WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will be taking a break from Washington's sweltering heat wave.
The president, first lady Michelle and their daughters are heading to Camp David on Friday …
Thursday, March 15, 2012
U.S. considering Russian silica gel technology to stabilize Department of Energy radioactive wastes
Remember that little packet of granules in the shoe box when you bought new shoes? You probably automatically threw it out without giving it a thought. But, silica gel, the same stuff that's packed in new shoes to keep them dry, might also help stabilize radioactive materials.
"Presently," Connie Cicero of Westinghouse Savannah River Company, said, speaking at the Spring National Meeting, "the technology is being considered for directly stabilizing liquid radioactive wastes and surplus material solutions, but other applications are also being considered, such as a final or interim wasteform for pre-treated solid wastes."
Silica gel treatment technology to stabilize …
Bin Laden: Pope Helps Anti-Islam Crusade
Osama bin Laden accused Pope Benedict XVI of helping in a "new Crusade" against Islam and warned of a "severe" reaction to European publications of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that insulted many Muslims.
Bin Laden's audiotape message Wednesday raised concerns al-Qaida was plotting new attacks in Europe. Some experts said bin Laden, believed to be in hiding in the Afghan-Pakistan border area, may be unable to organize an attack himself and instead is trying to fan anger and inspire his supporters to violence.
On Thursday, Al-Jazeera television aired an audiotape it attributed to bin Laden criticizing Palestinian negotiations with Israel …
Villarrial to sit out exhibition Injured veteran steps aside for Gandy, Metcalf to play
BOURBONNAIS, Ill.--Opportunity can be fleeting in the NFL.
Here one day and gone the next are chances to move up the depthchart. Right guard Chris Villarrial knows about that after getting anunexpected phone call on a Friday night in 1996, his rookie season.Less than 48 hours before the fifth game of the season against theOakland Raiders, offensive line coach Tony Wise called and told himhe would be starting in place of injured Todd Burger. Villarrialexpected some more seasoned linemen ahead of him to get the call.After all, he had been working at center.
He said, Hey, you're starting this game,"' Villarrial said. Ittook off from there. I haven't looked back.
I …
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
World AIDS Day Dec. 1 to mark 30th anniversary of epidemic
Monday, Nov. 28
Saginaw County Red Ribbon. A giant lighted red ribbon will light up the Saginaw County Governmental Center. Volunteers will construct the eight-foot ribbon as a symbol of a "call to action" against the disease, said Rev. Charles H. Coleman Sr., president of the Saginaw HIV Task Force and pastor at New Faith Temple Church. Ribbon will stand from Nov. 28-Dec. 2. Saginaw HIV Task Force, 111 S. Michigan, Saginaw. 1-800-872-2437. saginawcounty.com
Women Living with HIV, 1 1 a.m. A presentation from women living HIV+. Physicians for Human Rights at L)M, 1241 E. Catherine St1 Ann Arbor.
Tuesday, Nov. 29
SexUs Hold Em, 5 p.m. This is poker with a …
Sri Lanka vs Australia Scores
GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka reached 187-5 chasing 379 at lunch on the fourth day of the first cricket test against Australia.
__
Australia 273 and 210: …
Reports: Fowler in dispute in Australia
Former Liverpool and England striker Robbie Fowler is involved in a dispute with his North Queensland Fury club after being told he would start on the bench in an A-League match Saturday.
Fowler refused to play in a changed formation for Saturday's home match against Brisbane in Townsville and was subsequently left off the team sheet. Brisbane and North Queensland played to a 1-1 draw.
Fury coach Ian Ferguson later denied that Fowler had made his final outing for the club.
"No, not at all," Ferguson told Fox Sports news. "There's a couple of issues we have to sort out. Robbie's a great player, he's an experienced player, he's a …
`O Amor Natural' puts poetry in motion on streets of Rio
This doesn't mean dead, mind you, but instead defines lifelessas those incapable of celebrating life for what it is: a beautiful,glorious thing that elevates us, no matter what age we are.
And to think, this all comes from watching a bunch of seniorcitizens reading from a book of erotic poetry."O Amor Natural" is a documentary about life, and how sex bringslife not in the sense of procreation, but in the …
Man gets nearly 20 years in Haiti sex abuse case
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (AP) — A man was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison Tuesday for sexually abusing children for more than a decade at a school he founded in Haiti, including some who faced him in the courtroom and testified that he threatened to put them back on the streets if they did not submit to his advances.
Judge Janet Bond Arterton called Douglas Perlitz a serial rapist and molester as she imposed the sentence in New Haven federal court. She said she believed he would commit the same crimes again if he were in a similar position.
Perlitz, 40, apologized to his victims while speaking in Creole before the sentence was handed down. He said he knew his crimes were …
NYC woman's request of president leads to arrest
A woman who wrote President Barack Obama, asking for help resolving her husband's immigration problem got a response she didn't expect: Federal agents turned up at her New York City home and took her husband to jail.
Officials tell The New York Times that Caroline Jamieson's letter to the president was mistakenly forwarded to an immigration fugitive unit. After the …
IN THE NEWS: Sondra Hardy
Sondra Hardy was recently named Elite Ms. U.S. United 2006 at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Atlanta, Ga.
The pageant production was entitled "Tropical Nights" and Hardy competed with 27 other contestants representing their states. The production included competitions in onstage personality, casual wear and evening gown. Hardy captured the audience with her dramatic interpretation of Dr. Patricia Bath, an African American opthalmologist who invented the laserphaco probe, an alternative surgery for people suffering with cataracts.
Hardy will spend the next year making personal appearances throughout the country …
Mauritania searching for gunmen who killed 4 French tourists
Mauritanian prosecutors called the brutal Christmas Eve slaying of four French tourists a terrorist act and said Tuesday that security forces were hunting three suspects who they said belonged to a regional al-Qaida-linked terror network.
Gunmen shot the tourists Monday as they picnicked on the side of a road near Aleg, a small town 245 kilometers (150 miles) east of Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott, police said. The attackers then fled south toward the Senegalese border, police said.
The sole survivor, the family's father, was seriously injured and flown overnight to the main hospital in Senegal's capital, Dakar, where he was in an intensive care unit, …
How the stock indexes fared Thursday
Wall Street plunged again Thursday on anxiety about tight credit, the flagging economy and the financial health of automakers General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. A year after the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index surged to record highs, the two major indexes are now at their lowest levels in five years.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 678.91, or 7.33 percent, to 8,579.19.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 75.02, or 7.62 percent, to 909.92.
The Nasdaq composite index fell 95.21, or 5.47 percent, to 1,645.12.
For the week:
The Dow is down 1,746.19, or 16.91 percent.
The S&P is down 189.31, or 17.22 percent.
The Nasdaq is down 302.27, or 15.52 percent.
For the year:
The Dow is down 4,685.63, or 35.32 percent.
The S&P is down 558.44, or 38.03 percent.
The Nasdaq is down 1,007.16, or 37.97 percent.
Rockies' Embree out for season with broken leg
Colorado Rockies left-hander Alan Embree is out for the season after a line drive fractured his right tibia on Friday night.
Embree will have surgery Saturday.
"There will be some type of compression screw put in there," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said.
Atlanta's Martin Prado hit a 3-2 fastball from Embree back up the middle in the seventh inning Friday night. The ball ricocheted off Embree's right shin to third baseman Ian Stewart.
"It sounded awful," Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta said. "I couldn't even track the ball it was hit so hard. It sounded really bad."
Embree tried to stand up but immediately laid on the grass in front of the mound. He was driven off the field on a cart and replaced by right-hander Matt Daley.
Embree started the seventh inning in relief of starter Ubaldo Jimenez, who left the game after a 52-minute rain delay. He retired the first two batters before Prado drove the ball off of his leg.
"When I heard it and I realized it wasn't his shoe that got hit, I was scared to death," Tracy said. "When you see a ball get hit that hard and hit a pitcher where he has no opportunity to get a glove on it, it scares you to death."
Embree, who signed as a free agent with the Rockies this past offseason, was 2-2 with a 5.84 ERA in 36 appearances.
Tracy said the team will make a roster move to replace Embree before Saturday's game against Atlanta.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Fundraiser Obama works in tough money environment
SAN JOSE, California (AP) — This is no 2008, when money seemed to fall from the sky for a young senator named Barack Obama.
In theory, fundraising should be even easier this time for the Democrat who shattered money records in his first White House campaign. He's the president now, with an unparalleled bullhorn and reach.
But his title isn't all that's changed. The economy is sickly, and he's in charge. That's not only threatening his re-election; it's also making it more difficult to inspire people to open their checkbooks for his campaign.
Many of the core supporters he counted on last time for small-dollar donations are disgruntled now. Some are personally cash-strapped. And he's had to cancel a slew of fundraisers as he tends to the business of governing a country that some fear could slide back into a recession.
With an important reporting deadline on Friday, the sour environment explains why Obama is holding seven fundraisers on the West Coast this week — and why he held a private conference call with donors late last week aimed at bucking up his top backers.
The president offered a spirited defense of his administration's accomplishments in those remarks, and campaign officials urged the top donors to redouble their efforts and stay focused ahead, according to a person familiar with the private call. They disclosed the contents of it only on the condition of anonymity.
Obama made a similar pitch — face to face — at fundraisers at the homes of wealthy donors from Seattle to the Silicon Valley to Hollywood over the past two days, appealing to mostly small groups of big-money supporters to hang onto the loving feeling they had for him back when he first ran for president.
"I need you guys to shake off any doldrums," the president told a Seattle audience Sunday. "I'm asking you to join me in finishing what we started in 2008."
For all the difficulties, Obama still is outpacing his Republican rivals in the money chase by the tens of millions, and, without a primary challenge, he doesn't have to spend what he's raising until next year. He's still going to raise a ton of money, which is needed for pricey TV ads and get-out-the-vote operations. He'll be helped by the Democratic National Committee's coffers, too.
At the same time, Democratic-aligned outside groups — he once opposed them but now all but supports them after Republican-leaning groups helped Republicans win big last year — are banking cash to help him on the air and on the ground.
Still, there are signs that money isn't coming nearly as quickly or easily this year as it did in 2007 and 2008.
Back then, Obama raised a jaw-dropping $750 million for the primary and general elections.
He started raising money for his re-election this spring, and, within the first three months, raised $86 million for his campaign and the DNC, whose primary mission is helping the president win. But his team has dealt with canceled fundraisers due to the protracted debt ceiling debate — some of the events on the West Coast are making up for ones previously scrapped — as well as unhappiness from liberal groups and the typical summer lull in money raising.
Mindful of the tough environment, Obama's team set a goal of $55 million between the campaign and the party for the quarter ending Friday. If the campaign meets its goal, Obama would have to bring in roughly $120 million combined for each of the next five quarters to keep pace with his previous totals — an enormous task, given that the president's advisers initially told supporters privately they expected to match or exceed his totals of the 2008 race.
Obama officials are keeping a watchful eye on how much money rival Republicans will have raised when the quarter ends Friday. The deadline amounts to an important test of strength for Obama and his opponents with the 2012 presidential election little more than a year away. The president is expected to post much bigger numbers than former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, though both are formidable fundraisers.
Obama's campaign has said it has received broad support from Democrats, pointing to more than 550,000 people who gave money through the end of June, with more than 260,000 giving to him for the first time. About 98 percent of the donors gave $250 or less. But about 4 million people gave to Obama's 2008 campaign, raising questions of whether many are sitting back and declining to donate at this point.
The campaign is expected to launch a drive to reach 1 million donors later this autumn. That would put him ahead of schedule compared to the last campaign. Obama topped 1 million donors in February 2008, officials said.
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Ken Thomas reported from Washington.
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Follow Ken Thomas at http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas
Federer Makes It 5 Straight at Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England - Roger Federer hit an overhead smash to capture his fifth straight Wimbledon title. He then collapsed to his knees in jubilation and relief - just as Bjorn Borg used to do. Federer played - and won - his first five-setter in a Grand Slam final, beating nemesis Rafael Nadal 7-6 (7), 4-6, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-2 Sunday for his 11th major title.
Federer is the first man to win five straight titles at the All England Club since Borg did it from 1976-80. The Swede watched the match from the Royal Box with other past champions, and applauded as Federer fell to the ground after his smash on match point.
"To see him after the match, it was very fitting in my point of view," Federer said. "To see him waiting there was great."
After Federer left the court, he and Borg exchanged hugs and smiles in front of the board that lists tournament champions. Federer's name had already been added to the list for 2007.
"Thank you for coming out," Federer told Borg.
"Not at all. Sure," Borg answered.
Federer stretched his record grass-court winning streak to 53 and his Wimbledon winning streak to 34. He is tied for third on the career list with Borg and Rod Laver at 11 major titles, trailing Pete Sampras' 14 and Roy Emerson's 12.
"Each one is special, no doubt," Federer said. "To hold the trophy is always the best thing."
Federer beat Nadal for only the fifth time in 13 meetings. The Spaniard has defeated Federer in the past two French Open finals to spoil his bid to complete a career Grand Slam.
"Today was a little bit disappointing because I had good chances," said Nadal, , who also lost to Federer in last year's final. "Tomorrow I will be happy about my tournament and about my game."
Federer saved four break points early in the fifth set, two at 1-1 and two at 2-2. Then, leading 3-2, Federer converted a break point with a forehand winner after a 14-stroke rally that produced some of the best shots of the match.
It was Federer's first break since the second game of the match.
"If Rafael had won one of these, I think maybe now Rafael would be the champion," said Nadal's coach, Toni Nadal.
Nadal had been trying to emulate another of Borg's feats by winning the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.
Nadal, who played two other five-set matches in a tournament plagued by rain, was on the court for the seventh straight day.
After taking a 4-1 lead in the fourth set, the Spaniard called for a trainer to treat his right knee. Although he returned with tape below the knee cap, it didn't seem to slow him.
"He's playing phenomenal tennis. He's definitely improved yet again," Federer said. "He had more of a game plan this year than he had last year."
Federer finished with 24 aces, 65 winners and 34 unforced errors. Nadal had 50 winners and 24 unforced errors.
Nadal also used the "Hawk-Eye" replay technology, which made its debut at Wimbledon this year, to great effect. One time, a call reversal in the fourth set infuriated Federer so much that he complained to the chair umpire after being broken for the fourth time.
"It's killing me today," Federer said after sitting down during the changeover.
In the first set, Federer converted his third break point in the second game, defensively returning a hard serve from Nadal and watching the Spaniard net a forehand.
In the tiebreaker, Federer jumped ahead 5-2 and thought he won the set on his third set point when leading 6-5, but Nadal challenged a call and "Hawk-Eye" showed his shot was in.
Federer wasted another set point at 7-6, but finally won with a backhand volley after Nadal sent a backhand into the net at 7-7.
Nadal broke Federer at 5-4 to win the second set, converting his first set point with a backhand winner. The Spaniard then pulled within two points of doing the same in the third set, coming back from 40-love to deuce. But Federer used a pair of volleys to hold to 5-5.
Nadal was again two points from the set while leading 6-5, but after he put a forehand into the net, Federer served an ace and then finished it off with a service winner.
"Maybe the difference is the serve," Nadal said. "He (served) better than me, and that's important in every surface, but in this surface more, no?"
Federer was broken again to open the fourth set, and Nadal added another break to take a 3-0 lead.
"It was such a close match," Federer said. "I told Rafa at the net he deserved it as well. I'm the lucky one today."
Durable goods orders plunge by largest amount in five months as aircrafts ...
Durable goods orders plunge by largest amount in five months as aircrafts and autos both drop.
US Intel investigator probes Saudi link suspicion
The chief internal watchdog of the national intelligence director's office said Thursday he is examining whether the new chairman of the National Intelligence Council has compromising ties to the government of Saudi Arabia.
In a separate request Thursday, Republicans also asked for a review of Charles Freeman's relationships with China and Iran. Freeman has served on an international advisory board of the government-owned Chinese National Offshore Oil Co., according to a biography posted on Businessweek.com. The company signed a $16 billion agreement with Iran to develop one of its oil fields in 2007.
Twelve Republicans in the House of Representatives, including Minority Leader John Boehner and the second-ranking member, party whip Eric Cantor, asked on March 3 for a government investigation into whether Freeman, a former U.S. ambassador, has personal, financial or contractual links with the Saudi government.
National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair appointed Freeman chairman of the National Intelligence Council last week.
"Director Blair believes that the IG report will put to rest any questions about Ambassador Freeman's suitability, character and financial history," said spokeswoman Wendy Morigi. The IG is Blair's inspector general.
The Republicans claim the Saudi government endowed the Middle East Policy Council, which Freeman headed as president before he was chosen to head the council. The National Intelligence Council is responsible for shepherding and writing national intelligence estimates, which are the best government judgments on critical security issues from the nation's 16 intelligence agencies.
Freeman's Republican critics contend that the Saudi government's endowment of the Middle East Policy Council had the effect of financing Freeman's salary. Freeman earned $87,000 a year, according to the organization's latest filing with the Internal Revenue Service.
In a 2006 interview, Freeman said the Saudi government provided only enough money to allow the Middle East Policy Council time to shut down its main programs if it should run out of money and be forced to close. Jon Roth, the executive director of the Middle East Policy Council, refused to comment on its contributors. The organization's 2006 filing blacks out its contributors which together donated more than $2 million.
Freeman, who was U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia during the Persian Gulf war, has provoked controversy on conservative Web blogs because of his role as president of the Middle East think tank. Freeman has been critical of the Israeli government, the Iraq war and the Bush administration's approach to fighting terror.
Freeman also served in the Clinton-era Pentagon, where he was credited with re-establishing defense and military relations with China. He later served in a senior position in the State Department managing African affairs. He was director for Chinese affairs at the State Department from 1979 to 1981.
Like all senior intelligence appointees, Freeman has 30 days to identify and resolve potential financial conflicts of interest, according to spokeswoman Morigi.
Early release makes sense for some
Regarding the ill-fated Illinois Department of Corrections' early prisoner release program, let's not throw out the proverbial baby with the bath water.
Any time numbers are as large as those handled by IDOC, there are bound to be those who slip under the radar. This should not be dismissed, but in addressing the issue, citizens shouldn't lose sight of the large numbers of inmates who should be returned to the community as soon as possible so that, having paid for their transgressions, they can begin to rebuild their lives.
There are varied levels of inmate risk. Once this risk is determined, it makes little sense to incarcerate anyone longer than needed.
Alternatives to imprisonment are available that provide careful supervision and allow an individual to resume a productive life. These possibilities should be further developed and carefully executed to ensure community safety and the potential for the rebuilding of individual lives.
Long-term economics -- helping people return to our communities as responsible, employed citizens -- should be a major goal in all correctional programs and activities.
Bob Dougherty,
executive director,
St. Leonard's Ministries
PLUS SPORTS
South Africa 67-2 at lunch vs. England in 2nd test
Patient batting by captain Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis enabled South Africa to reach 151 for two wickets at tea on the first day of the second test at Kingsmead Stadium on Saturday.
Smith and Kallis had come together with the score on 10-2 in the 10th over of the innings. In the period up to lunch they added 57 for the third wicket, and in the second session they added a further 84 runs in 29 overs.
Between lunch and tea there was not as much movement and bounce on offer to the bowlers and with the ball getting older the South African pair slowly got on top. Smith and Kallis both hit seven fours, the latter going to his fifty off an edge through the vacant first slip area off part-time medium pacer Jonathan Trott.
Earlier England took two early wickets after losing the toss, but Smith and Kallis guided their side through a tough first session to reach lunch on 67 for two.
Smith had opted to bat first on winning the toss, but South Africa opener Ashwell Prince, playing in his 50th test, was caught at third slip by Graeme Swann for just two off James Anderson in the third over. Prince was forced to play at a ball which swung and bounced, catching the shoulder of the bat and flying to the slips.
The in-form Hashim Amla was the other wicket to fall when he was trapped in front by England all-rounder Stuart Broad in the 10th over, also for just two runs.
Kallis and particularly Smith had to then survive some excellent bowling from the England seamers. Graham Onions had Smith playing and missing several times, moving the ball both ways off the seam.
Smith, who had both his little fingers broken while batting in different series against Australia last summer, took a blow on his left index finger from a ball by Anderson in the 11th over, and had to receive treatment on the field.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Holdup's in the bag, but 2 find bag empty
Two robbers did their best imitation Friday of the gang thatcouldn't shoot straight.
They stuck up an armored car courier as he walked into aNorthwest Side Currency Exchange - before he could make his cashpickup.
The two men, one wearing a welder's mask and carrying asawed-off shotgun, tried the heist at about 12:25 p.m. at theFullerton-Keeler Currency Exchange Inc., 4217 W. Fullerton.
"It was well planned and thought out, but they got itbackwards," joked police Sgt. William Murray.
The Illinois Armored Car Corp. guard was walking into theCurrency Exchange when the robber wearing the mask approached himfrom a nearby gangway.
He gun-toting robber then announced, "This is a stickup."
The startled guard, looking at him in disbelief, responded: "Idon't have any money yet. This is a pickup."
The frustrated gunman pointed the gun in the air and fired once.He then turned and ran down the gangway with his accomplice.
What Determines the Public's Health?/Qu'est-ce qui détermine la santé du public?
The Canadian Public Health Association's 97th Annual Conference focussed on this difficult question. The question remains difficult not in terms of knowledge but in terms of action. Speakers focussed on people, places and social change, pointing out that despite Canada's having one of the healthiest populations in the world, major health disparities continue to persist, especially for some population groups. People in low socio-economic situations, those of Aboriginal descent, those living in certain regions and communities across the country, women and children, the homeless and the under-housed, tend to be more disadvantaged than others. At the national level, the gap between rich and poor is growing. However, disparities are produced in whole societies and do not just occur among the obviously deprived.
Our health is influenced by the places in which we live, work, learn, and play. Settings such as the communities and neighbourhoods where we reside, the home, daycare and recreation settings, workplaces, schools, and so on all have profound effects on our health. Understanding the impacts of these environments on our well-being and at what times they have a critical role to play throughout the life course are paramount.
The Honourable Monique Begin, the respected former Minister of Health and Welfare, pointed out that while Canada has a generous medical care system, Canada's welfare system is parsimonious at best... rebalancing of the health budget is what is needed.
In his column in a recent issue of the Globe and Mail,1 Andr� Picard highlighted the comments of Sir Michael Marmot, admonishing attendees to deal with "the causes of the causes of poor health" - the social determinants of health.
Mr. Picard went on to quote a recent report from the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which "underscored just how frayed Canada's social safety net has become... In Canada, only 17.8 per cent of public expenditures are on social programs other than health; in Sweden, by contrast, that figure is 36.8 per cent. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 21 European countries spend more on social programs than Canada... Not coincidentally, all those countries spend less than Canada on health."1
The implicit message is that we ignore the welfare side at our peril. "We can pay now with decent social programs or pay later with increased health costs."
Elinor Wilson
Chief Executive Officer
REFERENCE
1. Picard A. Untreated social ills make for higher medical costs. Globe and Mail June 22, 2006; pg. Al 5.
Qu'est-ce qui d�termine la sant� du public?
La 97^sup e^ Conf�rence annuelle de l'Association canadienne de sant� publique a port� sur cette question qui demeure difficile, non parce que nous manquons de connaissances, mais parce que nous n'agissons pas. Les conf�renciers ont parl� de gens, de lieux et de changement social, en faisant remarquer que m�me si la population canadienne pr�sente l'un des meilleurs bilans sant� au monde, d'importantes disparit�s de sant� continuent d'affliger certains groupes. Les personnes en milieux d�favoris�s, de descendance autochtone ou vivant dans des r�gions et des collectivit�s particuli�res du pays, les femmes et les enfants, les sans-abri et les mal log�s ont tendance � �tre plus d�savantag�s que les autres. A l'�chelle nationale, l'�cart entre les riches et les pauvres s'accro�t. Toutefois, les disparit�s se produisent au sein de soci�t�s enti�res et ne se limitent pas seulement aux milieux d�favoris�s les plus �vidents.
Les milieux dans lesquels nous vivons, travaillons, apprenons et jouons ont tous une incidence sur notre sant�. La communaut� et le quartier o� nous vivons, la maison, la garderie, les lieux de travail et de loisirs, les �coles, et ainsi de suite, ont un effet consid�rable sur notre sant�. C'est pourquoi il est essentiel de bien comprendre quels effets ont ces milieux sur notre bien-�tre et � quel moment de notre vie ils se manifesteront.
L'honorable Monique B�gin, ancienne ministre respect�e de la Sant� et du Bien-�tre social, a soulign� que le syst�me de soins de sant� canadien est g�n�reux, mais que notre syst�me d'aide sociale est parcimonieux, pour ne pas dire minimal... et qu'un r��quilibrage du budget de la sant� s'impose.
Dans l'une de ses chroniques pour le Globe and Mail1, le journaliste Andr� Picard reprend les observations de Sir Michael Marmot, lequel a engag� les d�l�gu�s � s'occuper des � causes des causes de la mauvaise sant� �, c'est-�-dire des d�terminants sociaux de la sant�.
M. Picard cite ensuite un r�cent rapport du Comit� des droits �conomiques, sociaux et culturels des Nations Unies � qui souligne � quel point le filet de s�curit� sociale canadien s'effiloche. Au Canada, on consacre seulement 17,8 % des d�penses publiques aux programmes sociaux autres que la sant�; en Su�de, par contre, ce chiffre est de 36,8 %. Selon l'Organisation de coop�ration et de d�veloppement �conomiques, 21 pays europ�ens consacrent davantage d'argent � leurs programmes sociaux que le Canada... Ce n'est pas une co�ncidence si tous ces pays d�pensent moins que le Canada pour la sant�1. �
Sous-entendu : il est dangereux de n�gliger l'aide sociale au profit de la sant�. � Si nous n'investissons pas maintenant dans des programmes sociaux d�cents, il y aura in�vitablement un prix � payer, car les co�ts des soins de sant� vont augmenter. �
La chef de direction,
Elinor Wilson
REFERENCE
I. PICARD, Andr�. � Untreated social ills make for higher medical costs �, Globe and Mail (22 juin 2006), p. Al5.
China: N. Korea Agrees to Nuclear Talks
BEIJING - North Korea agreed Tuesday to rejoin six-nation nuclear disarmament talks in a surprise diplomatic breakthrough three weeks after the communist regime conducted its first known atomic test, the Chinese government said. The U.S. envoy said they could resume as early as November.
Chinese, U.S. and North Korean envoys to the negotiations held a day of unpublicized talks in Beijing during which North Korea agreed to return to the larger six-nation talks on its nuclear programs, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
"The three parties agreed to resume the six-party talks at the earliest convenient time," the Chinese statement said.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said the talks could resume in November or December but all six countries - the U.S., the two Koreas, Japan and Russia - needed to agree to the date.
"We believe it will be in November or possibly in December," he said at a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
NASA contracts to boost New Orleans recovery
The route to the moon and perhaps to Mars now goes through New Orleans _ and the detour could not come at a better time in the city's struggle to rebuild its shattered economy after Hurricane Katrina.
With thousands of houses still in ruins and its population reduced by almost 170,000, a boost is on the way for New Orleans in the form of high-wage jobs and contracts for next-generation space systems at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility.
Before the storm, New Orleans' economy thrived on low-wage tourism. But the $156 million (euro108 million) payroll at Michoud _ some salaries are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars _ generates paychecks significantly above the city's median annual income of about $27,000 (euro18,753).
Michoud, in the city's eastern section, had a cloudy future before the storm struck in August 2005: The space shuttle fuel tanks it used to turn out won't be needed after the shuttle program ends in 2010, and there was no sure replacement for one of the region's largest payrolls.
The outlook is much brighter now that three contracts associated with NASA's Constellation program have landed this year and last at Michoud. James Bray, director of Lockheed Martin's Orion project at Michoud, called the facility "a sleeping giant" for the New Orleans economy.
"It's been a jewel that a lot of people pass on the interstate and don't really realize is here," Bray said. "But if you look at the population of New Orleans and Slidell and along the Gulf Coast, you find very technical, qualified people that come into here and make the space program go."
Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin will build the Orion crew module at the 43-acre (17.4- hectare) plant. And Chicago-based Boeing Co. will build the $1.13 billion (euro780 million) upper stage of the Ares I launch rocket and the rocket's $799.5 million (euro555 million) navigation and control system there.
With 2,400 workers, Michoud is an economic force in a section of the city that was hit hard by Katrina and has been slow to recover.
"For New Orleans east, it's one of the big players. If you look around at who has the number of jobs, and the number of high paying jobs, you're not going to find much in New Orleans east that's even going to come close," said Louisiana State University economist Loren Scott.
"This type of facility that uses high-wage, high-skill jobs tends to create other types of jobs."
At the height of the shuttle program in the 1980s before the Challenger disaster, the facility had about 5,000 employees. It's unclear what the employment level will be once the shuttle program ends. About 200 employees have joined Lockheed's Orion program, and the payroll's expected to number 500 within two years. Boeing has said it expects several hundred workers to be at Michoud for its contracts.
The first test flight of Orion will occur in 2014 and astronauts could return to the moon by late 2019 or 2020 with possible later missions to Mars, NASA says.
Like the shuttle program, Constellation's economic impact could last decades even if it creates fewer jobs.
And space may not be the only frontier for Michoud, which built cargo planes during World War II and tank engines during the Korean War _ as well as the Saturn rockets for the Apollo and Skylab space programs.
The National Center for Advanced Manufacturing, an 8-year-old partnership of NASA and the state of Louisiana, has developed new welding and fabrication techniques at Michoud for lightweight composite materials.
"If you look at the aerospace industry in general, they're booked to capacity," Bray said. "Having the equipment here and available in Louisiana, it makes sense to put more work into this location, which will bring in more jobs."
Marco Caceras, a space industry analyst with Teal Group Inc., a Fairfax, Virginia-based aerospace and defense consulting firm, said that even after the shuttle program ends, the United States will _ at a minimum _ need a way to ferry crew and cargo to the space station.
"The program likely will be tweaked in the future, but it will remain robust," Caceras said.
Michoud also recently gained a voice in Washington in the form of U.S. Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican, who has been appointed the top-ranking member of the Senate subcommittee with space program oversight, replacing outgoing Sen. Trent Lott at year's end.
Michoud workers are excited about the future.
Robert Campbell, senior manager of production integration for Lockheed Martin, has been at Michoud since 1974 and looks forward to a repeat of the pioneering days.
"Looking at Orion, this is more of a challenge to us because the agenda is to go back to the moon," he said. "We're back to the days of where we were with Gemini and Apollo. A lot of people don't know how big the Orion program is and what it can do for us here."
Melissa Brooks, who's worked a month on the shuttle tank's foam insulation system and hopes to stay for future projects. Her father has worked at Michoud for 26 years.
"I do plan on retiring here," she said.
Verizon talks closely watched Negotiations reflect battles of the future
WASHINGTON Job security, working conditions and transfers-standard fare in labor talks-are all on the table.
But the closely watched contract negotiation between VerizonCommunications and its two unions is fast becoming a barometer forhow the labor movement will galvanize workers in emerging sectors ofthe economy.
This is "the strike of the 21st century," said Gary Chaison,professor of industrial relations at Clark University in Worcester,Mass.
Contract discussions touch on issues raised by industries intransition to new types of technology, consolidation-Verizon emergedfrom several recent mergers-and the more limited influence of unionsin jobs created by the new economy.
The Communications Workers of America and InternationalBrotherhood of Electrical Workers have used the negotiations to pushfor better access to organize employees in Verizon's fast-growingwireless division, which has virtually no union membership.
Organizers fear that without better representation in that unit,the company's union membership soon will be diluted.
The battle being waged by Verizon's unions reflects a broadereffort by labor for a foothold in expanding areas of the economy,particularly as manufacturing sectors, labor's traditional base, haveshrunk over the past decades.
"It's the growth sectors of the U.S. economy, the industries ofthe future, that have become very important for the labor movement torevitalize itself," said Daniel Cornfield, a labor sociologist atVanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
In some hot high-tech areas such as Silicon Valley, labor leadershave tried to stimulate workers to organize.
A CWA-financed organization, the Washington Alliance of TechnologyWorkers, or WashTech, represents about 250 employees of suchcompanies as Microsoft and Amazon.com. Although it doesn'tcollectively bargain, WashTech has pushed to get rid of a stateexemption on mandated overtime for certain computer workers.
"We haven't figured out yet how to build a new type of union thatworks for a new type of economy, but we are moving in thatdirection," said local President Mike Blain.
Nationwide, most new economy industries remain largely nonunion.
Harris Miller, president of the Information Technology Associationof America, which represents the industry, says union membership isnot attractive to high-tech workers, who receive good wages andsometimes extraordinary benefits. They also don't have the sameworries about job security, since they're in high demand in a tightmarket, he said.
"As long as the workers are in a very positive relationship, wherethey are basically calling the shots, I just don't think there is toomuch that a union can offer them," Miller said. "You have to plantseeds where the ground is fertile."
Labor leaders rebut that serious stumbling blocks exist toorganizing even in new economy sectors where employees areinterested.
Chris Woods, assistant director in the AFL-CIO's organizingdepartment, said the industries have evolved during a time in whichemployers are more savvy about how to keep out organized labor.
Employers "are using very sophisticated, but still very effective,anti-union propaganda," she said.
By and large the wireless industry, which has grown substantiallyin recent years, is not unionized. In contrast, unions cemented theirmembership in traditional telecommunications services in earlierparts of the century. In the landline division of Verizon, part ofthe original Bell telephone system, more than 80 percent of workersare unionized.
Today "union organizing occurs on a different terrain than it didsome 50 years ago," Vanderbilt's Cornfield said. Companies "are offthe steep part of the learning curve in resisting unionization."
For that reason, unions are pushing for a system by which wirelessworkers could authorize their desire to organize by checking offcards, rather than holding elections as the company favors.
Verizon, for its part, rejects the contention that the main bodyof its workers lacks access to high-tech jobs. The company arguesthat a substantial portion of its work force expansion has been inhigh-speed Internet services, delivered over traditional phone linesand covered by unions.
"The data business is the source of our growth," said Verizonspokesman Eric Rabe.
Some say changing technology that threatens to replace workersmakes job security all the more critical in such sectors. The AFL-CIO's Woods points out that just a few years ago people who calleddirectory assistance immediately reached a person. Now an automatedcomputer probably will do the first stages of the work, she said.
Associated Press
Will We Hit the Target?
The upcoming Quadrennial Defense Review is resurrecting a debate over Army force structure. Two camps are already visible; neither, however, is a proper guide.
The first camp is forming around conventional combat forces. This camp claims that Army combat, combat support and combat service support units should be organized, trained and equipped to fight conventional combat. Such forces, this camp argues, have the capability to fight a "high-end" enemy in conventional combat and, with some adjustments to training and equipment any other lesser enemy. This camp has history on its side - this approach served us well during the Cold War.
A second camp argues that there is no high-end conventional combat on our horizon. What conventional threat there is, they believe, can be de- feated primarily by U.S. air and mis- sile forces. Furthermore, this camp holds that if a significant conventional threat emerges, America will have the time to retool its forces; therefore, the Army should organize its forces around "middle-weight" units like Stryker brigade combat teams aug- mented with the right mix of combat support and combat service support organizations needed to fight wars like those in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Both camps rely on false assumptions. The conventional camp assumes that what worked in the past will work in the future; the niche camp assumes it can predict the future. Neither reflects the essence of our current and projected strategic environment: uncertainty, ambiguity and unpredictability. Neither a model that worked in the Cold War, when relative certainty and predictability was the norm, nor a model that bets on one of the many possible futures, fits the kind of strategic environment we face today or in the foreseeable future.
The simple model of deducing force design from known or predicated threats no longer works. The threats and the conditions that give rise to crises are too varied; the world, too complex; the shelf life of knowledge and prediction, too short. Complexity is compounded when the essential ambiguity and unpredictability of the strategic environment merges with the physics of force design - time and cost. Raising, training and equipping forces takes time and money. What the Army has now must last; what it will must last even longer - and succeed in a future certain to be different from that envisioned. The belief, for that one could build a niche force, anticipate when that force would no longer be useful and build a new one to match an emergent ensimply flies in the face of the physics of force design and the history American intelligence's predictive ability.
What practical guides might help in this essence /physics paradox? A set of three principles: First, avoid optimizing the Army's force structure; Second, inArmy depth and flexibility; increase innovation.
Optimizing ground forces in the face of uncertainty is the height of folly. When faced with such a wide range of possible scenarios unwhich Army forces might have to and succeed - especially the Army of a nation with global inter- one must expand, not limit, options. Depth, flexibility and innovation together.
The strategic environment will demand that the Army bring together its leaders, soldiers and units with those other services, agencies and nations ways that fundamentally differ from whatever is envisioned. Insuffidepth, flexibility or innovation limit the options available not to America's strategic leaders but to Army operational and tactical These principles illuminate aspects of Army force structure design.
The Army lacks sufficient depth. It is mostly fixed and too small. Many are concerned about the stress on our forces and families, and for that concern, all are grateful. The recent announcement to increase Army end strength is as welcome as it is necessary. The pace of operational deployments has not dropped significantly, nor will it. We are fighting a global insurgency, a protracted war. Although we tried to make it short and decisive, the nature of the conflict will not allow it. Our enemy will not just give up; they will move to other theaters even when we push them out of Iraq and Afghanistan. Moreover, given the world we live in, we must understand that other contingencies will emerge, ones that we will not have predicted. If we could not fully predict or appreciate the speed at which our financial world changed in the past year, how can we assume that the international security environment will be any more stable or our ability to predict the next crisis any more reliable?
The Army's flexibility is too limited. Rexibility is limited first by having too few units to employ. It is also limited by having an insufficient industrial base and too little transport. The pace of adjusting the equipment of an army is not just a function of what is on hand; it is also a function of how quickly an operational need can be manufactured and delivered. The Army's flexibility is limited further by having an insufficient number of officers and sergeants. This deficiency can be seen in the fact that many new headquarters are staffed by "robbing Peter to pay Paul," a method also used to staff many advisory formations and to fill existing units to a 24/7 capability.
Innovation in the Army is mixed. The innovation of our officers, sergeants and soldiers in the field is unquestioned and unmatched - not so when one looks at the processes that generate and support the fielded forces. The level of creativity, speed or consistency with which our bureaucracies identify and gain access to capabilities in the Army is sufficient. How quickly will our bureaucracies be able to translate the recent end-strength authorization into fielded capabilities? Speed matters in war. Designing forces is not just about the number and types of units of employment. It is also about having processes in which the norm is creating new capabilities out of existing organizations, adapting methodologies in ways not previously envisioned and reshaping organizations - all at the speed of requirements. Such innovation is not the strong suit of Army bureaucracies - the very bureaucracies charged to design forces in an era of ambiguity and unpredictability.
The Army will not return to its relatively stable past; rather, what we are experiencing is the new "norm." The question of how to design forces in a strategic environment of ambiguity and unpredictability is not just a question of either avoiding the conventional and niche camps or determining how many combat, combat support and combat service support units are needed and of what type. To approach the problem in either of those ways demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the task at hand.
The Army will have to apply the per- spectives of depth, flexibility and innovation to its active and reserve components as well as its operating, supporting and generating elements. The Army also has to argue against op- timizing in the face of constant and un- expected change and the resultant un- predictability. But in the United States, security is a shared responsibility. The Obama administration and Congress have important obligations in seeing that the Army and its sister services are resourced commensurate with our national interests and strategy as well as organized to fit the strategic environment in which they will employ our forces. Fixing some of the limitations of depth, flexibility and innovation is beyond the Army's reach, for some limitations are found in law, policy or regulation.
In the kind of strategic environment we face, designing forces is also about designing systems - inside the Army and outside - that govern, support or generate those forces. A Quadrennial Defense Review that focuses only on threat descriptions and derived force requirements will miss the target.
[Author Affiliation]
By LTG James M. Dubik
U.S. Army retired
[Author Affiliation]
LTG James M. Dubik, USA Ret., is a former commander of Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq and a senior fellow of AUSA's Institute of Land Warfare.
Huskies eager for Herd visit
DAILY MAIL SPORTSWRITER
This fall, Marshall University will be making the last of its Mid-American Conference "first trips" in the Coach Bob Pruett era.
The Thundering Herd plays at Northern Illinois in DeKalb, Ill.,on Oct. 6. Like Marshall, Northern Illinois also rejoined the MAC in1997.
Northern left the MAC in 1987 to become an independent, andremained one through 1992. It joined the Big West from 1993-95. Itwas again an independent in 1996 before rejoining the MAC.
Due to the rotation of non-divisional play, the Herd faced theHuskies for the first time in 1999 in Huntington, winning 41-9. MUwill visit DeKalb for the first time since 1973, where the Herdpulled off a 39-36 victory. Northern leads the series 4-2.
Since joining the league, the Huskies have compiled records of 0-11 in 1997, 2-9 in 1998, 5-6 in 1999 and 6-5 in 2000. They returntwo 1,000-yard rushers in Thomas Hammock (1,083 and 16 touchdowns innine games) and Michael Turner (983 and seven scores). Chris Finlenalso returns at quarterback.
The above information is enough to have Northern fans buzzingabout the prospect of the four-year MAC champs in their house,according to Coach Joe Novak.
"We know they're coming," Novak said with a laugh. "There's nodoubt about it. We're excited. Everybody has heard so much aboutMarshall. A lot of our people haven't had a chance to see them inperson and they're anxious to get a chance to see them.
"They know how good they are. We're anxious to get them up toDeKalb and have a chance to play them."
No frills are necessary.
"We talked about homecoming games, and the first comment was'Marshall is not going to be our homecoming game because we knowwe're going to get a great crowd in spite of that,'" Novak said."We're looking forward to having them up. We know it's a greatchallenge."
A full house at Huskie Stadium means 31,000 fans.
"Our opening games will have 20,000 to 25,000 fans," Novak said."Then depending how it's going is how it goes. I know with Marshall,we'll have a nice crowd."
Last season, with the help of Tennessee fourth-round draft pickJustin McCareins, the Huskies averaged 37.5 points per game. Novaksaid at the league's media day in Detroit he was rebuilding hisline. Three-time MAC first-teamer Ryan Diem went to Indianapolis inthe fourth round as well.
But Novak knows the game still has the potential to be highlyexplosive.
"We've got a chance to be a decent team offensively," Novak said."I know Marshall will be. They'll be tough to hold down. It might bea bit of a shootout. Hopefully we can score some points and make ita shootout, but I know they'll score."
Finlen, who two seasons ago was the first sophomore team captainfor the Huskies since World War II, completed 131-of-231 of hispasses (.567) for 1,857 yards and 11 touchdowns versus nineinterceptions. He has the confidence of a senior.
MU's Byron Leftwich, who hit 279-of-457 passes for 3,358 yards,21 TDs versus nine interceptions, has the confidence of a buddingsuperstar.
"I haven't seen him a lot, what I have seen I know he's atalented, talented kid," Novak said. "Like a lot of kids like thathe just needs some more playing time. He had one year last year andhe played well. I certainly look at him as a talent. He's got allthat.
"I'm not just saying this. He's getting great coaching downthere, that's obvious. Before he graduates he'll be a great, greatplayer."
* n n
HERD NOTE: Marshall's freshmen and newcomers reported Friday, andpractice today and Monday, the day veterans report. Everyone beginspracticing Tuesday.
Writer Andy Spradling can be reached at 348-1712 or by e-mail ataspradling@dailymail.com.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Heat emergency response cost agencies $1.25 million
Chicago's blitzkrieg response to last month's four-day heatemergency cost $1.25 million, officials said Monday. Preliminaryestimates include $800,000 spent by the city, $150,000 by the ChicagoHousing Authority and $75,000 by the Chicago Park District. The CTAhas pegged its costs at $100,000. That figure includes the cost ofbuying generators and supplying cooling buses as well as revenueslost when stations had to be left open because fare card readers lostpower. Only expenses directly related to power outages will bebilled to Commonwealth Edison, a city spokeswoman said. In 1995, thecity spent $3.3 million responding to a 10-day heat emergency thatcontributed to the deaths of more than 700 people. Aunt identifiesteen who was found unconscious A 14-year-old boy who apparentlysuffered a severe blow on the head and was brought unconscious to theUniversity of Chicago Hospitals on Aug. 5 was identified Monday. Theboy's aunt spoke to police and hospital officials after seeing theyoung man's picture on television. Police would not identify the boybut said his aunt told authorities she filed a missing person reportover the weekend. The teen was found unconscious in an alley behinda public housing parking lot at 61st and Michigan. He had noidentification and has been unable to talk to hospital workers.Hospital officials said his injuries could not have occurred in afall. Charter school ruling postponed The DuPage County Board'sdevelopment committee may decide next week whether to recommend thatthe Thomas Jefferson Charter School be allowed to open this fall onunincorporated residential property near Itasca. The ruling waspostponed after a presentation and public input session before thecommittee Monday morning. The county zoning board ruled last weekto deny the school's request.
Shakira, reggaeton artists dominate Latin awards
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- Shakira danced and reggaeton ruled at theBillboard Latin Music Awards.
Shakira, the Colombian pop songstress, won six awards andreggaeton pacesetter Daddy Yankee took home three prizes at Thursdaynight's awards.
Surrounded by dancers clad in jungle camouflage, Daddy Yankeeperformed two songs to start the show -- the first on an outdoorfloating barge, the second on the indoor stage.
Reggaeton -- a mix of tropical rhythms, reggae, hip-hop and rap --also was the theme of the show's final performance, which featuredTito "El Bambino," Angel y Khriz and Wisin & Yandel rapping amonggyrating dancers and flashy pyrotechnics.
Shakira, …
It's impossible for Obama to ace the report card test
As much as we like to see politicians give straightforward answers, there are moments when the best course is to decline to comment, or to take the conversation in another direction.
When Bill Clinton was asked, "Boxers or briefs?," he should have waited for the laughter to die down before gently scolding the young woman for the inappropriateness of the question.
When Oprah Winfrey asked President Obama, "What grade would you give yourself for your first year?," I'm not sure there was an answer he could have given that wouldn't have stirred up criticism.
If Obama had said, "A-plus," even his wife would have told him he was delusional. If he had given himself anything lower than a B, Rush Limbaugh and Fox News would have called for immediate impeachment hearings. I can hear Rush now: "By giving himself a C-minus, the president is virtually admitting he's trying to destroy America!"
So Obama told Oprah he'd give himself a "good, solid B-plus" -- and the hounds immediately started barking, saying the president should give himself a "D" for "delusional."
Of course, if Obama had said something like, "Let's leave it up to the American people to decide what grade I should receive," or, "Look, I can't get caught up in grading my own performance, other than to say I believe I deserve an A for effort and I hope to merit an A for accomplishments in the years to come," he would have been criticized for refusing to answer directly.
A Golden opportunity
Pop quiz! See if you can figure out what the following movies have in common:
"Men in Black"
That dreadful remake of "Sabrina"
"Legally Blonde"
"Patch Adams"
"Analyze This"
"Nell"
They were all Golden Globes nominees for best picture.
Granted, the Globes has two best picture categories, so you're going to see nominees such as "There's Something About Mary" and "City Slickers."
But "Patch Adams"? Really?
Not to mention Arnold Schwarzenegger once received a best actor nomination for his work in "Junior." I'm not kidding.
There was a time when the Golden Globes were a pop culture punchline. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association once gave its Best New Star of the Year award to Pia Zadora for her "performance" in "Butterfly," one of the worst movies ever made. (Zadora's wealthy husband had wined and dined the voting members.)
The HFPA was exposed as a clique of fewer than 100 entertainment writers, some of whom didn't even work full time as journalists. You'd see some weeping starlet onstage, trembling while thanking "The Hollywood Foreign Press Association" as if they were the United Nations, when in reality all she needed was about 25 votes from the same junketeers she dreaded talking to when she was promoting the film three months earlier.
Now, though, the Globes are firmly established as the second-biggest stop on the movie/TV awards circuit. You win a Golden Globe, you're the front-runner for an Oscar. The Globes are a prime-time network event, as star-studded as the Academy Awards.
(Once again this year, we're almost certain to see stories about how viewership for the Globes and the Oscars is down. Yes. So is viewership for just about every other mainstream television event on the grid. That's because there are approximately 40 million cable channels out there, not to mention DVRs, TiVo, Hulu, YouTube, and about two dozen other factors that ensure no TV event of any kind will ever reach the numbers of the "Titanic" year at the Oscars, or the finale of "M*A*S*H.")
The nominations for the 67th annual Golden Globes were announced Tuesday, and I have to say kudos to the HFPA. We knew films such as "Up in the Air" and actors such as Meryl Streep, George Clooney and Daniel Day-Lewis were sure to get nods, but it's great to see nominations for "(500) Days of Summer" and Tobey Maguire's work in "Brothers."
That said, a few snubs:
Motion Picture: "Brothers," "Adventureland." Actors: Natalie Portman, "Brothers," Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker," Abbie Cornish, "Bright Star," Sharlto Copley, "District 9," Zooey Deschanel, "(500) Days of Summer."
TV: "Lost," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Breaking Bad," "The Good Wife," Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad"), Jeff Garlin ("Curb Your Enthusiasm").
Perhaps we should have the Golden Moons to recognize those snubbed by the Golden Globes.
On second thought, the world doesn't need another awards show.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
UN chief warns climate talks are too slow
CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged governments to rise to the global-warming challenge, and Pacific islanders pleaded for haste in drafting a new pact to slow climate change before their homes are swallowed by the rising ocean.
The appeals Tuesday came as a two-week U.N. climate conference moved into its final days, with delegates seeking to resolve a host of arguments barring agreements to help poor countries cope with climate change and protect the world's last native forests.
With divisions running deep, the 193-nation conclave set aside the seemingly intractable question of how much countries should reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from industry, transportation and agriculture, and focused instead on creating tools for future work.
The meeting comes one year after the disappointing climate summit in Copenhagen, and the frustration was apparent.
"I am deeply concerned that our efforts so far have been insufficient," Ban said, opening the high-level meeting of presidents, prime ministers and environment ministers. "We are still not rising to the challenge."
Ban said he was encouraged that governments had nearly met their pledges to raise $30 billion in emergency climate funds for poor countries up to 2012, but said that didn't go far enough.
"We need to make progress on the actual delivery of funds, along with a transparent and robust accountability system," he told reporters.
Nations also had to devise ways to fulfill last year's promise made in the Danish capital to raise $100 billion a year by 2020 to fight climate change, he said.
The world's most vulnerable nations warned the 15,000 conference participants that their situation was dire and immediate.
"The gravity of the crisis has escaped us. It has become lost in a fog of scientific, economic, and technical jargon," said Marcus Stephen, president of the island of Nauru, which has fewer than 10,000 inhabitants.
Stephen chided delegates for allowing dogmatic positions to delay the years-long negotiations. "Our governments are not deadlocked because of ideological divisions," he said of his fellow Pacific nations.
"The oceans that once sustained us now threaten to swallow us, said President Johnson Toribiong of Palau. "The world must hear our cry for collective action to save us ... and our planet Earth."
Even the modest ambitions the conference set for itself were proving stubborn to realize.
The most difficult was the future of the Kyoto Protocol, a 1997 pact mandating emission reductions for industrial countries that critics say is too narrow and unfair since it excludes rapidly emerging economies like China and India.
Kyoto set reduction targets for wealthy nations that expire in two years. Developing countries insist that the countries falling under Kyoto accept new post-2012 targets, and that a mechanism be created to oblige the United States, which rejected Kyoto, to commit itself to reduce emissions.
China and other developing countries have pledged to limit the growth of their emissions, and negotiators were struggling to find ways to verify that all sides were not cheating on their commitments.
The conference also is seeking to create a green fund, financed by richer nations, to support poorer nations in converting to cleaner energy sources and in adapting to a shifting climate. Other agreements would give developing countries access to patented green technology, and compensate nations like Brazil and Indonesia for halting the destruction of forests that soak up carbon from the atmosphere.
In his speech to the conference, Ban said the issue of climate change was linked to poverty, food security, energy and water supplies, and that the world was looking to Cancun to deliver.
"We do not need final agreement on all issues, but we do need progress on all fronts," Ban said.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Coddling of Worm the kiss of death
The best kissers of Dennis Rodman's life? You think of a MimiMarks, a Stacy Yarbrough, Madonna, RuPaul, his ex-wife, some of thewomen who hang out on his MTV show, maybe the guitarist he nuzzled onstage at the Viper Room. Yet they are mere amateurs compared to thebest puckerer of all.
Phil Jackson.
No one schmoozes or smooches Rodman quite like his coach. Thecity's pseudo-thinkers characterize Jackson's methods as more of thesame Zen, a calculated calming of a chaotic mind, a spiritualism thatworks when other coaches foolishly have tried Marine Corps tactics.That's a lot of babble. What Phil is doing is nothing more thanblindly defending the Rodmaniac's every …
New ultra lightweight and extreme stiff sandwich composite structure for multiple applications.
1. INTRODUCTION
Sandwich composite structures have been used increasingly in applications in aeronautics, transportations, in automotive industry, in machine-tools construction, robotics, etc., where high rigidity parts are needed. In most cases, these structures exhibit failures consisting in the connection detachment between core and skin due to impact applied loads. The main objective of the authors' researches is to obtain a sandwich composite structure that can replace the classic stiffening solution with ribs of a panel with imposed weight and dimensions.
2. CRITICAL OVERVIEW
There are a lot of improvements in the construction of sandwich composites especially to improve their impact resistance. For instance, foam filled 3D integrated core sandwich composite laminates with and without additional face sheets have been manufactured using vacuum assisted resin infusion moulding process in multiple steps (Hosur et al., 2007). In order to handle large LCD panels, robot structures have been produced using carbon fibers/epoxy composite material with a polyurethane foam core to increase the …
READY, SET, SPEND -- OR ELSE.(BUSINESS)
Byline: GREG IP Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON -- It's make-or-break time for the economy.
A recovery, it appears, has begun. A potent jolt of monetary and fiscal stimulus is lifting consumer spending, and business confidence is reviving.
But the real challenge stretches into the next year: When the adrenaline rush of lower interest rates and big tax cuts ebbs, will the expansion have gained enough momentum to continue? Or will it fade, as earlier stimulus-stoked expansions did in 2002 and again earlier this year?
Recent evidence favors a positive outcome, yet the many obstacles facing this recovery make predictions difficult. And if growth does fade, watch out: Economic policy-makers already have used up much of their monetary and fiscal ammunition.
The economy shouldn't need repeated doses of tax and interest-rate cuts to grow, any more than a person should need repeated doses of antibiotics to remain healthy. The economy naturally tends to expand as population rises and …
BKD LLP.(Accounting)(appointments)(Brief Article)
Christina Brooks, Carla Bryant, Ashley Elinburg, Jamie Lapington, Krista LeBlanc, Darren McCrillis, Zack …
Stevens scores 17 in St. John's 55-44 win
OLEAN, N.Y. (AP) — Da'Shena Stevens had 17 points and 11 rebounds to help No. 20 St. John's beat St. Bonaventure 55-44 on Monday night.
St. John's (6-1), which never trailed, forced 17 turnovers and led by as many as 13 points in the first half before the Bonnies rallied to tie the game with 8:30 …
[ METRO BRIEFS ]
Alderman backs off landmark law
Ald. Burton F. Natarus (42nd) on Wednesday watered down hiscontroversial plan to designate churches and other houses of worshipas landmarks over the owner's objections, but it was not enough toappease religious leaders. The new ordinance would establish stricterlandmarking standards for religious buildings than those in place forother structures and specifically states that the interior ofreligious buildings would not be covered by the designation.Religious leaders, however, remain adamantly opposed.
Tribune sued over wrong photo
A Park Ridge man claims he was defamed by the Chicago Tribune whenthe newspaper ran his picture among …
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