Hitting the right party time tone

Christmas parties come in all shapes and sizes, and can leave youwith more than just outfit issues. So whatever the occasion, from anoffice affair to a family gathering, make sure you get the partyetiquette right So, you've been invited to a Christmas party. Hownice! But what kind of party is it? Friends, family or workcolleagues? Daytime or evening? Sit-down meal or nibbles? Casual ordressy? Can you bring your partner? Should you bring a bottle or agift? Who knew that a simple party invite could bring on heart burn -someone pass the Rennie... Don't panic, take deep breaths - takethis one step at a time and you will negotiate this veritableminefield as nimbly as a …

Wis. Schools Cancel Classes Before Storm

WAUSAU, Wis. - Two central Wisconsin school districts canceled classes Thursday as a sheriff warned that violent storms and tornadoes forecast for the state could be the "granddaddy of all super cells." Other schools let out early.

The National Weather Service predicted very windy and warm conditions, with possible severe thunderstorms, damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes, starting in the afternoon and continuing into the night.

By early afternoon, tornado watches were issued until 10 p.m. in western and northern Wisconsin, from Hudson and Chippewa Falls to Ashland and Hurley.

Chris Weisgram, a spokesman for the Stevens Point School District, said …

Kyle Busch wins at Iowa Speedway

Kyle Busch won the NASCAR combination race Sunday at Iowa Speedway, easily holding off 2008 winner Brian Ickler.

Coming off the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday night in North Carolina, Busch took the pole and led 168 of the 200 laps in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. With the victory, he earned a spot in the NASCAR Toyota …

Scientists: Asteroid Separated Continents

SAN FRANCISCO Scientists on Wednesday greeted with disbelief areport claiming that an asteroid that struck Earth 250 million yearsago broke up the super land mass known as Gondwanaland into Africa,Australia and other continents.

The radical theory said the impact helped cause Earth's worstmass extinction, cracked the planet's crust, caused flood-likeeruptions of lava and may have triggered the slow breakup ofGondwanaland over millions of years.

The report was presented at the American Geophysical Union'sfall meeting by Michael Rampino, New York University's appliedscience chairman, and by Verne Oberbeck, a geologist at NASA's AmesResearch Center in Mountain …

RNC ad links Obama to 'union bosses'

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican National Committee is airing a new television ad in Wisconsin blaming President Barack Obama and "union bosses" for standing in the way of economic reform.

The ad seeks to bolster Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker as he pushes a measure that would take away most collective bargaining rights for state employees.

Walker says the move is needed to cover a $3.6 billion budget …

Kings-Spurs, Box

SACRAMENTO (89)

Artest 10-21 2-4 23, Moore 2-6 3-4 7, Miller 1-8 0-0 2, Johnson 5-9 0-0 12, Martin 2-12 15-17 20, Garcia 3-5 2-2 9, Salmons 2-4 0-0 4, Hawes 1-4 2-2 4, Douby 1-3 0-0 2, Williams 2-3 2-3 6. Totals 29-75 26-32 89.

SAN ANTONIO (102)

Bowen 3-4 2-2 10, Duncan 8-18 5-6 21, Oberto 2-4 2-2 6, Parker 6-14 5-6 19, Finley 4-9 0-1 9, Ginobili 3-5 2-2 9, Horry 0-0 0-0 0, Vaughn 4-9 3-4 11, Ku.Thomas 4-6 0-0 8, Udoka 3-5 0-0 7, Stoudamire 0-1 0-0 0, Bonner 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 38-77 19-23 102.

Sacramento …

Alan Bennett the forum, Bath

It is quite extraordinary to see queues round the block at Bath'sForum at any time, let alone on a Thursday night, but this was billedas 'the literary event of the year' - the night when nationaltreasure Alan Bennett came to town.

The venue, which seats 1,700, was packed with a huge selection ofhis middle-aged groupies and the local literati.

They hung on his every word, which proved to be something of astrain at times due to problems with the microphone.

But when Bennett got into his stride, the laughs were frequent.Like a true veteran of reading tours he was witty, charming andengaging and, almost like a literary stand-up comedian, his deadpandelivery was …

Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape

Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape. By David M. Scobey. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2002. xi + 340 pp. Index, notes, appendix, illustrations. Cloth, $40.00. ISBN 1-566-39950-5.

This is an excellent book: it is meticulously researched, full of insights, and beautifully written. In Empire City David Scobey sets out to provide an alternative reading of the history of landscape change in New York City to what he terms the "classic modernization model" (p. 5), with its stress on successive waves of technological change. Scobey concentrates on the "metropolitan real-estate economy," thus avoiding the conventional emphasis on "infrastructural …

DuPont profit rises, boosted by tax, legal gains; results easily beat Wall St. expectations

Chemicals maker DuPont Co. said Tuesday that strong agriculture sales and emerging international markets helped fuel a rise in second-quarter profit by helping to offset weak domestic housing and auto markets.

Wilmington, Delaware-based DuPont earned $1.08 billion, or $1.18 per share, during the quarter ending June 30, compared with profit of $972 million, or $1.04 per share, during the previous year's quarter. A lawsuit settlement and a lower tax rate from a one-time tax settlement accounted for 7 cents of the quarter's per-share earnings.

Revenue rose to $8.83 billion from $7.88 billion a year earlier.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial …

Wise won't have race to himself: Kiss, Workman among those considering run

With his official announcement, U.S. Rep. Bob Wise appears to bethe early front-runner in the race for the Democratic nomination forgovernor.

But don't think Wise, who made it official Monday, will berunningthe race alone.

There's a pack of prominent Democrats considering making a runforthe Governor's Mansion, and they may have the money and stature tobetough competition for the 17-year congressional veteran.House Speaker Bob Kiss and state Supreme Court Justice MargaretWorkman say they will announce their intentions by Labor Day."No offense to Bob Wise, but I don't think most people are payingattention yet," Kiss, D-Raleigh, said. "I don't feel under acompulsion …

Gunmen Abduct Dozens at Baghdad Office

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Suspected Shiite militiamen dressed as Interior Ministry commandos stormed a Higher Education Ministry office Tuesday and kidnapped dozens of people after clearing the area under the guise of providing security for what they claimed would be a visit by the U.S. ambassador.

Witnesses and authorities said the gunmen raced through all four stories of the building, forced men and women into separate rooms, handcuffed the men and loaded them aboard about 20 pickup trucks.

Shortly afterward, authorities arrested six senior police officers in connection with the abductions - the police chief and five top subordinates in the Karradah district, the central Baghdad …

`He's Just Not That Into You' woos with $27M debut

Movie fans were into "He's Just Not That Into You" as the ensemble romance got a jump on Valentine's Day to lead the weekend box office with a $27.5 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The movie whose cast includes Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Connelly knocked off the previous weekend's top flick, the abduction thriller "Taken," which dropped to second place with $20.3 million.

With Valentine's Day falling in the middle of next weekend, the movie released by the Warner Bros. banner New Line Cinema is positioned for another solid showing, said Dan Fellman, head of …

Howard in Scotland cap call

Barnsley's Fa Cup hero Brian Howard has issued a 'come and getme' plea to Scotland boss George Burley.

Winchester-born Howard, who scored the Tykes' winning goal inSaturday's shock win at Liverpool, played for England U20s, but newFIFA rules mean the pounds3million-rated midfielder can representScotland.

Howard said: "I would absolutely love to play for Scotland."

HEARTS midfielder Laryea Kingston is poised for a comebackagainst Motherwell at the weekend.

The Ghana international has not played for the Jambos for threemonths due to an ankle injury and the Africa Cup of Nations.

DUNDEE United youngster Keith Watson is nearing a comeback, 11months after dislocating a kneecap in the warm-up before a game withCeltic.

THE Elite Promotions corporate showing of the Aberdeen v BayernMunich tomorrow will go ahead at the Tree Tops Hotel. Call (01224)636363 for more information.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - First Knock-Out Round (First Leg): Arsenal vAC Milan, Celtic v Barcelona, Fenerbahce v Sevilla, Lyon v Man Utd.

SCOTTISH PREMIER: Motherwell v Inverness Caley.

Kick-offs 7.45pm.

HP Stock Off on Hurd Role in Spy Program

SAN FRANCISCO - The probe into who-knew-what-when about Hewlett-Packard Co.'s spying schemes threatened to reach into the chief executive's office, rattling investors who feared that the world's largest technology company might be sailing into a perfect storm.

Shares of HP dropped more than 5 percent Thursday after reports that Chief Executive Officer Mark Hurd knew more about the skullduggery than previously thought. Wall Street was worried that the man who engineered HP's recovery - a leader believed to be scandal-free - would lose his job and leave the company rudderless in a time of crisis.

"It's a whole different ball game now," said American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu.

It marked Wall Street's first serious rebuke since HP's Sept. 6 acknowledgment of clandestine activities that tested the bounds of privacy laws and raised embarrassing questions about the ethics of a Silicon Valley icon once revered for its people-friendly policies.

Determined to protect confidential board discussions, HP hired investigators who impersonated board members, employees and journalists to obtain their phone records. The detectives also surveilled an HP director and concocted an e-mail sting to dupe a reporter for CNet Networks Inc.'s News.com, an online technology site.

HP began trying to plug its boardroom leaks in 2005 and intensified the effort earlier this year.

Now the legal and political pressures on the Palo Alto-based company appear to be mounting amid almost daily media leaks with new details about HP's investigation.

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer and several federal agencies are investigating whether HP and its executives broke any laws in their crusade to find a media leak on the company's board.

A congressional panel also has scheduled a Sept. 28 hearing to grill HP's leaders and lawyers about the company's handling of the probe.

Apparently spurred by Thursday's developments, Hurd now plans to appear at the hearing being held by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Hurd's appearance at the congressional hearing might unnerve investors, Wu warned, if it appears he is evading any of the questions.

HP Chairwoman Patricia Dunn and General Counsel Ann Baskins, who also played a central role in the spying program, previously accepted the panel's invitation to appear.

Dunn will likely appear at the hearing with a well-known defense lawyer, James Brosnahan, who has been hired to represent her. An HP spokesman declined to say if the company is paying Brosnahan.

As part of its inquiry, the Securities and Exchange Commission has asked HP to turn over documents related to its probe as well as the May departure of former board member Tom Perkins, who quit in protest over the company's tactics. HP said it intended to cooperate in a Thursday filing disclosing the SEC's request.

Meanwhile, Lockyer - the first government prosecutor to suspect HP's probe may have broken the law - ramped up the pressure on HP Thursday by publicly accusing the company of stonewalling his investigation. HP subsequently placated Lockyer by reiterating its intention to fully cooperate.

Investors had largely shrugged off the scandal, sending HP's shares slightly higher over the two weeks since the news erupted because none of the shady tactics had been linked to Hurd, who has engineered a dramatic turnaround that had nearly doubled the company's stock price since becoming CEO nearly 18 months ago.

HP had even decided to expand Hurd's responsibilities in January when he is supposed to take over the chairman's job - a position that is being surrendered by Dunn for her authorizing the probe.

On Thursday, The Washington Post reported that an e-mail message sent by Dunn suggested Hurd approved the sting operation in February in hopes of duping CNet reporter Dawn Kawamoto.

The latest twist left some analysts fretting about HP's worst possible nightmare - Hurd losing his job in the maelstrom stirred up by the scandal, leaving the company's dysfunctional board of directors scrambling to find a new CEO and chairman.

"You can't rule anything out at this point," said Standard & Poor's analyst Richard Stice.

HP shares fell $1.91, or 5.2 percent, to close Thursday at $34.87 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Hurd plans to hold a news conference Friday to address some of the concerns raised by HP's probe.

"This has nothing to do with the strategy or operations of HP," Hurd said in a Thursday statement. "What began as an effort to prevent the leaks of confidential information from HP's boardroom ended up heading in directions that were never anticipated."

The name of Associated Press reporter Rachel Konrad also surfaced in the HP investigation. Konrad is married to CNet reporter Stephen Shankland, one of nine journalists HP has confirmed as targets of the probe.

Konrad, who has covered HP for the AP and previously for CNet, was named in a Feb. 10 memo from the investigators, who apparently tried to determine whether she had relationships with any HP director or the targeted reporters.

The couple's phone provider confirmed Thursday that someone using the name Rachel Shankland called a customer service representative in February, completed a verification process and got the account balance of her husband's cellular phone.

---

Associated Press Writer Jordan Robertson in San Jose contributed to this report.

Fire crews clean up to help connah

Firefighters will be among a group trying to raise cash for a five-year-old boy battling a rare cancer.

Sylvia Koren, of Ellon, has been helping raise pounds127,000 tosend her nephew's son Connah to the US.

It is hoped the youngster could have potentially life-savingtreatment there.

Connah Broom lives in Wales, but his battle with neuroblastomacancer has touched hearts across the country.

In the past year Connah, from Gronant, North Wales, has had fivecourses of chemotherapy.

His condition has left him deaf and affected his speech.

Mrs Koren said: "He has been through so much and we are doingeverything we can to raise the money."

Earlier this month the 65-year-old took part in a sponsored walkat the Back O' Bennachie and helped raise pounds2,000 - giving atotal so far of pounds40,000.

Tomorrow Ellon fire station is the venue from 9am to 4pm for ateam effort by volunteer fire crews. The firemen will use theirhoses to wash cars and a team from St Mary on the Rock Church willserve up coffees.

Earnings Preview: Cisco to report for fiscal 1Q

Cisco Systems Inc. reports fiscal first-quarter financial results on Wednesday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

OVERVIEW: As the world's largest maker of computer networking gear, Cisco is tied to the investment cycles of its large corporate and telecom customers. It was more than a year ago that it started to notice the slowdown in spending that has worsened into the current crisis, though the effects were mild.

Analysts expect the company to have experienced a more pronounced weakness in orders in the quarter that ended Oct. 24, but most see Cisco as a reasonably solid bet in a downturn, given its wide portfolio and market leadership in Internet routers.

Smaller competitor Juniper Networks Inc. reported solid results for the quarter. Motorola Inc., which competes with Cisco in equipment for cable operators, also reported relatively steady results.

BY THE NUMBERS: Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to post earnings of 39 cents per share, on $10.3 billion in revenue. That's short of the company's own revenue forecast for sales growth of 8 percent from a year earlier, which works out to $10.7 billion.

For the current quarter, analysts expect earnings of 40 cents per share on revenue of $10.49 billion.

ANALYST TAKE: Credit Suisse analyst Paul Silverstein cut his target price on the stock from $25 to $19 on Monday, saying investors haven't fully realized that the current fiscal year will see slower growth in all segments. Over the longer term, the stock is still attractive, Silverstein said, rating it "Neutral."

In a Sunday note, Simon Leopold at Morgan Keegan described the opposite view, saying investors are already aware of the economic headwinds, and won't be surprised by lowered forecasts from the company. He rates the company "Outperform."

WHAT'S AHEAD: Cisco had $19.8 billion in net cash, or $3.29 per share, at the end of last quarter, so the company can keep trucking through a credit crunch. Executives have emphasized that the company sees market downturns as an opportunity to invest and grab market share.

"Like in the previous tech downturn, Cisco can use its strength to invest while others hunker down; we think it emerges stronger," wrote Morgan Keegan's Leopold.

STOCK PERFORMANCE: The stock fell 25 percent in the quarter to end at $16.31. The low of $15.90 hit Oct. 24 was the lowest since 2003, after the Internet boom. On Monday afternoon, the stock was down 75 cents, or 4.2 percent, at $17.02.

r our taste for light cuisine Updated kebabs stick up fo

The '50s kebab that tried to capture a salad and steak on astick may have put skewers in mothballs for the next 40 years.

But now it's time to dust off those steel blades and stick tocombinations that work well. Choose ingredients with comparablecooking times and compatible flavors, and you'll find that kebabs area wonderfully easy and versatile dish for the grill.

Partner chicken with chunks of fresh, juicy nectarines: Thetaste of the fruit accents the chicken. To further flavor thesekebabs, brush them with a mixture of honey, mustard, thyme, hotpepper sauce and lemon juice. It is a hot, sweet, savory kebab forthe '90s.

Now that salad and kebab are separate courses, you can trysomething more palatable than singed green pepper squares. Instead,layer potatoes, tomatoes, avocado and basil and dress with oil andvinegar. RECIPES LAYERED SALAD

1 medium red potato, boiled, cooled and sliced

1 small avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced

1 small tomato, diced

2 rounded tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine or garlic-flavored vinegar

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Arrange potato slices on large salad plate. Top with avocadoslices, then tomato pieces. Sprinkle with basil. Whisk togetheroil, wine, salt and pepper to taste and pour over vegetables. Setaside 10 minutes for dressing to soak in before serving. Makes 2servings. NECTARINE-CHICKEN KEBABS

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon white wine or water

2 tablespoons mustard

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Dash hot red pepper sauce

2 teaspoons lemon juice Salt and freshly ground whitepepper

2 whole, small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 halves)or 1 large, boneless, skinless chicken breast (2 halves)

2 large nectarines

Combine honey, wine, mustard, thyme, red pepper sauce, lemonjuice and salt and pepper to taste in small bowl. Set aside.

Cut chicken into large chunks, about 16 pieces. Pit nectarinesand cut into 16 chunks. Alternate chicken and nectarine pieces on 4metal skewers. Leave a little space between each piece of chicken orfruit. Baste well with honey-mustard sauce.

Place skewers on oiled grill over hot coals and grill 8 to 10minutes, basting occasionally with sauce. Turn kebabs over and cooksecond side 5 to 7 minutes, basting once or twice. Season kebabswith salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. Makes 2servings.

Bar patrons playing pool almost hit by their car

Trempealeau County deputies say two bar patrons were almost hit by their own car this week when an alleged drunk driver slammed into it and knocked it through the wall into the saloon. Neither the patrons nor the driver was hurt.

Authorities said the two men were playing pool at the Jailhouse Saloon in Centerville a little before closing time Wednesday morning when their car flew through the wall.

Authorities arrested a 35-year-old man who allegedly caused the crash. Bar manager Diane Schwartz said the man is a regular customer who might have missed the parking lot turnoff.

The man was arrested on tentative charges of drunken driving and driving with a revoked license.

Schwartz said the two men are lucky they weren't hit.

___

Information from: Winona Daily News, http://www.winonadailynews.com

Glass' 'The Perfect American' to open in Spain

NEW YORK (AP) — Philip Glass' "The Perfect American," imagining the final months of the life of Walt Disney, will have its world premiere at Madrid's Teatro Real on Jan. 22, 2013.

The opera was originally commissioned by the New York City Opera when Gerard Mortier was to become general manager. Mortier, who became the Teatro Real's artistic director in 2010, announced the company's 2012-13 season Tuesday.

The opera is based on the novel by Peter Stephan Jungk.

Dennis Russel Davies conducts and Phelim McDermott directs in a co-production with the English National Opera.

1st place; SUCKER

Inside Blimpie's I nudge Carl. "Her, the sandwich artiste. I'm getting her number."

"Her?" Carl laughs. "Dude, I think that's a guy."

"Nah, too pretty," I say. "Those smoldering eyes, those pouty lips." Carl stares, reconsiders, cuts in line. I protest with fake outrage: "I saw her first."

Carl, the "friend" who's stolen my last three crushes, flirts shamelessly, disregarding the square jaw, the flat chest, the muscled arms assembling his meatball sub. He pays, walking away with free chips and a phone number.

"Don't hate me," he begs outside. "You know I'm a sucker for a pretty girl." Sucker, indeed.

Article copyright Bar Bar Inc.

Photograph (Sandwich artist)

Stories and craft sessions at the mission

It's never too early to get children started on the creativearts. And that is why Ann Garner at the Mission Theatre in Bath hasarranged a new series of late afternoon events for very youngchildren.

The sessions are based around storytelling but are fullyinteractive with workshop sessions which will involve making allkinds of things.

Storycraft stars on Tuesday January 15 at 4.15pm and lasts forjust an hour in the intimate Upstairs Theatre.

The sessions, which are for children aged four to eight years,start with storytelling with a Barefoot Books storyteller.

The first one will be called The Big Turnip.

The storytelling and craft creation sessions will be heldfortnightly through the current term and they cost pounds4 a sessionor pounds3.50 if you book up for all five.

To book call 01225 463362.

Honor roll of donors 2000

HANKAMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Annual Gift Amounts

January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2000

We thank all the individuals, families, friends, companies, and foundations that contributed so much to our school in 2000. Your investments-whether monetary, resources, or personal time & expertise-will surely be reflected in the increased quality of our programs and our graduates' successes in the business world.

"Your gifts enable us to develop our student mentoring program, student internships and scholarships, as well as student business competitions, faculty development, and strategic planning for the school. Every year, there are new opportunities to impact the quality of collegiate education. Last year, a number of people heard about our plan to offer a student-run investment fund course and chose to make gifts to the fund. Their choices made possible the debut of the school's portfolio management course this spring," says Dean Terry Maness.

In 2000, 330 households made monetary gifts totaling almost $1,300,000-70% of which made gifts of over $100. And contributions from the business community rose to $303,520. The business school's current database contains 18,413 households that represent not just alumni but also friends of the school.

Your generosity safeguards the school's future so that our graduates will be proud of their degrees and will want to maintain lifetime relationships with us.

[Sidebar]

Corporations & Foundations

[Sidebar]

Corporate Benefactors

$10,000 and higher

Arthur Andersen & Company Fdn.

Casa Ole of Beaumont, Inc.

Chavanne Enterprises

Enron Foundation

James S. Kemper Foundation

Corporate Sponsors

$11000-$9,999

Accenture

ARAMARK

Bonneau Properties, LTD

Chase Bank of Texas, N. A.

Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Atlanta

Conoco, Inc. Foundation

Deloitte & Touche

Duke Energy

Ernst & Young Foundation

Ernst & Young, L.L.P.

ExxonMobil Corporation

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund

J. K. Tanner, Inc.

KPMG Foundation

Meadows Foundation

Raytheon Charitable Gift Fund

Shell Oil Company Foundation

Texaco,Inc.

TransOcean Offshore, Inc.

The Waco Foundation

Corporate Contributors

$500-$999

Beta Gamma Sigma, Inc.

TransAmerica Corporation

Unabomber items to be offered in online auction

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The manifesto and other items belonging to the man known as the "Unabomber" will soon be available for purchase.

The U.S. Marshals Service says the manifesto written by Ted Kaczynski will be offered in an online government auction beginning May 18.

In the infamous manifesto, Kaczynski condemned the industrial and technological revolutions.

Also available for sale will be personal documents belonging to Kaczynski, including birth certificates, photos and handwritten notes.

The 69-year-old Kaczynski is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty in 1998 to setting 16 explosions that killed three people.

Brazil Wants Church Leaders Extradited

SAO PAULO, Brazil - Brazil has requested the United States extradite two leaders of an evangelical church who allegedly used their followers' donations to buy mansions, a horse farm and apartments in Brazil and the U.S., the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

Estevam Hernandes Filho, 52, and his wife, Sonia Haddad Moraes Hernandes, 48, were arrested by U.S. customs agents in Miami earlier this month on charges of carrying a large sum of undeclared cash.

According to Brazil's Justice Ministry, the United States has 60 days to decide whether the couple will be sent home, where they face charges of money laundering, larceny and fraud.

The two were arrested Jan. 9 after arriving in Miami with $56,467, but claimed to be carrying only $10,000, according to an affidavit.

The church has called the charges against Hernandes Filho and his wife "slander" and said there was simply a "mistake" in their customs declaration but declined to provide details.

"I can assure you that the recent events have in no way shaken the faith of our followers," Reborn in Christ spokesman Marcio Foffu said by telephone.

The couple's attorney, Luiz Flavio Borges D'Urso, did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.

Hernandes Filho, a former Xerox marketing executive, and his wife founded the Reborn in Christ Church in 1986 and rode the wave of popularity of evangelical churches in Brazil, the world's largest Roman Catholic country.

The Reborn in Christ Church claims to have "hundreds of thousands" of faithful and some 1,200 temples, including three in the United States - Orlando and Deerfield Beach, Fla., and Boston.

Takahashi overtakes Verner to win men's event at NHK Trophy

Daisuke Takahashi restored Japan's pride as he rallied to win the men's event Sunday at the NHK Trophy over early leader Tomas Verner of the Czech Republic.

Takahashi completed eight triples after an opening fall on a quadruple attempt in a dramatic routine to "Romeo and Juliet."

He was buoyed by an enthuasitic home crowd eager for a Japanese victory after world champion Miki Ando fell three times in the women's event the previous night.

"After seeing Miki skate last night I was nervous as well," Daisuke said. "I just concentrated on my practice and felt confident in what I have practiced. It's not about how much more I can do but about what I can do."

"I wanted to do two quads but after practice this morning my coach decided to do only one to make sure we make the Grand Prix final," Takahashi said.

Takahashi now heads to the GP final in Turin, Italy in two weeks as the top qualifier with victories in Skate America and here. Americans Johnny Weir and Evan Lysacek and 16-year-old Canadian Patrick Chan are also in the field.

The GP final will bring together the top six scorers of the four disciplines from the six regular season events.

Takahashi, the world silver medalist, won the free skate easily and scored 234.22 overall to overtake Verner who finished with 229.45.

The Czech opened with a clean quad but his other triple jumps were slightly off and he singled an axel late in his program to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

Still the European silver medalist rebounded from a modest performance two weeks ago at the Trophee Bompard in Paris when he was just sixth.

"I feel great. I finally did what I was supposed to do," Verner said. "It was a step forward. It wasn't perfect but it was good for this time."

America Stephen Carriere held on to third despite a cut between his toes. On Wednesday his blade went through his right boot in practice.

"It's been numb. We have been taking the feeling out because it has been painful," Carriere said.

He scored 204.98 points overall and his jazzy Hollywood medley routine was highlighted by arm positions in the arm during jumps.

The next competition for him are the U.S. championships in January against Weir and Lysacek. "Skating with Johnny and Evan will be surreal as they have been such role models for me. I'm ready to hit nationals hard," Carriere said looking to improve upon last year's ninth.

Fourth went to another American, Jeremy Abbott, who rebounded from last in the short program. He fell on an opening quad but had three late triple jumps to gain extra credit.

Italy's Carolina Kostner won the women's event on Saturday after Ando skated poorly. The Japanese dropped to fourth and failed to qualify for the Grand Prix final after taking the world title last March in Tokyo.

Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto of the United States top the ice dance field after two wins in Skate America and Cup of China.

China's Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao and Pang Qing and Tong Jian are the leading pairs. Americans Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker also made the field but she is too young for the world championships because she turned 15 after the July 1 deadline. American Caroline Zhang, who made the women's field, is just 14 and also not eligible for the worlds.

QUOTEWORTHY

"Football is mesmerizing because it's a figurative war. You go inone direction till you get there, but you get there as a team, not asan individual." - Director Oliver Stone (above), whose new movie,"Any Given Sunday," has a football setting

Join in firm's royal toast and see community spirit thriving

THE UK's largest retirement specialist, McCarthy & Stone, iscelebrating the forthcoming nuptials of Prince William and KateMiddleton by inviting over-60s in South Wales to join them inraising a toast to the royal couple.

Events will be held at Pantygwydr Court, in Uplands, from 11am tonoon on Thursday, and at Cwrt Hywel in Gorseinon between 2pm and3pm.

Visitors will be welcomed with a celebratory glass of champagneand a slice of cake.

They will then be able to take a tour of the show complex anddiscover the many benefits offered by modern retirement living.

Visitors will also receive a limited edition Royal Mintcommemorative Pounds 5 coin to take away and treasure, and will beable to enter a prize draw to win a number of other prizes,including a National Trust family membership, a Regency Chalfordhamper or a champagne and chocolate truffles gift set.

Aileen King, regional sales and marketing director for McCarthy &Stone, said: "We've noticed a great deal of excitement about theroyal wedding at our developments in South Wales, so we felt it onlyright to share that excitement with our visitors too.

"Being able to celebrate such a momentous occasion together willonly strengthen the great sense of community at out developments,and that is something we really want our visitors to feel when theycome to see the properties on offer.

"The opportunity to form lasting companionships with like-mindedindividuals is just one of the many unique benefits retirementliving with McCarthy & Stone offers, and we always welcome thechance to show our visitors just how easy it can be for them toenjoy a long and fulfilling retirement here too."

Hawks left seeing Stars Domination by Dallas snaps unbeaten streak; Fleury's temper flares

Stars 5

Blackhawks 0

After a successful New York road trip in which the Hawks went 2-0-1 in a four-night span, they came out flat against the WesternConference-leading Stars. Getting only 16 shots on goal againstDallas goaltender Marty Turco, the Hawks saw their four-game unbeatenstreak halted in the first game of a five-game homestand.

Fleury's outburst came with the Hawks trailing 2-0 late in thesecond period. He and the Stars' Philippe Boucher crashed into theboards together, then tumbled over each other with no penalty beingcalled.

Fleury protested the non-call, then smashed his stick as he leftthe ice. The stick broke in half, and Fleury was sent to the penaltybox for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Though Dallas scored with three seconds left on the ensuing powerplay, Hawks coach Brian Sutter had no complaints about Fleury'sactions.

"It was a game where we needed a little more from a lot ofpeople," Sutter said. "I wish there was some more emotion tonight.Theo probably had more hits than our whole team put together. I wishwe had three or four more like him."

Fleury's penalty was costly, but it hardly determined the outcomeof the game. There were many more significant shortcomings.

"He [Turco] didn't have to make too many big saves," Fleury said."I don't know if it was our [lack of] effort or that we just got awayfrom what we need to do to be successful. It was a situation where wehad gotten 30 shots three games in a row, then came out and got [lessthan] 20. It doesn't make sense."

"We should be better, especially in our building," captain AlexZhamnov said. "Everybody's disappointed. We didn't play our game.That's the bottom line."

The Hawks' troubles started with Dallas' Darryl Sydor scoring on afirst-period shot from just inside the blue line. Hawks goaltenderJocelyn Thibault was screened by teammate Jon Klemm when Sydor's shotgot by him. It was Sydor's first goal in 25 games.

Pierre Turgeon, who has had lots of success against the Hawks (55points in 45 games), set himself up for the second goal early in thesecond period. He passed from behind the net to Jason Arnott, thenretrieved the rebound of Arnott's shot off Thibault's pads and scoredfrom a difficult angle.

Fleury's tantrum set the stage for the Stars' three-goal outburstin the third period. Sergei Zubov scored on a shot from the blue lineas the carry-over power play was ending. Former Hawk Aaron Downeyscored 1:34 later.

Jere Lehtinen completed the scoring while the Stars were moreconcerned about protecting Turco's sixth shutout of the season.

"I don't think Joc saw three of those pucks [goals]," Sutter said."They weren't classic, picture-perfect goals."

But they did the job.

Turco improved his career record to 4-0 against the Hawks, whowere blanked for the second time this season (they lost 1-0 atColorado on Nov. 25). Sunday's shutout was their first on home iceand their worst beating of the season.

The Vancouver Canucks, the Stars' top challenger in the WesternConference, visit the United Center on Tuesday.

Oxidants and Antioxidants: Ultrastructure and Molecular Biology Protocols

Oxidants and Antioxidants: Ultrastructure and Molecular Biology Protocols Methods in Molecular Biology Series, Volume 196. D. Armstrong ed. Humana Press. ISBN 0-89603-851-3

This is one of the latest books in the Methods in Molecular Biology series and is published concurrently with a second book Oxidative Stress Biomarkers and Antioxidant Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology, Vol. 186). The editor has put together a large collection of protocols, written by researchers in the field who have actually carried out the techniques.

Each chapter starts with a short introduction, followed by the protocols themselves. A good feature is that the methods are preceded by a section on materials needed, which includes both equipment and reagents. In each case results are shown and discussed, showing the reader exactly the types of image, or data, to be expected. Chapters also contain notes, with handy tips such as 'always handle tissues on dry ice...' or '10% TCA or 2% paraformaldehyde can also be used...'. The chapters are well referenced too, so that the reader can delve further into the subject.

The book is helpfully sectioned into four parts: Techniques for histological identification; Techniques for subcellular localisation; Techniques for molecular biology; and, Techniques for in vivo/ex vivo/in vitro application. I feel it a pity, however, that each does not start with an introduction outlining what is to be covered and why such techniques were chosen.

However, the range of techniques covered by the book is broad, and include immunodetection, confocal microscopy, X-ray diffraction, paramagnetic resonance, chemilumine-scence and cytofluorescence. But, as can be seen from this abridged list, there are some techniques that require specialist equipment and would be hard for some researchers to follow. Although many of the techniques are suggested for very specific purposes, this book will supply enough information to allow the adaptation of the protocols for other research. For example, Western blotting is discussed to study the translocation of p47^sup phox^, an NADPH oxidase subunit, but Western blotting can be used in many other studies.

While the range of subjects is broad, there are perhaps some omissions. For example, in the chapter on analysis of gene expression following oxidative stress the authors discuss the use of RNA differential display, which is an excellent technique for such a study; however, another and more comprehensive technique would be the use of microarrays, which is not mentioned in the book.

With the advent of proteomics, and the resurgence of mass spectrometric analysis of compounds, I would have thought this too would have featured in this text. In fairness, this is one of a large series of books and cannot be expected to cover everything.

Overall, the editor has amassed a huge amount of material on the subject, and the book would be an asset to any laboratory researching in this area. It is well laid out, covers the chosen topics in detail and would be valuable for a researcher who wishes to try a technique, or needs to trouble shoot. Along with others in this series, it is a good book to have at hand so that research students and more experienced laboratory workers have a place where they can learn more about the techniques they may use for their investigations.

J T Hancock

Lobbying To Put the Segway on Profit Path; Scooter's Inventor Seeks Federal Aid

Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway Human Transporter, wants thefederal government to provide a big financial boost to his new-agescooter.

Kamen, the multimillionaire creator of the futuristic vehicle, islobbying the government to buy some of the self-balancing electricdevices so U.S. Special Forces can scoot into battle and rangers canzip through national parks.

The inventor, a proponent of free markets, also wants Congress tohelp him sell more Segways to consumers by funding projects thatwould create paths for the scooters in cities, and by providingenvironmental tax credits to people who buy them.

It's all part of a broader campaign by New Hampshire-based SegwayLLC to boost sales of the ballyhooed transporters, a product thatSilicon Valley venture capitalist John Doerr once called "biggerthan the Internet."

"One of the reasons Dean moved to New Hampshire was he loved the'live free or die' motto. Keep government out," said Brian Toohey, avice president at Kamen's company. "But to make this technologywidely available, we need government help."

Kamen last week hired Ed Buckham and Tony Rudy, two former topaides to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), to spearhead alobbying campaign to win funding and tax breaks for the Segway."We'll hire whoever we need" to win federal support, Toohey said.

Kamen, who made his fortune inventing medical devices, already hasa few powerful fans in Washington. Vice President Cheney carries inhis heart -- literally -- the stent Kamen invented, and he hasoccasionally buzzed around his compound on Massachusetts Avenueaboard a Segway on loan from the company. Kamen is also a modestcontributor to New Hampshire Republicans, including freshmen Sen.John E. Sununu. The Segway, unveiled 14 months ago with grandpredictions it would revolutionize travel, looks a lot like grandpa'spush mower, stood upright.

Using a system of aviation-grade gyroscopes, tilt sensors andcomputer power, it senses when the rider is leaning and preventsitself from tipping over, even on rough terrain. With a top speed of12.5 mph, it can carry a 75-pound payload plus a single rider. Modelssell for $4,950 through Amazon.com.

Kamen has concentrated his sales pitch on corporations,government agencies and universities since unveiling the Segway on"Good Morning America." Toohey, head of regulatory and internationalaffairs for Kamen, said the National Park Service and the DefenseDepartment are among those testing industrial-strength Segways.

He said the Special Forces have tested Segways to transport the"infantry soldier of the future." Toohey said the Segway cantraverse almost any terrain -- including desert sands -- and travelover land mines without detonating them.

But Segway needs to crack the private sector to turn a big profit.The company has hired lobbyists in several states to push throughlaws classifying the Segway as a pedestrian vehicle, thus allowing iton sidewalks and bike paths. After state and local officials weretreated to rides, 34 states passed such laws -- over the objection ofsome pedestrian advocacy groups. San Francisco has banned Segways onits sidewalks, the campaign's biggest setback.

Segway officials plan to lobby Congress to provide a tax credit toSegway owners. Under current law, people who buy vehicles that run oncleaner-burning fuels than gasoline get a tax deduction of as much as$2,000 for vehicles under 10,000 pounds. Kamen has said hispollution-free vehicle should qualify for at least a slice of thecredit.

Company officials also are asking members of the House and Senatetransportation committees to fund pilot projects in Chicago andelsewhere to build Segway-friendly trails.

Lobbying To Put the Segway on Profit Path; Scooter's Inventor Seeks Federal Aid

Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway Human Transporter, wants thefederal government to provide a big financial boost to his new-agescooter.

Kamen, the multimillionaire creator of the futuristic vehicle, islobbying the government to buy some of the self-balancing electricdevices so U.S. Special Forces can scoot into battle and rangers canzip through national parks.

The inventor, a proponent of free markets, also wants Congress tohelp him sell more Segways to consumers by funding projects thatwould create paths for the scooters in cities, and by providingenvironmental tax credits to people who buy them.

It's all part of a broader campaign by New Hampshire-based SegwayLLC to boost sales of the ballyhooed transporters, a product thatSilicon Valley venture capitalist John Doerr once called "biggerthan the Internet."

"One of the reasons Dean moved to New Hampshire was he loved the'live free or die' motto. Keep government out," said Brian Toohey, avice president at Kamen's company. "But to make this technologywidely available, we need government help."

Kamen last week hired Ed Buckham and Tony Rudy, two former topaides to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), to spearhead alobbying campaign to win funding and tax breaks for the Segway."We'll hire whoever we need" to win federal support, Toohey said.

Kamen, who made his fortune inventing medical devices, already hasa few powerful fans in Washington. Vice President Cheney carries inhis heart -- literally -- the stent Kamen invented, and he hasoccasionally buzzed around his compound on Massachusetts Avenueaboard a Segway on loan from the company. Kamen is also a modestcontributor to New Hampshire Republicans, including freshmen Sen.John E. Sununu. The Segway, unveiled 14 months ago with grandpredictions it would revolutionize travel, looks a lot like grandpa'spush mower, stood upright.

Using a system of aviation-grade gyroscopes, tilt sensors andcomputer power, it senses when the rider is leaning and preventsitself from tipping over, even on rough terrain. With a top speed of12.5 mph, it can carry a 75-pound payload plus a single rider. Modelssell for $4,950 through Amazon.com.

Kamen has concentrated his sales pitch on corporations,government agencies and universities since unveiling the Segway on"Good Morning America." Toohey, head of regulatory and internationalaffairs for Kamen, said the National Park Service and the DefenseDepartment are among those testing industrial-strength Segways.

He said the Special Forces have tested Segways to transport the"infantry soldier of the future." Toohey said the Segway cantraverse almost any terrain -- including desert sands -- and travelover land mines without detonating them.

But Segway needs to crack the private sector to turn a big profit.The company has hired lobbyists in several states to push throughlaws classifying the Segway as a pedestrian vehicle, thus allowing iton sidewalks and bike paths. After state and local officials weretreated to rides, 34 states passed such laws -- over the objection ofsome pedestrian advocacy groups. San Francisco has banned Segways onits sidewalks, the campaign's biggest setback.

Segway officials plan to lobby Congress to provide a tax credit toSegway owners. Under current law, people who buy vehicles that run oncleaner-burning fuels than gasoline get a tax deduction of as much as$2,000 for vehicles under 10,000 pounds. Kamen has said hispollution-free vehicle should qualify for at least a slice of thecredit.

Company officials also are asking members of the House and Senatetransportation committees to fund pilot projects in Chicago andelsewhere to build Segway-friendly trails.

Lobbying To Put the Segway on Profit Path; Scooter's Inventor Seeks Federal Aid

Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway Human Transporter, wants thefederal government to provide a big financial boost to his new-agescooter.

Kamen, the multimillionaire creator of the futuristic vehicle, islobbying the government to buy some of the self-balancing electricdevices so U.S. Special Forces can scoot into battle and rangers canzip through national parks.

The inventor, a proponent of free markets, also wants Congress tohelp him sell more Segways to consumers by funding projects thatwould create paths for the scooters in cities, and by providingenvironmental tax credits to people who buy them.

It's all part of a broader campaign by New Hampshire-based SegwayLLC to boost sales of the ballyhooed transporters, a product thatSilicon Valley venture capitalist John Doerr once called "biggerthan the Internet."

"One of the reasons Dean moved to New Hampshire was he loved the'live free or die' motto. Keep government out," said Brian Toohey, avice president at Kamen's company. "But to make this technologywidely available, we need government help."

Kamen last week hired Ed Buckham and Tony Rudy, two former topaides to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), to spearhead alobbying campaign to win funding and tax breaks for the Segway."We'll hire whoever we need" to win federal support, Toohey said.

Kamen, who made his fortune inventing medical devices, already hasa few powerful fans in Washington. Vice President Cheney carries inhis heart -- literally -- the stent Kamen invented, and he hasoccasionally buzzed around his compound on Massachusetts Avenueaboard a Segway on loan from the company. Kamen is also a modestcontributor to New Hampshire Republicans, including freshmen Sen.John E. Sununu. The Segway, unveiled 14 months ago with grandpredictions it would revolutionize travel, looks a lot like grandpa'spush mower, stood upright.

Using a system of aviation-grade gyroscopes, tilt sensors andcomputer power, it senses when the rider is leaning and preventsitself from tipping over, even on rough terrain. With a top speed of12.5 mph, it can carry a 75-pound payload plus a single rider. Modelssell for $4,950 through Amazon.com.

Kamen has concentrated his sales pitch on corporations,government agencies and universities since unveiling the Segway on"Good Morning America." Toohey, head of regulatory and internationalaffairs for Kamen, said the National Park Service and the DefenseDepartment are among those testing industrial-strength Segways.

He said the Special Forces have tested Segways to transport the"infantry soldier of the future." Toohey said the Segway cantraverse almost any terrain -- including desert sands -- and travelover land mines without detonating them.

But Segway needs to crack the private sector to turn a big profit.The company has hired lobbyists in several states to push throughlaws classifying the Segway as a pedestrian vehicle, thus allowing iton sidewalks and bike paths. After state and local officials weretreated to rides, 34 states passed such laws -- over the objection ofsome pedestrian advocacy groups. San Francisco has banned Segways onits sidewalks, the campaign's biggest setback.

Segway officials plan to lobby Congress to provide a tax credit toSegway owners. Under current law, people who buy vehicles that run oncleaner-burning fuels than gasoline get a tax deduction of as much as$2,000 for vehicles under 10,000 pounds. Kamen has said hispollution-free vehicle should qualify for at least a slice of thecredit.

Company officials also are asking members of the House and Senatetransportation committees to fund pilot projects in Chicago andelsewhere to build Segway-friendly trails.

Single Or Jingle? Turning Songs Into TV Commercials

"Ain't singin' for Pepsi

Ain't singin' for Coke

I don't sing for nobody

Makes me look like a joke"

- Neil Young, "This Note's For You"

When Neil young released this song in 1988, his position was echoed by other well-known artists who were disdainful of the use of their songs in television commercials. But it seems that the anti-corporate sentiment that was once prevalent in rock music circles has softened in recent years. Many composers (along with their publishers) are now only too happy to receive the large paycheques and the extra exposure that come with licensing songs for use in motion pictures or television, radio and Internet advertisements. Much-loved tunes from classic rock artists like Led Zeppelin and Sting are featured prominently in ad campaigns for luxury automobiles like Cadillac and Jaguar. Moreover, some artists' entire careers have launched as a result of their licensing songs for commercial spots. Moby is an example of an artist who has achieved a high level of exposure through the sale of his songs to television commercials. Every one of the songs featured on his 1999 album, Play, has been licensed for use on a commercial for one company or another. Yet Moby has still been able to maintain his credibility as an artist. So, to many, the concerns Mr. Young cited above may seem a bit outdated at this point. But in fact the synchronization of songs for particular commercial uses is still very much a live issue in the negotiation of music publishing agreements. The scope of the restrictions which may be placed on the licensing of a songwriter's compositions in the agreement is a heavily negotiated point.

Some composers, those in the "indie" or punk genres, for example, request that certain restrictions be put in place in their publishing agreements over the type of products or causes that their songs may be associated with. When a songwriter, especially one who is also a recording artist with a high profile, has firm political or religious beliefs, these belief systems are very often tied up with their artistic identity and public image. It is therefore important that the songwriter and publishing company have an open dialogue as to which causes are at odds with the songwriter's identity, and what image the artist is trying to convey to the public. The parties will want to discuss this point before signing any publishing deal, so that the composer's integrity may be protected through proper wording in the agreement, and so that the publisher has a clear idea of how to promote the songs in a way that is consistent with the writer's particular image.

Of course, music publishers want as much latitude as possible in the ability to place their songwriter's compositions in television, Internet and radio commercials (not to mention to use them in motion pictures and as cover recordings). This obviously allows the publisher to recoup a songwriter's advance faster and turn a profit much more quickly. Nevertheless, most composers generally ask that their consent be obtained before their publishing company is able to exploit a given song for commercial purposes or in association with political causes. A typical clause may look something along the lines of the following:

"Publisher must obtain Composer's written consent prior to the use of any Composition in any advertisement relating to political campaigns, social causes, alcohol, tobacco, or intimate personal hygiene products, or any use in a motion picture which has been granted a rating of "R" or "X". Such consent shall be deemed granted if Composer does not respond within five (5) days after receipt of a written request from Publisher for such use."

It is easy to understand why many songwriters would be concerned about the use of their songs for political campaigns and certain social causes. These usages relate to sensitive topics, particularly for an artist who is known to have particular political leanings. Take Bruce Springsteen, for example. Ronald Reagan attempted to use Springsteen's "Born In The USA" as a theme song for his 1984 re-election campaign because he thought the song was meant to be a patriotic song and a tribute to American life. (In fact, the song was about the negative effects of the Vietnam War on America, and Bruce publicly questioned whether Reagan's campaign team members had actually spent any time listening to the song lyrics.). Similar concerns lie with artists who hold strong beliefs for social causes, k.d. lang, a longstanding vegetarian, would undoubtedly want the right to vet any use of her songs in meat-related commercials. Indeed, her professional reputation would suffer tremendously if "Constant Craving" were to appear in a McDonald's commercial. Yet another example might be a songwriter who is an advocate of anti-violence campaigns: such an artist would probably not want his or her song placed in a movie scene that had the effect of glorifying violence. At the other end of the spectrum, a politically right-winged songwriter would not likely want his or her music associated with left-leaning causes. The possibilities are endless. It is therefore important that if a songwriter or artist is intent on preserving a particular image, he or she should highlight such concerns with the publisher before the deal is concluded.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are not meant to substitute legal advice which should be sought in each particular instance. Lynn Burshtein is a lawyer and registered trademark agent at the law firm of Sanderson Taylor Entertainment Lawyers, which represents clients such as Avril Lavigne, Nelly Furtado, Sum 41 and Sam Roberts. For more information, please see www.sandersontayhr.com.

[Author Affiliation]

by Lynn M. Burshtein, B.A., LL.B

MOVERS & SHAKERS: Lydia Camarillo

Chairwoman, 2000 National Democratic Convention in Los Angeles

Career Background

Executive director of the Southwest Voter Registration Project (SVREP), 1994-99; national director of the Leadership Development Program for the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund 1989-94, current chair, the National Community Latino Leadership.

Personal

Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, the first of eight children. Parents were immigrants from Mexico. Attended the University of California at Santa Cruz. Married to Michael Antonio Cohen; one son, Miguel Alejandro Camarillo-Cohen. Expecting a second son in February of 2000.

Claims to Fame

Working towards building a society where all communities can find respect and dignity in their lives and that of their children.

Best Day

The day my son Miguel was born. He is my pride, joy and reason for living.

Worst Day

The day I lost my youngest sister and her 7-year-old daughter.

Ten Years From Now

Enjoy life, travel and see my children grow to become young individuals who care about the world.

Immethate Goals

Organize the best Democratic Convention that the country has ever seen and to make a significant impact on electing the next president of the United States.

Political Heroes

Willie C. Velasquez, Gloria Molina, John F. Kennedy

Secrets of Success

Be inclusive; build coalitions; work with all communities; never compromise principles; stay focused.

Biggest Gripe

When certain communities are excluded from being involved in the American democratic process.

Prediction

The next Democratic nominee will be the next President.

Favorite Books

Servant Leadership, Robert Greenleaf; mo mil Tell the People, William Greider; An America Challenged-Population Change and the Future of the United States, Steven Murdock; Burden of Support, David Hayes-Bautista.

Favorite Movies

"Life is Beautiful," "Casablanca," "Grapes of Wrath"

Best Moments in a Campaign

When precinct workers increase the turnout by at least 20 percent in communities that are traditionally under-represented.

Worst Moments in a Campaign

When volunteers promise to show up - and they don't.

If I Were President for a Day

1) Pass an Executive Order requiring that for one day everyone working at minimum wage or below the minimum wage would be paid a living wage for his or her work. To create a moment in history, where workers of America would be fairly compensated for work.

2) Make Cesar Chavez, Willie Velasquez and Susan B. Anthony birthdays federal holidays.

3) Issue an Executive Order that designates federal money for needy and deteriorating communities.

For WVU, the cost of doing business rising

WHAT price success?

It's a good question these days for West Virginia University, andone that the Mountaineers may have to find different ways to answerthan in the past.

As WVU's athletic program builds its profile beyond Big EastConference success with Bowl Championship Series appearances and top10 rankings in marquee sports, the cost of doing business willcontinue to rise.

The so-called athletics "arms race" in the upper echelon ofDivision I is only one driving force. Facilities must continue to beupgraded. It's going to cost more to keep quality coaches, too.

You may have noticed last week that Georgia Coach Mark Richt gotan eight-year contract …

Reports outline cardiovascular research study results from University of Auckland.

Scientists discuss in 'Non-steady-state calcium handling in failing hearts from the spontaneously hypertensive rat' new findings in cardiovascular research. "It is generally agreed that changes in Ca(2+) cycling are often associated with heart failure, yet the impact of these changes on a beat-to-beat basis remains unclear. Measurements of isometric force and [Ca(2+)](i) were made at 37[degrees]C in left ventricular trabeculae from failing spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) hearts, and their normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) controls," scientists in New Zealand report (see also Cardiovascular Research).

"At 1 Hz, peak stress was reduced in SHR (14.5?[+ or -]?2.4 mN mm(-2) …

MTA eyes development to meet spending needs.(Capital Region)

NEW YORK - Faced with mounting budget problems, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority wants to raise more than $1 billion by developing train stations, parking lots and rail yards into mini-malls and other commercial properties, according to a published report.

The MTA issued an 11-page request for proposals last month that outlined a plan for leasing "all rail yards, fan …

Influence of the number of water molecules on the mechanism of N-sulfinylaniline hydrolysis (1).

Introduction

Our interest in the electronic and molecular structures of NSO species (1, 2) is closely related to their reactivity. N-Sulfinylamines (R-N=S=O) were first prepared by Michaelis in 1890 (3) and their reaction with water was one of the first properties to be observed experimentally. While aromatic N-sulfinylamines are insoluble in water and hydrolized very slowly in it as well as in dilute acids, warm alkaline solutions or concentrated acids lead to their rapid hydrolysis (4). Aromatic N-sulfinylamines in particular are widely employed in synthetic organic chemistry, as they readily undergo a variety of cycloaddition reactions to yield N,S-heterocycles (Diels--Alder reactions as both dienes and dienophiles (5-7), 1,2-cycloadditions, and 1,3-dipolar additions (8, 9)). Common to all these reactions is the attack on the sulfur of the NSO group, and hydrolysis can be considered as the prototype reaction. Therefore, an understanding of the initial steps of the hydrolysis reaction mechanism of N-sulfinylaniline is fundamental to its exploitation in similar reactions involving N-sulfinylamines.

The mechanism for hydrolysis of N-sulfinylamines is believed to proceed through nucleophilic addition of a water molecule to the NSO group with the formation of sulfinamic acid, followed by the acid's fast decomposition to sulfur dioxide and a primary amine (Scheme 1) (10). Aromatic N-sulfinylamines are known to be somewhat resistant towards water, whereas aliphatic N-sulfinylamines hydrolyze more readily (4). For N-sulfinylaniline (Ph-N=S=O), kinetics studies using UV spectroscopy showed neutral hydrolysis to be a slow process (11, 12), with an induction period of approximately 4 h (12). The reaction is complicated by autocatalysis from aniline, formed as a product of the reaction, which explains the relatively low activation energy of 9.88 kcal [mol.sup.-1] (1 cal = 4.184 J) in a water--1,4-dioxane (1:1) solution (11). In the presence of pyridine as a base or with a combination of pyridine and a carboxylic acid, the rate of reaction increases significantly (12). General base catalysis was proposed for the hydrolysis in the presence of pyridine, where the formation of a pyridine--water complex increases the nucleophilic properties of water and facilitates its interaction with the electrophilic sulfur atom. This is proposed to be the rate-determining step of hydrolysis. It is a third-order reaction, first-order in each N-sulfinylaniline, water, and pyridine, with an overall rate constant of 2.96 x [10.sup.3] [L.sup.2] [mol.sup.-2] [s.sup.-1] and a low enthalpy of activation of 5.7 kcal [mol.sup.-1] for the 20-40[degrees]C temperature range.

For the combined catalysis by pyridine and a carboxylic acid, initial protonation of either nitrogen or oxygen atoms of the NSO group was predicted (12). This would lead to an increase in the net positive charge on the sulfur atom and promote the addition of a water molecule to the NSO group. This acid catalysis is not part of the discussion in the present paper.

While literature data on the hydrolysis of N-sulfinyl compounds are limited (11, 12), the hydrolysis of their cumulated analogs (isocyanates, R-N=C=O) was intensively studied, both experimentally (13-15) and computationally (16). Based on their structural similarities, one might expect similar reactivities for these two classes of compounds. And while the NCO group is more or less linear, whereas the NSO group is bent with a sulfur bond angle of 120.6[degrees] as determined from X-ray diffraction analysis (17), the similar solvent kinetic isotope effects k([H.sub.2]O)/k([D.sub.2]O) of 1.65 for PhNCO (14) and 1.73 for PhNSO (12) seem to support the idea of similar reactivities and possibly similar mechanisms in the hydrolysis of these compounds.

A second-order dependence on water was found in the neutral hydrolysis of alkyl- and aryl-substituted isocyanates (13, 14, 16), where one molecule acts as a general acid and the other as a general base. This is closely related to the base-catalyzed hydrolysis of N-sulfinylaniline, if one water molecule is considered to take the role of the catalyst (pyridine). For the hydrolysis of 4-chlorophenyl isocyanate, however, a third-order dependence with respect to water concentration was reported (15). We therefore decided to explore the neutral hydrolysis of N-sulfinylaniline computationally to determine its mechanism and the number of water molecules involved.

Computational details

All geometry optimizations were performed with the Becke3 (18)--Lee, Young, and Parr (B3LYP) hybrid density functional (19) with the 6-31+G(2d,2p) basis set, using the GAUSSIAN 98 suite of programs (20). This computational level best reproduces the observed geometry (X-ray analysis) of N-sulfinylaniline (17), and the basis set superposition error (BSSE) (21) consists of less than 0.7 kcal [mol.sup.-1] for the ternary complexes (counterpoise = 3, full geometry optimization). (3) All structures were optimized without constraints. The complexes and their transition states were studied in the gas phase, as it was found in similar studies of the hydrolysis of isocyanates (16) and amides (22) that the inclusion of the solvent as a dielectric continuum only leads to a small decrease in the activation barrier. Vibrational frequencies and zero-point vibrational energies (ZPVE) were obtained at the preceding level of theory. The identity of each transition state was additionally verified using the intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) method (23, 24). The total ([E.sub.tot]) and ZPVE-corrected energies ([E.sub.tot] + ZPVE), as well as the enthalpies of the complexes and their transition states, are summarized in Table 1. Throughout the paper, we will report only the enthalpy term at standard state, unless stated otherwise. We chose enthalpies over Gibbs free energies because an enthalpy is available (12) for comparison. Furthermore, the …

Cardinals 5, Phillies 0

St. Louis			Philadelphia
ab r h bi		ab r h bi
Theriot 2b	4 1 1 0		Rollins ss	4 0 1 0
Craig rf	4 3 3 3		Victorn cf	4 0 1 0
CPttrsn rf	0 0 0 0		Utley 2b	4 0 3 0
Pujols 1b	4 1 …

Stars of the small screen

You can tell that the winter is here in earnest when footballmatches start to get postponed.

I was hoping to be gloating over bringing Crawley down a peg ortwo but, due to a frozen pitch, Tuesday's scheduled encounter withthe self-titled 'Project Promotion' never happened. Thankfully, wedid manage to witness a game of tremendous importance to our seasonlast Thursday, as Bath City became television stars with a 2-1triumph over Histon at Bridge Road.

It was an unusual experience to see us play in a live broadcastedgame, with fans texting to say they had seen you on telly.

I must say that the staff, especially the stewards, at Histonwere the most …

2010 state income tax rate schedules adjusted.(FTB NEWS)

The FTB has released the 2010 state tax brackets. Brackets are "indexed" each year by adjusting them to reflect changes in the California Consumer Price Index (CPI). Filing requirement thresholds, the standard deduction and certain credits were adjusted along with income tax brackets based on the inflation rate of 0.9 percent, as measured by the California CPI for all urban consumers from June 2009 to June 2010. Last …

Nevada Unveils Membership Awareness Television Spots.

LAS VEGAS -- In an effort to increase its awareness with the public in this rapidly growing city, Nevada Federal Credit Union recently launched a multi-media campaign that includes television commercials.

Denise Scherschel, communications specialist for Nevada FCU, told the Credit Union Journal the spots were available for viewing on YouTube during the final week of August. On Sept. 4, the commercials began airing on three over-the-air stations serving Las Vegas and nearby Pahrump, plus four cable stations. At the end of the month, the spots will go into rotation in two local movie theaters.

According to Scherschel, the commercials show normal people having …

BANK COMPLETES PURCHASE OF FIVE S&L BRANCHES.(BUSINESS)

Byline: Staff report

CANAJOHARIE -- Central National Bank of Canajoharie has completed its previously announced purchase of five bank branches from Astoria Federal Savings and Loan Association. …

More Interest In Micropayments.

A survey on small payments found pent-up consumer desire to use credit and debit cards instead of cash. An estimated 45 million consumers would use credit or debit cards for purchases of $5 or less, up 23% from September …

22 Asian sailors freed by Somali pirates

A group of 22 Asian sailors has been released after more than a month of captivity since their cargo ship was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, a South Korean official said Thursday.

The crew members _ eight South Koreans and 14 Myanmar citizens _ were heading toward a U.S. navy vessel in the area after being set free earlier in the day, Foreign Ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young told reporters.

Moon said the sailors were all safe but declined to comment on whether a ransom was paid.

The South Korean cargo vessel was hijacked by Somali pirates on Sept. 10 in the Gulf of Aden.

The latest incident …

Horoscope

FORECAST FOR TUESDAY

eARIES (March 21-April 19. A bit of chaos breaks loose. Then yourinner leader emerges with a sideways smirk, ready to prove you're notonly capable, but also stylish - snap.

rTAURUS (April 20-May 20). There's a reason why Cupid ispersonified as a child and not a wizened old matchmaker. Infatuationis impulsive.

tGEMINI (May 21-June 21). You feel your power to takerelationships to the next level. As for singles making a newconnection, make a conscious decision about how much to touch.

yCANCER (June 22-July 22). It's more fun to do work when youinclude and depend on your team. Ask for help even when you don'tthink you need …

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.(inbrief)(Brief article)

THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE expanded the habitat of the Santa Ana sucker fish by 1,000 acres. The expansion, which went into effect in January, has prompted a dozen Inland Empire area water agencies that threaten to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Water officials fear the additional acres for sucker fish …

UNIVERSITIES RECRUIT TWO SUNY OFFICIALS.(Local)

Byline: Tim Spofford Staff writer

Two State University officials are finalists in separate searches for new university presidents in Illinois and California.

Provost Joseph C. Burke of Albany, the third-ranking administrator in the 64-campus State University system, is a finalist for the presidency of Illinois State University in Normal.

Sherry H. Penney of Loudonville, the SUNY system's vice chancellor for academic programs, policy and planning, is a finalist for the presidency of California State University, Long Beach.

Burke, whose salary is $115,000, said Illinois' $83,220 salary was not attractive. "I'm pretty sure I wouldn't go at …

BUSH REQUESTS INTEREST RATE CUTS BY WESTERN ALLIES.(Business)

Byline: Martin Crutsinger Associated Press

President Bush personally appealed on Sunday for foreign allies to cut interest rates to help lift the United States out of a recession.

But his appeal did not win any immediate public support from the two countries it was primarily aimed at - Germany and Japan. Finance officials from those nations said inflationary pressures limited their ability to cut rates.

Bush made his pitch for global rate cuts at an unusual White House lobbying session with finance ministers and central bank presidents of the world's seven largest industrial countries.

After the brief meeting with Bush, the finance leaders …

Live from New York, it's Amy Poehler's baby

Actress Amy Poehler of the sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live" and movie "Baby Mama" delivered a baby boy hours before she was to appear on the show.

The live show's parody news anchor was missing from her spot alongside Seth Myers on "Weekend Update" because she gave birth earlier Saturday.

On behalf of Poehler and her husband, comic actor Will Arnett, "I can confirm that Amy gave birth to Archie Arnett on Saturday," read a statement from Poehler's spokesman, Lewis Kay.

The baby was born early Saturday evening in New York, weighing 8 pounds, 1 ounce (3.6 kilograms).

Mother and child were …

Champions Nant cruise home to celebrate title win in style

NANTGAREDIG celebrated clinching the division six west title witha 27-15 victory over Llansawel.

Llansawel wanted to show that their lowly league position was anot a true reflection of their ability, while Nant were determinednot to let them spoil their championship party.

Nant started well, applying plenty of attacking pressure. and itneeded a last-ditch tackle to cause Guto Roberts to knock on in theact of scoring.

With the Llansawel defence cutting down handling options, Nantplayed the kicking game and from a chip behind the defence,Llansawel sliced trying to clear their lines and Bleddyn Lewiscollected to score.

From the restart, …

Appeal to keep BB guns off our streets.

DERBYSHIRE Police are launching a summer campaign aimed at keeping ball-bearing and imitation guns off the county's streets.

Letters have already been sent to parents and guardians across Derbyshire warning them about the dangers of children carrying BB and imitation guns in public.

As an organisation police must respond to many incidents involving firearms and on average, 80 per cent of these are found to involve BB guns, air weapons or imitation weapons.

Many of these guns are very realistic and until closely examined only the person carrying the weapon will know if it is real or not.

There is a very real chance that anyone seen in public …