the burden of illness on the person, their family and society. In the 2000 National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association survey, the prevalence of bipolar I and II disorder in the US was estimated at 3.4%, with almost one third being incorrectly diagnosed as suffering from unipolar depression, and nearly half not having the condition recognised or diagnosed. A third of these individuals had been symptomatic for more than 10 years before the correct …
LEONARD HOBBS, 84.(CAPITAL REGION)
Leonard A. Hobbs, 84, of Delaware Turnpike, Clarksville, died Tuesday in St. Peter's Hospital, Albany, after being stricken at home.
He was born in Montreal and had lived in Clarksville since 1950.
Mr. Hobbs was an estimator for the former Thomas S. Oleko Inc., a plumbing and heating supplier in Colonie, retiring in 1972.
He was a member of the Consistory of the Clarksville Community Church.
Survivors include his wife, Virginia Meschutt Hobbs; a daughter, Diane C. Laraway of Delmar; …
Bjorndalen wins overall biathlon pursuit title
Ole Einar Bjorndalen won the men's pursuit discipline title Saturday after finishing second to Norwegian teammate Emil Hegle Svendsen in Saturday's next-to-last World Cup race.
Defending World Cup champion Magdalena Neuner of Germany won the women's 10-kilometer pursuit to stay in contention for her second straight overall title.
Svendsen beat Bjorndalen in a sprint to finish the 12.5-kilometer men's race in 33 minutes, 3.3 seconds and claim his fourth World Cup victory this season.
Bjorndalen, who secured his sixth overall World Cup title on Thursday, was 0.1 seconds behind. Christoph Sumann of Austria was 23.8 seconds back in third.
…The Epidemiology of Psychological Problems in the Elderly
Objective: To determine the prevalence of mood, anxiety, and other disorders in the population of Canadians aged 55 years and over.
Method: We undertook an analysis of the Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health and Well-Being (CCHS 1.2).
Results: There was a linear decrease for all disorders after age 55 years. This was true for men and women; for anglophones, francophones, and allophones; and for both people born in Canada and people who immigrated to Canada after age 18 years. Consistent with previous research, the prevalences were higher for women than men. Immigrants reported fewer problems than nonimmigrants, with the differences decreasing with age. …
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Sommer Allibert sale near?(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
PARIS - Shares in French auto supplier Sommer Allibert soared last week on buyout speculation.
Rival French suppliers Faurecia or Valeo SA are considered possible bidders.
So are Lear Corp. and Delphi Automotive Systems Corp. of the United States and Magna International Inc. of Canada.
"If Sommer Allibert is for sale, we will consider it," said a Faurecia source.
Valeo, meanwhile, needs a partner to develop its cockpit business.
Sommer Allibert denies it is for sale, but industry analysts think otherwise.
"A solution is very near," said Gaetan Toulemonde, an auto analyst at Deutsche Bank in Paris.
Speculation …
CALENDAR.(Capital Region)(Calendar)
TODAY
BENEFITS & GALAS
Story Hour to benefit Literacy Volunteers, Capital Repertory Theatre, 111 N. Pearl St., Albany When: 6 p.m. Cost: $40 Contact: 452-3382 Notes: Mohawk/Hudson, Inc. will present its 16th annual fall fundraiser with entertaining readings from local celebrities, as well as readings from literacy students.
BINGO
American Legion Melvin Roads Post, 200 Columbia Turnpike, East Greenbush When: 7:30 p.m. Contact: 462-7006
Polish Community Center, 225 Washington Avenue Ext., Albany When: 7:30 p.m. Contact: 456-3995 or http://www.albanypcc.com
Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge, 1 Elk Lane, Wilton When: 7:20 p.m. Contact: 584-2585
Temple Israel, 600 New Scotland Ave., Albany When: 7:30 p.m. Contact: 438-7858, Ext. 8
Troy Elks Lodge, 134 North Greenbush Road, Troy When: 7 p.m. Contact: 283-1193
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
Adoption & the Schools, McKownville United Methodist Church, 1565 Western Ave., Guilderland When: 7 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 448-5295 or http://adoptivefamilies.homestead.com Notes: The Adoptive Families of the Capital Region sponsors adults-only workshop.
Intro to Searching the Internet, Howe Branch, Albany Public Library, Schuyler and Broad streets, Albany When: 10 a.m. Cost: Free Contact: 472-9485 or http://www.albanypubliclibrary.org
Intro to Word, Howe Branch, Albany Public Library, Schuyler and Broad streets, Albany When: 10 a.m. Cost: Free …
STRIKE ARCHITECT ESCAPES.(MAIN)
Byline: Associated Press
CARACAS, Venezuela -- With the granting of diplomatic asylum to a fugitive labor leader, opponents of President Hugo Chavez have lost a key leader and one of the architects of a 64-day strike that devastated the economy and polarized a nation.
Carlos Ortega, the head of Venezuela's largest labor union, went to the Embassy of Costa Rica on Friday and received diplomatic asylum, escaping charges of treason and rebellion for his role in the general strike.
Another strike leader, Carlos Fernandez, the president of a business association, is under house arrest facing rebellion and other charges.
Costa Rica is expected …
BUFFALO YOUTHS TURN FIRST NIGHT VIOLENT ROVING GANGS SACK CELEBRANTS.(Local)
Byline: John F. Bonfatti Associated Press
A First Night celebration turned violent when a mob of about two dozen youths attacked some of the 20,000 people who celebrated the arrival of the new year in downtown Buffalo, police said Tuesday.
Two people were hospitalized.
Police Lt. Michael McParlane characterized the event as "just a bunch of black kids going around beating on white people," He said the violence began just after midnight.
Witnesses said a group of between 20 and 30 young people made its way north on Main Street, on which the city's rapid transit line runs, encountering smaller groups of victims as it moved.
"They …
Police: Wheelchair ramp stolen from Ohio home
Police in northeast Ohio say they're looking for thieves who stole a wheelchair ramp from a woman's home, and a local business is offering to replace it with a free upgrade.
Thirty-four-year-old Cordelia Simpson says she discovered Thursday morning that someone had stolen the 10-foot wooden ramp leading from the porch to the sidewalk at her rental home in Elyria …
Judge: Willie Nelson won't have to sing in court
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A Texas judge says Willie Nelson won't have to sing in court to resolve marijuana possession charges — and a suggestion that he do so was a joke.
Hudspeth County Attorney Kit Bramblett had said Nelson could resolve the charges by pleading guilty, paying a fine — and singing "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" for the court.
Bramblett said Judge Becky Dean-Walker demanded …
UCLA Medical Group Receives National Certification.
Byline: UCLA
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 21 (AScribe Newswire) -- The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) granted the UCLA Medical Group a two-year Certification for Credentialing and Recredentialing, effective July 9, making it one of a handful of U.S. medical groups to receive such an honor.
NCQA certification programs are generally designed to help health plans and employers make informed decisions when choosing their business partners. Certification involves a voluntary review process and a nationally recognized evaluation that managed-care organizations and purchasers of health care use to assess physician organizations. NCQA evaluates clinical and …
Disgruntled Sanco threatens to boycott elections.(News)
BYLINE: AZIZ HARTLEY
THE SA National Civics Organisation (Sanco) is organising an elections boycott on behalf of residents fed up with ANC internal strife and broken promises.
The ANC is facing a revolt by Sanco in the Southern Cape because they say Bitou Municipality Mayor Lulama Mvimbi has not delivered.
Sanco leaders in the area said the campaign would officially be launched on September 27.
"Residents say boycotting the elections is the only way to show the
ANC how they feel. When Sanco points out these issues to the ANC, we are accused of being DA supporters, but the Plettenberg Bay area is for this boycott," Sanco regional …
Saturday, March 3, 2012
A REPUBLICAN VISION AT THE DECENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION UNDER COMMISSIONER MICHAEL ZAGATA HAS RESULTED IN A COOPERATIVE, NON-CONFRONTATIONAL STYLE. BUSINESSES AMD SPORTSMEN LIKE IT. ENVIRONMENTALISTS AREN'T SO UPBEAT.(MAIN)
Byline: YANCEY ROY Staff writer
In a sixth-floor room overlooking the Capital Region's commercial center one day last summer, the new face of the state agency that regulates the environment sharply came into focus.
There, at the Wolf Road headquarters of the Department of Environmental Conservation, executives from the state and General Electric Co. hammered out a settlement involving pollution violations at the GE plant in Waterford.
If the outcome pleased business and industry, it stunned environmentalists. GE Silicones, a $60 billion-a-year unit of the giant corporation, would not pay a fine. Instead, it would spend $1.5 million on tax-deductible local environmental projects.
Commissioner Michael Zagata hailed the agreement as a ``constructive resolution'' solving a 4-year-old case and a harbinger of change.
``This policy represents an intelligent and effective way of providing constructive and creative resolutions to enforcement actions that enhance the environment of the community where the violations occur,'' he said.
Welcome to the new Department of Environmental Conservation, Pataki-style. Under Gov. George Pataki and Zagata, the agency is being reshaped to match the Republican administration's political philosophy.
Companies now are DEC ``customers.'' Instead of fining them, the department is negotiating with firms and allowing industry to have more input about regulations than Pataki's Democratic predecessor, Mario M. Cuomo, would have considered. Zagata says his vision is ``to implement our mission in a way that is more user-friendly'' than previous commissioners.
Under Zagata, the department is pushing for cleanups of …
MBD1, MBD2 and CGBP genes may have only a limited role in human tumorigenesis.
2003 JUL 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- MBD1, MBD2 and CGBP genes may have only a limited role in human tumorigenesis.
According to recent research published in the journal Oncogene, "The genes MBD1 and MBD2 encode methyl-CpG binding proteins that suppress transcription from methylated promoters.
"In contrast, CGBP encodes a protein that binds promoters containing unmethylated CpG and stimulates transcription. All three are located on human chromosome 18q21, a region of frequent loss of heterozygosity in several cancers," wrote S. Bader and colleagues, University of Edinburgh, Molecular Medicine Center.
"These genes therefore represent candidate …
Board OKs prescription powers
Certified registered nurse practitioners will be able to prescribe medicine with the guidance of physicians under new regulations approved Oct. 19 by Pennsylvania's Independent Regulatory Review Commission.
The Board of Medicine and the Board of Nursing proposed the regulations. The two boards jointly regulate certified registered nurse practitioners in Pennsylvania.
The regulations are a compromise between the boards and the commission, which reviews regulations proposed by state agencies. In July, the commission rejected slightly different regulations.
Certified registered nurse practitioners, professional nurses with expanded powers to make medical diagnoses and …
Dutch blue chips end 0.31% up on Tuesday.
(ADPnews) - Dec 28, 2010 - The benchmark AEX index in Amsterdam added 0.31% today and closed trade at 356.69 points.
Maritime engineering group SBM Offshore NV (AMS:SBMO) was the biggest riser today. The share won 1.06% to EUR 16.735.
Engineering consultancy Fugro NV (AMS:FUR) ranked second, 0.91% higher to EUR 62.06.
Insurer Aegon NV (AMS:AGN) …
GOTTSCHALK, JANE.(CAPITAL REGION)
FEURA BUSH -- Jane Lawyer Gottschalk, 86, died peacefully on January 21, 2001 at the Guilderland Center Nursing Home. Jane was born on February 8, 1914 in Albany, NY, the daughter of the late George H. and Beulah (Young) Lawyer. Mrs. Gottschalk retired from Emma Willard School in Troy, NY, where she had been a physical education teacher for many years. Jane was predeceased by her husband, John F. Gottschalk. Because of her love for horses, Jane frequently donated to the U.S. Equestrian Team. …
European growth hopes lift stocks
European stock markets rose Thursday after encouraging economic news more than offset any concerns generated by a downbeat U.S. economic assessment from Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke.
The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 33.33 points, or 0.6 percent, at 5,247.97 while Germany's DAX rose 69.11 points, or 1.2 percent, to 6,059.49. The CAC-40 in France was 40.66 points, or 1.2 percent, higher at 3,534.58.
The advance in Europe came as something of a surprise following sizable falls on Wall Street on Wednesday, when Bernanke said that the U.S. economic outlook was "unusually uncertain."
However, U.S. stocks were …
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