четверг, 15 марта 2012 г.

World Bank raises China growth outlook

BEIJING (AP) — China's rapid growth is easing to a manageable pace and Beijing can do more to reconfigure its economy to promote domestic consumption and reduce reliance on trade, the World Bank said Wednesday.

Inflation that has risen steadily this year should level off and is unlikely to be a serious problem, the bank said in a quarterly China outlook.

The Washington-based bank raised its 2010 growth forecast from 9.5 percent to 10 percent and said the expansion should slow to 8.7 percent next year.

Growth eased to 9.6 percent in the three months ending in September, down from 10.3 percent the previous quarter, as the government imposed lending and investment …

Exile of Guinea junta leader sparks hope back home

After only a year in power, Guinea's hated coup leader is in exile, his departure having breathed surprising new life into a country he had terrorized, and hopes are even stirring that the nation will hold its first democratic elections in half a century.

But true reform may be long way off and his legacy lives on through a military junta with bloody hands that's still in charge.

Guinea's Capt. Moussa "Dadis" Camara has been reduced to a feeble shell of his former self _ exiled to Burkina Faso after a bullet grazed his skull during a Dec. 3 assassination attempt by one of his own men. No longer are there nightly television shows devoted to the …

Max out ICHIP before seeking new options

Q. In November 1997, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After Ihad a bone marrow transplant, my insurance carrier went out ofbusiness. I enrolled in the Illinois Comprehensive Health InsurancePlan, but it has a lifetime benefit maximum of $1 million.

If I use all of the benefits, what alternatives do I have? If I amcancer-free for a certain amount of time, am I again insurable? Whatare my choices?

A. Before I go into your options, I want to make you aware of howto use your ICHIP plan to its ultimate benefit availability.

Be sure to use managed care providers who are in the Blue CrossBlue Shield PPO network. If you use PPO hospitals and doctors, thereare …

среда, 14 марта 2012 г.

Manning won't play vs Texans, streak ends

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Peyton Manning's streak is over.

The Colts announced Wednesday that Manning will not play Sunday in the season-opener at Houston, bringing an end to his streak of 227 consecutive starts.

The Colts say they will start 38-year-old Kerry Collins against the Texans.

Manning has not been able to …

Mexico captures another 'most-wanted' trafficker

Soldiers captured one of Mexico's most-wanted smugglers, a man accused of controlling the flow of drugs through the northern city of Monterrey for the powerful Beltran-Leyva cartel, the Mexican army said Wednesday.

The announcement came hours before U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Mexico promising to do more to help Mexico crack down on drug violence that is spilling over into the U.S.

Gen. Luis Arturo Oliver said Hector Huerta was detained Tuesday in a Monterrey suburb, along with four men identified as his bodyguards. Soldiers also seized assault rifles and four grenades.

Huerta was arrested on an outstanding homicide warrant; …

Find out about cider and apple-growing

All round the county right now you can see cider apples maturingon trees.

It is that time of year when cider-makers begin to evaluate thecrops, trying to second-guess mother nature's autumnal gift.

And this weekend there will be a chance for everyone to find outa bit more about the cultivation of the apples and the production ofthe county's amber nectar.

The historical background of apples in Somerset will be explainedin a special event at the Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonburyon Saturday.

The event will go some way to explaining why Somerset has longbeen recognised as the home of farmhouse scrumpy cider and back tothe days when cider …

At 88, Calif. Teacher Keeps Learning Fun

LOS ANGELES - Rose "Mama G" Gilbert dons a red plastic fire helmet and excitedly begins lecturing on George Orwell's novel "1984."

Her Advanced Placement English literature students soon feel the heat as Gilbert connects current events to themes in the book - government surveillance, conformity and sexuality.

With her energy, it's easy to forget that she's old enough to be the great-great-grandmother of her Palisades Charter High School students. Gilbert is 88.

"You can't stop her when she is on a roll," says Elieka Salamipour, a 17-year-old senior.

Gilbert's helmet really isn't necessary. It takes only a minute or two for her to get excited about just …

Coast Guard: Airplane crashes off SoCal coast

An airplane crashed Friday off the Southern California coast, and rescue boats have yet to find survivors or bodies, the Coast Guard said.

A civilian vessel reported seeing the plane hit the water on Friday afternoon about 25 miles off the coast, halfway between Oceanside and San Clemente Island. Searchers found aluminum debris and an oil slick, Coast Guard Lt. Josh Nelson said.

Three rescue boats will search for survivors through early Saturday …

Begin, 76, hospitalized

JERUSALEM Former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, 76, washospitalized Wednesday, suffering from what a doctor called …

Gridlock Need Not Be Inevitable

WASHINGTON - When voters put a president from one party up against a Congress controlled by the other, the result isn't always gridlock.

From Interstate highways and environmental protection to Social Security fixes and welfare reform, playing nice on policy can pay dividends, recent history shows.

Fresh opportunities abound if, as predicted, Democrats win control of the House - and somewhat less likely the Senate - next week, but success will require both sides to suppress bitterness and payback urges.

Accomplishments over the next two years will require trust and good will, and not much of that exists in the toxic atmosphere of the midterm election after …

2 German cargo ships pass through 'Arctic Passage'

A pair of German ships is traversing the fabled Northeast Passage, having arrived in Siberia from South Korea by traveling through the Arctic Ocean.

Now, they're poised to complete their trip as they prepare to leave for the Netherlands.

The merchant ships MV Beluga Fraternity and MV Beluga Foresight arrived this week in Yamburg, Siberia, their owner Beluga …

Skins' defense sank running game

If you have a question during Sunday night's game, call 321-2817between 9 and 10 p.m. Sunday. Chicago Sun-Times Bear writer KevinLamb will answer the best ones next Wednesday morning.

QUESTION: Why couldn't the Bears run against the Redskins?

ANSWER: Washington's defense crowded the line and blitzed a lot,so the Bears tried more often than usual to make some big passingplays. If they had connected, the defense would have had to backoff. But they didn't.

When the Bears did run - which was less often than they had allseason when Neal Anderson started - the Redskins stunted and blitzedto the right places far more often than not. Six plays lost yardage,six …

Mallett TDs lead No. 12 Arkansas over UGa, 31-24

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Ryan Mallett would look one way, then — BOOM! — he'd throw it another.

When he was finished duping Georgia, No. 12 Arkansas had a last-second victory on the road and plenty of momentum heading into a showdown with defending national champion Alabama.

Mallett threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns, including a 40-yard scoring pass to Greg Childs with 15 seconds remaining that gave the Razorbacks a 31-24 victory after they blew a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter Saturday.

"This is a really surreal feeling," Mallett said. "This is something I've never experienced before. This has got to be one of the greatest moments I've felt since I've played the game of football. It so rarely comes down to the wire like this. It's sometimes gone the other way for us, but now I know how it feels to get the win."

Indeed, the Razorbacks (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) won on the road for just the second time in nine tries under coach Bobby Petrino, whose team had heartbreaking losses at Florida and LSU last season.

Now, they have that signature road victory — and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Next up: top-ranked Alabama in Fayetteville.

"Wow, what a game," said Petrino, who returned to the state for the first time since quitting the NFL's Atlanta Falcons with three games left in the 2007 season. "We stuttered in the fourth quarter and put our defense in a tough situation, but we got a good win. Beating Georgia was one of our goals before the season started."

The Bulldogs (1-2, 0-2 Southeastern Conference) rallied from a 24-10 deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game on Washaun Ealey's 3-yard touchdown run with 3:55 remaining and seemed to have all the momentum.

Georgia got the ball back with a chance to win it, but Jake Bequette halted the drive at midfield with a ferocious sack of Aaron Murray, ripping off his helmet in the process. A poor punt by Drew Butler gave Arkansas the ball back at its own 28 with 47 seconds left.

Plenty of time for Mallett, who completed three straight passes — the last of them to Childs, who was wide open along the sideline, cut inside to fake out safety Shawn Williams at the 25 and went the rest of the way untouched for the winning score.

Petrino never considered settling for overtime.

"We are going to be aggressive on offense this year," he said. "We are going to go after it."

All three of Mallett's touchdown passes came on badly blown coverages by the Bulldogs. He went 57 yards to Chris Gragg just 2½ minutes into the game and hooked up with Ronnie Wingo Jr. on a 22-yard scoring play in the final seconds of the third quarter, giving Arkansas a seemingly comfortable lead heading to the final period.

"Mallett just throws it exactly where he needs to," Georgia linebacker Christian Robinson said. "He looks everybody off. You think he's going one way, then he whips his head around and throws it the other way."

Murray rallied the Bulldogs, hooking up with Kris Durham on two long passes that set up a pair of touchdowns. Ealey punched over the second of those, tying the game at 24. The Bulldogs had all the momentum but couldn't hold on at the end.

Playing its third straight game without star receiver A.J. Green, Georgia slipped to 0-2 in the SEC for the first time since 1993. Green is serving a four-game suspension for selling a bowl jersey for $1,000 to someone considered an agent by the NCAA.

"To fight the way they did after getting behind, I'm impressed with them and I'm proud of them," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "If you make a mistake here and there, I can live with that. That's better than a team that doesn't have the heart to fight back."

Murray passed for 253 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown pass to Tavarres King with 7:52 remaining, and ran for Georgia's first TD on a fourth-and-goal bootleg from the 1. Durham had five catches for 101 yards.

Georgia had hoped to get back Green for the crucial game, but his appeal was turned down Friday evening, less than 24 hours before kickoff.

Even without his best offensive weapon, Murray showed plenty of poise.

"We were like 15 or 20 yards from winning the game," he said. "If we could've gotten the ball to the 35-yard line, (kicker) Blair Walsh is probably going to knock it through."

The game started like a repeat of last year's shootout in Fayetteville, when Mallett and Joe Cox each threw five TD passes in Georgia's wild 52-41 victory.

Arkansas stunned the Bulldogs before many of the fans had settled into their seats for the noon kickoff. On third-and-1 from his own 43, Mallett completely fooled the Georgia defense with a fake handoff, holding the ball behind his back until Gragg could get into the clear.

Murray hooked up with King on a 47-yard throw, then Murray pulled a bit of chicanery on fourth down from the 1. He faked the handoff to the right, then took off to his left and dived into the corner of the end zone.

Knile Davis scored on a 1-yard run to give Arkansas a 14-7 lead, and the defenses began to toughen.

вторник, 13 марта 2012 г.

Torre, Cox, Piniella honored by baseball writers

NEW YORK (AP) — Joe Torre, Bobby Cox and Lou Piniella stood together behind the podium, a trio of retiring managers honored for a combined 81 years leading major league clubs.

"Played the game for 16 years and then had an opportunity to manager five different ballclubs, very special teams," Torre said. "But you know when you managed five teams that means you've been fired a few times."

The hotel ballroom audience laughed. The three were presented the Willie, Mickey and the Duke Award from the Baseball Writers' Association of America's New York chapter on Saturday night, introduced by Yankees manager Joe Girardi to cap the annual dinner.

Torre and Piniella thanked late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, Torre for letting him manage New York for 12 seasons, Piniella for being given his start as a manager.

Cox singled out former Braves pitchers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz 'for allowing me to keep working."

Cox finished fourth in career regular-season wins with 2,504, Torre fifth with 2,326 and Piniella 14th with 1,835.

"I would run out of times if I had to talk about all the times that Bobby — and really you two — had been ejected from games," Girardi joked.

Cox was ejected a record 158 times and also was tossed three times in the postseason.

Barry Larkin, the 1995 NL MVP for the Cincinnati Reds, presented the NL MVP Award to the Reds' Joey Votto. After getting 31 of 32 first-place votes, Votto playfully thanked Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who gave the Cardinals' Albert Pujols his first-place vote.

"As if Albert Pujols doesn't have enough MVP Awards," Votto said.

Pujols won in 2005, 2008 and 2009.

Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner accepted the Joan Payson Award for community service on behalf of his late father, who died in July at age 80.

"While there will be no replacing him, we will continue to follow the path he left by enriching the lives of people and the organizations within our community," Hal Steinbrenner said.

In accepting the AL Cy Young Award, Seattle's Felix Hernandez thanked chief executive Howard Lincoln, team president Chuck Armstrong, general manager Jack Zduriencik, "all the managers — there have been a lot" and "all the pitching coaches — a lot, too."

NL Manager of the Year Bud Black thanked his wife and two daughters, saying that after games they "are always quick to add: 'Why didn't you bring in (Luke) Gregerson, (Mike) Adams and (Heath) Bell tonight?"

AL Manager of the Year Ron Gardenhire talked about bringing his family with him for the weekend.

"To share an actually really nice time in New York is a wonderful thing because, as you know, during the baseball season I haven't been able to do that very often," said Gardenhire, whose Minnesota Twins were eliminated by the Yankees in the playoffs for the fourth time in eight years.

Also picking up honors were AL MVP Josh Hamilton, NL Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay, AL Rookie of the Year Neftali Feliz and NL Rookie of the Year Buster Posey.

Retired general manager Pat Gillick, elected to the Hall of Fame last month by the Veterans Committee, thanked all the ownerships he worked for and singled out Toronto, Seattle and Philadelphia. But he omitted Baltimore.

NFL NOTEBOOK Chargers make Tomlinson NFL's highest-paid RB

The San Diego Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson signed the richestcontract for a running back in NFL history Saturday, a deal worthnearly $60 million.

The star back will receive $21 million in guaranteed money in theeight-year deal.

Tomlinson's contract surpasses that of the Washington Redskins'Clinton Portis, whose eight-year deal is worth $50.5 million.

"This is a momentous occasion for the Chargers and all Chargerfans," said team president Dean Spanos. "LaDainian representseverything you want from a player. He is our role model."

Tomlinson credited Spanos' involvement in the negotiations as akey to settling on the deal.

"It means a lot," he said. "To me, it meant that he cared about itand that he wanted to get [the contract] done.

Last season, Tomlinson became the first player in NFL history torush for 1,000 yards and catch 100 passes in one season. InTomlinson's three years in the NFL, he has rushed for 4,564 yards and37 touchdowns.

COWBOYS SHUT DOWN: David Carr was 7-for-8 for 89 yards and atouchdown in the Houston Texans' 18-0 victory over the Dallas Cowboysin their preseason opener. The game featured the debuts of VinnyTestaverde, Eddie George and Keyshawn Johnson as Cowboys.

Testaverde, the nominal starter after the Cowboys cut incumbentQuincy Carter on Aug. 4, was 4-of-7 for 34 yards, including one 13-yard completion to Johnson. George ran for 12 yards on five carries.

Leading the Cowboys reserves onto the field in the second quarterwas quarterback Drew Henson, the former Michigan star and New YorkYankees prospect.

Henson, who went 8-for-11 for 94 yards, showed his promise on hissecond series when he completed his first four passes and drove theCowboys to the Houston 9-yard line. Then Henson, who hadn't played afootball game since the 2001 Citrus Bowl, fired a ball directly toTexans safety Jason Simmons near the goal line.

QB BATTLE BEGINS: Jay Fiedler and A.J. Feeley battled to a draw intheir quarterback competition, with both helping the host MiamiDolphins beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 16-5 in the first preseasongame for both teams.

In the absence of Ricky Williams, the Dolphins won without arunning game. Miami totaled 30 yards on 22 carries until undraftedrookie Fred Russell burst up the middle for an 88-yard gain in thefinal minute.

Fiedler was 7-for-11 for 89 yards. He started, played three seriesand led Miami to two field goals.

With second-team players on both sides, Feeley went 8-for-12 for105 yards with an interception on a pass tipped at the line. Oneincompletion was a spike to stop the clock, and another wasintentional grounding.

Feeley played three series and led the Dolphins to one score,moving them 66 yards in the final two minutes of the first half for afield goal.

FEELING GREEN: Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green's return toMinnesota -- and to coaching -- was marred by penalties and a flatoffense, and the Vikings beat the Cardinals 23-6 in their preseasonopener.

Green coached his first NFL game since the Vikings, the team heled for 10 seasons, fired him in 2001. He has a lot of work ahead ofhim.

The Cardinals were flagged nine times for 72 yards. Startingquarterback Josh McCown went 4-for-6 for 29 yards in limited action.Green also limited rookie receiver Larry Fitzgerald and running backEmmitt Smith, who both sustained mild injuries.

The Vikings' starting offense, the league's best last season,started slowly before quarterback Daunte Culpepper hit receiver RandyMoss for a 48-yard score to start the second quarter. Culpepperfinished 8-for-10 for 120 yards with one touchdown and oneinterception.

DUO DYNAMIC: Joey Harrington completed passes to Charles Rogers onthree of the Lions' first seven plays, and host Detroit held on for a27-21 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason openerfor both teams.

Brian St. Pierre, the Steelers' third-string quarterback,converted a fourth-and-28 on the final drive, and with the clockrunning out, his pass into the end zone was deflected by cornerbackJeff Sanchez.

Rogers, the No. 2 overall pick in 2003, played for the first timesince missing the final 11 games last season with a brokencollarbone. He had three receptions, all first downs, for 56 yards toset up Harrington's one-yard touchdown pass to Casey FitzSimmons atthe end of the first quarter.

Harrington, the third pick overall two years ago, was 5-for-7 for68 yards and a touchdown in his only drive.

ELSEWHERE: Chris Brown ran for 46 yards on six carries, and SteveMcNair threw for a touchdown as the Tennessee Titans beat theCleveland Browns 24-3. ... John Kasay kicked a 52-yard field goalwith 7:31 left in overtime as the Carolina Panthers spoiled JoeGibbs' homecoming with a 23-20 victory. ... Sebastian Janikowskikicked four field goals, including the winning kick from 39 yards astime expired, as the Oakland Raiders beat the San Francisco 49ers 33-30.

GAME CHANGE: The exhibition game between the Cincinnati Bengalsand Tampa Bay Buccaneers was rescheduled for 6:30 Monday night atRaymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., following its postponementSaturday because of Hurricane Charley.

AP

14 Named in Prison Aryan Warrior Case

LAS VEGAS - A federal indictment unsealed Thursday alleges that 14 members of a white supremacist gang directed beatings and stabbings inside and outside Nevada state prisons and sold drugs from behind bars.

The indictment accuses the gang of extorting money from inmate families and stealing and using fraudulent identification documents and credit cards in what acting U.S. Attorney for Nevada Steven Myhre called "an ongoing effort to finance and spread their message of hatred and racial supremacy throughout Nevada."

The gang was responsible for manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine and marijuana in Nevada prisons and in the cities of Las Vegas, Reno and Pahrump, said Steven Martinez, special agent in charge of the FBI office in Las Vegas.

"The goal of this investigation, accomplished by these arrests, was to significantly dismantle the Aryan Warriors organization by removing its leadership in the Nevada prison system and disrupting its street program," Martinez said.

The indictment identifies inmates Ronald "Joey" Sellers, Daniel Joseph Egan, James Milton Wallis, Guy Edward Almony and Las Vegas resident Ronnie Lee Jones as leaders of the Aryan Warriors prison gang. Others are identified as lower-ranking members.

The five-count indictment accuses all 14 of being part of a criminal racketeering organization, or RICO. The charge carries the possibility of life in prison if convicted.

Sellers, Egan and another member face an additional charge of engaging in violent crime in aid of racketeering, stemming from allegations they directed stabbings of inmates in prison and a beating of a person at a home in Las Vegas.

All 14 men were scheduled to appear Friday before a U.S. magistrate judge in Las Vegas. The investigation began in January 2004, after state prison officials learned of allegations of witness tampering and violence against the family of a former gang leader, officials said.

ATP Money Leaders

1. Rafael Nadal $6,583,074
2. Roger Federer $4,561,341
3. Novak Djokovic $3,883,382
4. Andy Murray $2,334,965
5. Nikolay Davydenko $1,521,606
6. Andy Roddick $1,169,237
7. David Ferrer $1,124,268
8. Juan Martin del Potro $958,333
9. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga $953,506
10. Stanislas Wawrinka $918,781
11. James Blake $850,081
12. Nicolas Almagro $841,530
13. Fernando Verdasco $837,885
14. Tommy Robredo $829,265
15. Michael Llodra $812,629
16. Dmitry Tursunov $811,449
17. Igor Andreev $806,554
18. Mardy Fish $806,227
19. Mikhail Youzhny $793,697
20. Gilles Simon $791,316
21. Tomas Berdych $785,028
22. Robin Soderling $776,451
23. Bob Bryan $742,112
23. Mike Bryan $742,112
25. Daniel Nestor $713,058
26. Fernando Gonzalez $711,876
27. Nenad Zimonjic $711,175
28. Richard Gasquet $702,952
29. Gael Monfils $695,254
30. Rainer Schuettler $670,654
31. Feliciano Lopez $663,442
32. Marat Safin $654,182
33. Ivo Karlovic $651,880
34. Philipp Kohlschreiber $637,699
35. Radek Stepanek $619,158
36. Paul-Henri Mathieu $608,636
37. Andreas Seppi $606,216
38. Marin Cilic $602,402
39. Jarkko Nieminen $596,804
40. Simone Bolelli $573,417
41. Luis Horna $568,250
42. David Nalbandian $557,810
43. Nicolas Kiefer $549,958
44. Mario Ancic $543,637
45. Jurgen Melzer $535,231
46. Sam Querrey $517,704
47. Albert Montanes $511,562
48. Janko Tipsarevic $510,412
49. Arnaud Clement $502,280
50. Juan Monaco $491,991

Becoming Metropolitan: Urban Selfhood and the Making of Modern Cracow

Nathaniel D. Wood. Becoming Metropolitan: Urban Selfhood and the Making of Modern Cracow. DeKaIb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2010. xiv, 272 pp. Illustrations. Bibliography. Index. $40.00, cloth.

The adjectives that first come to mind after reading this book - words like "delightful," "funny," and "entertaining," - are not the ones I would typically apply to a significant scholarly monograph, particularly one dealing with Polish history, a topic that is usually so laden with lachrymose sobriety. But that is precisely Nathaniel Wood' s point: our view of Poland's past has been so overwhelmed by stories of national suffering and resurrection that we have been blinded to almost everything else. Even those of us who have been critical of Polish nationalism still tend to remain trapped within the categories established by patriotic activists a century ago, perceiving everything through the prism of the nation and its much-recounted "tragic fate." Wood shatters that trap wide open by offering a portrait of daily life in Cracow during the first years of the twentieth century, as depicted on the pages of the popular press. His cast of characters includes servant girls, shopkeepers, homeless children, middle-class journalists, night watchmen, aviators, peasant migrants, and many more, whom we follow as they attempt to adjust to the transformation of a small town into a modern city. Wood's dry wit and vibrant writing style make him an ideal guide through Cracow's busy streets of a century ago. Although it helps that he is relying on a source base that tends towards both the dramatic and the comic, in the hands of many historians even this material could become dull.

Beyond the sheer entertainment value of the book, however, is a serious argument. As Wood puts it, "In Cracow's popular illustrated daily newspapers, the principal source of identification, the 'first-person plural' that led to the creation of an 'imagined community', was not national but metropolitan [...]. Even in an era of intense nationalism, the popular press and its average readers were more concerned on a daily basis with urban issues than national ones" (p. 202). The citizens of Cracow were joining what he calls an "interurban matrix" that allowed them to see themselves alongside the citizens of London, Paris, Chicago, and Berlin, and to interpret stories of crime, traffic, disease, development, electrification, or dirt as relevant whether set a few blocks from their home or a continent away. Cracovians were becoming, Wood argues, "less obsessed with the city's Polish past" as they embraced the norms of twentieth century urban life (p. 128).

The mark of a really important scholarly thesis is that it seems obvious once stated, despite the fact that no one has quite noticed it before. Of course people cared more about plumbing than politics on a day-to-day basis; of course they did not go through their lives constantly performing their Polishness. But the full impact of that "of course" only emerges (of course) after one reads a book like Becoming Metropolitan.

The last decade or so has seen the publication of a small library of books about late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century East-Central Europe, and virtually all of them have dealt in one way or another with the emergence of national identities and the triumph of nationalist ideologies. The best of these works have emphasized that this development was highly contingent and dependent upon the hard work of national activists, in contrast to a previous generation of scholars who spoke of "national awakenings" in highly teleological terms. Wood himself would surely acknowledge that the morphin g of the region's ethnoreligious-linguistic hodgepodge into a massive nationalist battleground was quite an important story, but it was never the only story - in fact, for the overwhelming majority of people at the time it was not even a particularly important story. National identity appears in this book as a means of framing political conflict on the large scale (for example, in parliamentary debates), but not as a crucial rhetorical trope when it came to the matters that most people cared most about, most of the time.

As one shifts perspective in this way, what emerges is a particular form or modern urban identity that allowed a Cracovian to empathize more easily with a contemporary from Kansas City than with a supposed compatriot from the Galician countryside. The concepts of "civilization" or "Europe" played a more important role than "Poland" in the ebb and flow of local affairs. Some might argue that Wood stacked the deck by focusing almost exclusively on mass-circulation periodicals rather than the more politicized reading material of the intelligentsia, but there is little doubt that the former give us a much better window onto the quotidian concerns of the majority. Perhaps Wood goes a little too far when he implies that the world depicted on the pages of those newspapers represented the views and attitudes of their readers - it would be more precise to say that those texts constructed a discursive field that shaped how people could describe and thus (to an extent) perceive that world - but when set alongside the many strengths of this book, such methodological nitpicking is inconsequential. Becoming Metropolitan is a book that will be read by everyone interested in Polish history, Habsburg history, urban history, the cultural history of modernity, and (for that matter) anyone who enjoys being entertained while having their preconceptions overturned.

[Author Affiliation]

Brian Porter- Sz�cs, University of Michigan

The Global World of Indian Merchants, 1750-1947

The Global World of Indian Merchants, 1750-1947. By Claude Markovits. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000. xv + 327. Tables, maps, appendices, glossary, index. Cloth, $64.95. ISBN 0-521-62285-9.

Reviewed by Pradeep Barua

The title of this book, The Global World of Indian Merchants is misleading, as it is essentially a study of the Hindu Sindhi diaspora from Hyderabad and Shikarpur (both now part of Pakistan). Claude Markovits contends that his aim in writing the book is to dispel the "unitary notion" of the South Asian diaspora by demonstrating that South Asian migrants belonged to different social classes in the Subcontinent and followed different occupations. He also holds that these differences or identities were closely linked with their region and locality of origin. By extension, Markovits considers that the study of such migrant communities must move beyond even the regional level to the "subregional, microregional or even the local level" because that is where the identities of the migrants were defined. He believes that by concentrating on localities he can show how Sindhi merchants, from Hyderabad and Shikarpur, were able to establish themselves in a European-dominated world economy.

Has he succeeded? The answer would have to be partially. The problem is the lack of documentation from the families themselves. Instead, Markovits concentrates his analysis on two previously unexplored sources of official records, which he uncovered in the India Office Library: those of the British consular courts in Egypt and the records of the India Office concerning the Shikarpuri merchants who died in Russian Central Asia. However, these documents are still part of the same government archives that Markovits criticizes other scholars for relying upon exclusively. Whereas the newly uncovered documents do shed more light on the nature of the Sindhi merchant communities in Egypt and Central Asia, the author's reliance on them undercuts his own dictum regarding the superiority of local sources to official ones. There is a curious absence of local archival material from Hyderabad and Shikarpur, which may have offered a rich source of information about the merchants' origins. The author could have profitably supplemented his scrutiny of British consular records by examining the records of local governments in areas settled by the exile communities.

The book is divided into three sections, beginning with a discussion of the evolution of the two Sindhi trading networks and continuing with the history of these networks from the mid-nineteenth to the midtwentieth centuries. The third section, which examines the general characteristics of the two networks from a structural perspective, reveals a glaring discontinuity in the work, as the author undertakes only a cursory and token discussion of gender and problems of the communities"sexual economy."

This book will appeal to a specialized readership with an interest in the Sindhi merchant community, but it has less to offer those seeking a larger understanding of the South Asian diaspora.

Pradeep Barua is an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He is the author of the book The Army Officer Corps and Military Modernization in Later Colonial India (1999), and his current research focuses on the colonial and modern military history of India.

Henry's New Home Paradise for Backs

DENVER - Travis Henry has landed in running back paradise. The Denver Broncos have churned out one 1,000-yard tailback after another under coach Mike Shanahan, and Henry hopes to be next after signing a five-year deal Monday with $12 million in guaranteed bonuses. The terms were provided by a person familiar with the deal who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the details.

Denver has produced a 1,000-yard running back in 11 of Shanahan's 12 seasons in charge.

Henry was released by the Tennessee Titans on Saturday after the two sides couldn't restructure a contract that contained an $8.3 million bonus that was due Monday. He rushed for 1,211 yards and seven touchdowns last season for Tennessee.

The Broncos were in the market for a running back after dealing last season's leading rusher Tatum Bell to Detroit - along with offensive lineman George Foster and a fifth-round pick - for cornerback Dre' Bly.

The Broncos also signed special teams player/fullback Paul Smith to a three-year deal, Smith's agent Steve Baker confirmed Monday.

Smith, 29, played last season for the St. Louis Rams. He has 46 carries for 210 yards in his career, which includes three seasons with Detroit and three more in San Francisco.

"It's a fantastic fit for Paul," Baker said. "Denver is running back heaven. They want him to be an impact special teams player and help on offense."

It's been a busy offseason for Denver, who traded quarterback Jake Plummer to Tampa Bay on Saturday for a conditional draft choice in 2008. However, Plummer said on the Jake Plummer Foundation Web site that he plans to retire.

The Broncos also acquired defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson from Miami on Saturday for a sixth-round pick in next month's draft and signed offensive lineman Montrae Holland to a one-year deal.

Henry, 28, has spent the last two seasons with the Titans, who acquired him from the Buffalo Bills in July 2005.

He was a Pro Bowler in 2002 for the Bills after rushing for 1,438 yards, but then Buffalo used a first-round pick to select Willis McGahee in the 2003 draft. Henry rushed for 1,356 yards in 2003 as McGahee recovered from a knee injury.

In 2004, Henry started just five games and rushed for only 326 yards, missing the final five with torn ligaments in his right ankle. McGahee began to take over as he rushed for 1,128 yards.

Henry didn't want to spend another season in McGahee's shadow and asked out. He received a fresh start in Tennessee with the 2005 trade, but he struggled to recover from the torn ligaments and then was suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He finished the season with 88 carries for 335 yards.

He bounced back strong in 2006 with six 100-yard games, including a career-high 178-yard performance against Washington on Oct. 15. He helped the Titans overcome an 0-5 start to finish 8-8. He also alleviated some of the pressure off rookie quarterback Vince Young.

Henry has rushed for 5,395 yards in his career and 34 touchdowns.

Police: 2 Dead, 2 Wounded at Tire Shop

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. - Two people were killed and two people were wounded in a shooting at a tire shop Tuesday, police said.

Police found the victims after responding to reports of shots fired around 7:30 a.m., Sgt. David Livingstone said.

понедельник, 12 марта 2012 г.

Ex-Soviets Refreshed In Old Art: Rugmaking

SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan An Oriental carpet mogul from Afghanistanand a caravan of 40 expert weavers have made their way through thePamir Mountains to try to revive the all-but-forgotten ancient craftin the former Soviet Central Asian republics.

Carpet weaving was a thriving home industry in many parts ofUzbekistan and Tajikistan before Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin forcedthe nationalization of all industries and pushed the population intocommunal farms in the 1930s. Peasants could no longer get the yarnand dyes needed for their trade, women were forced to spend theirtime toiling in the cotton fields and rugmaking all but died.

Now, Mohamed Ewaz Badghisi, a 56-year-old entrepreneur who hastaught tens of thousands of people in Afghanistan to weavetraditional carpets with natural dyes, is setting up shop inDushanbe, Tajikistan's capital, and Samarkand, a large city inUzbekistan that was a center of culture and commerce in the days ofthe ancient Silk Road.

"I want to teach these people, because these are the placeswhere weaving originated," Badghisi said.

His experts, who were glad to escape the violent unrest in theirhometown of Kabul, spent six months in Dushanbe teaching about 25local people.

"They are learning slowly," 15-year-old Cobra Badghisi, arelative of Badghisi, said as she knelt on the floor and pulledthreads of silk through a loom at lightning speed. "But they aregetting the hang of it. Now, we've left them there with looms toweave the carpets on their own, and they'll do OK."

She is one of the 40 weaving teachers Badghisi brought with himfrom Afghanistan. Most of the experts are relatives of his, and mostare teenagers and children.

Badghisi supplies his new students in the former Sovietrepublics with materials and looms and pays them 500 rubles permonth, less than $4 at the current rate and about half the wage of alocal janitor. Unemployment runs close to 50 percent in theserepublics, so Badghisi has had no trouble finding people who areeager to learn a new craft, even at such a low wage.

He acknowledges that it is possible to bring carpetmaking to theformer Soviet Central Asian republics only because labor is soinexpensive now. Carpets from Iran and Turkey, for instance, arepricing themselves out of the market because of higher labor costs.

The Badghisi clan has now moved on to Samarkand to set upproduction in this city of 15th century mosques.

Their next stop, Badghisi said, is Bukhara, another city of theSilk Road, which sank into obscurity during the Soviet period.

Farmers try to boost sales by landing on big menus

CHAMPAIGN, Illinois (AP) — Ted Higginbottom was happy to see a dish heavy on peanuts this week on the menu at an Asian chain restaurant, but he said the Mandarin Kung Pao didn't land there by chance.

The 60-year-old Texas peanut farmer said his industry has pushed hard to get peanuts onto menus at restaurants like Pei Wei — a national, 163-location chain owned by P.F. Chang's. Whether its peanuts, cranberries, oats or other products, producers have found that successfully marketing to national outlets can pay off with big sales.

"If not for organizations like the (National) Peanut Board, there would not be as many peanut farmers in the U.S.," Higginbottom said. "Some of them wouldn't be in business."

Some note that successfully wooing big chains can lead to pressure to reduce prices, but Higgenbottom said that wasn't a concern for the peanut board. The organization started as a decades-old quota system that set peanut farmers' production levels and prices was about to end in 2000, throwing growers for the first time into a free market.

The board needed buyers — any buyers — and fast.

"All the sudden it became very important to that farmer to market his peanuts," said Higginbottom, who farms near the West Texas town of Seminole and was a past chairman of the board.

The board raised fees from farmers, then began spending several million dollars a year promoting cooking with peanuts or derivatives such as peanut flour. The result is the number of top 500 U.S. restaurant chains that have dishes with peanuts on their menus has increased by 39 percent in the past four years and peanut butter almost 50 percent, according to food industry data firm Technomic.

The organization also works with universities to get peanuts onto their campus menus, Bob Coyle, a marketing team leader with the board, said.

"It helps obviously to increase the use of peanuts, but it also helps us in not just education, but in feeding a consumer that is going to become a bigger consumer in their lives," he said.

Growers of some commodities, such as Canadian oats, don't have such a sophisticated marketing arm.

"It's something we need to get more involved with," said Manitoba oat farmer Bill Wilton, president of Prairie Oat Growers.

But Canada's oat farmers — who grow most oats sold in the United States — have benefited since the 1990s from research indicating that oats can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Canadian oat exports have more than doubled since the mid-1990s, according to the Canadian government.

"Basically when you realized that oats can lower cholesterol, that was really why oats jumped," said Randy Strychar of Oat Insight, a trade publication.

Oats' healthy reputation has won it spots on menus at restaurants such as Starbucks. Next year, it will likely snare farmers a giant new customer: McDonald's plans to add oatmeal to its menus across the United States.

McDonald's won't say how much oatmeal it hopes to sell, but Wade Thoma, the company's vice president of U.S. menu management, said it plans to buy a lot of oats. Sales in test markets have been good, and not just during wintry weather, he said.

"Despite having one of the hottest summers on record, we actually did really well continuing to sell oatmeal through the summer," he said.

With 14,000 U.S. locations, it's a big deal to farmers when McDonald's adds their product to its menu.

Almost 40 years ago, McDonald's helped transform the egg business, introducing the Egg McMuffin.

Since then, any number of chains have added their own breakfast menus, including Subway, which has started offering breakfast in all of its 24,000 stores, said Kevin Burkum, senior vice president of marketing at the Park Ridge, Illinois-based American Egg Board.

"What we see then is tremendous growth, more stores offering breakfast," Burkum said. "And we have seen hundreds of millions more eggs being sold as a result."

Egg farmer Jacques Klempf of the Dixie Egg Company in Jacksonville, Fla., said a simple formula will tell him what a new egg seller might mean to his industry. A 5,000-restaurant chain, for example, that sells 200 egg breakfast sandwiches a day at each location will need 365 million eggs a year. That's enough eggs to keep 1.3 million hens, or a couple of good-sized farms, busy.

Wisconsin cranberry farmer and processor Cheryl Urban agreed big buyers can be great news, but she warned of a downside.

Urban said trail-mix makers and companies that make private-label products for grocery chains have been especially good customers. She's leery, though, of the bigger, more glamorous potential buyers, such as restaurant chains that sometimes feature cranberry-flavored baked goods.

The prices they demand sometimes don't pay the bills, she said. And, if the big chains can't quickly sell a lot of the product, they sometimes abruptly stop trying.

Urban said she'd just talked to a buyer who was selling her cranberries to a company she wouldn't name.

"He was buying an awful lot of product from me to supply this brand," she said. "It didn't hit the sales numbers they wanted to, and they just discontinued it."

New trains pledge

Beleaguered rail firm First Great Western has promised that moretrains will call at commuter stations in the Bath area in its nexttimetable.

The company this week took the wraps off its timetable for 2007-8, which begins on December 9.

FGW, which has just appointed a new boss as it attempts to buildup passenger confidence after a period of overcrowding whichculminated in a fares strike, says the new timetable provides"significant service improvements".

And it says a further round of improvements is planned for May2008.

The Bath-based More Trains, Less Strain group organised the faresstrike and its concerns over delays and lack of rolling stock havebeen echoed by official watchdogs and politicians.

Tom Stables, FGW's commercial director, said: "First Great Westernused the customer feedback from the December 2006 timetable to makesignificant improvements to the new timetable. We believe thistimetable will address many of the suggestions received fromcustomers, stakeholders, MPs, and Welsh Assembly members."

The timetable will see improved half-hourly connections to andfrom London Paddington created by changing services from Bristol andWeston-super-Mare, with high speed trains stopping at Keynsham.

The firm will also change services from Bristol and Westbury toprovide an hourly

service with calls at Oldfield Park and Keynhsam and twoadditional trains in the morning peak period. It says this will meanimproved connections at Bath for passengers going to and from London.

More trains on the Portsmouth to Cardiff route will call atBradford on Avon in future.

Bath MP Don Foster said he was pleased to see more trains stoppingat stations such as Keynsham and Freshford including extra middle-of-the-day services, and to see extra high speed services through Bathin the morning and evening.

He said the firm had also agreed to construct the timetable sothat services ran to the same regular pattern - so-called clockfacetimetabling.

But he said he was worried about FGW's ability to get enoughrolling stock to run on local services and by the possibility offares rises in the future.

"We would have expected changes in fares in September, but FirstGreat Western sensibly decided not to make any changes until the NewYear. I'm hoping they're not going to be whacking up the prices. Wealready absolutely pay through the nose."

Ex-rebel killed in Indonesia's Aceh province

Motorcycle gunmen fatally shot a rebel-turned-politician in Indonesia's Aceh province, officials said Sunday, raising fresh fears of violence during parliamentary elections this week.

Muhamad Jamil, the local head of the Aceh Party in the eastern town of Langsa, was shot twice in the chest late Saturday, local police chief Lt. Col. Marwan Syakur said.

The motive of the attack _ the latest in a string targeting former insurgents _ remained unclear.

Aceh, at the extreme northwestern end of the vast Indonesian archipelago, has been relatively calm since the government signed a peace deal with rebels in 2005, ending 29 years of fighting that left 15,000 people dead.

But violence has escalated ahead of Thursday's election for a new local legislature.

At least five members of the Aceh Party, which represents the interests of the former rebels, have been killed in recent months and dozens of buildings and cars damaged, but no one has been arrested.

The attacks have increased tensions in the politically divided region.

Though Jamil was not running for a parliamentary seat, he was a key figure in Langsa. Tengku Syamsuddin, a spokesman for the former rebels, called on authorities to quickly identify the perpetrators.

Indonesia's parliamentary elections come three months before a presidential vote.

Most political observers expect the polls to be peaceful, but Aceh is considered a possible flash point. Hatred still runs deep between forces of the Indonesian army, which still has roughly 15,000 troops in the area, and former rebels now governing the territory.

Pitt Gets It 'Wright' and Advances

BUFFALO, N.Y. - No first-round exit this time for Pittsburgh. The Panthers, ousted in the first round seven times in 18 previous appearances in the NCAA tournament, used their long-range marksmanship instead of their considerable brawn, hitting 10 of 20 3-pointers, and beat Wright State 79-58 on Thursday night.

Ronald Ramon hit four 3s and finished with 14 points, and Sam Young had 13 to lead the Panthers, who led the entire game. Pittsburgh (28-7), the third seed in the West Regional, will meet 11th-seeded Virginia Commonwealth (28-6) in the second round on Saturday. VCU upset Duke 79-77 just moments before the Panthers and Raiders took the floor at HSBC Arena.

Pittsburgh built 13-point leads three times in the first half against Wright State (23-10), hitting seven of 12 3-pointers and forging a 43-30 at the break. And when the Panthers began the second half with an 11-3 spurt, the Raiders couldn't recover.

Seven-foot center Aaron Gray, coming off a 1-of-13 performance for three points against Georgetown in the Big East title game, had 11 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Levon Kendall had 10 points, and Antonio Graves eight for Pitt.

Wright State's DaShaun Wood, the Horizon League player of the year who entered the game averaging just under 20 points, finished with 13 points, six assists and four steals. Freshman Vaughn Duggins had 12 points and Scottie Wilson added 11.

Farewell, Great White Bird

Gerry Brooke pays tribute to Concorde, one of the city's finestengineering feats

IT seems unbelievable that only a few days ago Bristol watched,spellbound, as the city's "White Bird" made her Filton swansong.

The last Concorde to be built, number 216 or Alpha Foxtrot asshe's known, now sits in the historic Brabazon hangar.

She is being de-commissioned, which sadly means more than justtaking out the flight recorder and stores of Dom Perignon Champagne.

She will also be drained of her unused fuel, engine and gearboxoil and everything else. She's lost much of what only a week ago madeher the graceful, almost living thing that landed for the last timeon the Filton runway from which she first took to the skies all thoseyears ago.

When that's finally finished, 216 will be wheeled out onto theBritish Aerospace tarmac to a provisional exhibition area and becomejust a static museum piece - open to the public, it's hoped, byEaster.

After that she will become just another part of Bristol's long andproud history.

Whatever you might think about the rights or wrongs of BritishAirways taking the Concordes out of service when they still appearto have years of life ahead of them, at least her return home towhere she was conceived and built is a fitting end.

Concorde will be safe in Bristol's hands.

Let's make sure that we look after her in the same way we haveworked hard to look after that other masterpiece of engineering,Brunel's ss Great Britain.

The ship came home triumphantly to the city in the summer of 1970.

For those whose memories stretch back that far, or have seen theold photos, the engineless ship was just an unrecognisable, rustywreck when it was towed home on a pontoon from the Falkland Islandsto the dock where she was built.

Just like Concorde 216's homecoming last week, the "Old Lady" waswelcomed back by thousands of cheering Bristolians, many of themstraining their necks to see her while standing on another ofBrunel's masterpieces, the Clifton Suspension Bridg e.

At least British Airways have delivered "our" Concorde to usintact.

Like millions of ordinary people I've never been on a Concordeflight but just like them I've followed Concorde's progress for over30 years with interest and a pride in her technological achievements.After all, since that first 60-minute flight of prototype Concorde002 from Filton to Fairford in 1969 with pilot Brian Trubshaw at thecontrols, the seven 100- seater British Airways Concordes havetravelled 140 million miles, many of those at the incredible heightof 11 miles, on the very edge of space, and at twice the speed ofsound.

It has been an incredible story, stretching back to the Anglo-French agreement on the project in 1962 and culminating in thathistoric flight of February 1996 when a Concorde completed the NewYork to London flight in an unbelievable two hours and 53 minutes.

But, just like the ss Great Britain, Concorde 216 didn't justarrive back in Bristol by some form of divine right. Many othercities and museums around the world would have given their right armsto have a Concorde in their collections and many are going to bedisappointed.

Why is the United States, for instance, having the privilege ofgetting two Concordes, one to go on show in New York and one inSeattle, when it was their politicians who helped destroy the plane'schances of success by trying to deny her the right to fly into theStates in the first place on the spurious grounds of pollution?

Well, only British Airways know the real answer to that one. Atleast the UK has managed to wrest four planes for posterity. Apartfrom Filton the others are scattered about the country and willeventually be on show at Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh.

In case you're wondering where the other Concorde has gone, it'sin Barbados, a destination for many Concorde flights.

Looking back over the years, it's easy to forget that thiswonderfully engineered British and French aircraft had its critics,apart from those in the States who were, incidently, trying to gettheir own supersonic project together in Seattle.

These people complained mainly about the massive cost, which raninto millions of pounds and which in the UK was mostly borne by thethen Labour government.

They didn't look beyond that to the effect that the cancellationof the project would have had on jobs, morale in the aircraftindustry (workers in Bristol had already seen the cancellation of theBrabazon and Britannia planes) and lost expertise.

Luckily, at the time the city had as one of its MPs the Ministerfor Technology Tony Benn. He controlled the project's purse strings,was a firm believer in Concorde and, with the then editor of theEvening Post, the late Gordon Farnsworth, campaigned tirelessly tokeep the dream alive.To them, their memory and to the thousands ofpeople who worked on the project over many years we should forever begrateful that such a wonderful, graceful machine, made in Bristol byBristolians, ever took to the skies.

In time, hopefully within the next couple of years or so, Concorde216 will become part of the Bristol Aero Collection, which will bebased somewhere at Filton.

At present its old aircraft are kept in a hangar at RAF Kemble,near Cirencester, but this was only ever seen as a temporary base.

As well as Concorde, it is hoped that this permanent Filton museumwill house such historic aircraft as a Bristol Scout, a BristolSycamore helicopter and a Bristol Britannia.

Three different sites are being looked at at present but obviouslythe collection now has to have extra room in order to display thenewly aquired Concord to its best advantage.

What is often overlooked is the fact that the plane will quicklystart to rust if left in the open air. When operational the terrificheat generated as she traveled at twice the speed of sound burned offthe smallest amount of moisture. Now she's grounded it's a differentmatter, especially in the good old British weather.

The costs of building an Aero Museum must also be considered. WithConcorde involved this could run to GBP10-11 million and at themoment no-one is sure exactly where this money is going to come from.

Obviously the National Lottery will be the first port of call.

If the ss Great Britain could be saved and restored, then ourhistoric aircraft must be given the same treatment. We owe that muchto our children and the generations yet to come.

среда, 7 марта 2012 г.

Dead nearly 7 decades, Idaho's Sen. William Borah cited in 2008 presidential furor

Being dead since 1940 has not kept Idaho U.S. Sen. William Borah from being inserted squarely into 2008 presidential politics after Democratic candidate Barack Obama took issue with President George W. Bush's borrowing of a quote from Borah.

In a speech Thursday to the Israeli Knesset, Bush mentioned the president of Iran, and said: "Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along."

Bush then recalled a comment attributed to Borah in 1939 following Germany's invasion of Poland.

"As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939," Bush told Israeli lawmakers, "an American senator declared: 'Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is _ the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history."

Bush did not mention that Borah was a Republican senator.

Obama has said he would pursue talks with Iran without insisting on "preconditions" that could prompt Iranian leaders to spurn the request.

The comments have touched off back-and-forth salvos from the various camps, with Obama lashing out at President Bush and at Republican presidential rival John McCain for "dishonest, divisive" attacks in intimating the Democratic presidential hopeful would be soft on terrorists.

Idaho historians and academics say this business of dusting off Borah's words illustrates the continuing resonance of Idaho's longest-serving U.S. senator, the effectiveness of simple imagery in this blitzkrieg age of 24-hour news and the phenomenon of combining history and hindsight to make a potent political point.

"Trying to draw analogies from the past is something used a lot by political candidates," said Adam Sowards, a history professor at the University of Idaho, where the William Edgar Borah Outlawry of War Foundation was founded in 1929. Sowards adds such efforts often make him cringe.

"There's a common saying, 'History always repeats itself,' " Sowards said. "Historians don't like that saying, because the context is always changing. It's never the exact same situation."

Bush is not the first to use the comments by Borah, who was himself a contender for president in 1936.

In a Time magazine article in August 2006, writer Brendan Nyhan noted the very same reference had also been used by then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer.

Sowards described Borah as something of an early 20th-century version of McCain for a maverick streak that included not endorsing fellow Republican Herbert Hoover for president in 1932.

In the process, Borah transcended provincial Idaho politics during his six U.S. Senate terms. He spent eight years as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and fought President Woodrow Wilson over the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I and the League of Nation's "entangling alliances" with Europe in the wake of that war.

Knowing today that no amount of talking by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, Borah or anybody else could have dissuaded Hitler from trying to expand his empire makes for convenient but nonetheless powerful symbolism for politicians like Bush as they attempt to frame the presidential debate on ongoing tensions with Iran.

The Borah reference "got across exactly what he (Bush) wanted to get across," said Bill Smith, director of The Martin Institute for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution at the University of Idaho, which runs the annual Borah Symposium lecture at the Moscow, Idaho, school.

It makes political sense, but making Borah and his 1939 comments the poster child for foolhardy Nazi appeasement, then connecting the dots to the current presidential race, is a dicey intellectual proposition.

That's because Borah was a complex figure, Smith said _ a Republican isolationist who supported some of Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt's Depression-era programs.

"Picking a spot in history and saying, 'This is what this guy stands for' is very difficult," Smith said. "Borah, like a lot of historical figures, has different historical legacies. All legacies are complicated."

`B' is for butterfly: Photographer finds alphabet stamped on their wings.(Saturday)

Kjell Sandved, a Norwegian-born encyclopedia publisher-turned-nature photographer has studied the delicate wings of butterflies for years and discovered the 26 letters of the alphabet - plus much more.

His discovery began in the attic of the Smithsonian three decades ago - and, after 25 years and thousands of miles traveling to exotic lands in South America, Africa and the Far East, Mr. Sandved wrote the book - "The Butterfly Alphabet." He also assembled a colorful ABC poster with images found on the fluttering lepidopterous wings.

"There seems to be no end to the richness of design in the wings of butterflies and moths," Mr. Sandved says.

"Nature has put an awe-inspiring effort into creating a rainbow of colors and designs in the wings of the 15,000 or so butterfly species and 100,000 species of moths," he says.

"The patterns vary so much that I could have even found Chinese characters if I had just looked long enough," he says.

In 1960, while conducting research in the Smithsonian's collection of exotic specimens he opened an aromatic Havana cigar box. There on the wing of a bright orange butterfly, he saw the shiny, white letter "F," Mr. Sandved, 76, says.

"I remember so well - I marveled at this creation because it was woven into the wing like a miniature painting. Not even a calligrapher could have improved on the delicacy of the tiny creation," he says.

He photographed the letter and displayed the print next to his desk where it stayed for over a year-and-a-half.

"Suddenly, one day, I thought: `wow, I have found one letter and maybe there are others out there flying around,' "says Mr. Sandved, who lives in Northwest.

There was only one problem: He wasn't a trained photographer; little did he know that photography would become his second career.

He hit the books and taught himself the art of photography.

"Working from 6 a.m. until midnight, I gobbled up books, delved into the history of Lepidioptera - their habitats, life cycles and behavior. I taught myself nature photography through trial and error," he says.

"I don't want to think about how many awful pictures I ground out those first years," Mr. Sandved says.

* * *

He was originally going to stay only six months in the United States but he left early and headed back to Oslo.

With camera in hand, Mr. Sandved went in search of the rest of nature's letters on the wings of butterflies and moths.

He waded chest-deep in ponds; he crawled on the ground and turned over lots of leaves. He even devised a special optical lens. In the process, he learned a lot about how to take pictures of the fragile insects.

"The best time to photograph butterflies and moths is early in the morning when they're a little sluggish. They're easier to approach," he says.

After 10 a.m. and before 2 p.m., that's the hottest part of the day. The nectar is flowing out of the plants and they're active - socializing and finding mates, he says.

"Even then I had to be very careful. I've found that the most important thing when you want to take a close-up of a butterfly is not to make any lateral movements because that frightens them. That indicates a predator. So you must proceed slowly and straight ahead," Mr. Sandved says.

In all the years of observing and photographing butterflies, he's never captured or hurt a butterfly. To photograph a specific butterfly's lettering, Mr. Sandved shoots rolls of film.

Through years of research, Mr. Sadvad says he discovered some wonderful things.

"Now, teachers for the first time can tell children - our most important resource for the future - that they can go out into a field with high humidity and a magnifying glass, crawl around in the flowers and see the very same letters that I have found on butterflies.

"When children learn to . . . look at these small things like ants and butterflies they will gain more respect and love for nature," Mr. Sanved says.

For example, he says the Buckeye Butterfly feeds on composite plants and sunflowers. On the wings of the Buckeye you can see the letter, "O," the numeral one, and the face of a person with eyes, Mr. Sandved says, smiling.

"Nothing is more important than to teach children that nature is not something that should be trampled on, uprooted or cleared for cement buildings," he says.

The best areas for agriculture also are the most precious (for butterflies) because of the diverse flowers and vegetation.

"The most beautiful butterflies always have specific food requirements and those are the first to go [vanish]," Mr. Sandved says.

Although he's penned numerous books on music, art and nature, Mr. Sandved feels his greatest accomplishment has been to increase awareness about the vulnerable and vanishing butterflies.

His first poster was published in the 1975 "Smithsonian" magazine. That same year his book "Butterfly Magic" was published, followed in 1976 with "Butterflies."

Years ago, there were two butterfly gardens in the United States. Today, there are nearly 100. Mr. Sandved hopes his efforts have helped.

For a closer look at the wonders of nature captured by Kjell Sandved, write to Mr. Sandved at PO Box 39138, Washington, D.C. 20016. For a signed "Butterfly Book" or the "Butterfly Alphabet poster," send $11.99 each and $4.95 for shipping and handling. He can be reached at www.butterfly.com or 800/ABC-WING.

`B' is for butterfly: Photographer finds alphabet stamped on their wings.(Saturday)

Kjell Sandved, a Norwegian-born encyclopedia publisher-turned-nature photographer has studied the delicate wings of butterflies for years and discovered the 26 letters of the alphabet - plus much more.

His discovery began in the attic of the Smithsonian three decades ago - and, after 25 years and thousands of miles traveling to exotic lands in South America, Africa and the Far East, Mr. Sandved wrote the book - "The Butterfly Alphabet." He also assembled a colorful ABC poster with images found on the fluttering lepidopterous wings.

"There seems to be no end to the richness of design in the wings of butterflies and moths," Mr. Sandved says.

"Nature has put an awe-inspiring effort into creating a rainbow of colors and designs in the wings of the 15,000 or so butterfly species and 100,000 species of moths," he says.

"The patterns vary so much that I could have even found Chinese characters if I had just looked long enough," he says.

In 1960, while conducting research in the Smithsonian's collection of exotic specimens he opened an aromatic Havana cigar box. There on the wing of a bright orange butterfly, he saw the shiny, white letter "F," Mr. Sandved, 76, says.

"I remember so well - I marveled at this creation because it was woven into the wing like a miniature painting. Not even a calligrapher could have improved on the delicacy of the tiny creation," he says.

He photographed the letter and displayed the print next to his desk where it stayed for over a year-and-a-half.

"Suddenly, one day, I thought: `wow, I have found one letter and maybe there are others out there flying around,' "says Mr. Sandved, who lives in Northwest.

There was only one problem: He wasn't a trained photographer; little did he know that photography would become his second career.

He hit the books and taught himself the art of photography.

"Working from 6 a.m. until midnight, I gobbled up books, delved into the history of Lepidioptera - their habitats, life cycles and behavior. I taught myself nature photography through trial and error," he says.

"I don't want to think about how many awful pictures I ground out those first years," Mr. Sandved says.

* * *

He was originally going to stay only six months in the United States but he left early and headed back to Oslo.

With camera in hand, Mr. Sandved went in search of the rest of nature's letters on the wings of butterflies and moths.

He waded chest-deep in ponds; he crawled on the ground and turned over lots of leaves. He even devised a special optical lens. In the process, he learned a lot about how to take pictures of the fragile insects.

"The best time to photograph butterflies and moths is early in the morning when they're a little sluggish. They're easier to approach," he says.

After 10 a.m. and before 2 p.m., that's the hottest part of the day. The nectar is flowing out of the plants and they're active - socializing and finding mates, he says.

"Even then I had to be very careful. I've found that the most important thing when you want to take a close-up of a butterfly is not to make any lateral movements because that frightens them. That indicates a predator. So you must proceed slowly and straight ahead," Mr. Sandved says.

In all the years of observing and photographing butterflies, he's never captured or hurt a butterfly. To photograph a specific butterfly's lettering, Mr. Sandved shoots rolls of film.

Through years of research, Mr. Sadvad says he discovered some wonderful things.

"Now, teachers for the first time can tell children - our most important resource for the future - that they can go out into a field with high humidity and a magnifying glass, crawl around in the flowers and see the very same letters that I have found on butterflies.

"When children learn to . . . look at these small things like ants and butterflies they will gain more respect and love for nature," Mr. Sanved says.

For example, he says the Buckeye Butterfly feeds on composite plants and sunflowers. On the wings of the Buckeye you can see the letter, "O," the numeral one, and the face of a person with eyes, Mr. Sandved says, smiling.

"Nothing is more important than to teach children that nature is not something that should be trampled on, uprooted or cleared for cement buildings," he says.

The best areas for agriculture also are the most precious (for butterflies) because of the diverse flowers and vegetation.

"The most beautiful butterflies always have specific food requirements and those are the first to go [vanish]," Mr. Sandved says.

Although he's penned numerous books on music, art and nature, Mr. Sandved feels his greatest accomplishment has been to increase awareness about the vulnerable and vanishing butterflies.

His first poster was published in the 1975 "Smithsonian" magazine. That same year his book "Butterfly Magic" was published, followed in 1976 with "Butterflies."

Years ago, there were two butterfly gardens in the United States. Today, there are nearly 100. Mr. Sandved hopes his efforts have helped.

For a closer look at the wonders of nature captured by Kjell Sandved, write to Mr. Sandved at PO Box 39138, Washington, D.C. 20016. For a signed "Butterfly Book" or the "Butterfly Alphabet poster," send $11.99 each and $4.95 for shipping and handling. He can be reached at www.butterfly.com or 800/ABC-WING.

`B' is for butterfly: Photographer finds alphabet stamped on their wings.(Saturday)

Kjell Sandved, a Norwegian-born encyclopedia publisher-turned-nature photographer has studied the delicate wings of butterflies for years and discovered the 26 letters of the alphabet - plus much more.

His discovery began in the attic of the Smithsonian three decades ago - and, after 25 years and thousands of miles traveling to exotic lands in South America, Africa and the Far East, Mr. Sandved wrote the book - "The Butterfly Alphabet." He also assembled a colorful ABC poster with images found on the fluttering lepidopterous wings.

"There seems to be no end to the richness of design in the wings of butterflies and moths," Mr. Sandved says.

"Nature has put an awe-inspiring effort into creating a rainbow of colors and designs in the wings of the 15,000 or so butterfly species and 100,000 species of moths," he says.

"The patterns vary so much that I could have even found Chinese characters if I had just looked long enough," he says.

In 1960, while conducting research in the Smithsonian's collection of exotic specimens he opened an aromatic Havana cigar box. There on the wing of a bright orange butterfly, he saw the shiny, white letter "F," Mr. Sandved, 76, says.

"I remember so well - I marveled at this creation because it was woven into the wing like a miniature painting. Not even a calligrapher could have improved on the delicacy of the tiny creation," he says.

He photographed the letter and displayed the print next to his desk where it stayed for over a year-and-a-half.

"Suddenly, one day, I thought: `wow, I have found one letter and maybe there are others out there flying around,' "says Mr. Sandved, who lives in Northwest.

There was only one problem: He wasn't a trained photographer; little did he know that photography would become his second career.

He hit the books and taught himself the art of photography.

"Working from 6 a.m. until midnight, I gobbled up books, delved into the history of Lepidioptera - their habitats, life cycles and behavior. I taught myself nature photography through trial and error," he says.

"I don't want to think about how many awful pictures I ground out those first years," Mr. Sandved says.

* * *

He was originally going to stay only six months in the United States but he left early and headed back to Oslo.

With camera in hand, Mr. Sandved went in search of the rest of nature's letters on the wings of butterflies and moths.

He waded chest-deep in ponds; he crawled on the ground and turned over lots of leaves. He even devised a special optical lens. In the process, he learned a lot about how to take pictures of the fragile insects.

"The best time to photograph butterflies and moths is early in the morning when they're a little sluggish. They're easier to approach," he says.

After 10 a.m. and before 2 p.m., that's the hottest part of the day. The nectar is flowing out of the plants and they're active - socializing and finding mates, he says.

"Even then I had to be very careful. I've found that the most important thing when you want to take a close-up of a butterfly is not to make any lateral movements because that frightens them. That indicates a predator. So you must proceed slowly and straight ahead," Mr. Sandved says.

In all the years of observing and photographing butterflies, he's never captured or hurt a butterfly. To photograph a specific butterfly's lettering, Mr. Sandved shoots rolls of film.

Through years of research, Mr. Sadvad says he discovered some wonderful things.

"Now, teachers for the first time can tell children - our most important resource for the future - that they can go out into a field with high humidity and a magnifying glass, crawl around in the flowers and see the very same letters that I have found on butterflies.

"When children learn to . . . look at these small things like ants and butterflies they will gain more respect and love for nature," Mr. Sanved says.

For example, he says the Buckeye Butterfly feeds on composite plants and sunflowers. On the wings of the Buckeye you can see the letter, "O," the numeral one, and the face of a person with eyes, Mr. Sandved says, smiling.

"Nothing is more important than to teach children that nature is not something that should be trampled on, uprooted or cleared for cement buildings," he says.

The best areas for agriculture also are the most precious (for butterflies) because of the diverse flowers and vegetation.

"The most beautiful butterflies always have specific food requirements and those are the first to go [vanish]," Mr. Sandved says.

Although he's penned numerous books on music, art and nature, Mr. Sandved feels his greatest accomplishment has been to increase awareness about the vulnerable and vanishing butterflies.

His first poster was published in the 1975 "Smithsonian" magazine. That same year his book "Butterfly Magic" was published, followed in 1976 with "Butterflies."

Years ago, there were two butterfly gardens in the United States. Today, there are nearly 100. Mr. Sandved hopes his efforts have helped.

For a closer look at the wonders of nature captured by Kjell Sandved, write to Mr. Sandved at PO Box 39138, Washington, D.C. 20016. For a signed "Butterfly Book" or the "Butterfly Alphabet poster," send $11.99 each and $4.95 for shipping and handling. He can be reached at www.butterfly.com or 800/ABC-WING.

понедельник, 5 марта 2012 г.

No more smoke-filled rooms

Years ago, a lot of the city's problems were solved in smoke-filled taverns and restaurants, and things seemed to get donequicker. Kind of …

Wagamese, Richard: One Native Life.(Brief article)(Book review)

Wagamese, Richard One Native Life. Richard Wagamese. Toronto: Douglas & McIntyre, 2008. 257 pp. $29.95.

"Award-winning Ojibwa writer Richard Wagamese, a self-described survivor of 'post-traumatic stress disorder' ... courageously navigates the psychological contours of this hostile terrain.... [H]e explains that the 'stories' [in this memoir] are …

FUR FLIES OVER GIULIANI DIG AT RIVAL.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: TIMOTHY WILLIAMS Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Call this one the flight flap.

A day after Mayor Rudolph Giuliani blamed First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's travels for delaying air traffic at La Guardia Airport -- drawing denials from the Federal Aviation Administration and incurring the wrath of the First Lady's likely campaign -- the mayor said Thursday he was only joking.

During a speech in Washington on Wednesday, Giuliani quipped that he had to leave early because his plane back to New York might be delayed. He was referring to the previous day when flights at La Guardia Airport -- including the First Lady's -- were held up due to bad …

Penney's shopping experience could be transformed

NEW YORK (AP) — Imagine the possibilities of J.C. Penney in the future: An iPad enables one shopper to mix and match shirts and slacks without having to undress. A teen sends a mobile photo of a skirt to her father, who pays for it without leaving home by using his smartphone.

Ron Johnson, the man who helped make Apple stores hip, will take over the CEO helm at J.C. Penney from Myron Ullman III in November. Johnson has declined to discuss his plans for the retailer other than to say he wants to "reimagine" the store. But industry watchers say they expect him to borrow from Apple's playbook to completely transform the retailer, increasing Penney's mobile and Web efforts and changing …

Mending Fences

OEMs and suppliers find that building better relationships leads to building better product.

Say you're in the widget business. After years of painstaking research, tedious hardware and software development and millions of dollars in investment, your workaholic techies come up with the global industry's benchmark High Tech Widget.

Every automaker discovers it needs your HTW to meet ever-tougher emissions and economy requirements. GM1 Ford, DCX, offshore makers, everyone orders HTWs by the boatload You run out of capacity, invest in new facilities and hire new people to meet demand.

Life is looking good for International Widget Works. After years of struggling, you're …

Arts Alive welcomes new staff.(Brief Article)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Arts Alive Inc., a company that offers affordably priced original art to both consumers and the trade, recently announced new additions to its staff: Thomas Doyle and Marilizabeth Polizzi. Doyle, the new wholesale division manager, comes …

воскресенье, 4 марта 2012 г.

Acquisitions.

Acquisitions

C.R. Bard (Murray Hill, New Jersey) reported completing its previously disclosed deal, first announced in August, to sell certain assets of its Endoscopic Technologies (Billerica, Massachusetts) division to Conmed (Utica, New York) for $80 million. Endoscopic Technologies makes devices and accessories used primarily by gastroenterologists and pulmonary physicians to diagnose and treat diseases of the digestive tract and lungs using minimally invasive endoscopic techniques. The companys enteral feeding and endoscopic suturing product lines are not included in the agreement and will be transferred to other Bard business units.

Privately held Cyberkinetics (Foxborough, Massachusetts) reported completing a merger with Trafalgar Ventures. The new company has been renamed Cyberkinetics …

Let it out; Several hot acts are introducing new albums with CD release parties.(Preview)

The Capital Region club scene typically slows down during the winter holiday season, but obviously the local musicians have kept themselves plenty busy in the recording studio during the recent downtime.

And now the club calendar from Troy to Schenectady is blossoming with CD release parties.

The celebrations begin tonight at Red Square in Albany, where hip-hopper Clasiq unleashes his debut disc, "Fetish," on Lickwid Gold Records. You can tell what Clasiq has on his mind just by glancing at the song titles - "Fetish," "Let's Make Love Tonight" and "Sex on the Beach." Fortunately, the contemporary R&B singer has the coaxing vocal chops and the smooth-as-satin-sheets production support to match his bedroom eyes and his sex-obsessed lyrics.

But Clasiq is no one-trick pony. While he excels at such ballads …