"South Park" creators and executive producers Trey Parker and MattStone have re-upped with Comedy Central in a two-year renewal thatwill keep their subversive animated series anchored to the networkthrough at least 2005.
The pact calls for Parker and Stone to produce 15 …
Sports highlights in Black History: Clifton, Cooper, Lloyd were NBA pioneers
When one looks at the racial makeup of the National Basketball Association today, it's hard to imagine a time when there were no Black players in the league.
However, that was indeed the case when the league was founded in 1947. However, in 1950 that all changed when three players, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, Charles "Tarzan" Cooper and Earl Lloyd entered the league.
Clifton, a native Chicagoan joined the New York Knicks after two years in the Army and two years in the Army and two years with the Harlem Globetrotters. A 6-7 forward, he earned the nickname "Sweetwater" because of his love for …
| Washington 2 2 0_4 |
| Carolina 0 1 0_1 |
| First Period_1, Washington, Fleischmann 1 (Carlson, Kozlov), 6:21 (pp). 2, Washington, Bradley 1 (Laing), 7:25. |
| Second Period_3, Carolina, Pitkanen 1 (Samsonov, Corvo), 7:58 (pp). 4, Washington, Perreault 1 (Jurcina, Giroux), 11:57. 5, Washington, Fleischmann 2 (Kozlov, Nylander), 17:06 (pp). |
| Third Period_None. |
| Shots on Goal_Washington 8-12-13_33. Carolina 20-3-8_31. |
| Goalies_Washington, Varlamov, Machesney. Carolina, … |
A carpenter by trade, Keynsham man Stuart Olds used his bi-polarmanic episodes to inspire his debut novel. Rather than having to digdeep to find his inspiration and story, Hope's Truth came to him, hesays, in an instant during an episode, as if it was downloaded intohis brain.
"The entire story was there - I could see every scene mapped outin pictures, all I had to do was to sit down and start writing,"said the 40-year-old author. "I was lucky I was able to remember itall; most sufferers forget these episodes."
Stuart had experienced bouts of depression since he was a child,but always thought he was just feeling bad or miserable and didn'tknow …
TRADE MATERIAL
Paul Bravo, Colorado Rapids: After scoring Saturday, he has 10goals and nine assists in 15 games against the San Jose Earthquakes,the team that traded him before the 1997 …
WASHINGTON (AP) — Establishment Republican candidates were fighting off challenges from ultraconservative anti-tax tea party challengers Tuesday in the final batch of primaries ahead of the November midterm elections.
Republican hopes to capture control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate in a tough political climate for Democrats — President Barack Obama's popularity has fallen below 50 percent — have been complicated by the success of several tea party-backed insurgents. Democrats, who face a wave of voter anger over the sputtering economy, hope the Republicans will be saddled with unelectable candidates whose policies may be too extreme for moderate voters in …
Oil prices hovered below $77 a barrel Tuesday in Asia as crude traders wait for clearer signals on the strength of the global economy and stock markets.
Benchmark crude for August delivery was up 18 cents to $76.72 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 53 cents to settle at $76.54 on Monday.
Oil has traded between $64 and $87 so far this year and has hovered near $76 for the last two weeks amid light summer trading volume. Investors are eyeing a slow U.S. economic recovery and mixed corporate results so far during second-quarter earnings season.
"Investors are …
Let's face it, at some point, almost every shop owner entertains the idea of opening a second location. For many, it's a pleasant daydream, which is never seriously acted upon. In my company's experience, however, once the idea has taken hold, most operators find the decision difficult, even frustrating.
Many feel isolated, having (by habit) to address the question more intuitively than analytically. Others, regrettably.just forge ahead, plunging into the project at breakneck speed, preferring decisiveness to analysis. To help those struggling to make the decision, and to head off the consequences of those who may make it too quickly, I'll attempt to identify the principal …
The European Union is ready to help mediate between the Chadian government and rebel groups, the EU's top humanitarian official said.
Chad faces several rebellions in the east, with some insurgents saying President Idriss Deby has not provided enough support to their kinsmen in the neighboring Darfur region of Sudan. At least 200,000 people have been killed and a further 2.5 million uprooted from their homes in Darfur since a rebellion broke out there in 2003.
The European Union has offered to send a 3,700-strong force to Chad and neighboring Central Africa Republic, both affected by spillover of the conflict in Darfur as well as by internal unrest.
…
The action thriller "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" took in $54 million to open as the No. 1 movie, according to studio estimates Sunday.
That was about $15 million to $20 million more than analysts expected for the "Apes" prequel, though well below the $68.5 million opening of Tim Burton's "Planet of the Apes" remake 10 years ago.
Featuring James Franco, Freida Pinto and Andy Serkis, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" recounts how lower primates began evolving to take over Earth from humans.
The film was well received by critics, who found it a smarter-than-average summer action flick. …
MICHAEL WILSON ON THE NEW MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
At a time when long-established organizations such as the Guggenheim Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art have been forced to shelve expansion plans In line with austere budgets, the New Museum of Contemporary Art has announced plans to construct a state-of-the-art $35 million facility at 235 Bowery, just a few blocks east of Its current base at 583 Broadway.
The Bowery site, at present an eight-thousand-square-foot parking lot, is located between Stanton and Rivington Streets at the beginning of Prince Street. Plans call for a sixty-thousand-square-foot building, twice the size of the museum's SoHo digs. …
TOP STORIES:
CRI--WCUP-INDIA'S TRIUMPH
MUMBAI, India — India wakes up and pinches itself. Yes it's true, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's players captured the World Cup for the first time in 28 years, capping a tournament that riveted the sub-continent but failed to thrill in England, Australia and South Africa, who went home empty-handed. By Simon Haydon, By 0900 GMT.
CRI--WCUP-INDIA REACTION
MUMBAI, India — India hasn't hosted a party like this for 28 years. Many of the revelers who poured onto the streets to celebrate India's World Cup victory on Saturday weren't even born when the country's cricket team last lifted the World Cup. In a nation which places cricket in a …
TOKYO - Japanese musicians overcame fatigue and a major earthquake to set the record for the world's longest concert on Saturday, playing 184 hours non-stop in a program that ranged from The Beatles' classics to Japanese traditional harp music.
Over 900 musicians aged 6 to 89 took turns performing in the 9-day marathon - with breaks of no more than 5 minutes between acts - at a small railway station in Hikone city, western Japan, according to organizer Kuniko Teramura, 51.
An official from the Guinness Book of World Records was on hand to certify the record at 10 a.m. Saturday, she said.
"The longest concert by multiple artists was achieved by Kuniko Teramura and friends at Toriimoto Station ... from 23-31 March 2007," read a copy of the certificate obtained by The Associated Press.
The previous record for longest concert was set in Canada five years ago and lasted 182 hours, according to the Guinness Web site.
On Sunday, a magnitude 6.9 quake in northwestern Japan jolted the stage - but didn't stop a determined pianist from ploughing on with her tune, said Hiroshi Mizutani, 51, another organizer.
A break in the performance would have ruined the challenge, because musicians were not allowed to stop playing less than two minutes into a song, said Mizutani, whose Oldies band played three times during the concert.
"This pianist was amazing. The whole place was shaking quite badly but she went right on playing," Mizutani said. "Even an earthquake couldn't stop us."
New violence has broken out in a volatile Tibetan region of western China, leaving at least one government official seriously injured.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported Friday that a riot broke out Thursday night outside government offices in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture high in the mountains in Sichuan province along the border with Tibet.
It said an official was "attacked and seriously wounded," but gave no other details.
Late last month, Xinhua reported that protesters in Garze attacked police with knives and stones and killed one policeman. The violence was part of a wave of anti-government protests in Tibet's capital Lhasa and Tibetan populated regions in surrounding provinces.
WASHINGTON - Republican and Democratic senators warned Tuesday against a drift toward war with an emboldened Iran and suggested the Bush administration was missing a chance to engage its longtime adversary in potentially helpful talks over next-door Iraq.
"What I think many of us are concerned about is that we stumble into active hostilities with Iran without having aggressively pursued diplomatic approaches, without the American people understanding exactly what's taking place," Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., told John Negroponte, who is in line to become the nation's No. 2 diplomat as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's deputy.
Obama, a candidate for president in 2008, warned during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that senators of both parties will demand "clarity and transparency in terms of U.S. policy so that we don't repeat some of the mistakes that have been made in the past," a reference to the faulty intelligence underlying the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., a possible presidential candidate, asked Negroponte if he thinks the United States is edging toward a military confrontation with Tehran. In response, Negroponte repeated President Bush's oft-stated preference for diplomacy, although he later added, "We don't rule out other possibilities."
Separately, the Navy admiral poised to lead American forces in the Middle East said Iran wants to limit America's influence in the region.
"They have not been helpful in Iraq," Adm. William Fallon told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "It seems to me that in the region, as they grow their military capabilities, we're going to have to pay close attention to what they do and what they may bring to the table."
The Bush administration has increased rhetorical, diplomatic, military and economic pressure on Iran over the past few months, in response to Iran's alleged deadly help for extremists fighting U.S. troops in Iraq and the long-running dispute over Iran's nuclear program.
Bush said Tuesday the United States "will deal with it" if Iran escalates military action inside Iraq and endangers American forces. But, in an interview with ABC News, Bush emphasized this talk signals no intention of invading Iran itself.
A day earlier, the president acknowledged skepticism concerning U.S. intelligence about Iran, because Washington was wrong in accusing Iraq of harboring weapons of mass destruction before the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. "I'm like a lot of Americans that say, 'Well, if it wasn't right in Iraq, how do you know it's right in Iran,'" the president said.
Washington accuses Iran of arming and training Shiite Muslim extremists in Iraq. U.S. troops have responded by arresting Iranian diplomats in Iraq, and the White House has said Bush has authorized U.S. troops to kill or capture Iranians inside Iraq.
The United States also accuses Iran of secretly developing atomic weapons - an allegation Tehran denies. Iran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment lead the U.N. Security Council to impose limited economic sanctions.
Senators including Hagel, George Voinovich, R-Ohio, and Joseph R. Biden Jr., D-Del., sounded frustrated with the administration's decision not to engage Iran and fellow outcast Syria in efforts to reduce sectarian violence in Iraq.
Negroponte, a career diplomat who is leaving a higher-ranked job as the nation's top intelligence official, gave only a mild endorsement of the administration's diplomatic hands-off policy toward Damascus and Tehran.
Negroponte would lead the department's Iraq policy if confirmed, as expected. He said Syria is letting 40 to 75 foreign fighters cross its border into Iraq each month and repeated the charge that Iran is providing lethal help to insurgents fighting U.S. forces in Iraq. Iran and Syria are not helping promote stability and peace in Iraq and understand what the United States and other nation expect of them.
"I would never want to say never with respect to initiating a high-level dialogue with either of these two countries, but that's the position, as I understand it, at this time," Negroponte said.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected to approve Negroponte quickly for a job vacant since July.
Natural gas pipeline operator Spectra Energy Partners LP said Friday the board of its general partner raised the quarterly distribution 2.5 percent.
The board raised the distribution to 41 cents per unit in the fourth quarter from 40 cents per unit during the third quarter.
The distribution is payable Feb. 12 to unitholders of record as of Feb. 2.
Perhaps the most intriguing marketing story of the year comes in the form of a dancing, old (at least he looks old), bald man with oversized glasses wearing a black tuxedo. He's Mr. Six, and while his true identity may be a mystery, his ability to capture the imagination certainly isn't.
Debbie Nauser says it's way too early to even think about quantifying the bottom-line impact of Six Flags' new branding icon, a mysterious dancing sensation known only as Mr. Six. The character was introduced only a few months ago, she explained, and his influence on attendance and revenues cannot yet be gauged at parks that opened seven days a week on Memorial Day.
But if success can be measured in press clippings, appearances on network talk shows, sales of bobblehead dolls, look-alike contests, and home videos featuring 9-yearolds emulating their new hero, then Mr. Six, a character created by the ad agency Doner/Detroit, is an unqualified hit, said Nauser, vice president of public relations for Oklahomabased Six Flags.
And she has another early measuring stick - the amount of her time spent answering reporters' questions about who this guy is, what his message is, and what it all means for the corporation. "It seems as if that's all I've been doing," she said, adding quickly that she is certainly not complaining. "He is generating press that we could not have imagined, and that's great for Six Flags."
The success of the character and the promotional materials that involve him has been attributed to a number of factors, including Mr. Six's ability to stir the imagination with his dancing routines, done to the strains of the Vengaboys' "We Like to Party." But there's also his clear message about the need for overworked people to get out and have some fun, and especially that all-important element of mystery.
Indeed, while no one seems to care who plays Ronald McDonald or who wears the Mickey Mouse costume, there is widespread conjecture about who is behind the man in the tux. The Internet has been alive with theories about who is behind the mask - guesses range from Martin Short to Paris Hilton - but the corporation has been reluctant, and apparently wise, to dance around those inquiries, no pun intended.
"He is Mr. Six," said Nauser, using phrases that appear carefully scripted. "He's the spirit of Six Flags; he's our official ambassador of fun who shows the general public and, hopefully, our guests the fun and excitement they can enjoy at a Six Flags theme park. And he beckons them to join in a day of fun."
Yeah, but who is he? And are we talking about a he?
"He is ... Mr. Six. He's the spirit of Six Flags; he's our official ambassador of fun who shows the general public..."
That's all anyone, including David Letterman and the team at Good Morning America, is going to get. And that's enough, said Nauser, who spoke with BusinessWest this month about the character, how he came to be, and what he means to the corporation and individual parks like Six Flags New England.
The Ride Stuff
Nauser said Doner/Detroit, a new agency for Six Flags, was given no specific charge when it was hired to be the corporation's full-service advertising agency. The broad assignment, however, was to create a new message that would help propel the chain, which operates 30 theme parks and water parks across the country, out of the protracted slump that has engulfed the entire amusement industry since 9/11.
Instead of just a message, the corporation has an icon, something it never had before.
"This is a break from what we've done previously, because we have created a brand icon," Nauser explained. "It's also a departure from what our competition has done, be it other theme parks or other entertainment venues that we compete with for the time and interest of our guests."
The new character complements other marketing vehicles used by the chain, including Looney Toons characters several of which greet visitors to the individual parks - and DC Comics characters whose names and images grace many of the rides at Six Flags parks, including Superman Ride of Steel and Batman the Dark Knight.
The Mr. Six character - now used in print and television ads, as well as billboards and in-store displays - was one of several concepts created by Doner/Detroit, the largest independently owned ad agency in North America, with more than $1.5 billion in combined billings. The firm does work for companies in 30 countries, and its client list also includes Mazda, Minute Maid, Blockbuster, Dupont, and the May department stores.
Mr. Six was test-driven in several cities before a number of different audiences, Nauser explained, and it scored well across the board. "He appealed to children, he appealed to adults, he appealed to teens ... everyone liked him."
Despite those encouraging test scores, Mr. Six has easily surpassed even the most optimistic of projections, she said. "We expected it to be popular, but we had no how popular."
For starters, television commercials he's appeared in have soared near the top of Advertising Age's most recent rankings of most-recognized ads (it was third in a midJuly poll, ranked just behind a KFC spot). Meanwhile, the press has attacked the story, yielding more of the so-called 'free' press than Six Flags executives could have imagined.
Feature pieces on the character have appeared in USA Today, The Washington Times, The Chicago Sun-Times, and scores of other papers. Meanwhile, Mr. Six made an appearance on Good Morning America early in July and taped an appearance with Letterman (air date unknown) later in the month.
"The response he has gotten has simply blown us away," said Nauser. "We've had calls and letters to corporate and all of our parks; we've been in papers across the country; when we went to do Good Morning America, there was paparazzi that came to take his picture outside the studio. It's been incredible."
Locally, Mr. Six has generated a good deal of attention, said Mary Ann Burns, marketing director for Six Flags New England in Agawam. She told BusinessWest that the park has received a number of calls and letters about the character and the ads in which he appears. At the same time, sales of merchandise bearing the character's image - everything from Tshirts and watches to mugs and mousepads - have been strong sellers.
"He's definitely created a buzz," said Burns who, like Nauser, did not want to speculate on what the character has meant to attendance and revenue. "He's given Six Flags a face."
Mr. Six's vintage bus started making personal appearances at Six Flags parks last month, and it made a week-long visit to Agawam at the end of July. Burns said the park marked the visit with dance contests and a look-alike contest that drew a number of contestants.
When asked why Mr. Six fascinates the public as he does, Nauser said the mystery surrounding his identity is part of it, as is the contrast between his appearance and his dancing ability.
But perhaps the biggest reason is his message - that people need to stop working so hard and instead find the time to enjoy themselves.
"His energy and his appetite for fun is contagious," she said. "He makes people smile, and he gets their feet moving."
But are those feet then propelling people to the chain's theme parks? Nauser said she has no hard numbers yet, but she is confident that the campaign will translate into stronger attendance figures.
"I think Mr. Six has been very effective in showing people, young and old, that they need to put some fun in their lives," she explained. "That's his message - fun and I think people are getting that message."
Positive Steps
The Mr. Six campaign has done more than give Six Flags a new corporate image. It has put "We Like to Party" into the American consciousness.
Indeed, the song has been among the most-requested tunes at radio stations in several markets. Locally, Rock 102 plays it as DJs Bax and O'Brien deliver the sports in the morning. At ballparks in Atlanta and New York, the song is played after a member of the host team hits a round-tripper.
And while it remains to be seen whether Mr. Six will give Six Flags a home run at the gate, it appears that he has already become a pop-culture icon - one that can dance.
Ronald McDonald couldn't dance.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Kardashian sisters are seeking to cut ties with a venture that sold prepaid debit cards under their name after coming under attack for the card's high fees.
The card, which launched three weeks ago, was aimed at young adults, the same group that watches the sisters' hit cable TV show "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."
An attorney for the sisters sent a letter Monday to parties affiliated with the card asking them to immediately stop using the names and images of the three sisters.
The notice came after Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal warned on Friday that he would investigate the program to see if it violated state laws to protect consumers. He called the card's fees "predatory."
The Kardashians — Kim, Khloe and Kourtney — launched the card on Nov. 10, with much fanfare. The "Kardashian Kard" includes a picture of the trio on one side, and the sisters said at the time of the launch they were "excited ... to create their very own financial product."
But almost immediately the Kardashians came under attack by consumer advocates for attaching their names to a card with fees that far surpassed other prepaid debit cards on the market.
"The Kardashians have worked extremely long and hard to create a positive public persona that appeals to everyone, particularly young adults," says the letter from Dennis Roach, legal counsel of Dash Dolls LLC, which represents the three sisters. "Unfortunately, the negative spotlight turned on the Kardashians."
Just to buy the card and use it costs $59.95 for six months, or $99.95 for 12 months. That does not include any money on the card. The person buying the card must add money onto it.
The initial feels were just the start. After those six or 12 months are up, it costs $7.95 a month to keep using the card. Users have to pay $1.50 to withdraw cash from an ATM, and $1 to check their balance. Talking to a customer representative on the phone costs $1.50 for each call, and canceling the card costs $6.
Losing the card results in a charge of $9.95. If the loss is reported within two days, then losses are limited to $50. But if the loss or theft is not reported, and the issuer believes the user knew it was lost or stolen, then losses could be as high as $500, according to the terms and conditions on the Kardashian Kard website.
Those fees caught the attention of Blumenthal, who said on Friday that he was investigating the card because of the fees and its appeal to financially unsophisticated young adults.
"Keeping up with the Kardashians is impossible with this card, where consumers lose money before they use money. Even before consumers spend a dime, the Kardashian Kard fees swallow the card's value," Blumenthal said in a statement Monday after news that the Kardashians were cutting ties to the card.
In a statement late Monday, card-issuer University National Bank confirmed that it had ended the sale of the Kardashian cards. Consumers who bought the card will get their money back, including fees that they might have incurred, it said.
MasterCard, which was a partner in the card, said in a statement that "the decision to end the program affirms that consumers did not find value in this particular prepaid offering."
Representatives from Mobe Inc. and Mobile Resources Card, also affiliated with the card, did not return requests for comment.
Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, had come out strongly in recent weeks against the Kardashians for using their celebrity status to hawk a prepaid card loaded with fees.
"Any other celebrity or business that is thinking of associating its name with a prepaid card should take a close look at the fees and protections, and say 'no thanks' unless the fees are low and the missing consumer protections are added," Gail Hillebrand, director of Consumers Union's Defend Your Dollars campaign, said after hearing Monday's news.
Consumer Union is calling on the newly authorized federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to make reining in abusive prepaid card practices a top priority.
NEW YORK They need no egging on. Any question about "EGG" sendsJeff Folmsbee and Mark Mannucci into a zesty exchange describingtheir cool new weekly program.
For instance: What are some things that "EGG the Arts Show" isn'tmeant to be?
"It's not the last word on art," executive producer Folmsbeereplies. "It doesn't attempt to be definitive."
"We are not authoritative-we are inquisitive," producer Mannuccideclares as he joins Folmsbee for a break at Thirteen/WNETheadquarters. "We want to ask questions, and we want to entertainwhile we're asking 'em."
"It's not mediated," Folmsbee explains. "We work real hard tocreate a structure where the artists can speak for themselves, so theaudience can make up their own minds whether the work has value."
"It isn't a show for people immersed in the art world," Mannuccisays. "It's a show for the rest of us, who want to learn more aboutthe arts and see things we've never seen before, in a playful way."
"It's not snooty, you know," muses Folmsbee. "So many art showsseem snooty to me."
A few things "EGG" is:
A welcome new fixture on PBS. Beginning a new season of 26 half-hours this week after its limited run a year ago, it airs in Chicagoat 11:30 p.m. Sunday on WTTW-Channel 11.
Topical. Calling itself an arts news digest, "EGG" concentrates onartists whose work is accessible to the public (at the end of eachprogram, and on the extensive "EGG Online" Web site, viewers can findtips on where).
Far-flung. "We want to make the point that art isn't just thestuff that's hanging on the museum wall," Folmsbee says. "Art is allaround you. It's wider than you imagined. Part of life."
Droll and irreverent when it counts. You've had a whiff if you'vecaught the commercials touting the show's return: a man walkingaround in a suit of hen's eggs. This is the shared sensibility ofFolmsbee and Mannucci, two award-winning arts-and-culture producers.
The say they chose "EGG" as a title because the egg is a perfectwork of art from nature and a symbol of beginnings and endlesspossibilities. It's also a source of endless puns.
Finally, "EGG" is shrewdly concocted. Each edition gathersexamples of people making art, all under a whimsically unifying theme-such as "Flight," "Body Language," or, when the show probes themysteries of conceptual art, "What's the Big Idea?"
"The Desert," airing May 20, covers the annual Burning Man ritethat draws 30,000 to Nevada's Black Rock Desert, the abandoned Armybase in Texas that was transformed into an arts retreat called theChinati Foundation, and the desert crossroads of Las Vegas, wherefine art has emerged alongside keno and 99-cent breakfasts.
A particularly enchanting episode is "Hair," which airs April 29.It visits Wenda Gu, a "hair artist" who has intermingled samples from500,000 donors worldwide for creations that celebrate our common butdiverse humanity.
It salutes the virtuosity of David Orlin, violin bow maker. "Youcan be bald, but you cannot play the violin without hair," says LevPolyakin, assistant concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra and acustomer of Orlin's.
And it travels to Apple Valley, Minn., for a behind-the-sceneslook at a community theater production of (what else?) "Hair."
This week "EGG" hatches "How to Be Happy."
Discover serenity in the tiny trees of 82-year-old bonsai masterHarry Hirao. Attend a sing-along screening of "The Sound of Music."Lend an ear to yodelmania as practiced by rancher Wylie Gustafson oftiny Dusty, Wash. And get happy courtesy of visual artist Jeff Koons-he of the 42-foot-high flowering "Puppy" sculpture.
It's just part of the bracing invitation "EGG" makes to itsaudience: Take a new look at the arts! Don't be chicken!
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — An amateur artist who designed the original logo used by the Baltimore Ravens won a partial victory Thursday when a federal appeals court ruled the commercial use of game and highlight films from the Ravens' first three seasons violates his copyright.
In a divided ruling, a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a Baltimore federal judge's ruling that films depicting the "Flying B" logo on Ravens uniforms and on the football field are essentially historical and are a "fair use" under copyright law.
The court sent the case back to Senior U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis to determine whether an injunction is appropriate.
However, the panel agreed with Garbis that the Ravens can continue to use the logo in a team history display in the lobby of their Owings Mills, Md., headquarters. That is a noncommercial use of the logo akin to a museum exhibit that is permissible under trademark law, the court said.
The decision on the films is a win for amateur artist Frederick Bouchat, whose drawing of a shield with the letter B in the middle, flanked by wings, was the model for the logo used by the Ravens from 1996 through 1998. A jury ruled in 1998 that the Ravens stole the logo idea from Bouchat, but refused to award damages. Bouchat had sought $10 million.
Bouchat has never received any compensation for the team's use of his design.
In the case decided Thursday, Bouchat asked the court to prohibit commercial use of the logo. A highlight film played on the stadium video screen before Ravens home games shows the logo on players' helmets, and the "Flying B" also appears in films that the NFL sells for $50 apiece.
The appeals court rejected the Ravens' claim that the logo appears in a purely historical context.
"Simply filming football games that include the copyrighted logo does not transform the purpose behind the logo's use into a historical one," Judge M. Blane Michael wrote in the majority opinion, which was joined by Judge Roger Gregory.
Bouchat's attorney, Howard J. Schulman, said he was pleased that "the heart of the controversy was resolved in our favor" and he hopes Grabis will issue the injunction. If that happens, he said, the Ravens and the NFL would have to negotiate a licensing agreement with Bouchat if they wanted to continue to use the logo.
"The licensing of NFL logos for use in the sale of official team merchandise, in exchange for royalties, is exactly the type of potential market that exists for Bouchat's copyrighted logo," Michael wrote.
In a dissenting opinion, Judge Paul V. Niemeyer said that "through this legal action, Bouchat is attempting to hold the Ravens' history hostage for ransom."
"The Ravens and the NFL cannot now change history nor can they reasonably be requested to blot it out," Niemeyer wrote.
The Ravens could appeal the majority decision to the full appeals court or the U.S. Supreme Court. Their attorney, Robert Raskopf, did not immediately return a telephone message.
Dear Diane: I am the mother of three children, and I have beenseparated from my husband for four years. About two years ago I meta married man at a wedding reception. He is 62 now, and I am 36. Wedidn't plan it, but we fell in love.
The problem is that I don't feel he is being totally honest.For the last two years, we have been going out every Saturday night.He picks me up at 10:30 p.m., and we stay out until 3 a.m. If hecomes over during the week, he leaves between 12:30 and 1:30 a.m. Thepattern is so consistent that a child could see through it.
He says he leaves because of his 12-year-old daughter. Hedoesn't want her to wake up and find out he has been out all night.He even says he would leave his wife if it weren't for his daughter.He also claims he and his wife sleep in separate bedrooms and sayshe's afraid to leave his wife because of the difference in our ages.He thinks I will tire of him and leave him. I don't buy that sincehe is willing to see me now.
Why does he leave at such ungodly hours? Could he still be inlove with his wife? Is he really afraid of starting over? I know Ican't go on in a relationship like this.
LONELY, CONFUSED
& HURTING
Dear Lonely: Your Saturday night date likes things the way theyare. He is conscious of his age, has invested in his daughter andperhaps is in love with his wife. He knows he can see you once ortwice a week with little risk to the status quo at home. What, himworry?
Instead of second-guessing this man's motives, ask yourself whyyou are putting your life on hold for a guy who is available lessthan eight hours a week. If Lover Boy were freshly divorced and freeto see you round the clock, would you still be entranced, or wouldyou be out on Saturday nights looking for another dangerous liaisonwith another married man?
Start being good to yourself. End the affair and seek true loveelsewhere.
Dear Diane: Last year, when I was a sophomore in high school, Ibecame friends with "Bill," and he walked me to my English classevery day. He was really nice and sweet, and we were only friends.I'm not interested in having a relationship with him.
This year he ignores me. If we are face to face, he smiles andsays "Hi" casually and sometimes chats briefly. He seems to bestrained with me.
I'm contemplating whether to talk to him, but I am tongue-tied.I don't know where to begin. I really like him as a friend, and he'sthe only guy I'm friends with. I'm very shy.
My friends say I should drop him. But Bill remains on my mind.
JUNIOR MISS
Dear Junior Miss: It's easier to pretend indifference, but youvalue Bill's friendship. Risk it and confront him.
Tell him you've noticed that he is less friendly than he used tobe, and ask him what's changed. If he clams up and doesn't respond,take your friends' advice and drop him. Don't try to read his mindor start telling yourself you must have done something wrong.Friendship is a two-way street.
If he explains, respond to his news. (He: "I have a steadygirlfriend now." You: "That's great, I'd like to meet her!") Onceyou get an answer, you can stop wondering and move on.
And you can give yourself a pat on the back for being assertive.Dealing with this problem head on will help you feel more secure inmixed company.
Dear Diane: The advice you gave "Mom on Edge," whose daughterwas having tantrums, couldn't have been better. I was once in hershoes.
My son went through three cribs because he kicked the bars outat 14 months. At 2, he put himself through a window after he wentinto a fit. He cried and screamed for his first three years.
I considered suicide because my life was a living hell.Relatives and friends couldn't stand the crying and stopped callingand visiting. We didn't dare go in public because we were stared at.
Doctors told me I was a jumpy first-time mom and that time wouldcure all.
When school started, I spent just as much time there as he did.As soon as he would get out of my sight, he would go bonkers.
Well, my son is now in the fifth grade. Thanks to alearning-disability teacher in his school who backed me up, he wastested and, yes, he has Attention Deficit Disorder withhyperactivity. He is on Ritalin and doing great.
We now have a healthy, happy son. He is a totally differentperson now, logical and loving. BEEN THERE
Send your questions to Diane Crowley, Box 3254, Chicago 60654.
Aimed at raising the awareness of HIV/AIDS in the Black community, more than 50 area pastors will take the first step today and get tested at a South Side church.
Rev. Tyrone Crider, pastor of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 1259 W. lllth St., and president of the Pastors Network, a group of churches throughout Cook County, teamed with Lloyd Kelly of the Let's Talk, Let's Test Foundation to jumpstart the effort.
"Lloyd came to me to help get more churches involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS. I told him the Network would get involved and we committed to take the test," Crider told the Defender.
According to the Illinois Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, in 2005 African Americans comprised about 15 per cent of the state's population and accounted for at least 50 percent of the all new HIV infections, and 52 percent of AIDS cases.
The idea for the testing was designed to launch an initiative in Black churches. The goal, Grider said, was to "light a fire."
"We committed to take the test to dramatize the significance of the issue in our community and begin to deal with it in our pulpits," he said.
LTLTF was founded in 2003 by Kelly and state Rep. Constance Howard CD-34).
[Author Affiliation]
by Kathy Chancy
Defender Contributing Writer
Seul, Tokio. -- Ambos conjuntos se aventuraban en un terreno totalmente nuevo al jugar su septimo partido de la competicion, ya que ninguno de ellos habia disputado mas de tres encuentros en anteriores ediciones. Pero, en lugar de acomodarse, los dos equipos nos deleitaron con un choque vibrante, haciendo gala de su reputacion de practicar un futbol vistoso.
Para Corea fue una despedida carinosa, ya que, una vez mas, su aficion vistio sus mejores galas y pinto de rojo intenso la excelente organizacion que ha tenido el torneo. Segun pudo verse, el holandes dio total libertad a sus Guerreros de Taeguk para que se divirtiesen ante su encantadora hinchada. Quizas Hong Myung-bo, nominado para recibir el Balon de Oro de adidas, se haya tomado demasiado al pie de la letra el consejo. El capitan de Corea regalo la pelota al numero 9 turco, Hakan Sukur, quien, con gran tranquilidad, batio al portero de un tiro con el exterior del pie. El jugador del Parma habia disputado quinientos minutos del torneo sin ver puerta, casi un record para el mejor delantero de su pais. Sin embargo, esa marca sera pronto olvidada y sustituida por otra: la del gol mas rapido de la historia de la Copa Mundial de la FIFA. A Sukur solo le hicieron falta once segundos para estrenarse, superando en cuatro el tanto del checoslovaco Vaclav Masek ante Mexico en Chile 62. Y sin el concurso de su companero Hasan Sas.
El gol tempranero provoco una autentica fiesta. En un regreso al futbol mas puro, y gracias a su entregada aficion, los sacrificados coreanos encontraron nuevas reservas de energia y atacaron una y otra vez.
Sin embargo, Hiddink, cuya condicion de idolo quedo patente con la aparicion de su retrato entre los miles de seguidores que dieron vida al estadio de Taegu, debera conformarse una vez mas con el cuarto puesto, que ya habia alcanzado con Holanda hace cuatro anos, si bien el conjunto europeo tiene una reputacion mucho mayor que el asiatico.
Para los coreanos, ahora el futuro se muestra borroso. Como de costumbre, los Diablos Rojos lo celebraran hasta bien entrada la noche oriental, pero el amanecer traera un nuevo dia a la tierra de la tranquilidad matutina. Durante un mes, la inmensa mayoria de la poblacion ha estado viviendo un sueno. Ahora es el momento de despertar de el y reflexionar sobre su extraordinaria e historica proeza.
Para Turquia, un tercer puesto en el segundo torneo que disputa, y el primero desde Suiza 54, habra sido el deleite de millones de seguidores en las calles de su pais. Al derrotar a los coorganizadores, los hombres de Senol Gunes han demostrado que tienen la capacidad y el deseo de competir al maximo nivel durante muchos anos mas.
Winner Bath Rugby It has been a year to remember for BathRugby, which ended a decade-long wait for silverware with May'sEuropean Challenge Cup triumph. Playing a brand of enthrallingrugby, the Blue, Black and Whites challenged strongly for theGuinness Premiership title last season, finishing third, and arecurrently top, thanks to a series of thrilling victories.
RUNNERS-UP TeamBath FC Promoted to the second tier of non-league football for the first time in their nine-year history viathe Southern Premier Division play-offs and reached the firstround proper of the FA Cup for the third time in six years.
Larkhall Athletic FC Lost only three league matches in thecalendar year, missing out on promotion to Toolstation PremierDivision on goal difference last term. The Larks have blasted 73goals in only 18 league matches this season and this month reachedthe last 32 of the FA Vase for the first time.
Avonvale RFC After years of struggle, reeled off 18 wins out of18 to lift the Dorset & Wilts 3 West title in the spring and liesecond in the 2 North table this season. Vale suffered only oneleague defeat in the calendar year.
Bath Cricket Club 1st XI Regained the West of England PremierLeague title, their fifth regional championship in seven seasons,and were beaten only once in 18 matches to finish well clear of therest.
Bath City skittles team Won the coveted Blackthorn BritishSkittles Championship title at Sand Bay, Weston-super-Mare inSeptember.
Penn State can't blame the BCS for this. The Nittany Lions perfect season and hopes for giving coach Joe Paterno another national title were dashed by Iowa's backup kicker.
Daniel Murray, who hadn't made a field goal since the season opener, hit a 31-yarder with a second left and the Hawkeyes rallied to stun the third-ranked Nittany Lions 24-23.
All that talk about an unbeaten Penn State possibly being left out of the BCS national title game turned out to be premature. A third championship for the 81-year-old Paterno, who's had four unbeaten teams not win titles, is a long shot now.
Shonn Green rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns, and Ricky Stanzi bounced back from an interception and a fumble to lead the Hawkeyes (6-4, 3-3 Big Ten) on their game-winning drive, which came after Daryll Clark threw just his third interception of the season.
Murray had lost the regular field-goal duties to freshman Trent Mossbrucker and was relegated to kickoffs. But with the winds swirling and strong, coach Kirk Ferentz opted for experience and Murray's strong leg.
He drilled it down the middle, sending Iowa's freezing fans spilling onto the field.
"I've always dreamed about it," said Murray, who grew up in Iowa City. "I kept hoping and hoping I'd get my chance."
The Nittany Lions were third behind Alabama and Texas Tech in the last Bowl Championship Series standings. They'll drop Sunday. The Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl berth are the Nittany Lions' main goals now.
"We need to keep our heads up. We can still have a heck of a year," said Paterno, who again coached from the press box and got around with a cane because of a sore leg and hip.
Iowa was down 23-14 heading into the fourth quarter. But Greene scored his second TD, from 6 yards out, to make it 23-21 with 9:20 left.
On the next possession, Penn State looked as if it got a break, when Iowa was called for a roughing the punter penalty that had the Hawkeyes seething. The Nittany Lions kept the ball and continued its time-consuming march.
But Clark made an errant throw down the middle that was picked off by Tyler Sash, who returned to Iowa's 29 with 3:46 left. Iowa then caught another break when Penn State was flagged for pass interference on third down, getting the Hawkeyes near midfield with a first down.
Stanzi, who was 15-of-25 passing for 171 yards, hit Derrell Johnson-Koulianos at the Penn State 15 with 18 seconds left to set up Murray's kick.
"I want to apologize to the whole Penn State nation for my game play today," Clark said. "I just keep having that turnover recurring in my head over and over. I can't get it out of my mind."
This was the biggest win for Iowa in years, its first against a top-five team since 1990. The Hawkeyes suffered through two seasons of mediocrity after finishing No. 8 in the country three years in a row.
The Hawkeyes had lost four games this season by a total of 12 points _ and they got beat last week by Illinois on a 46-yard field goal with 24 seconds left.
"We knew we had enough to win," Iowa linebacker A.J. Edds. "But there weren't a whole lot of people on the outside that thought we were the kind of team we know we are. We showed that today."
Clark was 9-of-23 for 86 yards and Derrick Williams and Evan Royster each ran for touchdowns to lead Penn State (9-1, 5-1), which had to settle for Kevin Kelly's field goals on three different trips inside Iowa's 20.
On a day where the wind chill dipped into the 20s, Penn State held the ball for nearly 36 minutes and ran almost twice as much as they threw it.
It worked for the first three quarters.
Penn State's Tyrell Sales picked off Stanzi on the opening drive of the third quarter, and Kelly's 25-yard field goal put the Nittany Lions ahead 16-7.
Iowa's offense finally woke up, reeling off a 73-yard drive that Stanzi capped by finding a wide-open Johnson-Koulianos for a 27-yard touchdown pass to pull the Hawkeyes within 16-14 with 4:43 left in the third.
But Stanzi fumbled away the ball and Iowa's momentum just two minutes later, giving Penn State the ball deep in Iowa territory after botching the snap. The Nittany Lions wasted little time turning Stanzi's mistake into points, as Williams' 9-yard touchdown run put Penn State back up 23-14 heading into the fourth.
Penn State held the ball for an astounding 23:34 and outgained Iowa 203-70 in the first half. But the Hawkeyes forced a pair of red-zone field goals, keeping Penn State's lead at 13-7.
After falling behind 7-0 early in the first quarter, the Nittany Lions put together scoring drives of 71, 75 and 78 yards _ all powered by the running game. They had to settle for 24-yard field goal by Kelly on the first one, but Royster ran for a 2-yard score to give Penn State a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter.
Kelly drilled a 31-yarder into the with 55 seconds left in the first half.
Iowa forced Clark to fumble on the game's opening drive, but the officials said he got it back it at the Penn State 1. The Hawkeyes thought they had recovered the ball in the end zone, but they had to settle for a Nittany Lions punt and a short field.
Greene _ with Iowa's student section decked out in green shirts in honor of the nation's third-leading rusher _ made Penn State pay just two plays later, scoring on a 14-yard touchdown run that put Iowa ahead 7-0.
The Nittany Lions were shooting for their first 10-0 start since 1994 _ incidentally, the last time Penn State went undefeated but didn't win it all _ but with home games against Indiana and Michigan State left, a Big Ten title is still Penn State's to lose.
"Their balloon still isn't busted," Paterno said. "If we win the next two we'll have an opportunity to go to a big bowl."
The remnants of a tropical depression poured heavy rain on theSoutheast Sunday, causing flooding in North Carolina. Rain wasscattered from Arizona to New England.
Showers and thunderstorms ranged from southern Arizona intocentral Colorado. Storms also developed along a frontal systemmoving across the upper Midwest, with a storm in western North Dakotadropping large hail near Stanley, west of Minot.
In New England, scattered showers developed over Vermont and NewHampshire and moved across Massachusetts.
Sunday's temperature extremes around the lower 48 states rangedfrom a morning low of 28 at Meacham, Ore., to an early afternoonreading of 108 at New Iberia, La. Weather Quiz
In which of the following cities can hurricanes be most dangerous? A). New Orleans B). Tampa, Fla. C). Miami D). Chicago
Answer: (A). Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center inMiami generally regard New Orleans as the most threatened city. Itwould take as long as 36 hours to evacuate the city, most of which isbelow sea level. A major hurricane could flood the city under 20feet of water. The second riskiest is the Tampa area south to theEverglades, where high population density and a shallow ocean bottomcombine to increase the risk of devastating flooding. Weather Fact
The U.S. Weather Bureau, precursor of the National WeatherService, began naming hurricanes for women in 1953. In 1979, men'snames were added.
I feel compelled today to go outside my happy realm of questionand answer format so that I might address the pet food recall thathas gripped our lives this week. As a veterinarian and a pet owner, Ifeel the stress and helplessness just like the rest of the country.But I honestly believe that we will get through this crisis together.The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), The Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) and Menu Foods are all working with the best andthe brightest scientists in the field to identify the causative agentand get that information out to the public as quickly and accuratelyas they can.
This is the latest information from the AVMA dated March 30, 2007.A new substance has been isolated from tissue and urine samples ofsickened cats. It was also found in actual kidney tissue samples fromanother affected animal. This substance is called melamine. In Asia,melamine is used as a fertilizer. The fertilizer may be believed tohave contaminated wheat gluten that was used in the production of wetdog and cat foods as a binding agent. In this country melamine mayonly be used in the production of plastics such as kitchenware.
Because scientists have found melamine in both recalled foodsamples and sick animal tissue samples, they now believe it may bethe causative agent of the Menu Foods recall. Unfortunately not a lotof data exists on melamine toxicity in animals. At this pointscientists are working to learn as much as they can about thechemical and its effect on animal kidney function. A previous agent,aminopterin, failed to be found in both food samples and tissuesamples from affected pets.
Regardless of the causative agent, the clinical presentation ofthese animals seems to be the same. They present to the veterinarianas "sick" with increased thirst and urinary episodes. Everyveterinarian in the country knows how to handle a pet like this. Theywill immediately do a blood test and urine test to screen for theobvious, renal failure. Renal failure in the acute phase is treatableand sometimes curable. The treatment is IV fluids, medicines toprotect the GI tract, vitamins, special food and time.
If anyone knows of any pet that has been on one of the recalledfoods and the pet begins to show any of these signs, please take thepet to your veterinarian and have him tested. At our practice lastweek we performed many blood and urine tests on animals screening forpossible problem cases. Luckily we found no renal failure animalsthat could be linked to the tainted food. But we all know a few areout there.
So what is my recommendation? Learn what foods are on the recalllist. Go to www.avma.org and follow the links to the food list. Ifyour food is on the list, have your pet tested. If it test positivefor renal failure, your veterinarian will work with you to try andhelp your pet with the appropriate treatment protocols. Veterinariansaround the country are willing and ready to handle these casesprofessionally.
If your pet tests negative for kidney disease, obviously changefoods. There are many diets still on the market that are balanced andtasty and good for your pet. Take the recall list with you when yougo shopping. It will help you make the right choices. These recalledfoods and brands will be safe again to feed to our pets in the verynear future; it will just take some patience on our part. Good luck.
SPRINGFIELD, N.
J., July 21 -- Union County issued the following news release:
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks & Community Renewal are happy to announce that the "Family Flix" summer film series will team up with Union County's observance of National Night Out on Tuesday evening, August 3, at Meisel Park in Springfield.
"The 'Family Flix' feature film, Shrek 2, will begin at dusk, but come early to Meisel Park to participate in Union County's observance of National Night Out, which starts at 6 p.m.," said Freeholder Vice Chairman Deborah Scanlon, liaison to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. "Bring a blanket or beach chair to claim your spot on the lawn or save a seat in the bleachers - either way, the early birds will have plenty of interesting things to do and see before the movie."
"Shrek 2" is the 2004 DreamWorks animated comedy adventure. Right after their honeymoon, Shrek and Princess Fiona are in for quite an adventure when they are invited to have dinner with Fiona's parents. "Shrek 2" will be shown at dusk, outdoors, free of charge at Meisel Park. Singers from the Metro Rhythm Chorus will entertain the audience before the movie.
National Night Out is an event that involves neighborhood organizations, law enforcement agencies, civic groups and businesses to strengthen police-community partnerships and local anti-crime programs.
The other dates for Family Flix free outdoor movies are:
* Tuesday, August 17 at Nomahegan Park in Cranford: Trailside naturalists will lead a Dusk Stroll in the park to see if evening noises are monsters and aliens or simply bullfrogs and katydids, before the showing of "Monsters vs. Aliens."
* Tuesday, August 24 at Nomahegan Park: Watchung Stable staff members will guide lead-line rides on horses for youngsters before the adventure comedy, "Racing Stripes."
All movies start at dusk in nice weather only. For more information, call the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal at 908-527-4900. For rain information in the parks call 908-558-4079 after 3:00 p.m. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com
'FAMILY FLIX' TEAMS UP WITH FIRST RESPONDERS AT MEISEL PARK IN SPRINGFIELD, AUG. 3SPRINGFIELD, N.
J., July 21 -- Union County issued the following news release:
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks & Community Renewal are happy to announce that the "Family Flix" summer film series will team up with Union County's observance of National Night Out on Tuesday evening, August 3, at Meisel Park in Springfield.
"The 'Family Flix' feature film, Shrek 2, will begin at dusk, but come early to Meisel Park to participate in Union County's observance of National Night Out, which starts at 6 p.m.," said Freeholder Vice Chairman Deborah Scanlon, liaison to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. "Bring a blanket or beach chair to claim your spot on the lawn or save a seat in the bleachers - either way, the early birds will have plenty of interesting things to do and see before the movie."
"Shrek 2" is the 2004 DreamWorks animated comedy adventure. Right after their honeymoon, Shrek and Princess Fiona are in for quite an adventure when they are invited to have dinner with Fiona's parents. "Shrek 2" will be shown at dusk, outdoors, free of charge at Meisel Park. Singers from the Metro Rhythm Chorus will entertain the audience before the movie.
National Night Out is an event that involves neighborhood organizations, law enforcement agencies, civic groups and businesses to strengthen police-community partnerships and local anti-crime programs.
The other dates for Family Flix free outdoor movies are:
* Tuesday, August 17 at Nomahegan Park in Cranford: Trailside naturalists will lead a Dusk Stroll in the park to see if evening noises are monsters and aliens or simply bullfrogs and katydids, before the showing of "Monsters vs. Aliens."
* Tuesday, August 24 at Nomahegan Park: Watchung Stable staff members will guide lead-line rides on horses for youngsters before the adventure comedy, "Racing Stripes."
All movies start at dusk in nice weather only. For more information, call the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal at 908-527-4900. For rain information in the parks call 908-558-4079 after 3:00 p.m. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com
U.S. home prices rose slightly in July from a month earlier, according to a government index, further evidence the housing market is stabilizing.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency said Tuesday prices rose 0.3 percent in July from the prior month, but June's price increase was revised down to 0.1 percent from 0.5 percent.
The index is still 4.2 percent below last year's levels and 10.5 percent off its peak from April 2007. It is based on loans owned or guaranteed by mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The index has declined less than other housing market measurements because it excludes the most expensive homes and some of the …
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Yale University normally concerns itself with issues such as global warming and genetic research. But lately it is in a protracted battle over a restaurant that just wants to continue serving chorizo encrusted cod and lobster cassoulette.
The Ivy League school - and its $22 billion endowment - is in the midst of a property fight with a chef and his wife that has forced their signature eatery to close. They say it also jeopardizes a second eatery in which they've invested their life savings.
"To put them out of business is a disgrace," said developer Joel Schiavone, who accuses Yale of being mean-spirited and forcing one of the best restaurants in …
Lucent Technologies announced that it has signed a contract with Suzhou Telecom in China's Jiangsu Province to provide optical networking systems for its local networks in Suzhou City. Suzhou Telecom is a subsidiary of China Telecom, the biggest telecommunications service provider in China. Under …
Nagano Keiki Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) promotes John T McKenna …
Byline: DIANA JEAN SCHEMO - New York Times
State Police investigators working with more than a half-dozen dogs Monday combed a Rockland County intersection for the remains of yet another alleged victim of Joel Rifkin, the man who police said has confessed to killing 17 women in the last three years.
Investigator Dwayne D. Russell, a spokesman for State Police Troop L, based in East Farmingdale, Suffolk County, said a team of 50 investigators worked through the weekend to locate and identify the women Rifkin has confessed to killing.
In Rockland County, a separate team of a dozen investigators and state troopers led by police dogs searched the …
Indian news reports say five hostages have been killed in the Mumbai headquarters of an ultra-orthodox Jewish group.
Two Americans were also confirmed dead in the Mumbai attacks that began Wednesday night. A spokeswoman with the Synchronicity Foundation in Virginia said Friday that Alan Scherr and his 13-year-old daughter were killed while they were in a cafe in Mumbai.
In Jerusalem, the Israeli rescue service said five hostages and two gunmen were killed at the center.
A chain of militant attacks across India's financial center that began Wednesday have left at least 143 people dead.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for …
Because Eugene Lazowski was a doctor, he believed he should notkill. He would not even shoulder a rifle.
But he also could not stand by while other good and innocentpeople were killed.
And so when the Nazis overran Poland in World War II, Lazowskiyearned to find a way to fight back, to protect human life, and heseized upon a paradoxical instrument of salvation--the German army'sprofound fear of disease.
While German industrialist Oskar Schindler, whose heroic story wastold in the movie "Schindler's List," employed bribes and influenceto protect as many as 1,000 Jews who worked in his factory, Lazowskislyly used medical science to save the lives of thousands of …
John Ashbee, Chairman/CEO of Tropika International Ltd., announced October 4 that RC Securities, Tropika's Anguilla-based, online international trading …
Lenora Jane Estes, Editorial Intern
Commercial and industrial property insurer FM Global just made life easier with access to previously exclusive loss prevention engineering guidelines.
Thousands of pages of property protection information are now available for free to large-scale businesses, facility and risk managers, as well as the architects, consultants, and contractors who work for them. The property loss prevention data sheets may help prevent property damage and maintain business continuity due to threats posed by fire, weather conditions, and failure of electrical or mechanical equipment.
The engineering guidelines contain risk prevention …
Byline: ELAINE DUTKA Los Angeles Times
Two of the biggest hits of the year, ``Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'' and ``Elf,'' were powered by knockout comic acting -- Johnny Depp as a grunge pirate and Will Ferrell as the oversized elf.
Their performances, like Bill Murray's in ``Lost in Translation,'' Jack Black's in ``School of Rock'' and Ellen DeGeneres' voice work in the animated ``Finding Nemo,'' excited critics and fans. Whether their work can translate into Oscars, however, is another matter. For when it comes to comedies, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, it seems, just hasn't gotten the joke.
Comic legends such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Danny Kaye and Stan Laurel never won an acting Oscar, and current comedy heavyweights such as Mike Myers, Jim Carrey and Eddie Murphy have been shut out. Still, in a year when laughter ruled at the box office -- six of the 10 top-grossing films so far this year are comedies -- the studios are mounting campaigns for these performances for either the Academy Awards or, at least, the Golden Globes. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter are full of ads promoting comic performances and films along with more serious fare. …
Byline: Los Angeles Daily News
While the news of Magic Johnson's retirement after he tested HIV-positive figures to be devastating news to all of his fans, it could be especially disturbing to some of his youngest admirers.
While they advise sensitivity, child psychologists say parents should be honest in discussing Johnson's situation with their children.
"You have to be very straightforward," said Jeffrey Derevensky, a professor of educational psychology and counseling at Montreal's McGill University. "Kids who are 10 or 12 are certainly familiar with the concept of the disease. You tell them he has contracted a disease that will weaken him so …
John Patrick Bedell was a brilliant and seemingly gentle computer whiz, yet so withdrawn that people in this rural community where his parents and grandparents are civic leaders knew little about him _ until he opened fire at the Pentagon this week.
Family and friends now paint a portrait of a troubled man who sank deep into mental illness and anti-government rants, even as his mother _ a nursing instructor _ tried to seek help.
"The family tried over and over to get him into some kind of treatment, but because he was an adult, they were restricted," said Reb Monaco, a family friend for three decades. "Patrick himself was in some sort of …
LONDON - Eating less meat could help slow global warming by reducing the number of livestock and thereby decreasing the amount of methane flatulence from the animals, scientists said on Thursday.
In a special energy and health series of the medical journal The Lancet, experts said people should eat fewer steaks and hamburgers. Reducing global red meat consumption by 10 percent, they said, would cut the gases emitted by cows, sheep and goats that contribute to global warming.
"We are at a significant tipping point," said Geri Brewster, a nutritionist at Northern Westchester Hospital in New York, who was not connected to the study.
"If people knew that they were …
Formosa Idemitsu Petrochemical Corp., a joint venture between Formosa Plastics and Idemitsu Petrochemical, says it will expand capacity of a previously announced polycarbonate (PC) project at Mailiao, Taiwan (CW, Sept. 26,2001, p. 34). The company says that the first two of three planned phases of the project will each have a capacity of …
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - Some HMOs are not spending as much as they should on patient medical care, which could jeopardize participants' health, an insurance rating agency warns.
"Too many managers in the HMO industry have their hands in the cookie jar," contends Martin D. Weiss, president of Weiss Ratings Inc., a Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.-based life and health insurance rating agency.
"They pay out too much in salaries, bonuses and other administrative expenses - but not enough to take care of their members' health. Companies have to strike a balance between providing quality care and being profitable," Mr. Weiss suggested.
A spokesman for the …
Byline: DAN GALVIS Dallas Morning News
He likes his martinis shaken, and the places James Bond visits are stirring.
Since 1962, the year Ian Fleming's super spy 007 first hit the big screen in ``Dr. No,'' Bond has been all around the world. Granted, he may not be Phineas Fogg, who made it in 80 days. But in 35 years, Bond has been a travel guide of sorts.
The beauty of it all is that anyone can make the same trips and see many of the same sights. For those with vacation time upcoming but no destination ideas, the Bond movies certainly yield choices.
Watch any of the first 17 movies and you will see breathtaking shots of rolling greens, snow-covered mountains and crystal-blue water, along with the other Bond staples -- beautiful women, explosions and amazing gadgets.
With No. 18, ``Tomorrow Never Dies,'' which opened in December, more of the same can be viewed. His adventures keep him near home in Portsmouth and Oxford, along with trips to Bangkok, Thailand, and Hamburg, Germany.
Trips abroad are the norm, and that is apparent within the first 10 minutes of ``Dr. No'' -- a view …
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Defending champion Collingwood remained the team to beat in Australian Rules football, winning its third match in a row to start the Australian Football League season.
The Magpies beat Carlton 15.12 (102) to 11.8 (74), led by forward Jarryd Blair's five goals.
The first-year Gold Coast Suns lost 18.14 (122) to 7.9 (51) to the Western Bulldogs, their second big defeat in a row. The Saturday loss was by 71 points, but the Sun lost their first match by 119 to Carlton. Bulldogs key forward Barry Hall kicked five goals, taking his career total to 701.
Hawthorn also had an easy win over Richmond, beating the Tigers 17.13 (115) to 6.16 (62) while …
