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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/04/sports/soccer/04racism.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20060618204254id_/http://www.nytimes.com:80/2006/06/04/sports/soccer/04racism.html?ei=5090&en=2cc7885a61bb8cf5&ex=1307073600&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

Surge in Racist Mood Raises Concerns on Eve of World Cup

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HAMBURG, Germany, June 3 — As he left the soccer field after a club match in the eastern German city of Halle on March 25, the Nigerian forward Adebowale Ogungbure was spit upon, jeered with racial remarks and mocked with monkey noises. In rebuke, he placed two fingers under his nose to simulate a Hitler mustache and thrust his arm in a Nazi salute. Marc Zoro, right, an Ivory Coast native, was a target of racial slurs from the home fans in Messina, Italy. Adriano, a star with Inter Milan, tried to persuade him to stay on the field. From now until its conclusion on July 9, Jeff Z. Klein and other staff members of The Times and International Herald Tribune will track the world's most popular sporting event. Your guide to the games in Germany: teams, rosters, schedules, statistics, venues and more. In April, the American defender Oguchi Onyewu, playing for his professional club team in Belgium, dismissively gestured toward fans who were making simian chants at him. Then, as he went to throw the ball inbounds, Onyewu said a fan of the opposing team reached over a barrier and punched him in the face. International soccer has been plagued for years by violence among fans, including racial incidents. But FIFA, soccer's Zurich-based world governing body, said there has been a recent surge in discriminatory behavior toward blacks by fans and other players, an escalation that has dovetailed with the signing of more players from Africa and Latin America by elite European clubs. This "deplorable trend," as FIFA has called it, now threatens to embarrass the sport on its grandest stage, the World Cup, which opens June 9 for a monthlong run in 12 cities around Germany. More than 30 billion cumulative television viewers are expected to watch part of the competition and Joseph S. Blatter, FIFA's president, has vowed to crack down on racist behavior during the tournament. Underlining FIFA's concerns, the issue has been included on the agenda at its biannual Congress, scheduled to be held this week in Munich. A campaign against bigotry includes "Say No to Racism" stadium banners, television commercials, and team captains making pregame speeches during the quarterfinals of the 32-team tournament. Players, coaches and officials have been threatened with sanctions. But FIFA has said it would not be practical to use the harshest penalties available to punish misbehaving fans — halting matches, holding games in empty stadiums and deducting points that teams receive for victories and ties. Players and antiracism experts said they expected offensive behavior during the tournament, including monkey-like chanting; derisive singing; the hanging of banners that reflect neofascist and racist beliefs; and perhaps the tossing of bananas or banana peels, all familiar occurrences during matches in Spain, Italy, eastern Germany and eastern Europe. "For us it's quite clear this is a reflection of underlying tensions that exist in European societies," said Piara Powar, director of the London-based antiracist soccer organization Kick It Out. He said of Eastern Europe: "Poverty, unemployment, is a problem. Indigenous people are looking for easy answers to blame. Often newcomers bear the brunt of the blame." Yet experts and players also said they believed the racist behavior would be more constrained at the World Cup than it was during play in various domestic leagues around Europe, because of increased security, the international makeup of the crowds, higher ticket prices and a sense that spectators would be generally well behaved on soccer's grandest stage. "We have to differentiate inside and outside the stadium," said Kurt Wachter, project coordinator for the Vienna-based Football Against Racism in Europe, a network of organizations that seeks to fight bigotry and xenophobia in 35 countries. "Racism is a feature of many football leagues inside and outside Europe," said Wachter, who expects most problems to occur outside stadiums where crowds are less controlled. "We're sure we will see some things we're used to seeing. It won't stop because of the World Cup." Particularly worrisome are the possibilities of attacks by extremist groups on spectators and visitors in train stations, bars, restaurants and open areas near the stadiums, Wachter and other experts said. To promote tolerance, he said his organization would organize street soccer matches outside World Cup stadiums. Recent attacks in the eastern Germany city of Potsdam on an Ethiopian-born engineer and in eastern Berlin on a state lawmaker of Turkish descent, along with a government report showing an increase in right-wing violence, have ignited fears that even sporadic hate crimes and other intolerant behavior could mar the World Cup, whose embracing motto is A Time to Make Friends. Far-right extremism is isolated on the fringe of German society, and the German government has intended to confront its Nazi past while preaching openness and tolerance. Germany has one of the world's lowest rates of violent crime. Still, an immigrant group called the Africa Council said it would publish a "No Go" guide for nonwhites during the World Cup, particularly for some areas of eastern Berlin and for surrounding towns of the state of Brandenburg. In mid-May, a former government spokesman, Uwe-Karsten Heye, caused a furor when he tried to assist visitors by advising that anyone "with a different skin color" avoid visiting small and midsize towns in Brandenburg and elsewhere in eastern Germany, or they "may not leave with their lives." These remarks received blunt criticism from high-ranking German officials. Wolfgang Schäuble, the minister of the interior, said there were no areas in which World Cup visitors should feel threatened, calling Germany "one of the safest places in the world." Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor, has warned that "anybody who threatens, attacks or, worse, kills anybody because of the color of his skin or because he comes from another country will face the full force of the law." The Bundesliga in Germany is one of the world's top professional soccer leagues, and has not experienced widespread racism. Incidents involving racial abuse of black players are more prevalent in semiprofessional and amateur leagues in eastern Germany. One of the cities playing host to the World Cup, Leipzig, is in the former East Germany. Another, Berlin, was partly in East Germany. After making a Nazi salute, which is illegal in Germany, Ogungbure of Nigeria was investigated by the authorities. But a charge of unconstitutional behavior against him was soon dropped because his gesture had been meant to renounce extremist activity. "I regret what I did," Ogungbure said in a telephone interview from Leipzig. "I should have walked away. I'm a professional, but I'm a human, too. They don't spit on dogs. Why should they spit on me? I felt like a nobody." Gerald Asamoah, a forward on Germany's World Cup team and a native of Ghana, has been recounting an incident in the 1990's when he was pelted with bananas before a club match in Cottbus. "I'll never forget that," he said in a television interview. "It's like we're not people." He has expressed anger and sadness over a banner distributed by a right-wing group that admonished, "No Gerald, You Are Not Germany." Cory Gibbs, an American defender who formerly played professionally in Germany, said there were restaurants and nightclubs in eastern Germany — and even around Hamburg in the west — where he was told "You're not welcome" because he was black. "I think racism is everywhere," said Gibbs, who will miss the World Cup because of a knee injury. "But I feel in Germany racism is a lot more direct." Racist behavior at soccer matches is primarily displayed by men and is fueled by several factors, according to experts: alcohol; the perceived "us versus them" threat of multiculturalism in societies that were once more ethnically homogenous; the difficult economic transition of eastern European nations since the fall of the Berlin Wall; and crude attempts to unnerve opposing players during bitter, consuming rivalries. Other observers say that the soccer stadium in Europe has become a communal soapbox, one of the few remaining public spaces where spectators can be outrageous and where political correctness does not exist and is even discouraged. "Nowhere else other than football do people meet someplace and have a stage for shouting things as an anonymous mass," said Gerd Dembowski, director of a Berlin-based antiracist organization called Floodlight. "You can shout things you would never say in your normal life, let out your frustrations." Not all the misbehavior can be traced to fans or to Europe. Players and coaches have also been transgressors. Luis Aragonés, Spain's World Cup coach, was fined in 2004 after making racial remarks about the French star Thierry Henry. In March, in the Brazilian league, the defender Antonio Carlos was suspended for 120 days, and 4 additional matches, after an incident in which he shouted "monkey" at an opposing player who was black. But it was an incident in Spain on Feb. 25 that galvanized antiracist sentiment and prodded FIFA into taking a tougher stand against bigoted behavior. That match, in Zaragoza, was temporarily halted in the 77th minute by the referee, who threatened to cancel the remaining 13 minutes after Samuel Eto'o, the star forward for Barcelona, was subjected to a chorus of racial taunts. Eto'o threatened to leave the field. His coach and teammates eventually persuaded him to continue, and last month Barcelona won the European Champions Cup. Eto'o has become one of the sport's most outspoken players on the subject of racism. "I'll continue to play," Eto'o, whose national team, Cameroon, did not qualify for the World Cup, said this week through his agent. "I'm not going to give up and hide and put my head down. I'll score goals against the teams whose fans are making rude noises." Under pressure to curb what it acknowledged was an increase in racist incidents, FIFA in late March announced a stricter set of penalties that would apply for club and national team matches. The sanctions would include suspensions of five matches for players and officials who make discriminatory gestures, fines of $16,600 to $25,000 for each offense and two-year stadium bans for offending spectators. It also said teams, which receive 3 points in the standings for a victory, would have 3 points deducted on a first offense by misbehaving players, officials or fans. Blatter, the FIFA president, told reporters that the 3-point deduction for abhorrent fan behavior would apply during the World Cup, then backed away from his comments in April. Blatter declined to comment for this article. And it remains unclear exactly what penalties will be levied against World Cup teams for offensive behavior by fans, coaches and players. Nicolas Maingot, a FIFA spokesman, said World Cup sanctions would be made public later. But in an e-mail response to questions, he said: "Only racist abuses in the field of play will be punished. For fans, it will be impossible, due to the multinationality of the audience. In other words, it would be impossible to identify from which side would potential racist abusers come." Critics counter that spectators are supposed to have their names on their tickets, so identifying offending fans should be relatively easy. Onyewu, the American defender who was punched by an opposing fan in Belgium, said the man was identified through an anonymous tip and was barred from attending matches for two years. He said he did not retaliate because he believed that racist behavior reflected acts of a minority of fans. "I'm anticipating a more professional environment in Germany because it's the World Cup," Onyewu said. Even so, he said, although antiracist efforts could restrict public behavior, "that's only helping the exterior." He added, "The interior mind thinking, you can't really change that."

A surge in discriminatory behavior toward blacks by fans and other players threatens to embarrass soccer.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/24/politics/24spy.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20060620043011id_/http://www.nytimes.com:80/2005/12/24/politics/24spy.html?ei=5090&en=016edb46b79bde83&ex=1293080400&pagewanted=print

Spy Agency Mined Vast Data Trove, Officials Report

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 - The National Security Agency has traced and analyzed large volumes of telephone and Internet communications flowing into and out of the United States as part of the eavesdropping program that President Bush approved after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to hunt for evidence of terrorist activity, according to current and former government officials. The volume of information harvested from telecommunication data and voice networks, without court-approved warrants, is much larger than the White House has acknowledged, the officials said. It was collected by tapping directly into some of the American telecommunication system's main arteries, they said. As part of the program approved by President Bush for domestic surveillance without warrants, the N.S.A. has gained the cooperation of American telecommunications companies to obtain backdoor access to streams of domestic and international communications, the officials said. The government's collection and analysis of phone and Internet traffic have raised questions among some law enforcement and judicial officials familiar with the program. One issue of concern to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which has reviewed some separate warrant applications growing out of the N.S.A.'s surveillance program, is whether the court has legal authority over calls outside the United States that happen to pass through American-based telephonic "switches," according to officials familiar with the matter. "There was a lot of discussion about the switches" in conversations with the court, a Justice Department official said, referring to the gateways through which much of the communications traffic flows. "You're talking about access to such a vast amount of communications, and the question was, How do you minimize something that's on a switch that's carrying such large volumes of traffic? The court was very, very concerned about that." Since the disclosure last week of the N.S.A.'s domestic surveillance program, President Bush and his senior aides have stressed that his executive order allowing eavesdropping without warrants was limited to the monitoring of international phone and e-mail communications involving people with known links to Al Qaeda. What has not been publicly acknowledged is that N.S.A. technicians, besides actually eavesdropping on specific conversations, have combed through large volumes of phone and Internet traffic in search of patterns that might point to terrorism suspects. Some officials describe the program as a large data-mining operation. The current and former government officials who discussed the program were granted anonymity because it remains classified. Bush administration officials declined to comment on Friday on the technical aspects of the operation and the N.S.A.'s use of broad searches to look for clues on terrorists. Because the program is highly classified, many details of how the N.S.A. is conducting it remain unknown, and members of Congress who have pressed for a full Congressional inquiry say they are eager to learn more about the program's operational details, as well as its legality. Officials in the government and the telecommunications industry who have knowledge of parts of the program say the N.S.A. has sought to analyze communications patterns to glean clues from details like who is calling whom, how long a phone call lasts and what time of day it is made, and the origins and destinations of phone calls and e-mail messages. Calls to and from Afghanistan, for instance, are known to have been of particular interest to the N.S.A. since the Sept. 11 attacks, the officials said. This so-called "pattern analysis" on calls within the United States would, in many circumstances, require a court warrant if the government wanted to trace who calls whom. The use of similar data-mining operations by the Bush administration in other contexts has raised strong objections, most notably in connection with the Total Information Awareness system, developed by the Pentagon for tracking terror suspects, and the Department of Homeland Security's Capps program for screening airline passengers. Both programs were ultimately scrapped after public outcries over possible threats to privacy and civil liberties.

The volume of information harvested, without court warrants, is much larger than the White House has acknowledged.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/business/yourmoney/23pfizer.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20060909062911id_/http://www.nytimes.com:80/2006/04/23/business/yourmoney/23pfizer.html?ex=1303444800&en=de0ed40ba19ced20&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Investors vs. Pfizer: Guess Who Has the Guns?

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IF outsized executive pay has indeed become a source of outrage to American shareholders, then the contest this week between Pfizer Inc.'s investors and its board could prove the most compelling of the year. The battle lines have been drawn between Pfizer's owners and managers, who will assemble on Thursday at the annual shareholder meeting in Lincoln, Neb., at the Cornhusker Marriott hotel. On one side stands Hank McKinnell, Pfizer's chief executive and chairman, recipient of $65 million in pay since he took the top job at the company in January 2001 and beneficiary of an $83 million pension when he retires. On the other are Pfizer shareholders, angry over the 46 percent decline in market value since Mr. McKinnell took the reins. Some shareholders are threatening to withhold votes for several Pfizer directors over Mr. McKinnell's pay. Pfizer, meanwhile, is fighting back in the proxy contest, working overtime to convince shareholders that its directors deserve support. Adding drama to this battle is the effect that withheld votes may have on Pfizer directors. Such acts of shareholder defiance are strictly symbolic; at most companies directors can win a seat if they receive one "yes" vote in an election. Last year, though, Pfizer changed its guidelines so that any director who received more "withhold" votes than "for" votes will have to resign. If the board rejects the resignation offer, it will publicly state why. Like many other companies, Pfizer has a mighty arsenal, backed by shrewd alliances and relationships with institutional shareholders. The Pfizer battle, governance experts say, illustrates an imbalance of power between company owners and managers that is prevalent today. "The management has these unlimited resources to fight back, and the shareholders are pretty much powerless," said John C. Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group. "The thing has gotten so out of hand that words almost fail me. The shareholders should not tolerate it." Institutional shareholders, who vote the stock on behalf of their individual investors, are supposed to act in the best interests of those who own the stock, and the institutions questioned said they were careful to avoid conflicts in proxy votes. But shaking up the status quo may not always be in their own interest. Pfizer is known for its assiduous courting of institutional shareholders. One way is through Margaret M. Foran, Pfizer's corporate secretary and vice president for corporate governance, who is co-chairwoman of the board at the Council of Institutional Investors, an influential organization of pension funds. She is also on the board of the International Corporate Governance Network, an institutional investor organization in London. Ms. Foran, who said she is a student of governance issues, added that her involvement in these organizations helped her stay current on best practices at corporations. MANY of Pfizer's biggest institutional stockholders also earn considerable fees for providing money management services to the company. These institutions could fear damaging such relationships by voting against the company. Some members of Pfizer's board serve on boards of firms that are among its larger shareholders, raising questions about their allegiances. Management says Mr. McKinnell is being paid for 35 years of service in an industry that has very long business cycles for attaining measures of success established by the board. It says Pfizer's board continues to strengthen the connection between pay and performance. "We have a duty to the shareholders to articulate and communicate the position of the board and I think that is what the company is intending to do," said Stanley O. Ikenberry, president emeritus at the University of Illinois and a member of Pfizer's board and compensation committee. "Hank McKinnell's compensation is down sharply for the current year, but looked at both in the context of one year and multiple years and in terms of pension, the board has reviewed those issues, discussed them extensively and supports the decisions that have been made." By contrast, a grass-roots group of businesspeople — Investors for Director Accountability — sees a pervasive problem in his pay. "Mushrooming management compensation, unconnected to performance, is an obvious area where directors have failed the people they legally represent," the organization said last month. "Shareholders should withhold their votes for the four nominees of the Pfizer board of directors who are members of the board's compensation committee. This would be a first step on a long road to restore director accountability to owners."

The battle between Pfizer Inc.'s investors and its board illustrates an imbalance of power between company owners and managers that is prevalent today.

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http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/gossip/1996/02/13/1996-02-13_rex_flexed_pecs_for_skin_pics.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20080313232743id_/http://www.nydailynews.com:80/archives/gossip/1996/02/13/1996-02-13_rex_flexed_pecs_for_skin_pics.html

REX FLEXED PECS FOR SKIN PICS

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BY A.J. BENZA & MICHAEL LEWITTES If Simon Rex looks a little familiar, it may not have anything to do with his gig as an MTV veejay or his ads for Levi's and Tommy Hilfiger. It could be because Rex did a little film work once upon a time three skin flicks to be precise! In case you missed his work, Rex' oeuvre includes titles like "Young, Hard & Solo II," its poignant sequel, "Young, Hard & Solo III," and "Hot Sessions III," which, in the opinion of this column, doesn't come anywhere near the first two "Hot Sessions." Those were, in a word, mesmerizing. Brad Posey, who owns the all-male photo and video studio Club 1821 as in men 18 to 21 which produced the videos, told us that Rex or Sebastian as he was known then "was very sweet and he performed very well, as any 19-year-old would who's at his sexual peak." Posey told us there wasn't any interaction with others on the video, just "lots of solo stroking and steamy poses." Oh, we've bee n there. Rex was mum about his past work, but MTV said they were "thrilled" to have Rex on hand. Behind George Hamilton's legendary tan, there's really a soft, sensitive guy who just wants to talk about things like "School-To-Work: Reinventing America's Workforce." Wait a minute, that sounds familiar where do we know that from? That's right, it was the platform Miss America Shawntel Smith used in her September victory. So, why the connection between George and the beauty queen? Well, according to sources, Hamilton recently made the very smooth transition from interviewing a guest to dating a guest. Shortly after Smith's cheery Feb. 6 appearance on the "George & Alana Show," Hamilton took Smith out on a dinner date. Hey, better to date a guest like Shawntel Smith than, say, Ed Begley Jr. Sources say Smith did her guest spot and they just really hit it off. Hamilton, a Hall-of-Fame dame chaser, not too long ago said: "I'm at a point where dating is boring. I like quiet." Don't hurt us man, we idolize you. Marcus Schenkenberg sitting in a barber's chair is like Cindy Crawford calling dermatologists to have the mole removed. It might sound shallow to you, but in the business of beauty, Marcus' new close-cropped hairstyle is a pretty risky move. We, of course, now like him more than ever and immediately make him eligible for our "Against-the-Grain Hall of Fame." "It's gonna lose me gigs, but it's also gonna get me gigs," Marcus told us while partying at Brinton Brewster's Wednesday night affairs at 40 Below. "I just totally surprised the agencies. I didn't care." In fact, while Schenkenberg was in Italy, his New York agent got a call from another agent in Italy gushing about sightings of a kid who looks "exactly like Marcus' little brother." Spooky. Either way, it hasn't stopped Hollywood from calling. Schenkenberg has already met with Zalman King and Joel Schumacher on future projects and just agreed to "play a bad guy" in the upcoming "Prince Valiant" film. Now that "Saturday Night Live" is making great strides at standing on the edge of comedy once again, it makes sense that their musical guests might represent that same sort of edge. (See Coolio, last week's performer.) Why then are some suits at the show sweating the appearance of next week's musical guest, Tupac Shakur? "Maybe because he's probably gonna roll up with a posse of 40 guys," said a source close to the show. "And, forget about backstage antics, you can never be too sure what he will do on stage." In addition, some say they're even expecting Snoop Doggy Dogg and Death Row Records' CEO Suge Knight to be part of his entourage, since this will be Tupac's first live TV performance since his incarceration and some expect his record label to make a major show of respect. For those seeking the calmer side to the show, you'll just have to wait until Feb. 24 when Elle Macpherson hosts and Sting performs. George Will's wife, Mari Maseng who penned Sen. Bob Dole's stodgy State-of-the-Union address response last month may be in hotter water with the majority leader than anyone thought. Sources tell us the GOP front-runner was so angry about the entire situation involving Maseng and his widely panned response that he chose not to use a speech that Maseng wrote for this week's annual meeting of the National Governors' Association. Furthermore, in the speech Dole did use written by a staffer in his Senate office he made fun of his lame State-of-the-Union performance. So, for those keeping score at home Mari isn't suffering writer's cramp. Dole is cramping her writing style.

If Simon Rex looks a little familiar, it may not have anything to do with his gig as an MTV veejay or his ads for Levi's and Tommy Hilfiger. It could be because Rex did a little film work once upon a time three skin flicks to be precise! In case you missed his work, Rex' oeuvre includes titles like "Young, Hard & Solo II,"its poignant sequel, "Young, Hard & Solo III,"

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http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/2005/06/19/2005-06-19_popeye-worthy_pie____phyllo_.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20080314003027id_/http://www.nydailynews.com:80/archives/entertainment/2005/06/19/2005-06-19_popeye-worthy_pie____phyllo_.html

POPEYE-WORTHY PIE. PHYLLO DOUGH WRAPS SPINACH IN PURE GOLD

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Spinach has terrorized generations of veggie-phobic kids, and many grownups don't much like it, either. But when it's combined with seasonings and feta cheese and wrapped in a golden crisp phyllo dough crust, even those who despise Popeye's ­favorite food ask for seconds. The spinach pie at Kebab House II on Orchard St. is a specialty of owner and executive chef Ramazan Ay, who serves the hearty dish as a main course. You can make individual tarts or one large pie, though the small ones are more labor-intensive. If you've never worked with phyllo dough before, know that it is important to keep the part you are not using covered with a damp towel so it won't dry out. Other than that, this dish is a snap to make - and a favorite in my family, even among those who eschew anything green. 1 onion, peeled and chopped 2 cups crumbled feta cheese Salt and pepper to taste 1 pound phyllo dough, thawed if frozen Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Sauté the spinach and onion for 10 minutes. Mix in the cheese, salt and pepper. Lay out a piece of phyllo dough and paint it with a little olive oil. Place a small portion of filling into the center, and fold over several times to enclose the filling completely. Repeat with remaining phyllo until all the filling is used up. Bake for 25- 30 minutes or until golden brown. Look for phyllo dough in the supermarket freezer case. Once thawed, it can successfully be refrozen. Optional flavorings for the filling include a grating of fresh nutmeg and some chopped fresh dill. You can freeze spinach pie, well wrapped, for up to three months.

POPEYE-WORTHY PIE. PHYLLO DOUGH WRAPS SPINACH IN PURE GOLD BY ROSEMARY BLACK Spinach has terrorized generations of veggie-phobic kids, and many grownups don't much like it, either. But when it's combined with seasonings and feta cheese and wrapped in a golden crisp phyllo dough crust, even those who despise Popeye's ­favorite food ask for seconds. The spinach pie at Kebab House II on Orchard St. is a specialty of owner and executive chef Ramazan Ay,

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JOY FOR ADDICTS ON MEND AS CHILDREN ARE RETURNED

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All day, every day, Cheryl Bernstein thanks her 16-month-old son. "I gave life to Reid, but he gave me life - a reason to get clean and go on," she said yesterday after graduating from the Manhattan Family Treatment Court program. Bernstein, 41, and her husband, Doug Flaumenbaum, 33, both recovering crack and heroin addicts, were among three dozen men and women who regained custody of their children. They are the third such group to graduate since the program's inauguration in 1998. The court program directs drug-addicted parents to treatment and subjects them to frequent, consistent monitoring so parents can regain permanent custody of their children. After the family is reunited, caseworkers and a judge continue to monitor the family's progress. Once parents have completed the program, their case with the Administration for Children's Services is closed. Even though they had been clean for 60 days, Bernstein and Flaumenbaum lost custody of Reid when he was only a month old because they were homeless and penniless, she said. In December 1999, Reid went to live with Flaumenbaum's mother while the couple entered a drug treatment program and took parenting classes. Bernstein is now a travel agent, and Flaumenbaum is studying desktop publishing. Lillian Martinez, 43, who battled a cocaine problem, wept as she accepted her diploma with her son, Paul, 16, and daughter Stephanie, nearly 20, in tow."I don't ever want to see the disappointment on [my kids'] faces again," Martinez said as her eyes welled with tears. Carl Baker, 32, and his wife, Rhonda Phillips, 35, went through the program after their marriage collapsed and they lost custody of six children. Yesterday, Baker held their seventh child, 11-month-old Ashley. In a speech, he reminded fellow graduates, "If you don't pick it up, you can't get high."

All day, every day, Cheryl Bernstein thanks her 16-month-old son. "I gave life to Reid, but he gave me life - a reason to get clean and go on,"she said yesterday after graduating from the Manhattan Family Treatment Court program. Bernstein, 41, and her husband, Doug Flaumenbaum, 33, both recovering crack and heroin addicts, were among three dozen men and women who regained custody of their children.

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http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2001/03/27/2001-03-27_quick_work_by_the_cops__nypd.html

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QUICK WORK BY THE COPS NYPD response time plunges

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With Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik cracking the whip, the NYPD is suddenly responding to crime faster than it has in several years. Just four months ago, the average citywide response time to calls of a "crime in progress" was slower than it had been at any point during Mayor Giuliani's two terms in office. But since then, according to police documents obtained by the Daily News, the department's front-line cops seem to be turning things around. The NYPD has recently cut its response time by 10% after the measure peaked at 12 minutes in July through October. The citywide average fell to 10.8 minutes from November to February. The last time the NYPD was hitting that mark was in 1999. The 12-minute high was a full minute slower than the same period in 1999 - clearly a cause for concern when the figure was released last month in the semiannual Mayor's Management Report. Giuliani ordered Kerik to do something about it. Kerik responded by tracking response on a daily basis and holding precinct commanders accountable for increases the same way they are for violent crime. "I don't think response times are where they should be," Kerik said. "The only way to address it is the way I address everything else - start looking at this stuff daily." He added: "If the front-line supervisors know that we're going to be on top of them, they're going to be pro-active. The sergeant is going to be listening to the radio saying, 'Where's the cop?'" A precinct-by-precinct review shows widely different average response times: * The busy 75th Precinct in East New York, Brooklyn, posted the city's slowest time, at 15.8 minutes (down from 21.3 minutes); the 43rd Precinct in Soundview, the Bronx, was a close second, at 15 minutes. * The 6th Precinct in Greenwich Village and the 26th Precinct on the upper West Side had the best times, 6.9 minutes. The fastest citywide response time the NYPD has recorded since it began tracking response time was 7.9 minutes in 1993; only 10 out of the city's 76 precincts came in under 8 minutes in the most recent survey. * The city's smallest precinct, the 28th in Harlem, which covers about half a square mile, took an average of 8.4 minutes to respond to a crime in progress; the largest, the 122nd in Staten Island (29 square miles), came in at 13.6 minutes. "Obscene," is how Bob Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association, describes the 14.6-minute response time of the 104th Precinct in Ridgewood, Queens. "I don't think it's the cops' fault; I think there's been a lack of effort by 1 Police Plaza to solve it," Holden said. City Councilman Sheldon Leffler (D-Queens), who is chairman of the Public Safety Committee, said Kerik is treating the issue more seriously than his predecessors did. Leffler said former Police Commissioners William Bratton and Howard Safir preferred to cite crime decreases as their measure of police efficiency. "The fact that it has gone down by a minute in the last four months is good, but I think the public should realize it still reflects a continuing increase from 7.9 in 1993," Leffler said. "The Giuliani administration has had police strategies in many different areas, but they have never, up until now, given the same effort to reducing the response time to crimes in progress." Response time measures the period from when the caller gets the 911 operator on the line to the cops' arrival on the scene. Under Kerik's new directive, response-time spreadsheets are dispatched daily to Police Headquarters for analysis. If a precinct shows a sharp spike, or a particular job stands out as taking a long time, Kerik's aides are on the phone to the local commander finding out what took so long. The key to Deputy Inspector Robert Lucena's success in the 26th Precinct has been tracking the busiest periods for 911 calls there, then making sure cops' meal breaks aren't scheduled at the same time. Inspector James Secreto of the 75th Precinct said cops sometimes forget to notify the dispatcher immediately upon arrival at the scene because they are often jumping out of the car to handle serious situations. "We're making a more conscious effort to let the dispatcher know when we're on the scene," he said, adding that as of last week, the average had been lowered to about 13 minutes. Graphic: POLICE RACING AGAINST THE CLOCK 6th Precinct: 6.9 minutes ... West Greenwich Village, including the New York University campus. Covers .79 square miles with a population of about 65,000. 26th Precinct: 6.9 minutes ... covers W. 110th to W. 141st St. on the upper West Side. Area is 1 square mile. Population is more than 46,000. 7th Precinct: 7 minutes ... second-smallest precinct in the city, covering .62 square miles. Population about 60,000. 100th Precinct: 7.5 minutes .... Neighborhoods include Arverne, Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, Broad Channel, Neponsit, Rockaway Park and Roxbury, Queens. Population is about 40,000. Covers 3.57 square miles, with 25 miles of waterfront. 5th Precinct: 7.6 minutes ... 2.2 square miles covering Chinatown and part of downtown civic center. 75th Precinct: 15.8 minutes ... covers 5.5 square miles; neighborhoods of East New York, Cypress Hills and Starrett City. population is 146,857; residential and commercial community includes eight large housing projects. 43rd Precinct: 15 minutes ... covers 4.3 square miles...neighborhoods include Soundview, Parkchester, Unionport....population is more than 170,000; private homes, apartment buildings and 20 housing projects. 104th Precinct: 14.6 minutes ... covers 7.4 square miles; Ridgewood, Glendale, Middle Village, Maspeth; mostly private homes and commercial buildings. Cops have long complained that several large cemeteries in the middle of the precinct cause delays because cops can't drive through them. 47th Precinct: 14.1 minutes ... population 130,000; includes Woodlawn, Wakefield, Williamsbridge, Baychester, Edenwald, Olinville and Fish Bay in the north Bronx. Covers 5.5 square miles, with 88 miles of roadway. 114th Precinct: 13.8 minutes ... neighborhoods include Astoria, Long Island City, Woodside and Jackson Heights. Covers 6 square miles. Population about 197,000. Graphic: RESPONSE TIMES BY PRECINCT The gray tones on the map show precincts where police took more than 10 minutes to respond to crimes in progress from November through February. Precincts shown in white had response times of less than 10 minutes. A 10-minute response time is considered average by many big-city police departments across the country. Response times (in minutes) to crimes in progress: 1st: Tribeca, Wall St. 11.4 13.4 6th: Greenwich Village 7.3 6.9 7th: Lower East Side 6.5 7.0 9th: Alphabet City 7.2 7.9 13th: Gramercy Park 10.8 9.4 19th: Upper East Side 10.7 11.3 20th: Upper West Side 9.0 8.8 23rd: East Harlem 7.3 8.0 24th: Upper West Side 8.3 8.0 25th: East Harlem 8.8 8.5 26th: Morningside Hts. 7.2 6.9 28th: Central Harlem 7.6 8.4 33rd: Washington Hts. 9.2 7.5 40th: Mott Haven 10.6 10.4 41st: South Bronx 9.4 8.2 44th: Morris Heights 13.5 11.3 46th: University Hts. 12.8 11.4 52nd: Bedford Park 13.6 11.8 60th: Coney Island 10.2 9.3 61st: Brighton Beach 14.0 11.3 63rd: Flatlands/Mill Basin 11.4 9.9 66th: Borough Park 12.7 11.2 67th: East Flatbush 12.4 10.6 68th: Bay Ridge 10.0 8.8 72nd: Sunset Park 11.4 10.4 76th: Carroll Gardens 9.7 8.1 78th: Park Slope 9.4 9.1 75th: East New York 21.3 15.8 77th: Crown Heights 14.2 12.4 79th: Bed Stuy 13.1 10.9 81st: Bed Stuy 11.1 11.6 84th: Brooklyn Hts. 10.1 9.3 88th: Forth Greene 10.6 9.6 101st: Far Rockaway 8.4 7.6 102nd: Richmond Hill 13.9 12.0 105th: Queens Village 11.5 10.5 106th: Ozone Park 14.0 12.9 107th: Fresh Meadows 12.5 11.7 113th: Springfield Gdns. 11.1 10.8 108th: Long Island City 13.1 11.7 112th: Forest Hills 10.1 10.4 115th: Jackson Hts. 11.0 10.2 120th: St. George 10.8 10.6 122nd: New Dorp 14.6 13.6

By JOHN MARZULLI DAILY NEWS POLICE BUREAU CHIEF With Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik cracking the whip, the NYPD is suddenly responding to crime faster than it has in several years. Just four months ago, the average citywide response time to calls of a "crime in progress"was slower than it had been at any point during Mayor Giuliani's two terms in office. But since then, according to police documents obtained by the Daily News, the

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JAILED SMOKERS PUT CIG LAW TO TEST

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Wednesday, April 19th 1995, 2:35AM Jail inmates flout the city's newest law every day, with no fear of punishment. The long arm of the tough new anti-smoking law stops at the gates of Rikers Island. No one wants to face 19,000 prisoners with nicotine fits, said jailhouse sources. But the Correction Department "is looking at the law to see if it applies to city jails," said spokesman Tom Antenen. Jail may indeed be a "public space" in which smoking is banned, he said. Until that study is completed, he said, the butt ban won't be enforced. Inmates already are barred from smoking in mess halls, infirmaries and punitive cells, but they can light up freely in dorms, TV rooms, hallways and in their cells, he said. Peter Meringolo, head of the Correction Captains Association, said he intends to have his legal people look into the issue as well. "If they're going to grant the inmates an exemption, what do you say to the captain who doesn't want to be breathing that stuff?" Meringolo asked. "I go nuts when they want to smoke in my office," he added. He conceded there would be problems enforcing the ban: "It's not like in an office building where you can tell the guy to go outside and smoke." And he acknowledged it raised a serious question of crowd control. "What kind of individual are you going to be faced with who is dying for cigaret and already has a short fuse?" he said. "It would make the environment more hostile." Suspected criminals aren't the only ones in the city who got a break from the nicotine cops. United Nations employes are exempt because the UN is international territory.

Jail inmates flout the city's newest law every day, with no fear of punishment. They smoke cigarets. The long arm of the tough new anti-smoking law stops at the gates of Rikers Island. No one wants to face 19,000 prisoners with nicotine fits, said jailhouse sources. But the Correction Department "is looking at the law to see if it applies to city jails,"said spokesman Tom Antenen. Jail may indeed be

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REPORT: TATUM FIGHTS ANOTHER ROUND

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BY GEORGE RUSH AND JOANNA MOLLOY With Kasia Anderson and Suzanne Rozdeba Thursday, August 8th 2002, 7:06AM Did Tatum O'Neal's latest battle with ex-husband John McEnroe put her back on drugs? The "Paper Moon" star checked herself into L.A.'s Promises rehab facility after a friend caught her smoking crack, according to The National Enquirer. O'Neal emerged clean and sober from Promises' 34-day recovery program in late July, the tab reports. The actress is said to have plunged into her old habits because of McEnroe's memoir, "You Cannot Be Serious." The book, which came out in June, portrayed her as an unfit mother more devoted to drugs than to their three children. Furious and hurt, O'Neal launched a media counterattack in which she charged that McEnroe was a "cruel, cruel man" and a "sexual and physical bully." But the 38-year-old Oscar- winner received less sympathy than she expected. "Tatum honestly believed that the press and the public would feel sorry for her," a source told The Enquirer, out tomorrow. The Los Angeles Times reported on June 26 that O'Neal was "currently in a rehab program in Los Angeles." Her manager, Jason Weinberg, told us yesterday that he didn't know whether or not O'Neal had been in Promises, but said, "She couldn't be doing better now. The demand for her is very strong." She's making her movie comeback - shooting "The Technical Writer." She's also been offered several TV roles, said Weinberg. A rep for McEnroe, who has custody of their children, didn't return a call for comment on whether allegations of recent drug use would affect O'Neal's visitation arrangement. But with her agent in talks with HarperCollins about her own memoir, Mac can be sure he hasn't heard the last from his ex-wife. Rosie O'Donnell may hear a lot of whimpering next week when she returns from her vacation to sort out the trouble at her magazine. New editor Susan Toepfer, who replaced O'Donnell's first editor, Cathy Cavender, has been at the mag for only a month. But Rosie loyalists are already kvetching. "Everyone is uncomfortable and depressed," one insider tells us. "They feel they're working on stuff that Rosie doesn't even know about. The staff is afraid of voicing their opinions to Susan, for fear of getting fired." O'Donnell has made it clear that she doesn't agree with Toepfer's story ideas and wants her out. She's gone so far as to hire former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White to represent her in negotiations with magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr USA, whose CEO, Daniel Brewster, wants Toepfer to stay. Yesterday, Gunter Thielen, the new head of Bertelsmann, which owns G + J USA, stopped by the mag's offices to voice his support for Brewster. A G + J spokeswoman said Thielen didn't mention O'Donnell, but "restated his support and confidence in Dan Brewster and his management team." A rep for O'Donnell would say only "Rosie is very proud of the magazine and what it stands for." Manhattan art gallery I-20 is stretching the definition of art, by mounting a show due to feature a bloody video. The footage captures a 1996 massacre of Russian soldiers by Al Qaeda mercenaries in Chechnya. Gallery owner Paul Judelson says that his star artist, Sergei Bugaev, known professionally as Afrika, recently obtained the startling clip from Russian intelligence sources - and plans to work it into a November show. In the video, a Russian military column "walks into an ambush and is completely wiped out," Judelson says, adding that the tape will be edited down to 20 minutes from the original three-hour version. "I don't see this work as pandering to sensationalism, like a snuff video, although it plainly shows the massacre of the Russian soldiers," he says. Judelson calls the massacre "a prelude to 9/11." He tells Webster Hall curator Baird Jones that, in the context of world terrorism, "The violence in this video is relevant just the same way that a news broadcast of violence is necessary." Jesse Ventura's love for stogies might keep him in Cuba longer than he expects. The Minnesota governor is heading to Havana at the end of next month to participate in the U.S. Food and Agribusiness Exhibition, a showcase for American edibles. The group will cover his travel expenses, and he's been asked to join a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The former wrestler said he's going to Cuba to "learn about it firsthand," he told a radio audience on Monday. Gag us with a spoon. Though Reese Witherspoon plays a demur Southern belle in her upcoming film "Sweet Home Alabama," her favorite scene was far from ladylike. "Puking was my favorite thing," she declares in the new issue of W. Eschewing the special effects of, say, Industrial Light & Magic, Witherspoon reveals the secret formula of her faux Technicolor yawn. "It was corn chowder," she says. "Don't tell anybody. And we did lots of takes, 'cause I was having so much fun. I just love pretending to vomit!" It seems the actress can't get enough of the topic. It even came up while furniture-shopping with her husband, Ryan Phillippe. "We looked at some fancy things, and Ryan asked, 'What if a kid vomits on that?' " Although the actress has an obsession with what goes out, she admits she's big on the reverse. "I like everything," she tells W. "I eat all the time. Particularly having a kid. Somebody's got to eat, right?" Ozzy Osbourne and his wife, Sharon, are facing a new legal bummer. In a lawsuit just filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, entertainment network Threshold.tv says the Osbournes' deal with MTV violates an intellectual-property- rights agreement the Osbournes' company, Monowise, made with Threshold in The complaint alleges that, under its contract, Threshold acquired exclusive rights to the rocker's "name, likeness, image, identity, persona, trademarks and right of publicity." Larry Kasanoff, who heads up Threshold, wants to be declared the owner of the MTV series "and all derivatives therefrom." ENRIQUE IGLESIAS will fire up the "NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square," joining Bon Jovi and other acts Sept. 5. Iglesias' performance in the city's busy epicenter will lead into the season opener between the 49ers and the Giants at Giants Stadium. LES MOONVES apparently doesn't want anyone thinking he's playing favorites with his network stars. The CBS president declined to be photographed with "Early Show" anchor Julie Chen during the arrivals at Monday's premiere of "Mostly Martha." He did consent to join Chen in a group shot later at the dinner thrown by Gourmet magazine editor Ruth Reichl LAUREN BUSH needed a dose of glamour after spending six weeks backpacking with friends in France, Italy and Spain. On Tuesday, President Bush's niece dropped by the Escada showroom, where she was outfitted with two complimentary strapless numbers - one pink, one black and white. She flew home to Texas yesterday.

Did Tatum O'Neal's latest battle with ex-husband John McEnroe put her back on drugs? The "Paper Moon"star checked herself into L.A.'s Promises rehab facility after a friend caught her smoking crack, according to The National Enquirer. O'Neal emerged clean and sober from Promises' 34-day recovery program in late July, the tab reports. The actress is said to have plunged into her old habits because of

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A SUMMER DRINK YOU'LL COTTON TO

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Wednesday, May 18th 2005, 9:59AM Summer is shaping up as extra sweet at Cafe Centro, where the menu ­features treats like s'mores, chocolate fondue and a unique cocktail called the Cotton Candy Cosmo. The drink was created by mixologist Bill ­Rogers, whose inspiration was the fluffy confection that the restaurant (in Rockefeller Center) occasionally serves to customers. Priced at $9, the deeply colorful libation is topped with billows of bright pink cotton candy. It's light, summery and wonderful for sipping outside. 2 ounces Absolut Citron Vodka Pink cotton candy for the top Shake vodka, Triple Sec, lime juice and cranberry juice vigorously in a shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with pink cotton candy all around the rim and serve.

COOL COCKTAIL A summer drink you'll cotton to S ummer is shaping up as extra sweet at Cafe Centro, where the menu ­features treats like s'mores, chocolate fondue and a unique cocktail called the Cotton Candy Cosmo. The drink was created by mixologist Bill ­Rogers, whose inspiration was the fluffy confection that the restaurant (in Rockefeller Center) occasionally serves to customers. Priced at $9, the deeply colorful libation is topped with billows of bright pink

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SATAN AND THE SAINT Mother Teresa was possessed, bishop says

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BY CORKY SIEMASZKO DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER With Emily Gest Thursday, September 6th 2001, 2:23AM Mother Teresa believed she was possessed by the Devil, the archbishop of Calcutta said yesterday. So the revered nun, whom the Vatican hopes to make a saint, underwent an exorcism and afterward "slept like a baby," he said. Archbishop Henry D'Souza's bizarre revelation came as millions yesterday marked the fourth anniversary of Mother Teresa's death. But D'Souza told CNN and The Associated Press in India he truly believed Mother Teresa "might be under the attack of the evil one." The Catholic cleric said he diagnosed the demon in Mother Teresa shortly before she had a fatal heart attack Sept. 5, 1997, and died at age 87. The archbishop said the saintly sister was being treated for heart problems at a Calcutta hospital and that by day she appeared calm. But at night, he said, she became "extremely agitated" and tore off the wires to the heart monitors. D'Souza said he suggested an exorcism, and the elderly nun, who had devoted her life to helping the poor and downtrodden, quickly agreed. Some doubted the archbishop's story yesterday. The Rev. Richard McBrien, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, called the exorcism and the archbishop's explanation for it bizarre. So did Michael Cuneo, author of "American Exorcism," which hits bookstores next week. "You're not supposed to proceed with an exorcism without exhaustive testing," he said. Mother Teresa won a Nobel Prize for her life's work, and Pope John Paul has begun the process of declaring her a saint. D'Souza said the exorcism should not hurt Mother Teresa's chances of achieving sainthood. "In the hearts of those who knew her, she does not need canonization," he told the throngs gathered at the Calcutta headquarters of Mother Teresa's religious order, the Missionary Sisters of Charity. "She is already a saint to them." Mother Teresa's sari-clad sisters feed a half-million families a year, treat 90,000 lepers and school more than 20,000 children in Calcutta. Former Mayor Ed Koch, who met the so-called Saint of the Gutters several times, said nobody had less reason for an exorcism than Mother Teresa. "It was a waste of time," Koch said. "She was as pure as driven snow, before and after." In New York, the nuns run an AIDS hospice in Greenwich Village, a women's shelter in Harlem and the Queen of Peace shelter and soup kitchen in the Bronx. Last night, a memorial Mass was said in Mother Teresa's memory at St. Rita's of Cascia in Mott Haven, the Bronx.

By CORKY SIEMASZKO DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Mother Teresa believed she was possessed by the Devil, the archbishop of Calcutta said yesterday. So the revered nun, whom the Vatican hopes to make a saint, underwent an exorcism and afterward "slept like a baby,"he said. Archbishop Henry D'Souza's bizarre revelation came as millions yesterday marked the fourth anniversary of Mother Teresa's death. But D'Souza told CNN and The Associated Press in India he truly believed

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JEALOUS O.J. SOURED CHRISTMAS EVE PARTY

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Wednesday, September 27th 1995, 4:32AM LOS ANGELES O.J. Simpson was "ready to explode" in a jealous rage at a 1993 party thrown by ex-Olympic champ Bruce Jenner so O.J. stormed off, leaving guests "really upset" and the hostess in tears, police reports show. Jenner and his wife, Kris, told cops Simpson was "just wigging" when Joseph Perulli, who dated Nicole Brown Simpson shortly after she left O.J. in 1992, paid a surprise visit to the Christmas Eve bash. The Jenners' chilling account of the party differs from the watered-down version Simpson's houseguest, Brian (Kato) Kaelin, told on the witness stand. But prosecutors never called them to testify at Simpson's murder trial. Prosecutors also omitted, without explanation, other witnesses to domestic violence, including limo driver Alfred Acosta and beachgoer Albert Aguilera, who allegedly saw O.J. hit Nicole in separate incidents in the 1980s. In her Nov. 3 statement to cops reviewed by the Daily News, Kris Jenner said, "He [O.J.] was getting a little bit glazed and you could tell he was ready to explode." When party host Bruce Jenner tried to calm Simpson, O.J. was cold as ice. "I sat down across from him [O.J.], you know, tried to bring up the subject of golf, and, to be honest with you, I got no response. I mean there was nothing! He didn't even look at me! I got absolutely no response," Jenner said. Perulli, an underwear model, told cops of his eerie encounter with Simpson at the party. "He [O.J.] came walking up. I said: 'You're looking well.' And O.J. said: 'It's just an illusion.' "We shook hands. I thought everything was fine. All of a sudden he went storming out of the house with Nicole and the kids and Kato [Kaelin], their whatever he was. He [O.J.] appeared angry," Perulli recalled in a Nov. 18 statement to cops. Perulli said when he first arrived at the party "it was like one of those E.F. Hutton commercials . . . dead silence. I thought, s--, what's going on here? Then I saw O.J. in the living room. . . . It was so tense and funky in that place. Kris was just beside herself." Kris Jenner said she was so fearful of an explosion by O.J. that she ran upstairs to her bathroom and wept. After the Simpsons left, Kris Jenner said: "We went on with the evening and every single person in the room was very, very uncomfortable after it happened. We all talked about it, you know, they were really upset." Jenner said Simpson left in such a huff that he was turning the car around before Nicole, Kato and the kids could even get in. "I felt so bad because they left with their kids and Santa Claus hadn't come yet. I felt really bad," Kris Jenner said.

LOS ANGELES O.J. Simpson was "ready to explode"in a jealous rage at a 1993 party thrown by ex-Olympic champ Bruce Jenner so O.J. stormed off, leaving guests "really upset"and the hostess in tears, police reports show. Jenner and his wife, Kris, told cops Simpson was "just wigging"when Joseph Perulli, who dated Nicole Brown Simpson shortly after she left O.J. in 1992, paid a surprise visit to the Christmas Eve bash.

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Careers at Telegraph Media Group: Culture

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Published: 2:56PM BST 09 Oct 2009 Media is a very fast paced industry and in order to maintain our strong market position in both print and digital media, we invest heavily in staff development/training and empower staff to take the initiative and continue to drive through new and innovative ways of engaging with our customers. This has led to us being the first newspaper group to go online in 1994 but also the first newspaper group to introduce podcasts. Our culture of innovation is also reinforced through modern facilities. Our state-of- the-art offices in central London were purposely built in order to radically change the way news was published. Our high-tech newsroom operates a hub and spoke editorial system which supports our pioneering approach of reporting news as and when it happens across multiple media platforms.

Telegraph Media Group operate a culture of knowledge sharing and staff empowerment.

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SLAY RAP FOR PROM MOM STATE SEZ BABY BOY STRANGLED IN STALL AT DANCE

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By JAMES RUTENBERG and CORKY SIEMASZKO Wednesday, June 25th 1997, 2:02AM A New Jersey teenager who gave birth in a bathroom during her prom strangled and suffocated her newborn son as her date waited outside and classmates grooved on the dance floor, a prosecutor charged yesterday. New details emerged as prosecutors charged mom Melissa Drexler with murder, saying her baby lived long enough to draw several breaths. Drexler then dumped the body in the trash, returned to the dance floor and later noshed on salad, said Monmouth County prosecutor John Kaye. The baby was found by a maintenance worker sent to mop up the blood in the stall. "We are certain that the baby was alive after it was born," said Kaye, who had delayed charging Drexler until the autopsy on the baby was completed. "The child has marks on its neck that would indicate exactly what happened." Investigators aren't sure whether Drexler smothered the baby or if he suffocated inside the knotted plastic garbage bag in which he was found. Drexler, 18, of Forked River, N.J., faces life in prison if convicted on murder charges. She also is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Kaye said it was unlikely that prosecutors would seek the death penalty against Drexler, citing her youth and lack of a criminal record. Smirking and wearing a sleeveless black-and-blue denim sundress, matching sandals and bright blue nail polish, Drexler did not speak except to say "yes" when questioned by Superior Court Judge John Ricciardi. Drexler avoided looking at her parents, John and Maria Drexler, who mortgaged their home to make her $50,000 bail. Her 20-year-old boyfriend and the presumed father of the child, John Lewis, was not in the Monmouth County courtroom. Drexler's attorney, Steven Secare, entered a not guilty plea for his client. Drexler appeared on the verge of tears as she left with her parents. Secare insisted "she's not very happy and she's very nervous." John Drexler later called the charges "a shocker." Last night, Lewis, 20, paid a visit to the Drexler home. Emerging an hour later, he said Drexler was holding up well, but, "She's very scared." Earlier, Kaye revealed horrifying new details about what allegedly happened June 6 at the Lacey Township High School prom. "No one, as far as we know, no one knew she was pregnant but her," Kaye said. Drexler complained of cramps as she drove with Lewis to the Garden Manor banquet hall in Aberdeen Township, said Kaye. Witnesses described seeing blood on the floor while she was closeted in the bathroom stall and hearing sounds that were not "the normal things you hear in the bathroom," according to Kaye. They said Drexler appeared to be trying to wipe the blood from the floor with her shoe. Drexler apparently cut the umbilical cord with the edge of a sanitary napkin dispenser and put the baby in a garbage bag, which she later placed in a trash can, Kaye said. Before Drexler came out of the stall, she told a friend in the bathroom with her that she would be done shortly. "Go tell the boys we'll be right out," said Drexler, according to Kaye. Later, at the prom, when asked by school officials about the blood in the stall, Drexler "told them it was an extra heavy menstruation," said Kaye. The baby died of "asphyxia due to manual strangulation and obstruction of the external airway or orifices," he said. The county medical examiner's office determined that the baby had breathed by doing a microscopic analysis of sacs in his lungs. They also found air in the intestines of the 6-pound, 6-ounce, 19-inch boy. Meanwhile, Drexler's child lay unclaimed at the county morgue. "It hasn't been named yet," said Secare.

A New Jersey teenager who gave birth in a bathroom during her prom strangled and suffocated her newborn son as her date waited outside and classmates grooved on the dance floor, a prosecutor charged yesterday. New details emerged as prosecutors charged mom Melissa Drexler with murder, saying her baby lived long enough to draw several breaths. Drexler then dumped the body in the trash, returned to the dance floor and later noshed on

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http://web.archive.org/web/20091209124229id_/http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/advertising/explore/products/6662171/Why-advertise-in-The-Daily-Telegraph.html

Why advertise in The Daily Telegraph?

20091209124229

Published: 2:27PM GMT 26 Nov 2009 Information and key facts about The Daily Telegraph. The Daily Telegraph is Britain's biggest-selling quality daily newspaper, and retains the broadsheet format. Between Monday and Friday, it features seperate, dedicated Sport and Business sections. On Saturday's, the multi-section Daily Telegraph includes the following: The award-winning Telegraph Magazine is also included with The Daily Telegraph on Saturdays. Big-name writers and contributors include Simon Heffer, Boris Johnson, Jeff Randall, Brian Moore, James Cracknell, Benedict Brogan and Andrew Pierce. The Daily Telegraph offers greater advertising impact than any compact - not only because it has bigger pages than the compacts, but also because readers spend longer with each page than any other quality daily. So, by advertising in our paper, you’ll get greater standout and more exposure.

Advertise in The Daily Telegraph; product information and key facts for advertisers.

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http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/2006/06/22/2006-06-22_splendor_in_the_trash__it_s_.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20100102155714id_/http://www.nydailynews.com:80/archives/entertainment/2006/06/22/2006-06-22_splendor_in_the_trash__it_s_.html

SPLENDOR IN THE TRASH. It's not all wretched refuse - just ask a sanitation worker

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Thursday, June 22th 2006, 7:34AM The Goldsteins' 3.5-carat ring landing in the dump this week is hardly an isolated tale of finding a diamond in the rubbish. "Oh, I've found jewelry," says Raymond Doyle Jr., a sanitation worker for District 6 on Long Island. "Louise [his wife] has a gold bracelet encrusted with rubies all around it. I couldn't even guess how much it's worth." As the old saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Who in the city hasn't furnished, or thought of furnishing, their apartment from sidewalk castoffs, or "reefing mungo," as those in waste management call it? After all, New Yorkers chuck some pretty amazing things - from vintage jewelry and toys to electronics and furniture. New York's Strongest work in freezing and scalding temperatures and amid broken glass, ­needles and oversize rodents to remove 8 million residents' refuse - a task that affords them first pick of the litter. "You gotta have the nose for it," says Doyle, 45. "The nose knows." He has claimed some spectacular finds in his 28 years on the job, including a first edition of Steinbeck's "Cannery Row" and a 1950s Erector Set. What's more, Doyle regularly sells what he finds on eBay. The Erector Set went for $300. A fishing plug known as a snook plunker reeled in $260. He finds so much, in fact, that he jokes he could take orders. "If you need a tool, you need new hinges for your door or your kitchen cabinets, rabbit ears for your TV that's going in the backyard, you name it, it's there." Elsewhere, the story is the same. "I find stuff all the time," says a Brooklyn sanitation worker who prefers to be known only as Rob. "I work in very ritzy areas, and they throw everything out - kitchen sinks, washers and dryers - stuff that works!" His biggest score was a box of comic books still encased in plastic. "This old lady was cleaning out her attic," he says. "Spider-Mans and Batmans and ­everything - that's probably my best find.". Doyle salvaged five framed, original postcards by noted artist Keith Haring, who died in 1990 of AIDS. "I would never sell that," he says. Books are other treasures close to his heart: "I can't let books go. I always take books." In a sign of the changing times, people are throwing away CDs as they move from disks to MP3s. "First, years ago, it was 78s and 45s, then a lot of LPs," says Doyle. "Then people threw away records, turning to CDs." Collecting trash is a study in cultural evolution. "I call myself an anthropologist who drives a garbage truck," says Doyle. "Whenever I look into the garbage, I'm studying the habits of man. I know more about some people than their loved ones do - without being nosy, just looking down." That's not to say taxpayers should fear that sanitation workers are digging through their trash. "We're working," Doyle emphasizes. "We're not going through garbage, never ripping open bags. A lot of times, people throw this stuff out as an afterthought on top of their pail." Rob agrees that only items in the open are fair game. "It's illegal to go through stuff that's not open. Just stuff you can see." And if some unfortunate soul realizes he has discarded a precious object, à la the Goldsteins' diamond ring, trash collectors are trained to locate and return it. "If they find out they threw it away before we get to the dump, we dump the truck in a separate area," Doyle explains. Workers then sort through the load, looking for bills and magazines with ­addresses on them to pinpoint the area with the right bags. "We isolate it, and most time we do find their rent money, mortgage money, jewelry, birth certificates," he says. In fact, Rob's men went through a search-and-rescue mission similar to the Goldsteins' just last week. "We had a guy who threw out jewelry also," he says. They fished through 12 tons of garbage to get it back. Unfortunately, reefing mungo isn't all handy appliances and collectibles. One day while Doyle was running his truck's compactor, gallons of blood began squirting ­everywhere. "It turned out to be beef blood," he says. "The man intended to use it for shark fishing, but threw it out. That was a fiasco, because the police were called." Animals pose another problem. "We've found live hamsters," says Rob. "Someone just left them on the curb in a little cage." Animal control is called in for those situations, as well as for critter attacks. Possums and raccoons, for example, love to bed down in garbage pails. "I've had a couple of times where I lift the lid open and a possum jumps out," says Rob. "Those are scary, no matter how many times you see it."

T he Goldsteins' 3.5-carat ring landing in the dump this week is hardly an isolated tale of finding a diamond in the rubbish. "Oh, I've found jewelry,"says Raymond Doyle Jr., a sanitation worker for District 6 on Long Island. "Louise [his wife] has a gold bracelet encrusted with rubies all around it. I couldn't even guess how much it's worth."As the old saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Who

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http://web.archive.org/web/20100125010815id_/http://abcnews.go.com:80/2020/john-edwards-accepted-paternity-andrew-youngs-book/story?id=9632807

John Edwards' Accepted Paternity Because of Andrew Young's Book

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John Edwards' former aide said he is "skeptical" that the former presidential contender is now a "doting, loving" father of his mistress's toddler after trying for so long to hide his paternity. Andrew Young says the senator proposed an elaborate cover-up to hide paternity. Andrew Young also suggested that Edwards finally admitted his fatherhood this week because an upcoming book includes evidence of Edwards' attempt to hide his paternity. "It's been 2½ years" Young told ABC News, referring to the amount of time that Edwards first began denying an affair with Rielle Hunter and later denying that her child, Frances Quinn, was his daughter. "For it to come out a week before my book is coming out ... I've expected it a long time. I expected they were going to do a public relations campaign to promote him, which I'm very skeptical of. All of sudden he's a doting, loving father of Quinn. I'm skeptical of it," Young said. Young is an ex-aide to Edwards, who was so loyal to the Democratic presidential wannabe that he initially agreed to publicly claim he was the father of Quinn to protect Edwards' reputation and political career. Young wrote his account of the sex scandal in a book titled "The Politician," which will appear on book shelves Feb. 2. "He is doing this a week before my book comes out where there is going to be stuff that he cannot, you know, there are voice mails. In his voice. And voicemails in Elizabeth's voice that absolutely contradict almost everything that he has said," Young said. "I think that he is trying, that he is going to do everything he can to deflect that." Edwards flew to Haiti with actor Sean Penn to work on earthquake relief Thursday, the same day he released a statement saying, "I am Quinn's father." "I will do everything in my power to provide her with the love and support she deserves," Edwards' statement said. He added that it was "wrong" that he denied he was the girl's father. Tune in to ABC News' "20/20" and "Nightline" Friday, Jan. 29 to see Andrew Young's exclusive groundbreaking interview. Then tune in to "Good Morning America" on the following Tuesday, Feb. 2, when Young will appear for his first live interview. Family friend and lawyer Harrison Hickman told ABC News that Edwards made his announcement Thursday because the arrangements for child support were only finalized in the past few days.

John Edwards' former aide Andrew Young says the one-time presidential contender admitted he was the father of Rielle Hunter's baby only because Young's upcoming book includes irrefutable evidence.

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http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/1995/03/08/1995-03-08_hip_hip_carre___game__is_a_w.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20100313153035id_/http://www.nydailynews.com:80/archives/entertainment/1995/03/08/1995-03-08_hip_hip_carre___game__is_a_w.html

HIP HIP CARRE: 'GAME' IS A WINNER THE COLD WAR IS OVER - BUT THE GREAT SPY NOVELIST IS STILL HOT AT IT

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Wednesday, March 8th 1995, 3:63AM OUR GAME By John le Carre (Knopf. $24) ONE OF THESE YEARS, John le Carre will write a novel that falls short of his admirers' expectations, but 1995 is not the year. "Our Game" continues the remarkable record of high-tension excellence that began with "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold." At its simplest, this new (and 15th overall) novel is a mystery. A devious and delicious mystery. A man is missing, apparently on the run with a one-time Soviet spy, about $37 million stolen from the Kremlin and a young woman. The missing man is Larry Pettifer, a brilliant, bored radical don at the University of Bath. The former spy is a suspected Caucasus nationalist. The woman is the wild and beautiful mistress of Tim Cranmer, former British intelligence officer who was retired to his inherited wine estate in England after the Cold War ran its expensive course. Pettifer was at one time a double agent for the British and Cranmer was his control agent. Cranmer and Pettifer are opposites in temperament and tastes, but the two men have stayed in touch and, in fact, it was Cranmer who arranged Pettifer's professorship at Bath. So it is understandable that the British suspect Cranmer knows something about Pettifer's disappearance and understandable that Cranmer is put under surveillance. He couldn't care less about the money and the spying. Obsessed by his missing love, he shakes his followers and sets off to find her. In le Carre's tightening grip, though, the search becomes something altogether different for identity and meaning. Cranmer is an interesting character, as spiritually burned out as any character Graham Greene ever created, and a conventional intellectual who plays everything in life safe. Pettifer is such a contrast to Cranmer that it's hard to appreciate what they've got in common. But one clue comes in Paris, where Cranmer is told, "Maybe you don't want to find your friend, but to become him." Those words will come back to haunt Cranmer. "Our Game" is about betrayal and blood grudges, the redeeming nobility of ruined possibilities and the importance of dreams, even if they are unrealistic and unattainable. "Our Game" is some story. Le Carre is some storyteller.

OUR GAME By John le Carre (Knopf. $24) ONE OF THESE YEARS, John le Carre will write a novel that falls short of his admirers' expectations, but 1995 is not the year. "Our Game"continues the remarkable record of high-tension excellence that began with "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold."At its simplest, this new (and 15th overall) novel is a mystery. A devious and delicious mystery. A man is missing,

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http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2003/08/12/2003-08-12_the_future_in_gadgetry.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20100406021311id_/http://www.nydailynews.com:80/archives/news/2003/08/12/2003-08-12_the_future_in_gadgetry.html

THE FUTURE IN GADGETRY

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By NANCY DILLON DAILY NEWS BUSINESS WRITER Tuesday, August 12th 2003, 1:25AM Hewlett-Packard got flashy yesterday and unveiled a host of new digital cameras, printers, scanners, VHS-to-DVD home movie converters and consumer gadgets. There were more than 158 new offerings, representing HP's biggest product launch since it swallowed Compaq in a mega-merger last year. who made the announcement in the Starrett-Lehigh building on E. 26th St., quipped, "This is almost as many products as there are gubernatorial candidates in California." The consumer tech blitz is intended to fend off competition from No. 1 PC maker Dell and top printing rival Lexmark. One of the printers unveiled yesterday offers studio-quality black-and-white photo prints using an eight-ink process. The HP PhotoSmart 7960 ships in September and will retail at $299. HP also introduced the HP PSC 2510, a "mini photo lab" that can scan, copy, fax and generate proof sheets akin to photo labs'. After hooking up a digital camera to the printer, users can print a proof sheet, identify the frames they want, scan them back into the system and watch as the photos they marked are printed in the sizes and quantities they selected. It can connect wirelessly with PCs and sells for $399. One of the sexiest new products is the $149 HP ScanJet 460, a stand-alone scanner that looks like a sheet of glass in a frame. Users can place the tray-like scanner on anything from a wall to a table surface and watch as a scanning wand slides from left to right. "It even scans body parts," HP Digital Imaging exec Mary Peery said with a laugh. A new digital camera, the HP PhotoSmart 945, offers 5.3-megapixel resolution, an optical zoom and technology that helps balance the contrast between bright spots and shadows. It will retail for $549. HP's new DVD Movie Writer dc3000 will connect to PCs and transfer VHS tapes to DVD discs. Shipping in mid-September, it will sell for $399. "This is a powerful announcement," said Rob Enderle at Enderle Research in Silicon Valley. "HP is really the only company that deals with the full product chain of digital photography - from camera to computer to printer." Gartner Group tech analyst Peter Grant said Dell has some catching up to do. "The battlefield is flipped, at least in the short term," Grant said. "Now I can get everything from HP and only have to make one phone call when I have a problem or return."

By NANCY DILLON DAILY NEWS BUSINESS WRITER H ewlett-Packard got flashy yesterday and unveiled a host of new digital cameras, printers, scanners, VHS-to-DVD home movie converters and consumer gadgets. There were more than 158 new offerings, representing HP's biggest product launch since it swallowed Compaq in a mega-merger last year. CEO Carly Fiorina, who made the announcement in the Starrett-Lehigh building on E. 26th St., quipped, "This is almost as many products as there are

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http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1999/08/14/1999-08-14_all-stars_beat_del__parents_.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20100522115705id_/http://www.nydailynews.com:80/archives/news/1999/08/14/1999-08-14_all-stars_beat_del__parents_.html

ALL-STARS BEAT DEL. PARENTS PITCHING FOR KIDS

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By RAPHAEL SUGARMAN and DAVE GOLDINER DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS Saturday, August 14th 1999, 2:11AM BRISTOL, Conn. Rafael Sanchez wasn't worried when he came in to pitch yesterday afternoon with the game on the line for his Rolando Paulino All-Star team. The 12-year-old from the Bronx looked up into the stands and spotted his dad his personal good-luck charm looking down from a seat behind the third-base dugout. "Every time I feel nervous, I look up and see my father," said Rafael, an eighth-grader at Junior High School 22 in the Melrose section of the Bronx. "He's cheering and I feel great. It calms me down." The pitcher took a deep breath, whiffed the first batter and coolly retired the side. He went on to hit a sacrifice fly that knocked in the winning run as the Paulino All-Stars beat Dover, Del., 6-5, and continued their improbable run through the Little League Eastern Region playoffs. "Winning is great," said Justin Echevarria, 11, a first baseman. "I also like the way the girls look at you when you win." The latest Rolando Paulino victory came as no surprise to the contingent of 50 boisterous friends and relatives from the Bronx who came to cheer for their little heroes. They sat together, some wearing red jerseys, stomping their feet, yelling encouragement in Spanish and chanting, "New York! New York!" No one rooted harder than Rafael Sanchez's father, also named Rafael Sanchez. The elder Sanchez, who dreamed of playing professional ball himself as a child in the Dominican Republic, sees a more secure future for his son. "Sure, I'd like to see him play professional," said Sanchez, who owns a parking lot in Morris Heights. "But school is more important. School comes first." Wearing a green tank top, Sanchez looked intently down as his son took the mound in the fourth inning yesterday with the bases loaded and the game tied. A few pitches later, he cheered with his wife, Ana Sanchez, and another son, Edwin, as the younger Sanchez retired the side to get out of the jam. "Whenever I get two balls in a row, I look up at him," the younger Sanchez said. After the game, the kids from the Bronx said goodbye to their parents and friends, most of whom have been making the two-hour drive to and from Bristol for each game. "We would like to stay, but we have to go back and forth," said Ana Sanchez. "We have to work, we have no choice." The boys are staying in a dormitory with coaches and players from the other teams. All of them were planning to go to a dance last night and were concerned over the lack of girls for the shindig. In just a few days here, the Bronx teammates have made many friends. The tournament here lasts until Thursday, when the Eastern Region champs will head for Williamsport, Pa., for the Little League World Series. The suburban kids from the other teams asked plenty of questions about the Bronx, which they imagined was a wasteland where the ballplayers would have to dodge bullets in-between practice swings. "I tell them I love the Bronx," said right fielder Alex Martinez. "It's not that dangerous and there's no place like home." Here's a look at the Rolando Paulino team's progress in the Little League playoffs. TUESDAY: Lost 2-0, to Capital City, Washington, D.C. WEDNESDAY: Beat world champion Toms River, N.J., 5-3 in stunning upset. YESTERDAY: Beat Dover, Del., 6-5. TONIGHT Play State College, Pa. SUNDAY: Play Denton, MD., in round-robin finale Four out of six teams in each of two divisons make it to next round starting Monday, with the winner going to Williamsport, Pa., to represent the East at the Little League World Series.

BRISTOL, Conn. Rafael Sanchez wasn't worried when he came in to pitch yesterday afternoon with the game on the line for his Rolando Paulino All-Star team. The 12-year-old from the Bronx looked up into the stands and spotted his dad his personal good-luck charm looking down from a seat behind the third-base dugout. "Every time I feel nervous, I look up and see my father,"said Rafael, an eighth-grader at Junior High School 22 in

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http://abcnews.go.com/2020/birdman-french-spiderman-defy-gravity/story

http://web.archive.org/web/20100530035342id_/http://abcnews.go.com:80/2020/birdman-french-spiderman-defy-gravity/story?id=10738649

'Birdman' and 'French Spiderman' Defy Gravity

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Alain Robert and Jeb Corliss are two men who've never met, yet they share many of the same experiences. They're both risk takers driven by their fears. Building climber Alain Robert hangs from ceiling at home to stay in super shape. One scales steel and glass towers, while the other soars through the air. Corliss, 34, uses a flying squirrel-style wing-suit to travel at speeds of up to 300 mph and steer through the air during freefall. "If you want to do something spectacular, something special, you have to be willing to take really unique risks," said Corliss. Corliss described his childhood as unhappy and isolated. By his teens, he said, he was suicidal. Watch the full story on a special edition of "20/20" Tuesday, June 1 at 10 p.m. ET "I didn't really care, nothing mattered to me," Corliss said. "And all I know is that feeling made me want to do things that were really, really dangerous." Base jumping -- freefalling from high structures -- became his passion, and he jumped from iconic landmarks across the globe. "In my search for death I really did find my life," Corliss said. Forever pushing the limits, Corliss moved on to wing-suit flying, which allowed him to fulfill his childhood dream. "I was about 5 years old and I was watching these birds, and I remember seeing them open their wings and start to fly," said Corliss. "And I remember going, you know what, when I get older I'm going to do that." In 2007, Corliss flew past the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Brazil. He describes that flight as amazing but felt he wasn't close enough to anything -- so he set his sights on the Matterhorn in Switzerland. Now he trains constantly to avoid missteps, like the one he had in Italy while training to fly off the Matterhorn. His parachute got caught on some branches during his descent, and he broke his hand in two places. He was still determined to get to the Matterhorn in the Alps. Last year, with his left hand broken, and armed with his trademark cameras that document all his flights, Corliss jumped out of a helicopter at 16,000 feet. He flew at speeds of almost 200 mph, in the coldest temperatures he's ever flown. How does the suit enable him to fly like a bird? It has vents that fill with air as he falls, inflating his "wings" and allowing him to slide against the air. At one point on the way down the mountain, Corliss felt he was too close to the mountain, he said, but courage led the way down. "It's all bonus time as far as I'm concerned," he said. "I've already lived my life 10 times over. If I died tomorrow doing what I love, I don't want anyone to cry for me. Everyone should throw a celebration, because I died doing what I loved."

'20/20' looks at the fascinating exploits of "Birdman" and the "French Spiderman," aka Jeb Corliss and Alain Robert, who talk about what drives them to push the extremes of experience.

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http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/2006/04/28/2006-04-28_inner_tube.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20100621065718id_/http://www.nydailynews.com:80/archives/entertainment/2006/04/28/2006-04-28_inner_tube.html

INNER TUBE

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Friday, April 28th 2006, 7:18AM Be warned: A potential "Sopranos" spoiler follows. As fans know, when we last saw Vito Spatafore, the gay mobster played by Joe Gannascoli, he was in a small town in New Hampshire contemplating a world where can live free (or something like that), while back in New Jersey, his pals were contemplating his demise. However, in an interview airing Sunday night at 10 on WPLJ's (95.5 FM) "Twist," hosted by Dennis Hensley, Will Wikle and Melissa Carter," Gannascoli suggests that first we'll delve deeper into his new lifestyle. Asked if Vito gets a boyfriend, he replies: "You will see it soon, my friend." And what sort of man would Vito go for? "I would think, I guess, the type I like in women - black hair, dark," Gannascoli says. "If Vito had a choice, he would go for the Benjamin Bratt-type." The Italian Heritage & Culture Committee of the Bronx and Westchester will give WNYW/WWOR general manager Lew Leone its 2006 Il Leone di San Marco Award in Media Sunday in New Rochelle. ... NBC has renewed all three versions of "Law & Order" for next season. ... Tomorrow, Ch. 4's Darlene Rodriguez will be honored with the Chairman's Award by the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force of the N.Y. State Assembly at their annual conference, Somos el Futuro (We are the future). ... ABC will hold open auditions Sunday for singers (18 or older) for a new reality show. Participants will sing one song of their choice and one from a list posted at www.abcmusicproject.com. The audition is 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Copacabana, 560 W. 34th St. ... Ch. 2 launches "Kirtzman and Kramer" hosted by Andrew Kirtzman and Marcia Kramer Sunday at 11 a.m. R.H.

Latest 'Twist' on what'll become of gay mobster Be warned: A potential "Sopranos"spoiler follows. As fans know, when we last saw Vito Spatafore, the gay mobster played by Joe Gannascoli, he was in a small town in New Hampshire contemplating a world where can live free (or something like that), while back in New Jersey, his pals were contemplating his demise. However, in

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http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/24/politics/24PHOT.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20100703073807id_/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/24/politics/24PHOT.html

Photos of Soldiers and #39

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WASHINGTON, April 23 — A White House spokesman, Trent Duffy, said on Friday that President Bush had seen photographs of the coffins of service members killed in Iraq arriving at Dover Air Force Base that were made public on Thursday and agreed with the Pentagon that releasing the photographs was wrong. "We must pay attention to the privacy and to the sensitivity of the families of the fallen," Mr. Duffy said. "And that's what the policy is based on and that has to be the utmost concern." A collection of more than 300 pictures of these coffins landing with Iraq war dead at Dover Air Force Base, Del., were made available this week after a Web site, the Memory Hole (www.thememoryhole.org), filed a Freedom of Information Act request for any pictures of coffins arriving from Iraq at the Dover base. The Pentagon, which has blocked news organizations from taking their own pictures of similar scenes, said releasing the photographs was wrong. It said its policy, in place since the first war in the Persian Gulf, was meant to protect the privacy of military families. The nation has literally tens of thousands of such photos because when American forces go to war, so do combat photographers who document the horror and heroism of battle, as well as the quiet moments of preparation before a mission and reflection or rebuilding after the fighting stops. The work of these soldiers with cameras sometimes attain a realism and intimacy beyond anything Steven Spielberg filmed for "Saving Private Ryan." The images are routinely released by the Pentagon to highlight the work of the armed forces and to make the Pentagon's case before the public. They appear in Defense Department publications and on its Web sites, and are available to news organizations. But other pictures go unseen. Some are classified because they reveal the secret ways the United States wages war. Placed in archives, they are available for study by those with the proper security clearance. Some are made public after many years, resonating like Mathew Brady's prints from the Civil War. These military photographers also document their fellow soldiers' journeys home, even if that journey is made inside a flag-draped coffin. Many news organizations have accused the Pentagon and the Bush administration of trying to keep images of soldiers killed in Iraq away from the public for political reasons, fearing a loss of support for the war. But whatever the reason for not releasing them, why were these pictures taken at all? "We take all kinds of photographs for historical purposes, for documentation and for training," said an Air Force combat photographer, who discussed his work but demanded that his name be withheld. "We take photographs regardless of whether the images are classified or for official use or for the public," he added. "It doesn't matter to us. We take the pictures. If they are cleared for public release, that is all well and good." At the Pentagon, officials said they were reviewing the policy to see whether it was in conflict with the Freedom of Information Act. "By all means, we support F.O.I.A.," John Molino, deputy under secretary of defense for military community and family policy, said on Thursday of the Freedom of Information Act. "F.O.I.A. is the law of the land. The law of the land trumps policy all the time. If for some reason we find that the policy is inconsistent with the F.O.I.A., we'll look at whether or not the policy needs to be changed." In their eagerness to take advantage of the first photographs of American war dead from Iraq returning to Dover, several news organizations broadcast or published images of coffins that actually contained the remains of astronauts killed in the breakup of the Columbia space shuttle, NASA said Friday. Among the news organizations that used the incorrect photographs were CNN, The Associated Press, Reuters and The Washington Post. "This was an obvious case of mistaken identity," said Bob Jacobs, a NASA spokesman. Mr. Jacobs said 73 of the photographs, which reportedly showed soldiers killed in Iraq, were actually images from the arrival at Dover of the bodies of the seven astronauts killed in the Columbia accident. The freedom of information request had asked for "all photographs showing caskets (or other devices) containing the remains of U.S. military personnel at Dover A.F.B." from Feb. 1, 2003 — the day the Columbia disintegrated — to the present. NASA officials realized that the images were from the Columbia ceremonies because they recognized the scenes from the events. For one thing, Mr. Jacobs said, "one of the coffins has an Israeli flag on it," he said. One of those killed in the shuttle disaster was an Israeli astronaut, Col. Ilan Roman. But news organizations that used the NASA pictures labeled them as dead soldiers from Iraq. In some cases, they said they had received confirmation from the Pentagon first that the pictures showed coffins of soldiers killed in Iraq. CNN reported on its error without apology saying, "The Pentagon had confirmed to us that the bodies were those of military remains." CNN said it did not use the photos until it received that confirmation. Steve Coll, managing editor of The Washington Post, said his newspaper printed the photos without any confirmation from the Pentagon. He described the decision to use the photos as a chaotic one. Thom Shanker reported from Washington for this article and Bill Carter from New York.

A White House spokesman said that President Bush agreed with the Pentagon that releasing the photographs of the coffins of service members killed in Iraq was wrong.

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http://www.forbes.com/2009/09/14/retirement-moves-happiness-personal-finance-happiness.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20100703095517id_/http://www.forbes.com/2009/09/14/retirement-moves-happiness-personal-finance-happiness.html

Short-Distance Moves Make Retirees Happier

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There are two traditional views of how Americans can be happiest in retirement. In one, they retrofit their homes with grab bars and wheelchair-accessible bathrooms and "age in place" while maintaining long-time community, church and family ties. In the other, they say farewell to friends and frigid winters and head off to Florida or Sun City for a life of leisurely golf and bridge games. But a new study from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College suggests there is another road that leads to happiness. Older Americans who move are somewhat happier and wealthier than those who stay put, but most of their moves are short-distance ones--some made as part of a retirement plan and some in response to a shock, such as being widowed or divorced, the study found. Despite their differing circumstances, both groups ended up with at least modest gains in happiness from the move. Those who moved after a shock were a little less unhappy than old folks in comparable circumstances who stayed put. Those who executed a planned move were happier than their less mobile planner peers. The findings dispel the notion that staying put in a long-time home maximizes the psychological well-being of older adults, says Kelly Haverstick, a research economist at the center. "I was personally surprised." The findings are, however, consistent with a broader definition of aging in place. Most of the older folks' moves were short distance, suggesting that maybe downsizing to a more manageable residence, but staying in your community surrounded by family and friends, is the key to happily aging in place. In their report, Haverstick and her co-authors used data from the University of Michigan's national Health and Retirement Study to examine the habits of folks born between 1931 and 1941. They were tracked over a 12-year period from 1992 to 2004. That means the individuals were aged 51-61 the first year studied, and were aged 63-73 during the last year. Nearly a third (30%) of homeowners moved at least once over the 12-year period, while in any two-year period, 7% of homeowners moved. But 60% the moves were short-distance ones of less than 20 miles, while only 21% of moves were for more than 200 miles. The statistics show small net outflows from New England and the North Central regions along with larger net inflows into the South Atlantic (including Florida) and the Mountain regions (including Arizona) but no large-scale migration from the Frost Belt to the Sun Belt. Surprisingly, the report found that a move for traditional retirement reasons (for example, seeking a warmer climate or leisure) ranked only fourth on the list of reasons folks gave for moving. Of the movers, 28% moved for family reasons (to be near children or to care for an older relative, for example); 22% moved because of financial stress; 21% moved to upgrade to a better house and/or location; and 16% moved for traditional retirement reasons. Lastly, the report looks at whether households making a move choose to continue being homeowners. Here there is a big difference between seniors who have faced shocks and those who had the luxury to plan their moves. It turns out that 33% of homeowners who moved after shocks became renters or moved in with relatives. (For advice, see "How to Set Up a Multi-Generation Household.") Only 18% of movers who hadn't suffered a shock discontinued homeownership. Moving also affected the average change in home equity for the various groups. Those who didn't move, whether or not they faced shocks, saw an average increase in home equity of $12,000. Those who moved after a shock saw a decline in home equity of $26,000. Those who moved according to a plan invested more in their homes, with an average increase in home equity of $33,000.

Research contradicts idea that seniors need to cling to their homes.

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http://www.forbes.com/2010/07/01/gold-schlumberger-bp-markets-china-commodities-lenzner.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20100703170232id_/http://www.forbes.com/2010/07/01/gold-schlumberger-bp-markets-china-commodities-lenzner.html

StreetTalk's Survival Guide To Tumbling Markets

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Making money in the stock market hasn't been this tough since the fall of 2008. Bear in mind that in the short-term the bears may very well be in control. Stock markets are succumbing to the deflationary, and very negative conditions in many European nations that have been driven by very real necessity to cut budget deficits and reduce debt. This fiscal discipline is not priming the pump of slowing economies. In the U.S. the sharp decline in consumer confidence and housing starts along with poor jobs numbers plagues expectations for domestic equities and is driving down--rather dramatically, too--the yield on 10-year Treasury notes. Plunging yields attest to the lack of vigor in the economy. "Count me among those who believe that the 'austerians' (austerity is coming) are about to send the economy off a cliff, or as I see it, into a demolition derby," warns my newest favorite blogger John T. Burke Jr. on Centerlane.com. Indeed, the dividend yield on the Dow is a tad more than the 10-year Treasury. Never mind this odd juxtaposition. Investors continue to take their money out of money market funds and equity funds to put the money in bond funds as the search for yield continues in frustrated fashion. To craft a survival strategy for this environment, StreetTalk has made use of several shrewd, pithy market gurus he especially respects. Christopher Woods, emerging markets expert for CLSA Securities, Stephen Leeb of Leeb's Market Forecast, Robert Smith of Smith Affiliated Capital, and Frank Holmes, CEO, U.S. Global Resources, a mutual fund group. No matter what transpires short term in the world economy, Dr. Stephen Leeb of Leeb's Market Forecast is adamant about a sure long-term trend in global commodities. "2008 was but a prelude to incredibly high commodity prices," Leeb e-mailed me this week. "Where is the excess capacity for copper, oil, indium, silver, rare earths and many other minerals and metals critical for building out alternative energies? China gets it in spades and we are clueless." In light of the desperate cloud over deepwater drilling for crude oil, Leeb likes natural gas stocks, which should benefit from rising natural gas prices, up 17% just in the past month. Today, a perfect example of natural gas prices advancing while crude oil weakens. His choices: Gazprom, which has 20% of the world's natural gas reserves, and CNOOC ( CEO - news - people ) Ltd., a huge Chinese oil and gas giant. By the way, Leeb would be an aggressive seller of BP ( BP - news - people ) on the uncertainty of plugging the well in the Gulf and the size of its future liability. Leeb's preferred way to play the long-term bullish trend in metals is Powershares DB Base Metals Fund ( DBB - news - people ), which tracks an index for the prices of copper, zinc and aluminum, metals that will be required in massive amounts by China for energy infrastructure, including alternatives, where it is far ahead of the U.S. Leeb believes that in two years DBB can rise from $18 to $40, more than a double. "All commodities will have their day big time once Europe is sorted out," says Leeb. "In the meantime more currency debasement means continued gains in gold." Both Leeb and another savvy investor friend, Frank Holmes, CEO of U.S. Global Investors ( GROW - news - people )--which runs several natural resources mutual funds--are excited about prospects for gold prices. At the present price level above $1,200 an ounce, several gold mining stocks seem very well positioned. Both men favor Barrick Gold ( ABX - news - people ) which has substantial gold reserves in North America. Holmes also has been buying Schlumberger ( SLB - news - people ), a big oil services outfit. Check out Holmes' chart on the performance of various commodity prices; it is the formative story going forward.

Market gurus look to gold and commodities as places to put money. Some are shorting European banks, too.

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http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/gossip/2003/09/23/2003-09-23_ben___j_lo_court_wedding_rum.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20100723081545id_/http://www.nydailynews.com:80/archives/gossip/2003/09/23/2003-09-23_ben___j_lo_court_wedding_rum.html

BEN & J.LO COURT WEDDING RUMORS

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BY GEORGE RUSH AND JOANNA MOLLOY With Suzanne Rozdeba, Zoe Alexander and Spencer Morgan Tuesday, September 23th 2003, 7:27AM Just when many had pronounced their relationship dead, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck set off fresh wedding rumors yesterday by showing up at a courthouse in Georgia. Local speculation was that the couple, who called off their Santa Barbara nuptials a week before, came to the Liberty County court building (near Savannah on the Georgia coast) for a marriage license. Not so, says Sheriff Don Martin, whose office is in the courthouse. "Ben came by with Jennifer to thank the Sheriff's Department and tell them how happy they were for helping out with protecting them and securing his property over the weekend," Martin told us. We can see how Bennifer might feel under siege: On Friday, Lopez flew up from Miami to join Affleck at his $7.1 million estate on Hampton Island near Savannah. Affleck took his fiancée out of for a spin the 1966 Chevelle she'd bought him. National Enquirer sleuth Barry Levine was promptly on their tail. Just their luck, the jalopy broke down, forcing the star couple to hike to a gas station for help. The next morning, they chose a vehicle in better health - a green Range Rover. The couple had barely left their spread when they had a half dozen cars laden with paparazzi in their mirror. One snapper who gave chase claims that the Range Rover was pushing 100 mph when it pulled away from the lens- jackals. The couple headed to Savannah, where they stopped at Best Buy and Barnes & Noble. Affleck, who had bought about 40 DVDs at Media Play the day before, also hit a Pro Bass outdoor shop. The goateed actor - who looked like he was getting in touch with his inner redneck in camouflage pants and a Mr. Goodwrench hat - was spotted in the gun department. A saleswoman at the story wouldn't say what he bought at the store. But Sheriff Martin said that, when he stopped by the courthouse, Affleck said he planned to apply for a gun or rifle permit. While he's waiting for his license, the actor has brought on local security. A photog told us one of Affleck's sentries fired a shot in the air to scare away a picture-shooter. Affleck's rep had no comment on the alleged warning shot, but asked, "Why can't [the media] just leave them alone?" The Federal Aviation Administration seems to be doing its part to help. An FAA spokesman confirms that the agency imposed a flight restriction over Affleck's property from Saturday morning to Sunday morning. The rep said the restriction, which grounded paparazzi planes, had to do with issues of "public safety or security." Russell Crowe's bar-brawling behavior is being turned into a television special. The Aussie's short-tempered moments will be featured in "Greatest Fights," a British program produced by Granada TV. It will include footage of the Oscar-winner roughing up a BBC producer at Britain's 2002 BAFTA Awards. Also due to be included are Rusty's alleged scuffles with techno icon Moby and other blokes he has encountered in bars. Crowe's rep didn't return a call. But we wouldn't be surprised if his lawyers try blocking the project. Meanwhile, Crowe seems to be picking another fight - this time with Mel Gibson. Asked about Gibson's epic movie about Christ, "The Passion," Crowe told a Chicago radio interviewer: "If what I've heard about it is fair dinkum [Aussie for 'true'], that he spent $25 million making a movie that's shot in Aramaic and Latin, and he's intending to release it without subtitles, I think he's got to get off the glue." Told that Gibson feels subtitles aren't necessary because so many people know the story, he countered, "What a waste of time! If we know the story, why did [he] bother making it?" Democratic presidential candidate Gen. Wesley Clark is reaching out to all voters - including badly behaved, beer-drinking bachelors. The retired NATO commander recently gave Maxim magazine an interview, in which former Col. David Hackworth debriefed him on what mattered most to the Maxim man. "No, no, I did not inhale," says Clark in the upcoming article. he says, "I walked into a [enemy] base camp and got greased. The guy emptied an AK[-47] magazine at me he stitched me up the right side of my body. He put a hole in my leg and one through my shoulder. I was lying on the ground bleeding and yelling. "The doctor said, 'You got the million-dollar wound.' But I thought the million-dollar wound was when you lost your you-know-what." He decided to stay in Vietnam because, "Why would you want to go out and work for a bank when you could be connected to the future of the United States?" Could Maxim readers get a few nights in the Lincoln bedroom? "Um, that's a key policy question," says Clark. "I'm not sure whether that's good government or not, but I'll certainly take it under consideration." Paris and Nicky Hilton made an early exit from the Vegas premiere of Cirque du Soleil's show "Zumanity." Word is that drag diva Joey Arias gave offense during his opening remarks when he gestured toward the fun-loving hotel heiresses and asserted, "Clearly, this is the hooker section." The duo made a quick departure and were conspicuously absent at the multi-million- dollar after-party, where jockstrapped performers on stilts were ogled by Daryl Hannah, Orlando Bloom, Jennifer Love Hewitt and designers Roberto Cavalli and Richie Rich. The Hiltons' rep says the sisters had to leave early to shoot footage for today's guest spot on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." A trip to Berlin has joined architect Daniel Libeskind and developer Larry Silverstein at the heart. Silverstein, who holds the lease on the World Trade Center, had irked Libeskind by hiring architect David Childs to lead the design of the 1,776-foot Freedom Tower. Trying to mend relations, Silverstein asked Libeskind if he'd show him his most famous building, Berlin's Jewish Museum. Libeskind agreed, giving Silverstein, his wife, Klara, and about 50 members of the United Jewish Appeal a private tour on Sept. 12. "It was wonderful to see the museum through the eyes of its creator," Silverstein told us. "It definitely strengthened our relationship," said Libeskind, who also had Shabat dinner with Silverstein the same day. "He's a wonderful human being." As for Childs, Libeskind told architectural writer Paul Goldberger during last weekend's New Yorker Festival: "Listen, I come from a tradition of Hasidic, arranged marriages. I know that this one will work, too." JASON BIGGS, who stars in Woody Allen's "Anything Else," still sounds like he's recovering from his make-out scene with Seann William Scott in "American Wedding." "It was definitely different from kissing a girl," Biggs told Webster Hall curator Baird Jones. "He had a bunch of stray hairs on his lip. The worst part was that we had to do 30 takes" DENISE RICH, composer and Pardon-gate figure from the final days of the Bill Clinton presidency, has split with her longtime business partner, Ric Wake. Wake, a music producer and up-and-coming exec at Sony Music, has bought her out. Rich will hold on to the rights to her songs, The News' Phyllis Furman reports. Rich's cancer-fighting Angel Ball is Oct. 27. MARC ANTHONY celebrated his 34th birthday at Copacabana on Saturday with Sean Combs, Donald Trump and, naturally, his wife, Dayanara. The salsa star told the former Miss Universe, "I love you from the bottom of my [bleeping] heart!" Anthony and Johnny Pacheco also sang about their love for Puerto Rico - till about 4 a.m. SUGAR SHANE Mosley, the new WBC and WBA super- welterweight champ, celebrates his victory over Oscar De La Hoya at Elaine's tonight. The city better give it up for Dave Matthews tomorrow night when he plays Central Park. We need to drown out his inner voice of gloom. "[The voice] gets louder as I get older," says Matthews, whose free, AOL-sponsored performance supports public schools. "I'm better at ignoring it than when I was 21, and taking lots of acid," the South African rocker tells Details magazine. But, even now, "I lose my grip a lot. "I can be up there going, 'God, there's that one person sitting there bored to death - everyone else is hoping I stop,' " says Matthews, whose first solo CD, "Some Devil," is released this week. Somehow we don't think that'll be the case on the Great Lawn.

Just when many had pronounced their relationship dead, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck set off fresh wedding rumors yesterday by showing up at a courthouse in Georgia. Local speculation was that the couple, who called off their Santa Barbara nuptials a week before, came to the Liberty County court building (near Savannah on the Georgia coast) for a marriage license. Not so, says Sheriff Don Martin, whose office

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http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/2003/10/17/2003-10-17_go__weekend.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20100724181647id_/http://www.nydailynews.com:80/archives/entertainment/2003/10/17/2003-10-17_go__weekend.html

GO! WEEKEND

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COMPILED BY SUNNY LEE & BRANNE L. HELDMAN Friday, October 17th 2003, 1:24AM CLASSICAL ALICE TULLY. Lincoln Center, 65th St. & Broadway (212-721-6500). Sun. at 5, the Chamber Music Society playing Schubert's "Trout" quintet. $38.50-$45. AVERY FISHER. Lincoln Center, 65th St. & Columbus (212-721-6500). Thru tomorrow at 8, N.Y. Philharmonic, with Alicia de Larrocha; $37-$114. Tomorrow at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., "Babes in Toyland" with Little Orchestra Society; $10-$35. CARNEGIE HALL. 881 Seventh Ave. (212-247-7800). Isaac Stern Auditorium: Tonight at 8, Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra; $20-$40. Tomorrow at 8, Beata Bilinska; $25-$50. Sun. at 8, New York Milal Missionary Choir. Zankel Hall: Tomorrow and Sun. at 7:30, Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival, $28-$38. COLDEN CENTER. Queens College, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing (718-793-8080). Sun. at 2, Peking Operal; $12. METROPOLITAN OPERA. Lincoln Center, 62nd St. & Columbus Ave. (212-362-6000). Tonight at 8, "La Traviata." Tomorrow at 1:30, "La Boheme." Tomorrow at 8, "The Marriage of Figaro"; all shows $32-$205. N.Y. STATE THEATER. Lincoln Center, 63rd St. & Columbus Ave. (212-307-4100). City Opera. Tonight at 8, "Magic Flute." Tomorrow at 1:30, "Of Mice and Men." Tomorrow at 8, "The Mikado." Sun. at 1:30, "Carmen"; $25-$110. WEILL RECITAL HALL. 154 W. 57th St. (212-247-7800). Tonight at 7, Céleste Zewald; $24. Tomorrow at 2, Carol McGonnell, $20; at 8:30, Sexisational Sixties Festival with Martin di Martino, $25. Sun. at 5, The MET Chamber Ensemble with James Levine. BEACON THEATER. 2124 Broadway. (212-307-7171). Tomorrow at 11, "Comedy Central Live," starring Lewis Black and Dave Attell; $33.50-$49.50. IRVING PLAZA. 17 Irving Place (212-777-6800). Tonight and tomorrow at 9, Super Diamond with Tijuana Strip Club; $27-$30. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. Seventh Avenue & 33rd, (212-307-7171). Tonight at 8, "Festival De La Hispanidad"; $44.50-$154.50. NASSAU VETERANS MEMORIAL COLISEUM. 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale (212-307-7171). Good Charlotte, tonight at 7:30; $25. ROSELAND BALLROOM. 239 W. 52nd St. (212-307-7171). Tomorrow at 7, Jagermeister Music Tour: Slayer; $30. TOWN HALL. 123 W. 43rd St. (212-307-4100). Joan Baez, tonight at 8; $30-$50. Tomorrow at 8, "Fado"; $30-$35. WESTBURY MUSIC FAIR. 960 Brush Hollow Rd., Westbury, L.I. (631-888-9000). Tomorrow at 8, "Hot Autumn Nights" with Tommy James; $41.50. 9 Great Jones St. (212-677-6963). Jacquie Barnaby, Orpheus Looks Back, Granian, Rodcone, Smiley, Good Brother Earl, tonight. Shari Lambert, Tud, Erica Cashman, Nevermor, Voice of a Secret, Iodine, tomorrow. B.B. KING BLUES CLUB. 237 W. 42nd St. (212-997-4144). Spearhead and Michael Franti, tonight. Blue Rodeo, tomorrow. Peter Tosh Tribute, Sun. THE BITTER END. 147 Bleecker St. (212-673-7030). Jaley, Christopher Jak, Reju, Aaron McLaine, L'Nard, toinght. John Power, Sinem, Maura, Josh Weinstein, Naked Underneath, The Healers, tomorrow. THE BOTTOM LINE. 15 W. Fourth St. (212-228-6300). Ute Lemper, tonight. BOWERY BALLROOM. 6 Delancey St. (212-533-2111). Josh Rouse and Leona Naess, tonight. Evan Dando and Vic Chestnutt, tomorrow. CBGB. 315 Bowery (212-982-4052). Gibbypalooza: Dawn & Rich, SSR1, Sixty Cycle, The New Speed, Walter Shriefels, Classic Case, High Speed Chase, Reach 454, Carnival of Souls, Evil Adam, tonight. "Homocrops": World Famous BoB, Naked Highway, Dead Betties, Yoni, tomorrow. CONTINENTAL. 25 Third Ave. (212-529-6924). Hillard, Te Cu Dos, Hard Ups, Bona Roba, Trauma Queens, tonight. Heap, Black Dog, Sabbra Cadabra, tomorrow. White Sone, Pacaea, Bluetone Vibe, This Time, Labelle, Sun. JOE'S PUB. 425 Lafayette St. (212-539-8770). Garland Jeffreys and the Coney Island Playboys, tonight and tomorrow. Pierce Turner, Sun. KNITTING FACTORY. 74 Leonard St. (212-210-3055). Ari Hest, Stephen Kellogg, tonight. Ayanna Hobson and Little Buster's Soulbrothers Band, tomorrow and Sun. MERCURY LOUNGE. 217 E. Houston St. (212-260-4700). Holly Golightly, Ko and the Knockouts, Kid Congo and the Pink Monkeybirds, tonight. The Wrens, Palomar, tomorrow. Evil Beaver, The Donkeys, Sun. NORTHSIX. 66 N. Sixth St., Brooklyn (718-599-5103). Tonight, Beulah, John Vanderslice. Tomorrow, LoVid, Jaime Archangel. The Sabers on Sun. PLAID. 176 E. 13th St. (212-388-1060). Deejay Paul Sevigny, tonight. Spaulding Rockwell, tomorrow. 709 Lorimer St., Brooklyn (718-302-3770). Nell Bryden, Courtney Little, Amelia White, tonight. Late Bloomers, Dawn Landes, Savage Juliet, tomorrow. Non Horse, So L'il, The Blood Group, Sun. SOB'S. 204 Varick St. (212-243-4940). Sweet Mickey, Red Pill, tonight. Carlos Darci, tomorrow. SOUTHPAW. 125 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn (718-230-0236). The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, Daptone Souland Revue, tomorrow. TONIC. 107 Norfolk St. (212-358-7503). Palomino, Howard Fishman, tonight. Palomino, Dr. Israel, tomorrow. THE ALGONQUIN'S OAK ROOM. 59 W. 44th St. (212-840-6800). Jamie DON'T TELL MAMA. 343 W. 46th St. (212-757-0788). Tracy Terrell, Greg Purnhagen, "A Night on the Town," tonight. Janelle DeMarzo, Beth Valenti, "Judy Garland Live!" with Tommy Femia, tomorrow. Connie Pachl & Bill Daugherty, Ann McCormack, Sun. THE DUPLEX. 61 Christopher St. (212-255-5438). Toby Blackwell, "Not for the Squeamish," tonight. Rock Albers, Jeanne MacDonald, Baby Jane Dexter, tomorrow. "Lovely," Phillip Officer, Sun. FEINSTEIN'S. 540 Park Ave. (212-339-4095). Michael Feinstein & Jimmy Webb, FIREBIRD CAFE. 365 W. 46th St. (212-586-0244). Gregory Moore and Lana Rein star in "Croon," a salute to great male vocalists of the '30s and '40s, tonight thru Sun. MAMA ROSE'S. 219 Second Ave. (212-533-0558). Michael McAssey, tonight & Sun. Sharon McNight, tomorrow. 995 Fifth Ave. at 81st St. (212-650-4737). Steve BIRDLAND. 315 W. 44th St. (212-581-3080). Aaron Neville with Emiko Hayashi Trio, thru tomorrow. Lew Anderson's All-American Big Band, tonight. BLUE NOTE. 131 W. Third St. (212-475-8592). Abbey CORNELIA STREET CAFE. 29 Cornelia St. (212-989-9319). Bill McHenry Quartet, tonight. DETOUR. 349 E. 14th St. (212-533-6212). Dan Pratt Organ Quartet, tonight. JSYO Future All-Stars, tomorrow. IRIDIUM. 1650 Broadway (212-582-2121). Nicholas Payton Sonic Trance, thru Sun. JAZZ STANDARD. 116 E. 27th St. (212-576-2232). Memphis Blood featuring James "Blood" Ulmer and Vernon Reid, thru Sun. 178 Seventh Ave. S. (212-255-4037). Eric Reed & the New York Seven, thru Sun. CAROLINES. 1626 Broadway at 49th St. (212-757-4100). Greg Proops, thru Sun. "Nasty Show," thru tomorrow. COMIC STRIP LIVE. 1568 Second Ave. (212-501-1982). Kerry McNally, Cory Kahaney, Ellen Cleghorn, thru tomorrow. DANGERFIELD'S. 1118 First Ave. (212-593-1650). Paul Mercurio, Jessica Kirson, Russ Meneve, Jackson Perdue, Greg Rogell, thru Sun. N.Y. COMEDY CLUB. 241 E. 24th St. (212-696-5233). Steve Marshall, Russ Meneve, Sam Greenfield, Andrew Kennedy, thru tomorrow. UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE THEATRE. 307 W. 26th St. (212-366-9176). The Swarm, Killgore: The Musical, tonight. Monster Talk, Andy Rocco's Happy Life, Dance With Bears, Respecto: Good Vs. Elvis, Mother: The Soundtrack, Swarm: Midnight Hive, tomorrow. ASSSSCAT 3000, Sun. AIDA. Palace, 1554 Broadway (212-307-4747). AVENUE Q. Golden Theatre, 252 W. 45th St. (212-239-6200). BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Lunt-Fontanne, 205 W. 46th St. (212-307-4100). CABARET. Studio 54, 254 W. 54th St. (212-719-1300). CHICAGO. Ambassador, 219 W. 49th St. (212-239-6200). 213 W. 42nd St. (212-307-4550). GYPSY. Shubert, 225 W. 44th St. (212-239-6200). HAIRSPRAY. Neil Simon, 250 W. 52nd St. (212-307-4100). THE LION KING. New Amsterdam, 214 W. 42nd St. (212-307-4100). LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Virginia, 245 W. 52nd St. (212- 239-6200). MOVIN' OUT. Richard Rodgers, 226 W. 46th St. (212-307-4100). NINE. Eugene O'Neill, 230 W. 49th St. (212-239-6200). THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Majestic, 247 W. 44th St. (212-239-6200). 246 W. 44th St. (212-239-6200). RENT. Nederlander, 208 W. 41st St. (212-921-8000). THE RETREAT FROM MOSCOW. 222 W. 45th St. (212-239-6200). SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS. 111 W. 44th St. (212-239-6200). TAKE ME OUT. Walter Kerr, 219 W. 48th St. (212-239-6200). THE BOY FROM OZ. Imperial, 249 W. 45th St. (212-239-6200). THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE. Marquis, Broadway & 46th St. (212-307-4100). URINETOWN. The Henry Miller, 124 W. 44th St. (212-239-6200). WICKED. The Gershwin, 222 W. 51st St. (212-307-4100). BLUE MAN GROUP. Astor Place, 434 Lafayette St. (212-254-4370). DE LA GUARDA. Daryl Roth Theatre, 20 Union Square East (212-239-6200). THE DONKEY SHOW. Club El Flamingo, 547 W. 21st St. (212-307-4100). FORBIDDEN BROADWAY. Douglas Fairbanks, 432 W. 42nd St. (212-239-6200). I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE. Westside, 407 W. 43rd St. (212-239-6200). LISTEN TO MY HEART. Upstairs at Studio 54, 254 W. 54th St. (212-239-6200). LIVING OUT. Second Stage Theatre, 307 W. 43rd St. (212-246-4422). NAKED BOYS SINGING! Actor's Playhouse, 100 Seventh Ave. (212-239-6200). OMNIUM GATHERUM. Variety Arts Theatre, 110 Third Ave. (212-239-6200). STOMP. Orpheum, 126 Second Ave. (212-477-2477). THE THING ABOUT MEN. Promenade Theatre, 2162 Broadway (212-580-1313). TRUMBO. Westside, 407 W. 43rd St. (212-239-6200). Central Park and 79th St. (212-769-5200). "Vietnam: Journeys of Body, Mind & Spirit" captures the diversity of the country and its people. THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART. Fifth Ave. at 82nd St. (212-879-5500). "Klee Abstract" features 30 paintings and watercolors. SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM. 1071 Fifth Ave. (212-423-3500). "Watercolors by Kandinsky." This exhibit includes important examples from the Hilla von Rebay Foundation collection. ALL THIS USELESS BEAUTY: PHOTOGRAPHS BY LARRY RACIOPPO. Brooklyn Public Library. Grand Army Plaza (718-230-2100). More than 30 color prints by this longtime Brooklyn native capture the area's past and present. VISUAL METAPHORS. Photo District Gallery. 37 W. 20th St. (212-807-8787). This show, which marks the first anniversary of the space, highlights more than 20 artists. AOC BEDFORD. 14 Bedford St. (212-414-4764). Intimate Village restaurant charms with its rustic interior and well-tuned food: Try octopus carpaccio, Serrano ham or gnocchi with Cabrales. *** HUE. 91 Charles St. (212-691-4170). "French-Vietnamese" cooking is a trifle hit and miss, but try these: seared tuna salad, pork and beef meatballs, quail. *1/2 JIMMY'S CITY ISLAND. 500 City Island Ave., Bronx (718-885-2222). Jimmy Rodriguez makes a detour into seafood, with wildly uneven results. You're safe with the octopus cocktail, crab legs and short ribs, though. * LEVER HOUSE. 390 Park Ave. at 54th (212-888-2700). Head-turning decor and topnotch new American food from Dan Silverman; go for the raw fluke, foie gras, filet mignon and rack of lamb. *** NAR. 152 Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-599-3027). A dimly lit hideout specializing in Turkish meze (small plates). You'll be happy you ordered the beef and tomato borek or eggplant dish called imam biyaldi. ** NORTH SQUARE. 103 Waverly Place (212-254-1200). Solid American bistro cooking from Yoel Cruz, with a smart wine list. Try the chopped salad, white beans and peppers, Arctic char, pork chop. **1/2 ROCCO'S. 12 E. 22nd St. (212-353-0500). Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito and his mama, Nicolina, make some great meatballs, but the rest of the menu is uneven. Try the salads, grilled shrimp. ** SAPORI D'ISCHIA. 55-15 37th Ave., Woodside, Queens (718-446-1500). Italian food store in an industrial nabe gets made over at night into a romantic restaurant with entertainment. **1/2 BON APPETIT CELEBRATES AUTUMN WITH "ENTERTAINING WITH STYLE". Grand Central Terminal, Vanderbilt Hall, 15 Vanderbilt Ave. (212-246-2977). Today, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., free. Chefs from Dos Caminos, Aix and Craft offer cooking tips at this culinary bonanza, amid pumpkin-carving demonstrations and food samplings. THE BROADWAY INSPIRATIONAL VOICES: 10TH ANNIVERSARY GOSPEL CELEBRATION. Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St. (212-840-2824). Sun., 8 p.m., $35-$250. Cast members of "Hairspray," "The Producers" and "The Lion King" join special guest Patti LaBelle and the contemporary gospel choir of LaGuardia High for a benefit concert for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. THE CABARET CONVENTION. Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St. (212-997-6661). Mon. at 6 p.m., $25-$100. Produced by Donald Smith and the Mabel Mercer Foundation, this weeklong celebration of top singers kicks off with Karen Akers, Ann Hampton Callaway and Jessica Molaskey. Also featured: salutes to Julie Wilson (Tues.), Al Hirschfeld (Wed.) and Judy Garland (Thurs.). www.mabelmercer.org. FALCONRY EXTRAVAGANZA. Central Park, East Meadow, 59th St. and Fifth Ave. (212-360-3456). Tomorrow, 1-4 p.m., free. Park Ranger Matt Symons launches a dozen falcons into the air to perform aerial feats. PAUL AUSTER. Brooklyn Public Library, Grand Army Plaza at Flatbush Ave., Prospect Heights (718-230-2122). Tomorrow, 2 p.m., free. This author of "The New York Trilogy" reads from his latest book, "The Book of Illusions," about a Vermont professor who loses his wife and son in a car crash, and takes to reclusion until a mysterious silent film grabs his attention.

CLASSICAL ALICE TULLY. Lincoln Center, 65th St. & Broadway (212-721-6500). Sun. at 5, the Chamber Music Society playing Schubert's "Trout"quintet. $38.50-$45. AVERY FISHER. Lincoln Center, 65th St. & Columbus (212-721-6500). Thru tomorrow at 8, N.Y. Philharmonic, with Alicia de Larrocha; $37-$114. Tomorrow at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., "Babes in Toyland"with Little Orchestra Society; $10-$35. CARNEGIE HALL. 881 Seventh Ave. (212-247-7800). Isaac Stern Auditorium: Tonight at 8, Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra; $20-$40. Tomorrow at 8,

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SYMS VP ACCUSED IN RIPOFF OF STORES

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BY BARBARA ROSS DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Thursday, May 31th 2001, 2:21AM The folks who run Syms clothing stores might know that "an educated consumer is our best customer," but they apparently have a lot to learn about the advertising business. Manhattan prosecutors charged yesterday that Douglas Meyer, the former vice president of marketing at Syms Advertising, a subsidiary, wove a scam that fleeced his bosses for $5.5 million. Meyer pulled the worsted wool over their eyes, prosecutors said, by saying that he needed to hire three separate vendors to design, produce and place print advertising for the clothing firm. Some ads were created and properly placed in print media, investigators said. However, they added, two companies that sent Syms bills produced nothing at all. Both were controlled by Gerald Birnbach, 53, of Yorktown Heights, Westchester County, who used to do business with Meyer. Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said Meyer, 48, of Secaucus, N.J., used the same scam with Syms' direct-mail program, which he also directed. Prosecutors said that when the scam began in January 1998, Meyer and Jelle (Jay) Eijpe, 39, also of Secaucus, shared half of the money paid to Birnbach's allegedly fake firms. In May 1998, they said, Birnbach started issuing checks "disguised as bogus 'consulting fees' " to a third fake firm, which then funneled the money to Meyer and Eijpe. Morgenthau said the culprits - all of whom were charged with grand larceny - ultimately stole more than $5.5 million over three years. Syms' advertising budget at the time was about $10 million a year. "A lot of it [the stolen money] was spent on a fairly lavish lifestyle," Morgenthau said.

The folks who run Syms clothing stores might know that "an educated consumer is our best customer,"but they apparently have a lot to learn about the advertising business. Manhattan prosecutors charged yesterday that Douglas Meyer, the former vice president of marketing at Syms Advertising, a subsidiary, wove a scam that fleeced his bosses for $5.5 million. Meyer pulled the worsted wool over their eyes, prosecutors said, by

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THE WEIGHT ON THEIR SHOULDERS

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Sunday, March 13th 2005, 1:31AM Remember when U.K. bands used to be cheeky and flip? During the Brit-pop era of the '90s, the country snickered to groups like Oasis, Supergrass, Blur, Pulp, even the Spice Girls - all of them witty, sarcastic, and full of dash. But just one breakthrough for a different kind of act can shift the whole sensibility. When the wan band Coldplay went massive several years ago - not only in the U.K., but in the hard-to-crack U.S. market - nearly every new British band turned earnest. So far this century, the U.K. has been dominated by the sweeping sounds of Travis, the Doves, Elbow, Starsailor and especially Keane. Add to that list Manchester's Long-View. The group's songs boast enraptured vocals, yearning melodies and lush production. It's closest to the sound of Keane, which makes sense, since that band was the biggest in Britain last year. Long-View singer Rob McVey has a rich, warm and comforting voice. But it's the four-man band's curse that their debut album opens with a number so spectacular, the rest of the set can't hope to live up to it. The song "Further" has the kind of dense orchestral chorus you imagine stadiums full of people singing along to. It's anthemic in the extreme, yet intimate in its beauty. The rest of the CD offers serviceable knock-offs of the song, which makes for likably somber mood music. There's nothing wrong with that. But would it kill these young romantics to lighten up once in a while? AL'S ALL RIGHT FOR NOW Expectations are everything. When Al Green released his first album with his great collaborator Willie Mitchell in 17 years - and cut it in the same studio that minted some of history's most sensual hits - how could we not anticipate something transcendent? What we got, on the 2003 album "I Can't Stop," wasn't. It was a decent enough effort, but hardly equal to Green at his peak. For this followup, we arrive with more modest hopes, which may be why it seems a better effort. Mitchell has rallied to a degree. There's more animation in the music - punchier horns, a bouncier bass, better-honed melodies. And there's Green's swirl of a voice. The agility of his falsetto can still dazzle. And when he has a dramatic melody behind him, as in "Real Love," he reminds us how far his voice can travel in a song, and how much emotion it can mine along the way. Green even manages to survive a cover of "You Are So Beautiful," a sap-fest that worked for Joe Cocker only because his voice is so contrastingly homely. In the end, the title of Green's album gets it right. Everything's okay, or perhaps a bit better. For heaven, we'll have to wait. Tough-talking folkie Jess Klein sings of working-class women who dream of escape Jess Klein writes about bored women who want to bust their lives wide open. There's the waitress who's too defeated to dream, the office worker who has sunk into depression so slowly that she barely recognizes it and the woman who toils in a dark room in London, all the while pining for the light. Klein fantasizes an escape for them through reckless, even ravenous sex. And while it's hardly uncommon for female songwriters to convey that kind of hunger in words, Klein distinguishes herself by putting as much kick and bite into her music. On Klein's fifth, and most confident, album, she emerges as more of a rocker than a singer-songwriter. In the tradition of Maria McKee and Tift Merritt, Klein's songs hit hard and always catch the ear. Given her focus on working-class dreams, she approaches Springsteen territory at times, though thankfully not as flagrantly or clumsily as Melissa Etheridge. In her compact and catchy rocker "Sink My Teeth In," Klein drives a Chevy across Pennsylvania, on the run from routine. In "Shonalee," she sings of a waitress, "This life isn't ever gonna give you what you want/But you can lose your sorrows in a song." Klein doesn't have the world's most commanding voice. It can be reedy and wavering - a folk voice that's yearning to rock. But that may be the perfect voice for songs all about reaching for something you can never grasp.

THE WEIGHT ON THEIR SHOULDERS LONG-VIEW "Mercury"(Columbia) Remember when U.K. bands used to be cheeky and flip? During the Brit-pop era of the '90s, the country snickered to groups like Oasis, Supergrass, Blur, Pulp, even the Spice Girls - all of them witty, sarcastic, and full of dash. But just one breakthrough for a different kind of act can shift the whole sensibility. When the wan band Coldplay went massive several years ago - not

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IN THE KNOW

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Thursday, January 11th 2001, 2:15AM Not since the golden days of Studio 54 have Manhattan's West 50s been so hot. Formerly a nightlife desert, the area now has trendy restaurants, bars and, at the epicenter of it all, the star-studded Hudson Hotel. But the Hudson will soon have a neighborhood rival. In March, the owners of SoHo's Mercer Hotel are opening the ultra-hip Chambers Hotel on W. 56th St. between Fifth and Sixth Aves. The swanky Chambers will contain a "living museum" of more than 500 works by important contemporary artists. Its 77 rooms will be styled to look like artists' lofts, with platform beds and Turkish rugs. The two-tiered lobby, meanwhile, will have alpaca couches and leather-covered columns. And the restaurant, owned by chef Geoffrey Zakarian (formerly of Patroon and 44), will be called Town. How long before the Chambers is swarming with glitterati? We're betting a matter of days after it opens. Glamour just made it easier to find sexy runway looks for less. The magazine has introduced a new monthly section called "Millionaire? Who Cares!" that showcases hot styles for under $100. "We wanted to recession-proof fashion for readers so they can get every new trend and great look at a price," said editor in chief Bonnie Fuller. Each item includes either a Web site address, toll-free telephone number or store number so that readers can shop from their homes. The feature will be six to 10 pages each month. A MAN OF THE CLOTH Laura Bush's fans will soon be able to dress like her. The future First Lady's favorite designer, Michael Faircloth, is planning to launch an upscale ready-to-wear collection for spring 2002. The line will include day suits, dinner suits and evening dresses. Faircloth, who designed Bush's peacock blue swearing-in suit and slinky red lace Inaugural Ball gown, would like to change the perception that Lone Star women are gaudy. "Everybody stereotypes Texans as rowdy, loud, with big hair and bright colors," he told Women's Wear Daily. The women he knows are in fact "very elegant, very quiet and very sophisticated." They are also all different sizes, and Faircloth plans to take that into account when he creates his line. The garments will be cut generously for "very well-proportioned American figures." Time to trade in that tired SUV and pick up a trendy station wagon. That's right, the coolest new cars at the Detroit Auto Show were inspired by the trusty old family ferry. Designer Todd Oldham, MSN Carpoint.com's celebrity fashion editor, spotted more than five updated wagon designs at the car show earlier this week, including the Mercedes C-Class Estate. Why the wagon revival? "We love to haul our junk around," said Oldham. "I could see a two-person family having the Mercedes Estate and still feeling sexy about it." If you can't afford a new Mercedes, just borrow your parents' wagon. You'll be the hippest person on your block and the only one who realizes it. After skipping a seaon, Sean (Puffy) Combs is showing his Sean John men's line during fashion week. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 10, at The Tent at Bryant Park and is sure to draw the usual array of rap stars, athletes and top models. Comb's runway debut was the highlight of the February 2000 shows: Male models swaggered down the runway in red fur coats, leather pants and $6 million worth of Fred Leighton diamond jewelry. Rappers Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott, singer Luther Vandross and New York Yankee Derek Jeter cheered from the audience. Puffy may well be the only fashion entrepreneur going from the courthouse to the catwalk. The rap impresario goes on trial next week in state Supreme Court on gun possession charges stemming from a 1999 arrest. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

THE FOXY FIFTIES Not since the golden days of Studio 54 have Manhattan's West 50s been so hot. Formerly a nightlife desert, the area now has trendy restaurants, bars and, at the epicenter of it all, the star-studded Hudson Hotel. But the Hudson will soon have a neighborhood rival. In March, the owners of SoHo's Mercer Hotel are opening the ultra-hip Chambers Hotel on W. 56th St. between Fifth and Sixth Aves. The swanky Chambers

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TV IS BLITZEN US WITH SPECIAL Rudy, Scrooge & jolly young Nick

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By MARISA GUTHRIE DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Monday, November 29th 2004, 1:51AM It's that time of year - lots of shopping, cooking and wrapping to keep us busy. And it's a busy season on television as well. But none of it requires spending wads of money, lifting a finger (just a thumb on the remote) or leaving the cozy confines of the couch. Here are some of the highlights of the holiday programming onslaught: Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson further cement their reign as the Sonny and Cher for the new millennium with a holiday variety hour. "Nick & Jessica's Family Christmas," Wednesday at 9 p.m. on ABC, has Nick's old band, 98 Degrees, reuniting for a rendition of "I'll Be Home for Christmas." But that's not all. Jessica is joined by little sister Ashlee for their first-ever TV duet. It's hard to believe, but Rupolph, Hermey the Elf and those lovable Misfit Toys turn 40 this year. CBS screens the long-running holiday classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," featuring Burl Ives and a score by Johnny Marks, Wednesday at 8 p.m. The Eds learn the true meaning of Christmas in "Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy's Jingle, Jingle, Jangle," Friday at 8 p.m. on the Cartoon Network. When Eddy finds his presents in the attic and they all stink, he decides the only way to save his Christmas is to get adopted into another family with better presents. But Ed and Edd help Eddy realize that there's more to the holiday than just loot under a tree. Joe Mantegna and Jean Smart play a married couple who are skating on the brink of divorce in the CBS movie "A Very Married Christmas," Sunday at 9 p.m., based on Elizabeth Berg's best seller "Say When." Mantegna plays the oblivious husband who is shocked when his wife (Smart) suddenly announces she wants to split up. Charles Durning co-stars. NBC's "Fear Factor" has a special holiday episode, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m., in which contestants step into Santa's boots and try to deliver presents despite the presence of vicious guard dogs. "Groundhog Day" meets "A Christmas Carol" in USA's "12 Days of Christmas Eve," Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. Steven Weber plays a high-powered, self-centered corporate raider and 21st-century Scrooge who is forced to relive Christmas Eve until he learns the true meaning of the holiday. Molly Shannon co-stars. The Fab 5 morph into Santa's little helpers for "A Very Queer Eye Christmas," Dec. 7 at 10 p.m. on Bravo, taking on one family's bad decorations, holiday clichés and gifting needs. "A Clay Aiken Christmas," Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. on NBC, includes the "American Idol" runnerup performing favorite holiday songs with Barry Manilow and gospel singer Yolanda Adams. "Will & Grace's" Megan Mullally also stops by for a solo. The weather outside is rarely frightful in "The O.C.," but things inside the annual Winter Ball could be when Marissa (Mischa Barton) uses the event to publicly acknowledge her relationship with handyman D.J. (Nicholas Gonzalez), Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. on Fox. Ben Stiller, Hugh Grant, Britney Spears, Jim Belushi, Brad Garrett, Leah Remini, Jerry Stiller and James Woods bring to life the animated tale of "Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire," Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. on CBS. Robbie (voiced by Ben Stiller) must train to compete in the Reindeer races against black sheep reindeer Blitzen (Grant) for a spot on Santa's sleigh team. George Lopez brings his comedy to the ABC movie "Naughty or Nice," Dec.11 at 8 p.m. Lopez plays a sports radio jock who changes his stripes at the earnest entreaty of a young boy with a life-threatening illness. Once Lopez starts being nice, funny things start to happen, the boys health improves and so do the home teams' scores. The wacky Wiggles - the sensations of the preschool set - gear up for the holidays with a little help from rocker John Fogerty, "Brady Bunch" alum Barry Williams and a big guy in a red suit. "Santa's Rockin'," Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. on the Disney Channel, features 12 classic and new Christmas songs, including "Silent Night" performed in Spanish and English. Pop-culture magazine Entertainment Weekly recaps the year's trends in "The Biggest Little Things of 2004," Dec. 16 at 9p.m. on Bravo. The special examines the "iPod craze," post-Janet Jackson "censorship mania" and the "Perversion of the Family" epitomized by shows like "Desperate Housewives," "Wife Swap" and "Family Bonds." "Karroll's Christmas," Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. on A&E, is another take on the Dickens classic. Tom Everett Scott stars as a young greeting-card executive visited by the ghost of a Marley (more Bob than Jacob), as well as the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Verne (Mini-Me) Troyer plays the Ghost of Christmas Future and Sha Na Na is featured on the soundtrack. Dr. Phil and his wife are back for TNT's annual "Christmas in Washington" concert with such acts as JoJo, Michael McDonald, LeAnn Rimes, Ruben Studdard and Vanessa Williams, Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. CBS' "Home for the Holidays 2004," Dec. 22 at 8 p.m., attempts to raise awareness of adoption via inspirational stories. Jamie Foxx, who was adopted, hosts the special, which includes performances by Black Eyed Peas and Ashlee Simpson. "A Christmas Story," Jean Shepherd's classic tale about a boy who wants a BB gun from Santa, gets a 24-hour run on TBS starting at 8 p.m. on Dec. 24. Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa head to sunny Florida to host ABC's coverage of "The Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade," Dec. 25 at 11 a.m.

TV IS BLITZEN US WITH SPECIAL Rudy, Scrooge & jolly young Nick HOLIDAY VIEWING GUIDE LONG REIGN: "Rudolph"marks its 40th year on CBS. SNOW BIZ: "Robbie the Reindeer"is all revved up and ready to go. JOLLY ROCKERS: The Wiggles & St. Nick YULETIDE CLASSIC: Jean Shepherd's "A Christmas Story"HE'LL SLEIGH YA! Comic George Lopez in the ABC movie "Naughty o SNOW BIZ: "Robbie the Reindeer"is all revved up and ready to go. 'FAMILY'

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EXEC SAYS A HEALING WBAI WILL STILL CAUSE STATIC

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By DAVID HINCKLEY DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Thursday, May 4th 2000, 2:12AM Trying to get the staff at WBAI to agree on a single course of action would be like getting France to agree on one kind of cheese. But Bernard White, WBAI's new program director, says that despite recent tensions at 'BAI and parent Pacifica over staff and programming, a higher goal can't and won't be forgotten. "WBAI," says White, "is one of the few voices trying to bring reason to the madness." There are those, of course, who think WBAI is part of the madness - a nest of radicals. Those critics should listen to White, a 20-year WBAI veteran who is soft-spoken, polite, listens to dissent and has a sharp sense of humor. Goodbye, stereotype. But White also has strong views on subjects like police brutality and corporate greed, and he says WBAI will continue to provide platforms for demonstrations, community groups, radical thinkers, prisoners, anti-corporate activists and alternative practitioners from nutrition to politics. In fact, he'd like to do more of that - as hard news, in the style of Amy Goodman's daily "Democracy Now." He'd like to get better technology and take away other distractions so the staff can "do the work it's capable of doing." Which, he adds, sometimes "just means relaxing and having fun." As for the internal tensions, White says he can help heal them. "I don't subscribe to everything Pacifica has done," he says. "We're a different dynamic from [San Francisco's] KPFA. We didn't have to go to the street. Though we're in solidarity on many issues, WBAI won't go the way of most of the rest of Pacifica.  We will never become a music station." Tensions will fade, he hopes, "once the name-calling ends  and we all sit down together. "When [the late] Samori [Marksman] took this position, he had ideas we galvanized around. I worked closely with Samori on many of those ideas, and I think the majority of people support me. I also think the station has far more listeners and influence than Arbitron thinks. " AROUND THE DIAL: Paul McCartney narrates as Sir John Taverner conducts a concert live from the Church of St. Ignatius tonight at 8 on WNYC (93.9 FM).  Isaac Hayes of WRKS opens the youth wing of the Brooklyn Library today, 3 p.m., at Grand Army Plaza.

Trying to get the staff at WBAI to agree on a single course of action would be like getting France to agree on one kind of cheese. But Bernard White, WBAI's new program director, says that despite recent tensions at 'BAI and parent Pacifica over staff and programming, a higher goal can't and won't be forgotten. "WBAI,"says White, "is one of the few voices trying to bring

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GO! WEEKEND

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COMPILED BY BREANNE L. HELDMAN & BRITTANY SCHAEFFER Friday, July 15th 2005, 1:33AM CELEBRATE NEW ORLEANS. Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, 72nd St. and Fifth Ave. (212-360-2777). With Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, Donald Harrison & New Mardi Gras Sound, Rebirth Brass Band, Lady Buckjumpers Social Aid & Pleasure Club. Tomorrow at 3; free. DON RICKLES. North Fork Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury, L.I. (631-888-9000). Tomorrow at 8; $51.50. GIANT STEP 15TH ANNIVERSARY. Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, 72nd St. and Fifth Ave. (212-360-2777). With Femi Kuti, Brazilian Girls, Nickodemus. Sun. at 3; free. THE HIDDEN CAMERAS. Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St. (212-533-2111). With Dressy Bessy, Pony Da Look. Tonight at 8:30; $17. JUDY COLLINS. North Fork Theatre at Westbury. 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury, L.I. (631-888-9000). With Peter Yarrow, Bethany Yarrow. Tonight at 8; $46.50. O.A.R. Jones Beach Theater, Jones Beach (516-221-1000). Tonight at 7; $20-$30. OZOMATLI. Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place (212-777-6800). Tonight at 8; $20. R & B ISLAND JAM. Beacon Theater, 2124 Broadway (212-307-7171). Maze, Frankie Beverly, Elvis White. Tonight at 8; $78.50. SHELBY LYNNE. Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, 72nd St. and Fifth (212-360-2777). With Alana Davis, Brett Dennen. Tonight at 7; $10. B.B. KING BLUES CLUB. 237 W. 42nd St. (212-997-4144). Tonight at 8 and 10:30, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy; $25. Tomorrow at 8, Somi, Jeremiah, $15; at midnight, Faith Evans, $35. Sun. at 8, Powerman 5000; $20. CBGB. 315 Bowery (212-982-4052). Tonight at 8, Darkdaze, Desolate, Inept, Fight of Your Life, Dragpipe, Another Day Wasted, High Speed Chase; $10. Tomorrow at 9, Neurobox, One Solid State, Glass Society, Ninth House; $10. Sun. at 6, Rabia, Cranked Up, Two Man Advantage, Retching Red; $10. HOUSING WORKS USED BOOK CAFE. 126 Crosby St. (212-334-3324). Tonight at 7:30, Nada Surf, Tara Angell, Last Town Chorus; $25. JOE'S PUB. 425 Lafayette St. (212-539-8770). Tonight at 7, JC Hopkins Biggish Band, Queen Esther, $10; at 9:30, King Wilkie, $15. Tomorrow at 7:30, Morley, $15; at 9:30, Stew, $20. Sun. at 7 and 9, Nicolai Dunger; $12. LIVING ROOM. 154 Ludlow St. (212-533-3376). Tonight at 7, Juliet Lloyd, Kristin Hoffmann, Carol Lipnick, Spooky Ghost. Tomorrow at 6, Charles Zerner, David Copenhafor, Milton, Emile Westergaard. KNITTING FACTORY. 74 Leonard St. (212-219-3006). Tonight at 6, Wakefield, Spill Canvas, Umbrellas; $10; at 10:30, Hot Fire, Jah Division, Roxy Pain, Kill Rock Stars Starter Set All-Star Dancers Hooray!; $5. Tomorrow at 8 and 11, Cyro Baptista & Beat the Donkey, Maracatu New York, DJ True; $12. Sun. at 6, The Buzz Showcase; $20. MERCURY LOUNGE. 217 E. Houston St. (212-260-4700). Tonight at 8:30, Robbers on High Street, King of France, Innaway, Speedway; $12. Tomorrow at 9:30, Ta Det Lugnt, Endless Boogie, Tarantula A.D.; $12. Sun. at 7:30, Victoria Lucas, Northern Arms, Washington Social Club; $8. NORTHSIX. 66 N. Sixth St., Brooklyn (718-599-5103). Tonight at 8, Reverend Bizarre, November's Doom, Gates of Slumber, Rigor Sardonicous, Well of Souls, Agnosis; $15. Tomorrow at 8, Mr. Brownstone, Waltham, Hair Supply, Alabama Black Snake; $10. Sun. at 8, Slough Feg, Bible of the Devil; $8. RODEO BAR. 375 Third Ave. (212-683-6500). Tonight at 10, Jack Grace. Tomorrow at 10, Simon & the Bar Sinisters. Sun. at 10, Flying Neutrinos. SOB'S. 204 Varick St. (212-243-4940). Tonight at 8 and 10, Jose Conde, $15; at midnight and 2 a.m., Tantan (Lakol), Black Parents, $15. Sun. at 7 and 9:30, Feijoada Pot; $5-$12. SOUTHPAW. 125 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn (718-230-0236). Tonight at 8, Buddy Miller, Katy Mae, Clare Burson; $20. Tomorrow at 8, Loki da Trixta, DJ LoPro; $5. WEBSTER HALL. 125 E. 11th St. (212-353-1600). Sun. at 8, Cafe Tacuba; $40. AVALON. 47 W. 20th St. (212-807- 7780). Tonight, Edgar V. Tomorrow, Astral Projection. BEMBE. 81 S. Sixth St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-387-5389). Tonight, Funmi, Dave Medina, Sabo. Tomorrow, Nova, Moke, CIELO. 18 Little West 12th St. (212-645-5700). Tonight-tomorrow, Nicolas Matar. Sun., Nick Warren Shanghai. CROBAR. 530 W. 28th St. (212-629-9000). Tonight, Hernan Cattaneo, Jason Jollins, Virtue, Chip Chop, Neon Music. Tomorrow, Sharam, Dean Coleman, Johnny Dynell, Degree. GYPSY TEA. 33 W. 24th St. (212-645-0003). Tomorrow, Shimon, Stretch Armstrong. LOTUS. 409 W. 14th St. (212-243-4420). Tonight, Walter Taieb, Jason Angola, Michael T. Tomorrow, Jared, Naomi. Sun., Frank R, SPIRIT. 530 W. 27th St. (212-268-9477). Tonight, WEBSTER HALL. 125 E. 11th St. (212) 353-1600. Tonight- tomorrow, Moody, Avery, Chikkitin, Sean Sharp, Chase. BIRDLAND. 315 W. 44th St. (212-581-3080). Paquito D'Rivera New Quintet, tonight-tomorrow. Chico O'Farrill Afro-Cuban Big Band, Sun. BLUE NOTE. 131 W. Third St. (212-475-8592). Maynard Ferguson, tonight-Sun. CORNELIA STREET CAFE. 29 Cornelia St. (212-989-9319). Jeremy Steig Duo, tonight. Century Schizoid Music Festival, tomorrow and Sun. DETOUR. 349 E. 14th St. (212-533-6212). Kriste Peoples tonight. Riot with Adrian Hibbs, tomorrow. DIZZY'S COCA-COLA CLUB. Time Warner Center/Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. & Broadway (212-721-6500). Hilton Ruiz, tonight-Sun. IRIDIUM. 1650 Broadway (212-582-2121). Eddie Gomez, tonight-Sun. JAZZ STANDARD. 116 E. 27th St. (212-576-2232). Rebecca Paris, tonight-Sun. KITANO. 66 Park Ave. (212-885-7125). Junior Mance Trio, tonight-tomorrow. VILLAGE VANGUARD. 178 Seventh Ave. South (212-255-4037). Buster Williams Quartet, tonight-Sun. Ferry Landing, Brooklyn (718-624-2083). Tonight at 7:30, Mark Peskanov, Raman Ramakrishnan and Steven Beck play Beethoven and Schubert. Tomorrow at 7:30 and Sun. at 4, Aaron Boyd, Omar Guey, Yuri Namkung and Mark Peskanov play violin concertos by Vivaldi and Bach, with orchestra; $25-$40. METROPOLITAN OPERA. Lincoln Center, 63rd St. & Columbus (212-362-6000). Tonight-tomorrow at 8 and tomorrow at 2, American Ballet Theatre performs "Giselle"; $22-$160. N.Y. STATE THEATER. Lincoln Center, 63rd St. & Columbus (212-870-5570). Tonight-tomorrow at 8, Lincoln Center Fest: "I La Galigo"; $25-$150. HISTORY. 15 W. 16th St. (212-294-6160). "Greetings From Home" displays artifacts and artwork detailing 350 years of Jewish life in the U.S. THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM. 1071 Fifth Ave. (212-423-3500). The "Art of Tomorrow" features paintings and collage by "nonobjectivist" German artist Hilla Rebay and her contemporaries, who shunned artistic renderings of material objects. JEWISH MUSEUM. 1109 Fifth Ave. (212-423-3200). "Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak" displays drawings, paintings and costumes by famed illustrator. THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART. Fifth Ave. at 82nd St. (212-879-5500). The Costume Institute's "Chanel" explores the history of the world's most famous fashion house, displaying iconic designs by Coco Chanel (those tweed jackets!), and modern pieces by latter-day designer Karl Lagerfeld. "Max Ernst: A Retrospective" features 200 works by the seminal surrealist artist, and is the first New York restrospective in 30 years. THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART. 11 W. 53rd St. (212-708-9400). "Pioneering Modern Painting: Cezanne and Pissarro 1865-1885" features paintings and drawings done by the two iconic artists as they worked side by side in France's Oise River Valley. "Friedlander" features pictures of American cities and people by the famed postwar photographer. THE MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. 1220 Fifth Ave. (212-534-1672). "Glamour, New York Style" displays over 125 haute couture gowns worn by New York's glitterati. NATIONAL ACADEMY. 1083 Fifth Ave. (212-369-4880). "Disengo" features the studies artists create before beginning a masterpiece. The show includes studies in sculpture, painting and drawing by modern artists. THE WHITNEY MUSEUM. 945 Madison Ave. (212-570-3676). "Overhead/Underfoot: The Topographical Perspective in Photography" explores how photographers incorporated aerial views into their artwork in the 20th century. The display features works by Harold Edgerton, Dennis Oppenheim, Cy Twombly and Margaret Bourke-White. 11TH ANNUAL RAKHAING THINGYAN BURMESE WATER FESTIVAL. Courtyard area at 220 Henry St., between Madison and Montgomery Sts. At the Junior High School in Chinatown, enjoy Burmese ceremonies, cuisines, performances and children's games. Sun., 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; free. 20TH ANNUAL IMMIGRANTS PRIDE PARADE. Sixth Ave., from 35th to 56th Sts. AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL. Asia Society, 725 Park Ave. (212-517-ASIA). Asia Society and Asian CineVision present more than 100 films from the Far East, as well as the U.S., from romantic comedies to thrillers. It kicks off tonight at 6:30 with a gala tribute to award-winning actress Maggie Cheung and a screening of her latest film, Olivier Assayas' "Clean." The fest plays thru July 31. www.aaiff.org. BROOKLYN HEIGHTS FESTIVAL. Court St. from Atlantic to Montague St., Brooklyn. Tomorrow. MADISON AVE. SUMMER FAIR. Madison Ave. from 42nd to 57th Sts. Sun. OUTSIDE ART FESTIVAL. Lafayette Ave. and Fulton St., Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Academy of Music Local Development Corp. and Chashama host this event, focusing on women's experience through works by male and female choreographers and spoken word artist Lenelle N. Moise. Tonight-Sun. at 7 p.m.; free. www.chashama.org. PARK AVE. SUMMERFEST. Park Ave. South from 17th to 23rd Sts. Vendors offer food, arts and crafts. Tomorrow, ROOFTOP FILMS. Governor's Island. Rooftop Films presents an outdoor festival of shorts about everything from pirates to traveling the open seas to outer space. The piano-pop group The Lost Tricks will perform tomorrow at 8, before the movies are shown at 8; free. www.rooftopfilms.com. SIREN MUSIC FESTIVAL. W. 10th St. and Stillwell Ave., Coney Island. This fifth annual indie rock fest features Spoon, The Dears, Mates of State, Brendan Benson, Dungen, VHS or Beta, Q And Not U, Saul Williams, Ambulance Ltd, Diamond Nights, Morningwood, Be Your Own Pet, Nine Black Alps and Detachment Kit. Tomorrow, noon-9; free. www.village voice.com/siren. CIRQUE DE SOLEIL. Meadowlands Sport Complex, 50 State Route 120, East Rutherford, N.J. (201-935- 8500). Varekai, Cirque de Soleil's newest extravaganza, features daring acrobats, colorful gymnasts and breathtaking stunts. Thru July 24; $40-$86. FIREWORKS AND CABARET. Astroland, 1000 Surf Ave., on the boardwalk between W. 10th and W. 12th Sts., Brooklyn (718-265-2100). The Fourth may be over, but you can still catch fireworks, along with cabaret. Tonight, Miss Saturn sings as she hula-hoops. Bring your own hoop and join in the "Hoopapalooza." Every Friday at 8; free. Theatre, 158 Bleecker St. (212-307-4100). The Hollow Men, an award-winning sketch comedy troupe from Britain, wraps up their run. Tonight at 8, tomorrow at 8 and 10:30 p.m.; $27.50. PRIDE. Dixon Place, 258 Bowery (212-219-0736). Broadway actor Perry Ojeda ("On the Town") plays a cavalcade of 13 characters in his one-man tour de force about being gay in America. Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.; $15. www.dixonplace.org.

CONCERTS CELEBRATE NEW ORLEANS. Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, 72nd St. and Fifth Ave. (212-360-2777). With Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, Donald Harrison & New Mardi Gras Sound, Rebirth Brass Band, Lady Buckjumpers Social Aid & Pleasure Club. Tomorrow at 3; free. DON RICKLES. North Fork Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury, L.I. (631-888-9000). Tomorrow at 8; $51.50. GIANT STEP 15TH ANNIVERSARY. Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, 72nd St. and Fifth Ave. (212-360-2777). With Femi Kuti, Brazilian

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I-MAN, THE JURY: HOW DON HOLDS COURT

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Wednesday, September 11th 1996, 2:01AM DON IMUS of WFAN (660 AM) yesterday strongly defended his decision to have ex-News reporter Mike McGovern cover a murder trial at which Imus' wife, Deirdre Coleman, is an alternate juror. In the process, he showed why he has a nationally syndicated radio show and people like you and me don't. The reason he hired McGovern to give daily updates on the Imus show, he said yesterday, is that tracking the case would be "educational," which is apparently some kind of newfangled word for "good radio material." But then during a break Monday, Coleman told Judge Harold Rothwax that with Imus covering the trial and all, she felt uncomfortable and wasn't sure she could remain impartial. That is, maybe she should be dismissed. Rothwax replied, basically, that since her discomfort was caused by a decision made within the Imus family, perhaps she should exhaust all possible remedies within that family before seeking judicial relief. That is, maybe Imus should dismiss McGovern. On the air yesterday, Imus said Rothwax had missed the point. He also called the judge a "hard-ass." So even if McGovern files a world-class expense account, Imus has gotten his money's worth from the case. In fact, he had gotten his money's worth even before he ran the case past one of his regular guests, Father Tom Hartman who said the judge had raised an excellent question. Imus called Hartman a "weasel." "That's Monsignor Weasel to you," replied Hartman. Oops. I mean, very educational. AROUND THE DIAL: Hal Jackson of WBLS (107.5 FM) will coach and Larry Hardesty of WBLS/WLIB is one of the referees at tonight's New York All-Star Basketball Classic, 7:30 at the Garden. . . . WFDU (89.1 FM), which carries 43 hours of country and bluegrass a week, primarily in the morning, did a nice tribute to the late Bill Monroe yesterday as did WFUV. . . . WQXR (96.9 FM) airs the Met Opera production of Verdi's "La Forza Del Destino" tonight, 8-11:15. . . . Arbitrend ratings came out yesterday they're interim reports between the quarterly Arbitron "books." WKTU (103.5 FM) remains No. 1 overall and with listeners ages 18-to-34 and 25-54. . . . WVNJ (1160 AM) tosses a party to honor Glenn Miller tomorrow. Bill Owen hosts, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., outside of Town Hall in Tenafly, N.J., and plays Miller music noon-2 p.m. . . . Jeff Katz, a morning talk host at KSTE in Sacramento, Calif., was fired after suggesting on the air that any driver who hit an illegal immigrant should be awarded a sombrero bumper sticker for his or her car. Ten stickers would qualify the driver for a free meal at Taco Bell. Among the complainants was the National Hispanic Media Coalition.

DON IMUS of WFAN (660 AM) yesterday strongly defended his decision to have ex-News reporter Mike McGovern cover a murder trial at which Imus' wife, Deirdre Coleman, is an alternate juror. In the process, he showed why he has a nationally syndicated radio show and people like you and me don't. The reason he hired McGovern to give daily updates on the Imus show, he said yesterday, is that tracking the case would

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KIM IS LIL' UPSET 250G bling-bling swiped from her bag at JFK, rapper says

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By ALICE McQUILLAN DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Monday, June 23th 2003, 7:04AM Rapper Lil' Kim, who thinks big when it comes to jewelry, said someone swiped $250,000 worth of her baubles at Kennedy Airport this weekend. Two of her signature pieces - a white-and-yellow diamond-encrusted gold necklace with a crowned "B" and platinum dog tags filled with yellow diamonds - were snatched from her luggage Friday, the Daily News has learned. "She was extremely upset, but she should be commended for acting responsibly and being patient," said her high-powered lawyer Mel Sachs. The 4-foot-11 rapper, famous for her skimpy, eye-popping outfits, was headed to Los Angeles for tomorrow's Black Entertainment Television awards. Nominated as best female hip hop artist, she was set to perform - and wear the jewelry. Lil' Kim, 27, is rarely seen without her "B" necklace - a symbol of her Queen Bee Records label. Catching an 8:45 a.m. United flight to L.A., the Brooklyn-born rapper planned to carry on a Louis Vuitton bag filled with an estimated $500,000 worth of jewelry, including the two custom-made necklaces. However, there was a mixup at the check-in counter and the carry-on bag was checked in with eight other pieces of luggage belonging to the rapper and her entourage, Sachs said. While in her first-class seat waiting to take off, Lil' Kim realized the error. The flight was delayed while the Vuitton bag with the jewelry was retrieved from the baggage hold. Although it still contained her earrings, rings and other jewelry, the two oversize necklaces were missing, said Sachs. The bag looked "tampered with" - both an outside flap and a jewelry holder inside had been opened, he said. United had advance notice that Lil' Kim was taking that flight, Sachs said, suggesting her fame and penchant for gems made her a target. "Lil' Kim is known for her exceptional and distinctive custom-made jewelry and had two irreplaceable pieces of her collection stolen," he said. "Celebrities like Lil' Kim are vulnerable to being targeted and being victims of this kind of theft." Her latest CD, "La Bella Mafia," reminds fans of her taste for bling-bling, the rap word for big jewelry that's soon to be in the Oxford English Dictionary. "Don't be mad," she raps, "I can't put this money in a casket. . . . I can't take these diamonds with me when I die." Lil' Kim, whose given name is Kimberly Jones, didn't take the 8:45 a.m. flight, which was thoroughly searched when it landed in Los Angeles. Her Vuitton bag was tested for fingerprints, and baggage handlers and other airport employees were due to take polygraphs, Sachs said. Alan Hicks, a spokesman for the Port Authority, said only, "Kimberly Jones filed a report for lost jewelry, and the incident is under investigation by the Port Authority police." She said she was sure she packed the missing items but her Englewood, N.J., mansion was checked anyway, Sachs said. This is not the first time a celebrity has reported losing pricey baubles at JFK. A Kennedy baggage handler pleaded guilty to stealing Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson's $375,000 diamond necklace and bracelet in 1995. He swiped the valuables while loading luggage aboard a British Airways jet two days after Fergie wore the gems to a White House reception.

Her bling-bling is missing. Rapper Lil' Kim, who thinks big when it comes to jewelry, said someone swiped $250,000 worth of her baubles at Kennedy Airport this weekend. Two of her signature pieces - a white-and-yellow diamond-encrusted gold necklace with a crowned "B"and platinum dog tags filled with yellow diamonds - were snatched from her luggage Friday, the Daily News has learned. "She was extremely

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Dangerfield's Wife Sues to Stop "Extremely Sensitive" Vid

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9/23/2007 7:00 AM PDT by TMZ Staff Even six feet under, Rodney Dangerfield still don't get no respect.So says his wife Joan, who filed suit Thursday to halt the airing of video of the comic taken during his last years, which she says is "highly private, extremely sensitive, and very personal" and wasn't meant for public consumption. Joan is suing former Dangerfield pal David Permut, who she says took more than 200 hours of footage at his home while Rodney was in ill health. The bug-eyed comedian died in 2004 at 82.According to the suit, Permut plans to use some of the footage in a documentary to air at Sundance next year. His production company didn't return calls for comment.

Even six feet under, Rodney Dangerfield still don't get no respect. So says his wife Joan, who filed suit Thursday to halt the airing of video of the…

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Shopper's World - BOSTON'S FAVORITE BARGAIN STORE - NYTimes.com

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DEBORAH BLUMENTHAL is a writer who lives in New York. BY DEBORAH BLUMENTHAL S o what if the forest green Charles Jourdan leather pumps were a size 9 narrow instead of a 9 medium? They were $29.96, weren't they? You couldn't touch a similar pair on Fifth Avenue for under $100. Pawing through tables of shoes and racks of designer clothes sandwiched together in the basement of Filene's department store in Boston, the devout bargain hunter easily falls prey to such logic and the lure of the ''find,'' be it practical, impractical, a perfect fit or a tight squeeze. Since 1908, Filene's Basement, at the corner of Summer and Washington Streets in downtown Boston, has been a celebrated discount outlet. Today it is ranked as a major Boston tourist attraction, an obligatory stop on the circuit including nearby Faneuil Hall and the Quincy Market redevelopment. The wide assortment of merchandise takes in men's, women's and children's clothing, luggage, giftware, hardware, toiletries, toys, books and records. At 9:30 A.M. when the doors are unbolted, the throngs include Bostonians in every budget range, tourists and overseas shoppers, some of whom get word of major sales that the store announces in Boston papers 24 hours in advance. On an average day, tens of thousands of shoppers descend into the two-level basement devoid of dressing rooms, carpeting, flattering lights and seductive music. During special sales, the number rises to well over 100,000. There are no statistics to prove it, but store executives sometimes say that Filene's Basement sells more items per square foot than any other store in the world. The Basement shares the same building as the upstairs store, but is run as a completely separate operation. In fact, the Boston Basement has proved such a hit that five other Filene's outlets called Filene's Basement have opened since 1978, four in Massachusetts - Saugus, Framingham, Worcester and Burlington - and the fifth in Manchester, N.H. And more are planned, including three on Long Island and one in Queens. In addition to the Boston store, there are 11 other upstairs Filene's stores. The Boston Basement is unique, however, among the Filene's stores in having an automatic markdown plan. According to the system, every article is marked with a tag showing the price and the date the article was first put on sale. Twelve days later, if it has not been sold, it is reduced by 25 percent. Six selling days later, it is cut by 50 percent and after an additional six days, it is offered at 75 percent off the original price. After six more days - or a total of 30 -if it is not sold, it is given to charity. Shopping under this system can become something of a gamble. Browsing through the fur department, I came upon a shearling coat (which fit perfectly) priced at $399 and selling in Bergdorf Goodman for $900. Three shopping days later it was slated to be reduced 25 percent to make the price a considerably more affordable $300. Still, I had no guarantee it would be there on Monday even if I did stay in Boston. Unwilling to take the chance of losing it, I bought it for $399. Along with the moderate initial prices and the promise of further markdowns, the biggest reason for Filene's Basement's success is said to be the wide variety of quality merchandise - much of it with designer labels still intact. In addition to buying surplus stock from stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman-Marcus and I. Magnin, Filene's Basement pays cash for irregular merchandise, going-out-ofbusiness stock and distress merchandise from fires and floods. O n an average day, bargain hunting covers diverse ground with odd items and one-of-a-kinds making up most of the treasure trove. In the men's suit department, for example, a visitor recently came upon a navy blue wool suit by Ralph Lauren with a Saks Fifth Avenue label and priced at $250. At Saks it would sell for about $500. Nearby was a beige wool Yves Saint Laurent suit with a Saks label, for $125; at Saks the suit would sell for $250. Not all the merchandise is designer league, however. Rubbing shoulders with the quality gabardines and soft flannels were a group of boxy corduroy sport jackets, made in Poland, and priced at $55. Nearby, piled on an unadorned wooden counter and heralded by a hand-scrawled diamond-shaped sign of orange construction paper, were Geoffrey Beene silk paisley ties for $4.99 - originally marked $10.50 - and a rack of Christian Dior leather belts for $8. On one of the women's accessories counters, silk neckerchiefs by Ralph Lauren and Christian Dior were $5 and a glass-enclosed display case jammed with handbags included a Diane Von Furstenberg signature fabric briefcase for $29.95 and a brown signature fabric shoulder bag with leather trim by Lanvin for $59.95. Bargain prices, however, did not always stand for bargains. In the toiletries section, cranberry-colored compacts of a pale shade of powder blush by Calvin Klein, which usually sell for $10, were marked $2.99. Most, however, looked smudged, nicked and unsanitary, as though curious shoppers had finger-painted with them. Other items such as golden yellow ''shadowcake'' by Alexandra de Markoff lay open with missing applicator brushes. Most of the women's apparel was in excellent condition but I came upon a few articles of clothing, such as a pair of white flannel Charles Jourdan slacks ($12) with dirt-rimmed hems, which looked as though they would tenaciously remain gray despite the most vigorous dry cleaning. Although Filene's upstairs store does not sell furs, the Basement has its own small fur department. In keeping with the rest of the Basement, the atmosphere is no-frills. Under the ghoulish glare of neon lights, however, there are some impressive quality furs at discount prices. A glistening Ben Kahn natural ranch mink coat, ticketed at $9,500, for example, had a Filene's price of $5,500. A Norwegian natural blue fox jacket with mandarin collar was $1,595 and an Australian dyed opposum-lined raincoat was $399.

DEBORAH BLUMENTHAL is a writer who lives in New York. BY DEBORAH BLUMENTHAL S o what if the forest green Charles Jourdan leather pumps were a size 9 narrow instead of a 9 medium? They were $29.96, weren't they? You couldn't touch a similar pair on Fifth Avenue for under $100. Pawing through tables of shoes and racks of designer clothes sandwiched together in the basement of Filene's department store in Boston, the devout bargain hunter easily falls prey to such logic and the lure of the ''find,'' be it practical, impractical, a perfect fit or a tight squeeze. Since 1908, Filene's Basement, at the corner of Summer and Washington Streets in downtown Boston, has been a celebrated discount outlet. Today it is ranked as a major Boston tourist attraction, an obligatory stop on the circuit including nearby Faneuil Hall and the Quincy Market redevelopment.

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Bank of America to cut 30,000 jobs in restructuring

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Bank of America Corp., the nation's largest bank, unveiled plans yesterday to cut 30,000 jobs worldwide in the next few years, as part of an aggressive effort to streamline its far-flung operations and cope with billions of dollars in losses from toxic mortgages and the continuing weak economy. The cuts will probably affect the company's operations in Massachusetts, analysts say, but bank officials said it was too early to say how many reductions will occur here. Massachusetts is one of the bank’s largest employment centers with 7,000 employees, in addition to its 270 retail branches. Overall, the job reductions will hit more than 10 percent of its workforce, now at 287,000 worldwide. "The whole goal here was to make our company more streamlined, more efficient," Bank of America chief executive Brian Moynihan, who lives in Wellesley, said in announcing the restructuring at the Barclays Capital Global Financial Services Conference in New York. The job cuts are part of an ongoing companywide restructuring effort. The first phase, which includes the company’s consumer business and its support operations, is expected to reduce expenses by $5 billion annually by 2013. For instance, the bank said it plans to combine some of its 63 data centers and merge three deposit systems into one. The bank also plans to examine other divisions in a second round of restructuring, such as wealth management and investment banking, which could lead to additional job cuts. That review is slated to begin next month and be completed in March. Bank officials said it was too early to say how many additional jobs may be cut in the second phrase, but suggested it would likely be smaller than those disclosed yesterday. "It's probably not going to be as fruitful on dollars per square inch, but it will be fruitful," Moynihan said. The cuts are just the latest effort by the bank to save money in the wake of the global economic downturn and collapse of the US housing market. In late 2008, Bank of America revealed plans to cut 30,000 to 35,000 jobs as part of its integration of Merrill Lynch & Co. in January 2009. And earlier this year, the company disclosed plans to cut 3,500 jobs and shed roughly 10 percent of its branches. The company's headquarters are in Charlotte, N.C. Massachusetts has already felt the impact of those moves. Even while the company was growing overall, with the acquisitions of Merrill Lynch and Countrywide Financial Corp., the bank has 2,000 fewer workers in the state than it did in 2007. As recently as July, Bank of America said it planned to let go 150 employees at a back-office operation in Malden by next spring. Other financial companies are cutting their operations as well because of the sluggish economy, weak housing market, and unusually low interest rates, which reduce the amounts banks can earn on deposits. Bank of New York Mellon Corp., which has large operations in Massachusetts, announced plans to cut 1,500 jobs, or 3 percent of its workforce. And Boston-based State Street Corp. said it planned to cut 850 jobs, including 558 in Massachusetts, on top of thousands of jobs cut previously. And Wells Fargo & Co. recently pledged to cut expenses by up to $6 billion. "I think the cuts are necessary given the growing pressures on profitability because of the slowing economy and the prolonged low-interest environment," said RBC Capital Markets analyst Joe Morford. "The challenging environment is affecting all banks and Bank of America is not alone," Morford said. But banking analyst Richard Bove said Moynihan has been forced to cut deeper than many other banks because the company had grown so large through acquisitions, and because the magnitude of the mortgage-related losses it is facing from Countrywide in 2008, which Bove called one of the worst acquisitions on record. In the second quarter alone, Bank of America reported a net loss of $8.8 billion, mostly related to an $8.5 billion settlement with investors who pressured the bank to buy back toxic mortgages handled by Countrywide. And it faces billions of dollars in additional legal claims. Moynihan has "got to focus on those parts of the business that work by getting rid of the parts of the business that don't, so he can pay for all the lawsuits related to Countrywide," said Bove, who works for Rochdale Securities LLC. In addition, the bank has been trying to integrate operations after years of bulking up through acquisitions, including FleetBoston in 2004, and Merrill Lynch two years ago. Moynihan noted the company made six acquisitions from 2003 to 2008, leaving the bank with 63 data centers, three deposit systems, and tens of millions of square feet of office space it didn't need. "It's kind of like an accordion," Bove said. "The bank makes a number of acquisitions, then it decides it has overextended itself and needs to shrink and focus on its core business." The bank said many of the job cuts will occur through attrition or by not filling vacant jobs, rather than outright layoffs. Bank of America's stock rose 7 cents to $7.05.

The nation’s largest bank has grown tremendously in recent years with major acquisitions, while also suffering through a perilous economy and steep losses from the mortgage crisis.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20111106155429id_/http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/04/01/businesspropicks-us-findlaw-workplace-in-idUSTRE53078T20090401

Dos and Don'ts: Workplace Internet and E-Mail

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Wed Apr 1, 2009 3:14pm EDT So, everyone at your company now has access to the Internet and e-mail. Great! Now make sure it stays that way, by following a few simple "DOs and DON'Ts." DO provide all employees with training about the best and most efficient use of e-mail and Internet searching-you want to get the most out of your investment. DO make rules about Internet and e-mail use-prohibit or limit personal Internet use and e-mail correspondence, for example. A clear, written policy will go a long way toward preventing abuses. DO educate employees about sharing financial or credit information only at secure sites. DO make sure your employees know why they have Internet access-it should become a tool to do their jobs better, not a hindrance or a distraction. DO create good policies and procedures both for retaining important documents and for destroying outdated or sensitive data. DO designate an employee or a department to be in charge of technical problems with the Internet-your employees shouldn't waste their time trying to fix problems they aren't trained to fix. DO protect confidential and sensitive e-mail content by managing your in- and out-boxes or by installing encryption software. DON'T allow electronic mail to replace written memoranda about important issues or face-to-face meetings with your staff. DON'T spy on your employees-give them passwords and respect their privacy. But make sure they know that their computers, including the contents, belong to the company. DON'T let an e-mail virus destroy your data. Make sure there is a system for monitoring such viruses, and keep critical data backed up or duplicated. DON'T allow employees to access pornography or other offensive material at work-you are responsible if a hostile work environment results.

So, everyone at your company now has access to the Internet and e-mail. Great! Now make sure it stays that way, by following a few simple DOs and DON'Ts.THE DOsDO provide all employees with training

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http://web.archive.org/web/20111118095633id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com:80/arts/music/2011/10/14/petersburg-state-academic-symphony-orchestra-performed-program-that-did-hometown-proud/YaIcqCeaI7xkj5np8OApcM/story.html

Rousing program from Russians

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The St. Petersburg State Academic Symphony Orchestra, which under principal guest conductor Vladimir Lande performed at Symphony Hall Wednesday, is not the august St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) Philharmonic Orchestra, which traces its history back to 1882. It’s not even the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, which was founded in 1931. Just 44 years old this year, the SPSASO has relatively little in the way of a touring and recording pedigree. Nonetheless, those who’ve heard the National Philharmonic of Russia in Symphony Hall over the past few years know that even no-name Russian orchestras can deliver the goods. And this one did its home city and country proud. Too bad only a few hundred concertgoers were there to enjoy it. The all-Slavic program opened with a novelty, Polish composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s 1949 “Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes,’’ and continued with more familiar fare, Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3, with Chinese soloist Xiayin Wang, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. Weinberg’s “Rhapsody’’ thrust us at once into a deep forest of cellos and basses (both sections magnificent throughout the evening); then the themes emerged in the winds and brass, sounding as much Jewish (was that a khosidl?) as Moldavian. The piece exploded into bouts of frenetic string playing - no problem for these strings - and then some splashy movie music. The Prokofiev was less successful. Wang doesn’t want for technique, and there were melting moments in the nocturne-like sections of the slow movement that conjured Rachmaninoff. But she also banged a lot, and some of her passagework was blurry. She wasn’t helped by the orchestra, which was too loud (a shrill piccolo, for one) and lacked both finesse and wit - what happened to the sly gavotte that opens the slow movement? Lande’s Tchaikovsky was painted in similar strokes: bold, brash, and at times bombastic. It was also the fastest Fifth I’ve ever heard, barely 40 minutes. The finale sounded more like a confident proletariat striding forward into their shiny new future than the composer’s anguished struggle to achieve E major. But the passion of the Andante cantabile recalled Serge Koussevitzky’s legendary 1944 BSO recording, with a limpid, russet-colored opening horn aria and luscious solos from oboe and bassoon. A quick listen afterward to the orchestra’s just-released recording of this symphony (on Canada’s Marquis label) confirmed my good impression of the playing. The one encore was announced by Lande as “I think you will recognize it.’’ We certainly should have: It was Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide’’ Overture, a gay, glittering tribute to the orchestra’s American tour - and perhaps to the Huntington Theatre Company production of Bernstein’s musical satire that was playing across the street.

The St. Petersburg State Academic Symphony Orchestra is just 44 years old this year, and has relatively little in the way of a touring and recording pedigree. Nonetheless, those who’ve heard the National Philharmonic of Russia in Symphony Hall over the past few years know that even no-name Russian orchestras can deliver the goods. And this one did its home city and country proud. . Too bad only a few hundred concertgoers were there to enjoy it.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20120108102650id_/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20553487,00.html

President Obama Talks Facebook and TV Habits

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Facebook might have been one of the biggest stories of 2011, but don't count on friending the First Daughters anytime soon. In their only print interview of the holiday season, President Obama and the First Lady tell PEOPLE they don't allow daughters Sasha and Malia on Facebook. Not that it's been a hard decision to enforce, says the President. Their theory is, "Why would we want to have a whole bunch of people who we don't know knowing our business? That doesn't make much sense." But when the First Lady points out that Malia is only 13 and Sasha 10 right now, the President laughs and adds, "We'll see how they feel in four years." The Obamas, who let the family dog Bo sit in on the Dec. 5 interview (only after removing his distracting jingle-bell collar), also revealed that must-see TV in the White House divides along gender lines. "For the girls and me, , that's our favorite show," the President says, adding that he's "a little darker" in his TV habits, listing as his must-sees, other than sports. "Yes," said the First Lady with a laugh, "we don't watch TV with him." And lest anyone think the private residence of the most powerful man in the world comes with all the latest gadgets and gizmos, President Obama says the technologically antiquated second-floor family quarters only recently saw a DVR installed. "We're a little bit behind," he tells us dryly.

The President and First Lady differ on their must-sees of 2011

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http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C20325119%2C00.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20120109214511id_/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20325119,00.html

REPORT: Billy Joel Says Daughter Will Be Fine

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Alexa Ray Joel and Billy Joel Billy Joel has spoken out about his daughter Alexa Ray Joel's condition following "She is going to be fine," Joel told The 23-year-old daughter of Joel and model Christie Brinkley was rushed to St. Vincent's Hospital Saturday afternoon after a female caller placed a call to 911. Following Alexa Ray's hospitalization, her rep issued a statement saying, "She is stable and her doctors are assessing her needs." According to reports, Alexa Ray swallowed an unknown quantity of pills following a breakup with her boyfriend.

The singer releases a statement about his daughter Alexa Ray's hospitalization

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http://bostonglobe.com/business/2011/12/12/demand-rises-for-visa-workers/MK7kY8avLgy08eeNHKz0qL/story.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20120117064320id_/http://bostonglobe.com:80/business/2011/12/12/demand-rises-for-visa-workers/MK7kY8avLgy08eeNHKz0qL/story.html

Demand rises for visa workers

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US companies are seeking more visas to bring highly skilled foreign workers into the country, hinting at a stronger labor market. The annual quota of 85,000 H-1B visa applications was filled in eight months this year, two months earlier than in 2010 - although not nearly as quickly as in the years before the recession, when the quota could be exhausted in as little as two days. “It indicates an improved economy, but not like boom times,’’ said Bruce Morrison, a former Democratic congressman from Connecticut who helped create the H-1B visa program. Demand for H-1B visas rises and falls with the strength of the US economy. In 2007, all were snapped up in two days. In 2009, the first year after the economic downturn, it took nine months to reach the quota; last year, it took 10 months. This year, the quota was met on Nov. 22, eight months after the application window opened. There are dozens of visa programs for admitting foreign workers, most of them designed for temporary workers. For example, there is a visa for foreign journalists, another for athletes, and yet another for entertainers. The H-1B visa is intended to help US employers temporarily hire skilled workers who may be hard to find in the domestic labor force. Citizenship and Immigration Services begins accepting H-1B visa applications every April. Employers, rather than individuals, apply for the three-year visas, which can be renewed for another three years. H-1B visas have been used them to bring in such diverse professionals as chefs and fashion models, but according to a January study from the Government Accountability Office, 50 percent of the visas go to “STEM workers’’- those with training in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Many of the nation’s major technology companies hire H-1B workers directly. In addition, US subsidiaries of outsourcing firms in India seek H-1B visas so they can send their employees to American companies as contract workers. Since its launch in 1990, the H-1B program has been controversial. Businesses say the program helps supplement a labor pool that contains too few engineers and scientists, but technology workers say companies hire foreign workers to avoid paying US wages. The GAO study found that 54 percent of visa recipients between June 2009 and July 2010 were categorized as “entry-level’’ technical workers and paid considerably less than experienced Americans with similar skills. “Certainly, a lot of employers are using it for low-cost foreign workers,’’ said Ron Hira, associate professor of public policy at Rochester Institute of Technology and a longtime H-1B critic. Hira and other critics say the H-1B system is the wrong way to bring in foreign workers. They favor using permanent US residency visas, commonly known as green cards, which would allow the holders to seek full citizenship in five years, and, they say, reduce the risk that workers will be exploited as cheap labor and then sent home. A bill seeking to expand the green card program was passed by the House of Representatives in November but hit a roadblock in the Senate. The bill, sponsored by Representative Jason Chaffetz, Republican of Utah, would eliminate the per-country quota on job-related green cards. Under current law, the United States makes available 140,000 employment-related green cards per year, but no more than 7 percent of the visas can be issued to people from any given country. That means Switzerland, with 7.8 million inhabitants, gets the same number of work-related green cards as China, with 1.3 billion citizens, or India, with 1.2 billion. US companies are eager to tap the large pool of Chinese and Indian technology workers, especially those who have been trained at US colleges and universities while on student visas. Often, such workers can’t get green cards and must return home. “Today, many of the foreign students completing a STEM degree at a US graduate school return to their home countries and begin competing against American workers,’’ said a report released in October by the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. Chaffetz said that dropping the per-country cap would be a first step toward retaining more of these foreign workers. “Our immigration policy should be blind as to which countries these high-skilled immigrants come from,’’ he said. “Companies want the best people. They don’t care what country they come from.’’ Even in a Congress sharply divided over immigration issues, the Chaffetz bill passed with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote. But it has been blocked in the Senate by Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa. “I have concerns about the impact of this bill on future immigration flows,’’ Grassley said in a statement issued by his office, “and am concerned that it does nothing to better protect Americans at home who seek high-skilled jobs during this time of record high unemployment.’’ The House bill is also taking fire from David Lee, president of the Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association. Lee said that by eliminating the per-country green card cap, more visas would go to applicants from other countries and fewer to Koreans. “It’s kind of a zero-sum game,’’ Lee said. “We’ll be negatively affected by this legislation.’’ The biggest problem, Lee said, is the current total cap of 140,000 job-related green cards. He favors a big increase that would make it much easier for foreign workers to get to the United States, and the idea of providing green cards to any foreigners who earn advanced degrees in mathematics, engineering, or the sciences from US universities.

American companies are more agressively pursuing specialized visas to bring highly skilled foreign workers into this country, a possible sign of an improving labor market. The annual federal quota of 85,000 H-1B visa applications was filled by late November, two months earlier than in 2010 - although not nearly as quickly as in years before the recession. “It indicates an improved economy, but not like boom times,’’ said Bruce Morrison, a former chairman of the US House Immigration Subcommittee..

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http://web.archive.org/web/20120208012211id_/http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-jpmorgan-settles-overdraft-fee-case-for-110-million-20120206,0,3379220.story

JPMorgan settles overdraft fee case for $110 million

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has agreed to pay $110 million to settle consumer litigation accusing it of charging excessive overdraft fees. The largest U.S. bank by assets joined (BAC.N) and several smaller lenders in settling their portion of the nationwide litigation over the fees, which are typically assessed when customers overdraw their checking accounts. Consumers had accused more than 30 lenders of routinely processing transactions from largest to smallest rather than in chronological order. This can cause overdraft fees, typically $25 to $35, to pile up because account balances fall faster when larger transactions are processed first. Critics say this disproportionately burdens customers with lower incomes and balances. JPMorgan's settlement in principle was disclosed in a filing on Friday with the U.S. district court in Miami. The settlement requires negotiation of final documentation and approval by U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King, who oversees the nationwide litigation. It also calls for an unspecified change to JPMorgan's overdraft practices. JPMorgan spokesman Patrick Linehan said the New York-based bank was pleased to settle in principle. Robert Gilbert, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In September 2009, JPMorgan said it would henceforth post debit card transactions and ATM withdrawals as they occur, and end debit card overdrafts unless customers ask for them. barred banks from charging overdraft fees on electronic and debit card transactions without advance customer approval. Bank of America last year settled its part of the nationwide litigation for $410 million, the largest agreement so far. & Co. are among banks that have not settled. Wells Fargo has appealed a San Francisco federal judge's $203 million award in August 2010 to California consumers in another overdraft case. The JPMorgan case was brought by customers including Florida resident Estella Lopez and Los Angeles resident Andrea Luquetta. Lopez said she incurred $204 of overdraft fees on seven debit card purchases in August 2009, but would have incurred just one $34 fee had the bank posted her transactions from lowest to highest. Luquetta accused the bank of posting a $1,725 automatic bill payment five days early in August 2009, causing her to incur $231 of overdraft fees on seven debit card purchases. She said she should have incurred at most just one $33 fee. In afternoon trading, JPMorgan shares were down 12 cents at $38.16 on the The case is In re: Checking Account Overdraft Litigation, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, No. 09-md-02036.

JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay $110 million to settle consumer litigation accusing it of charging excessive overdraft fees.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20120209143231id_/http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/03/24/did-sandra-bullock-know-jesse-james-affair-oscars/

Did Sandra Bullock Already Know About Jesse James' Affair At Oscars?

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LOS ANGELES – While news of Jesse James’s alleged affair only hit headlines last week (thanks to mistress Michelle “Bombshell” McGee selling her story), Sandra Bullock may have been “blindsided” by her husband prior to accepting her Oscar for Best Actress. Bullock barely even acknowledged, let alone touched, a teary James after her name was called out as the winner, although he whispered “something private” in her ear and she gave him a smug look before jumping out of her seat. Despite appearing quite prepared on stage, she failed to thank him in her acceptance speech (although she didn’t forget her “lover” Meryl Streep) and was quick to change to subject when asked about him backstage after the big win. SLIDESHOW: Bullock Was on Top of the World Before Affair Surfaced “Don't piss him off. He had something in his eye. It's very dusty from the dance music,” Bullock responded when asked why James was crying. “I'd never divulge what Jesse says unless he divulges it first.” PHOTOS: Who Is Michelle 'Bombshell' McGee? This was quite a turnaround, given that at the SAG Awards just a few weeks earlier Bullock gushed about “her man” while accepting the award. “I love you so much, and you're really hot,” she said lovingly to James. “And I want you so much!" RELATED: Best Actress Break Up Curse?

Did Sandra Bullock Already Know About Jesse James' Affair at Oscars?

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How Coca-Cola Created Its "Happiness Machine" [INTERVIEW]

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Meaghan Edelstein has gained national media attention through her blog, I Kicked Cancer’s Ass, which she started to document her battle with end stage cancer. She is an attorney, the founder of the non-profit organization Spirit Jump, and also writes from her personal blog. Most big brands don’t share the secrets behind how they create hugely successful web videos. For the first time ever, Coke executives and leaders at Definition 6, the agency responsible for the award-winning “Happiness Machine” video, reveal the secret ingredients that made it such a success. Global Senior Brand Manager for Coca-Cola, AJ Brustein, Definition 6 Director of Interactive Strategy, Paul McClay and Definition 6 Creative Director Paul Iannacchino take us through the making of Coke’s “Happiness Machine.” Q: What was Coke’s goal? What was Coke looking for when they decided to create a web video? Brustein: Coke’s original goal was to beef up its digital activation platform.The plan was to release seven different pieces of content, iPhone and social media applications, wallpaper screen savers and a video that we hoped would go viral. “The Happiness Machine” web video started out as just a piece of digital content, a dose of happiness. Q: How did your team come up with the “Happiness Machine” concept? Iannacchino: The process started with a large brainstorming session. Three ideas turned into a pitch that was taken back to Coke and “The Happiness Machine” was selected. Over the course of sixty days we used story boards to refine the piece. We had a strong core idea, but needed to develop the story. Our device was the Coke machine. Location, we needed to be entrenched in Coke’s demographic. Finally we had to ask ourselves, how is the narrative going to play out? How will we get people to approach the machine? How will we make it appear as normal as possible? And, how do we get escalation? McClay: We came up with the idea over Falafel sandwiches on a sunny deck. It was a fun collaboration. The brainstorming and ideation began with a well-defined framework of constraints and set of objectives provided by Coke. Otherwise we were given free reign. We wanted to provide a message that would resonate with the target audience. Q: After Coke approved the “Happiness Machine,” what was the next step? How did the idea shape into a real experience? Brustein: Coke’s goal was to create an organic experience. Other than the janitor loading the machine, nothing was scripted. If the video had been scripted, it wouldn’t have had the same effect. The girl mouthing “Oh My God,” students helping each other lift the huge sub, hugging the Coke machine — these true moments are what gave the video life. Q: How did you create an organic reaction? Iannacchino: Coke wanted the machine to be magical but didn’t want to reveal the secret behind the magic. To accomplish this we had to show it was a normal Coke machine. The janitor unlocked the machine leaving the door wide open while he loaded bottles of Coke inside. This created a misdirect for the audience, leaving everyone to believe the machine was authentic. Setting up the scene this way helped create an organic reaction which relayed the magic of the brand. Q: People may think the success of this video was due to Coke giving away free stuff to college students. Do you believe this is true? Iannacchino: We would argue that it was the element of surprise, not that somebody got animal balloons or two Cokes instead of one. What Coke really gave away was a sense of happiness which created an emotional connection with the brand. Students involved in this video were caught up in their everyday lives, and this little moment touched them. We used free stuff to surprise people but what we gave away was happiness and a smile. The key is engagement, whether you were there or just watching, free stuff was just the catalyst. McClay: Giving away free stuff wasn’t what resonated with the audience at the end of the day. After doing testing we found it was the students’ expressions of happiness and the way they reacted that people enjoyed. You can film people being given free stuff all day long and it will fall flat on the audience. The way people react is what matters. Q: How did you put it all together? Iannacchino: The first thirty days we ramped up into production. The web video was set to launch January 1, 2010 and we began shooting in early December. We took a working Coke vending machine and re-built it to do the things we wanted it to. There wasn’t a big budget for this project — mostly sweat equity. Q: How did you pick the location? Iannacchino: Location was key. We had to find a space that was entrenched in Coke’s demographic. We knew we wanted a college campus but it couldn’t be just any campus. The college we picked had to be Coke affiliated, on board with our idea with heavy foot traffic by students and have a space that would allow for the important element of secrecy. St. John’s University ended up being the perfect location. We built a secret room in their cafeteria over a weekend so it looked like construction to the students. Because we did it this way no one asked any questions. Q: What were some of the challenges you faced? Iannacchino: Going back and tweaking the story, finding the perfect location, and building of the actual “Happiness Machine.” Lots of things didn’t work but that was okay. Imagine a eight by fifteen foot room for two days, with five cameras, planning for the worst and hoping for the best! SECRET: The sub — we only had one, so there was one shot to get it right. The giant sub ended up being the item that punctuated the story. Q: How much did Coke spend to promote the video? Brustein: Coke spent zero on promoting “The Happiness Machine.” One status update was posted on Coke’s Facebook Page, one tweet and that was it. Within a day the video was picked up by bloggers and it spread from there. Of course we could have bought views but the experiment succeeded without any promotion. Q: What was the process to get the video to go viral? Iannacchino: We uploaded the web video to Coke’s YouTube channel on day one. The video then moved through the advertising trades before it picked up steam with consumers. In the first five days there were seven hundred thousand visits and in the first week one million. It hit the top of the viral video chart that week. Q: Why do you think “The Happiness Machine” video went viral? McClay: Something being viral wasn’t the strategy, but instead it was a possible outcome. The strategy was to produce great creative content that resonated and wasn’t a hard hitting commercial. We wanted it to have pass-along value and never intended to seed it with paid dollars. It was all about the exercise of producing creative video for online distribution. We aimed for something the audience would use and enjoy. Q: How can other brands increase web video distribution? McClay: Several tactical things need to be accomplished in order to get distribution. Getting bloggers to post about your video, tweets and Facebook mentions are just a few ways. But the big spikes happen when the video hits the homepage of YouTube or Yahoo. Getting featured comes down to whether your video is creative, which is dependent upon the perception of the decision makers. The number of views is also critical. If you can create pass-along value it will increase your views. People like to share humor. When something makes me laugh, I think my friend will laugh too. The key ingredients, as always, are imagination and hard work. Both Coke and Definition 6 put an enormous amount of creativity, time and energy into “The Happiness Machine.” “One thing to take a way is that it wasn’t a fluke,” Iannacchino said. “A lot of work went into it.” - How Social Media Has Prepared Us for Collaborative Business - HOW TO: Evaluate Your Social Media Plan - Why Your Next Business Card May Be Virtual - HOW TO: Improve B2B Sales Productivity with Social Media - HOW TO: Use Social Media for Lead Generation

For the first time ever, Coke executives and leaders at Definition 6 reveal the secret ingredients that made their "Happiness Machine" web video such a success.

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http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2012/02/15/china-hear-plight-mass-turbine-company/j0Q8efMbmIfukXkrrS0dqM/story.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20120219182516id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com:80/business/2012/02/15/china-hear-plight-mass-turbine-company/j0Q8efMbmIfukXkrrS0dqM/story.html

China to hear plight of Mass. turbine company

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WASHINGTON - China’s next leader, Xi Jinping, may never have heard of American Superconductor Corp. before he arrived here Monday, but by the end of his visit US officials hope to make the small Massachusetts wind-energy company an object lesson in the impact of Chinese trade secret theft on US business. Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, plans to raise personally with Xi the case of a company that saw 70 percent of its business evaporate last year after a Chinese partner enticed one of its employees to steal the crown jewel of its technology. “It’s a very clear and, in our judgment, egregious, palpable demonstration of the practice that we are deeply concerned about,’’ Kerry said, “but it’s not the only one. There are so many things: cyberattacks, access-to-market issues, espionage, theft. These are major points of discussion between us and China.’’ Both President Obama and Vice President Biden warned Xi yesterday that they had been hearing more and more from US businesses about intellectual property and trade secret theft, but they did not specifically mention American Superconductor, knows as AMSC. However, background material on the company’s experience was included in briefing papers distributed before the arrival in Washington of Xi’s delegation, and a top administration official said the Chinese were aware of US frustration over the case. With anger toward Chinese trade and industrial practices emerging as a major theme for the 2012 campaign season, American Superconductor’s story seems ripe for the moment. The facts are difficult to dispute, given the volume of evidence. Last March, China’s Sinovel, the world’s second largest wind turbine manufacturer, abruptly refused shipments of American Superconductor’s wind turbine electrical systems and control software. The blow was devastating; Sinovel provided more than 70 percent of the firm’s revenues. The value of undelivered components on existing contracts exceeded $700 million, Daniel Patrick McGahn, the company’s president and chief executive, told investors. Its share price plunged by more than 80 percent in six months. Last summer, evidence emerged that Sinovel had promised $1.5 million to Dejan Karabasevic, a Serbian employee of American Superconductor in Austria. Company officials say they found hundreds of e-mails and messages between senior Sinovel staff members and Karabasevic detailing the property to be stolen from the company, offering the money, and showing the actual transfer of the software. They even found signed contracts for the transaction. Karabasevic was arrested, confessed to the crime, was convicted and is now serving time in an Austrian prison. American Superconductor filed multiple lawsuits against Sinovel, seeking more than $1.2 billion in damages, cease and desist orders, and copyright remedies. In October, Sinovel countersued, saying it stopped accepting components because of quality problems and asking an arbitration commission to award it about $58 million for a breach of contract. The company is also demanding that American Superconductor pay its lawyers’ fees, expenses and the cost of the arbitration. This month, a court in Hainan, China, dismissed the smallest of the suits and said it should be heard by an arbitration commission in Beijing. The first arbitration hearing is scheduled for Feb. 24. Robert D. Atkinson, president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation who has been leading a roundtable on such cases for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, called the case particularly egregious. But, he added, “This is not a one-shot deal that affects one company in Massachusetts. It is unbelievably endemic.’’

WASHINGTON - China’s next leader, Xi Jinping, may never have heard of American Superconductor Corp. before he arrived here Monday, but by the end of his visit U.S. officials hope to make the small Massachusetts wind-energy company an object lesson in the impact of Chinese trade secret theft on U.S. business. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, plans to raise personally with Xi the case of a company that saw 70 percent of its business evaporate last year after a Chinese partner enticed one of its employees to steal the crown jewel of its technology.

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Hogan Marriage Over: Linda Gets 'Outstanding' Settlement, Hulk Still Loves Her

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Hogan Marriage Over: Linda Gets 'Outstanding' Settlement, Hulk Still Loves Linda | Newly Single Jessica Simpson Given a Diamond Ring | Pop Tarts Scene & Herd Hogan Marriage Over: Linda Gets 'Outstanding' Settlement, Hulk Still Loves Linda After a long, very public proceeding, Hulk Hogan and former wife Linda Bollea finalized their divorce and reached an undisclosed settlement on Monday evening. While the terms were not made public, the couple’s net worth in 2008 was believed to be between $26 million and $32 million (as filed in court) and it sounds as though Mrs. Bollea walked away with quite the bulk of funds. "Linda received an outstanding settlement result and I think both parties had compromised but Linda is extremely happy with the settlement," her attorney Ray Rafool told Tarts. "It was bittersweet and it was also a relief and as Linda said, in every grey cloud there is a silver lining so I think for both of them, they were very relieved to be on the same page and they were very relieved that they would have this chapter of their life behind them." And it turns out that Hulk was the one who reached out to his wife of 25 years to make peace. "Hulk is the one that originally came to Linda and said lets try to put this whole case aside and lets resolve this, essentially Hulk was the one that came to us with this peace offering which we gladly accepted," Rafool added. "He said he still loves Linda and he's happy that they're forever getting this resolved. These people are business partners now and will be business partners in the future." While the divorced duo will still have a professional relationship, the semi-retired celebrity wrestler still wants some sort of personal relationship too. "Hulk is looking forward to moving on with his life and is very hopeful that he and Linda can maintain a friendship and work together as parents to their two children," a rep for Hogan told Tarts. Newly Single Jessica Simpson Given a Diamond Ring Jessica Simpson just broke up with Tony Romo, but that wasn’t stopping the starlet from stepping out into the Hollywood Hills home of jeweler Pascal Mouawad for Monday night’s listening party her father’s new singing prodigy, An Ya (who is signed to Papa Joe Records label). Donning a short black dress with stilettos, Simpson appeared to be in high spirits -- and even though she never did get a rock from Romo she managed to walk away with a beautiful 5 carat diamond ring from Pascal’s black and white collection. And it seems Miss Simpson has a new sibling -- sort of. "An Ya is the net big pop star," Joe predicted. "She’s part of the family now." Lindsay Lohan arrived typically late and typically took advantage of getting goodies for free. The troubled Tinseltowner scored a 4-carat piece from the Rosetta Collection, but was surprisingly on her best behavior -- sticking to AMP Energy Drinks and refraining from even a sip of alcohol. Pop Tarts also spotted Ellen DeGeneres, Portia DeRossi and Sheryl Crowe who all stopped by the party before heading next door to another bash at the home of Mike Meyer’s ex wife. Pop Tarts Scene & Herd Tom Petty puffing away on his tobacco-free SmokeStik throughout the screening of "Paris, Not France" in Los Angeles last Wednesday. Owen Wilson happily eating at "To Go" at Citarella’s East Hampton grocery store on Thursday. Paris Hilton partying with sis Nicky and her beau Dave Katzenberg at Whiskey Blue inside the W Los Angeles-Westwood last Thursday night. Chris Daughtry hanging out at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego before performing for the likes of Milo Ventimiglia and Zachary Levi at the Wrath of Con party Friday night in Float, the hotel’s rooftop bar. Fergie performing for birthday boy SLASH at BARE POOL LOUNGE in Vegas on Friday before he hit up JET Nightclub at the Mirage where he celebrated with Steven Tyler, Brad Whitford and a guitar-shaped birthday cake. Dan Aykroyd stopping in to Turtle Crossing in East Hampton on Friday evening to introduce his new vodka, Crystal Head Vodka, packaged in a unique skull shaped glass bottle to diners. Super skinny Lindsay Lohan showing up to the Silverspoon Beach House in Malibu with a whole pizza to eat for herself on Saturday afternoon. Jeremy Piven celebrating his birthday at his Malibu home on Saturday by banging on his drums while listening to his hired singer. Mila Kunis, Jason Bateman and Jamie Kennedy lounging around the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego on Saturday. Meanwhile, Wesley Snipes was spotted digging into hash browns, bagels with cream cheese, fries and turkey at Maryjane's inside the hotel. Michelle Rodriguez shopping at Fred Segal Fun in Santa Monica for over an hour on Saturday afternoon. The HollyRod Foundation honoring Michael J. Fox with the Matthew T. Robinson Courage Award at a private residence in the Hollywood Hills on Saturday evening. Snoop Dogg partying and performing at the Kandy Vegas Lingerie Ball at Palms Pool & Bungalows inside Palms Casino Resort Saturday night. Holly Madison dining with a posse of pals at Simon Palms Place in Vegas on Sunday. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson wandering around the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon. Sports Illustrated model Julie Henderson and Top Chef Sam Talbot stopping by the BBQ for the Mercedes-Benz Hamptons Road Rallye to benefit The Retreat, which supports victims of domestic violence, on Sunday. A suddenly large Kevin Federline hanging out at the second annual Ryan Sheckler X Games Celebrity Skins Classic in Coto de Caza, CA on Monday alongside Verne Troyer, Audrina Patridge, Brody Jenner, Tito Ortiz, Cary Hart and Kelly Slater. Blake Lively donning Treesje's Jovi handbag on the set of Gossip Girl in NYC's Upper West side on Monday. Meryl Streep chatting to friends at Mann's Theater in Westwood on Monday night before a special screening of "Julie & Julia." Shaq tossing the World's Largest Athlete WWE Superstar (the 480lb Big Show) out of the ring at the Verizon Center in DC during his guest host stint at WWE Monday Night RAW. Gilles Marini and wife Carole enjoying a date night together watching A Night of Chekov Farces starring Svetlana Metkina at the Lee Strasberg Theatre on Monday night. Steven Spielberg dining with two of his children at East Hamptons eatery Turtle Crossing on Monday night. The kids shared a slab of ribs and French fries, while Steven had a pulled chicken sandwich and coleslaw. Cyndi Lauper taking a break from rehearsals for her "Girls Night Out" tour with Rosie O’Donnell to bring her son to the Green Day show at Madison Square Garden Monday night. Newly engaged couple The Dream and Christina Milian stealing kisses and singing along to Keri Hilson’s performance of ‘Knock You Down’ at the GREY GOOSE Entertainment presents Rising Icons launch at 1OAK on Monday night. Donald and Melania Trump waving to fans at Katy Perry's concert in NYC on Tuesday night. Rhianna also attended donning dark shades and Perry even dedicated "Thinking Of You" to the starlet.

After a long, very public proceeding Hulk Hogan and former wife Linda Bollea finally finalized their divorce and reached an undisclosed settlement on Monday evening.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20120302102032id_/http://www.forbes.com/2010/10/07/analyst-moves-fitb-aapl-ffiv-marketnewsvideo.html

Analysts Take A Shine To Fifth Third, Apple

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Oppenheimer initiated coverage on shares of Fifth Third Bancorp with an outperform rating as credit trends look to favor the bank over the coming quarters. With the outperform rating, Oppenheimer set a price target of $16 per share. Shares of FITB were higher, picking up almost 2% so far. Canaccord Adams increased its EPS estimates on shares of Apple ( AAPL - news - people ) through 2011 as the firm continues to see strength in the iPad and iPhone product lines. With the higher earnings numbers, the firm maintained its buy rating and its price target of $366. Shares of Apple were slightly lower, falling 0.1%. Bank of America ( BAC - news - people ) raised its price target on shares of F5 Networks ( FFIV - news - people ) from $85 up to $112 networking technology is poised to play an important role in terms of mobile traffic and cloud computing. With the higher price target, Bank of America maintained its neutral rating on the stock. Shares of F5 were higher on the news, climbing almost 1.1%. Market News Video produces and distributes online videos about stocks and investing.

Oppenheimer rates bank outperform,, Canaccord boosts EPS estimate on iPad strength.

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http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2009/11/02/mariah-carey-admits-failed-acting-career-sent-grave/

http://web.archive.org/web/20120303231750id_/http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2009/11/02/mariah-carey-admits-failed-acting-career-sent-grave/

Mariah Carey Admits Her Failed Acting Career Almost Sent Her To The Grave

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LOS ANGELES – Mariah Carey may be relishing in the rave reviews and Oscar buzz surrounding her new drama “Precious”, however her 2001 film disaster “Glitter” still brings some painful memories to the surface. The film (and Carey’s performance on screen and on the soundtrack) was slammed by almost all critics and labeled as one of the worst of all-time, eventually prompting the pop princess to be hospitalized amid an emotional breakdown. However Carey isn’t accepting full responsibility for the “Glitter” gaffe. “Being here is definitely a milestone. But I had one milestone that almost had me under this stone,” Carey told us as the AFI screening of "Precious" on Sunday night. “I didn’t realize you really have to be selective with the people that you work with and you have to have that support system and you have to work with people that you feel are geniuses.” Speaking of genius, Carey’s physical transformation into a run-of-the-mill, unglamorous New York social worker for the flick is quite a work of art in itself. And coming from a pop diva who imposes a monstrous set of rules when it comes to filming her (on one recent occasion where Pop Tarts was present, Carey refused to be shot from the waist-down and had her own Director of Photography on-hand to ensure the lighting and frame size were exactly as she wanted), this was quite a personal challenge. “When it first saw the film I thought I looked hideous, I felt completely rancid. I’ve kind of gotten over it… Have I gotten over it?” she motioned to hubby Nick Cannon, who was quick to disagree. “Not really,” he laughed, shaking his head. “But the performance was phenomenal. I love her in every look. It’s Mariah!” And hey, at least Ms Carey was bold enough to admit she needed a break from fame and glamour and come back down to earth and look a little “ordinary”. “This was such a liberating experience and yet humiliating. But I needed that,” Carey added. “We all need that, we need to understand how to be humble and it’s a difficult business to do that in. But I’m definitely inspired to work out of my comfort zone after this.”

Precious star also says she was 'humiliated' by appearance in the film, despite rave reviews.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20120304115644id_/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/16/technology/circuits/16robo.html?fta=y

They're Robots? Those Beasts!

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JOSEPH AYERS was crouched over a laptop in a cool cinder block shed barely big enough to house a ride-on lawn mower, watching a boxy-shelled black lobster through a rectangular acrylic window. Dr. Ayers's shed is adjacent to a fiberglass saltwater tank that looks like a big above-ground swimming pool, and through the window, he observed as the seven-pound lobster clambered across the sandy bottom and struggled to surmount small rocks. "He's pitched backwards onto his tail, and his front legs aren't really touching the ground," said Dr. Ayers, a professor of biology at Northeastern University in Boston, sounding vexed. A few minutes later, Dr. Ayers noticed a screw missing from one of the trio of legs extending from the right side of the lobster's abdomen. Were this lobster not made of industrial-strength plastic, metal alloys and a nickel metal hydride battery, Dr. Ayers - the author of several lobster cookbooks, including "Dr. Ayers Cooks With Cognac" - seemed frustrated enough to drop the robotic lobster into a boiling pot of water and serve it up for dinner. Dr. Ayers was at his university's Marine Science Center on the peninsula of Nahant, which pokes out into Massachusetts Bay. He was trying to get his robotic lobster ready for a demonstration in late September for the military branch that funds his work, the Office of Naval Research. By then, he hopes to have the lobster using its two claws as bump sensors. "When it walks into a rock," he explained, "it'll be able to decide whether to go over it or around it, depending on the size of the rock." Dr. Ayers is one of a handful of robotics researchers who regard animals as their muses. Their field is often referred to as biomimetics, and the researchers who are developing robotic lobsters, flies, dogs, fish, snakes, geckos and cockroaches believe that machines inspired by biology will be able to operate in places where today's generation of robots can't go. "Animals have adapted to any niche where we'd ever want to operate a robot," Dr. Ayers said. His RoboLobster, for instance, is being designed to hunt for mines that float in shallow waters or are buried beneath beaches, a harsh environment where live lobsters have no trouble maintaining sure footing. Another researcher, Howie Choset of Carnegie Mellon University, has been testing sinuous segmented robots based on snakes and elephant trunks that may be the perfect machines to search for survivors inside the rubble of structures destroyed by explosions or natural disasters. But replicating biology isn't a breeze, and some think that despite the well-publicized introduction of Sony's toy dog, Aibo, in 1999, useful biomimetic robots may still be many years off. "What has been a surprise to me is how hard it has been to make progress," said Shankar Sastry, a professor at the University of California who has been helping to design robotic flies, fish and the wall-climbing gecko. Another challenge is the sporadic nature of project financing, which predominantly originates with government agencies like the National Science Foundation, NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, better known as Darpa. "I hate to gripe, but funding is hard to get these days," said Dr. Choset, designer of snakebots that can slither up stairways or down drainage pipes. The military has been interested in animal-like robots at least since 1968, when General Electric built a gasoline-powered walking machine for the Army that resembled an elephant. But the machine required a human operator, and it was difficult to control. At the time, some saw the work as frivolous, according to Paul Muench, a research scientist at the Army's Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren, Mich., a group known as Tacom. "Somebody wrote to a senator and asked why we were working on that while we were in Vietnam," Mr. Muench said. "The program got squashed." But now, Tacom has allocated just over $1 million to conduct more research into walking robots. One is a robotic "mule" that would serve as a diesel generator, providing power to mobile units. It is being designed by a pair of former Disney employees who were responsible for building a nine-foot dinosaur robot named Lucky that sometimes roams the Disney theme parks.

Researchers developing robotic lobsters, flies, dogs and cockroaches believe that machines inspired by biology will be able to operate in places where today's robots cannot go.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20120307163156id_/http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/mitt-romney-wins-the-night-but-not-the-momentum/

Mitt Romney Wins the Night, But Not the Momentum

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It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t impressive, but Mitt Romney came out a winner Tuesday night. He came into Super Tuesday with one significant goal: winning Ohio. And, it appears that he did – albeit by a narrower margin than he had wanted. He won the most delegates. He won more states than anyone else. He didn’t win over the hearts of GOP voters, but he won their heads. As ABC News’ Gary Langer has noted: “In all seven states holding primaries Tuesday night combined, 61 percent of voters picked either electability or experience as the top attribute they were looking for in a candidate – and 51 percent of them supported Romney. His challenge is that a sizable remaining chunk of the GOP electorate, 36 percent across these seven states, picked a different attribute as more important – either the candidate with ‘strong moral character’ or the ‘true conservative.’ And among these true believers, Romney’s support plummeted to just 17 percent. Forty-six percent instead voted for Santorum, 20 percent Paul, 16 percent Gingrich.” But, while Romney desperately wants to close the book on the 2012 GOP primary, his opponents are ready to simply start another chapter. Santorum may have come up short in Ohio, but he’s likely to rack up wins next week in Kansas, Alabama, and Mississippi. All three states have an electoral make-up that looks much more like Tennessee and Oklahoma – two states Santorum easily carried Tuesday night – than they do Ohio or Massachusetts. For example, in 2008, evangelical voters made up 77 percent of the vote in Alabama and 69 percent of the vote in Mississippi. In Tennessee, Tuesday night, 73 percent of GOP primary voters considered themselves to be Evangelical, while 72 percent of Oklahoma voters defined themselves as Evangelical. So, while it is all but impossible for Santorum to win enough delegates to win the nomination outright, he will be able to continue to rack up victories in a number of primary and caucus states this month. In fact, it’s not until April 3 when the states with the demographic profile more suited for Romney – like Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, and DC – get to vote. Romney continues to grind away at building his delegate lead while trying to ensure that the prolonged primary contest doesn’t continue to grind down his already weak approval ratings among the voters he needs this fall.

Stephan Savoia/AP Photo It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t impressive, but Mitt Romney came out a winner Tuesday night. He came into Super Tuesday with one significant goal: winning Ohio. And, it appears that he did – albeit by a narrower margin than he had wanted. He won the most delegates. He won more states than anyone else. He didn’t win over the hearts of GOP voters, but he won their heads. As ABC News’ Gary Langer has noted: “In all seven states holding primaries Tuesday night combined, 61 percent of voters picked either electability or experience as the top…

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http://web.archive.org/web/20120307214126id_/http://bostonglobe.com:80/business/2012/03/05/gulf-oil-spill-settlement-will-offer-illness-related-claims-system/hMBt9XZVdAADGFojGdq05M/story.html

BP gulf oil spill settlement will offer illness-related claims system

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BOOTHEVILLE, La. - A settlement that BP is hammering out with victims of the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill finally provides a system for monitoring health concerns and compensating people whose illnesses are linked to the disaster. Government and university doctors studying locals’ health have not found significant evidence of spill-related illnesses, but problems years from now remain a question mark. Gulf Coast residents say they are happy their complaints are getting a serious look, even if they will face hurdles in proving that rashes, shortness of breath, and other maladies were caused by the oil or chemical dispersants sprayed to break it up. Under the settlement announced Friday, BP said it expects to pay out $7.8 billion to settle a wide range of claims that also include property damage, lost wages, and loss to businesses. While a previously created fund had already been paying such economic loss claims, it had not paid claims over illnesses related to exposure. Nicole Maurer, a resident of this fishing community, said she feels optimistic about getting medical bills paid under the court-supervised process. She blames the spill for a number of her family’s health problems. “Bright and early, I’m getting my kids on the school bus and calling my lawyer tomorrow, and see what’s going on,’’ she said Sunday. “I’m being very hopeful and that it all works out in our favor.’’ First, Maurer and others like her will have to show they got sick from the spill. To receive compensation, claimants will be examined by a court-approved health care practitioner. Then, a claims administrator, under the supervision of a federal judge, will determine who gets paid. “The workers have a different kind of exposure because they were there all the time, but anybody living in an area where they were at risk of exposure will be eligible to participate in the program,’’ said Ervin Gonzalez, one of the plaintiff lawyers leading the litigation. The settlement also establishes a program to monitor claimants’ health for a period of 21 years. People whose physical symptoms have not yet developed will also be able to pursue claims. BP also promised to pay $105 million to improve health care around the Gulf region. “You don’t know what the long-term [health] effects will be,’’ said another of the plaintiffs’ lawyers, Steve Herman. “You don’t know how the science is going to play out.’’ Herman said medical claims will not be paid until US District Judge Carl Barbier gives final approval to the overall settlement, which could take months.

A settlement that BP is hammering out with victims of the massive Gulf oil spill finally provides a system for monitoring health concerns and compensating people whose illnesses are found to have a link to the disaster. Government and university doctors studying locals’ health haven’t found significant evidence of spill-related illnesses, but problems years from now remain a question mark. Gulf Coast residents say they’re happy their complaints are getting a serious look, even if they’ll face hurdles in proving that rashes, shortness of breath and other maladies were caused by the oil or chemical dispersants sprayed to break it up.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20120315232713id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/31/world/taikichiro-mori-tokyo-developer-rated-as-richest-man-dies-at-88.html

Taikichiro Mori, Tokyo Developer Rated as Richest Man, Dies at 88

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Taikichiro Mori, who became the richest man in the world after he quit his position as an economics professor at the age of 55 and built a real estate empire in downtown Tokyo, died yesterday at a hospital in Tokyo. He was 88 years old. He died of heart failure, a spokesman for his Mori Building Company, said. Mr. Mori ranked No. 1 on Forbes magazine's list of wealthiest people for the last two years. His worth in 1992 was estimated at $13 billion. That was $3 billion more than his nearest rival, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, a Japanese railway and golf course owner, and double the worth of the richest American, William H. Gates, the founder of Microsoft. Mr. Mori was known as Tokyo's "ooya-san," a friendly term for landlord. He literally left his mark across the city. Each of his projects displayed his name and the building's chronological place in his growing empire: Mori Building One, Mori Building Two and so on. A man of modest ways and sedate academic background, Mr. Mori said of his international status, "I find it just a little odd." He said he was thankful for his good fortune, but said that all the attention made him uncomfortable. Despite his wealth, he lived unpretentiously, customarily wearing a traditional simple black kimono when working at his office, and abstaining from alcohol and tobacco. The company he founded and headed over the years constructed more than 80 buildings, developing what became a prime area near the Imperial Palace and Government agencies. Mr. Mori's initial focus was on the Toranomon neighborhood in the Minato ward, where he grew up. It was a residential area of small wooden buildings and narrow, winding streets. Twice he had seen it destroyed, first by the earthquake of 1923 and then by the American bombing in World War II. Gradually, he helped transform it into a modern urban center of sleek glass, concrete and brick towers. His development technique was long-range and solicitous of local residents. He bought parcels and discreetly moved in company employees, who became active in community affairs and helpful to their neighbors. Over 17 years, the Mori company persuaded all 500 residents and merchants to accept his big redevelopment plan. Many were relocated or given apartments in the new project. As Tokyo flourished as an international business center, Mr. Mori catered to foreign companies and executives looking for modern offices with nearby apartments to eliminate commuting in Tokyo's traffic. His Ark Hills complex in the 1980's included offices, apartments, shops, a hotel, a concert hall and television studio. His Shiroyama Hills project, another apartment and office complex, opened in December 1991. Born in Tokyo, Mr. Mori graduated from Tokyo Shoka University, now called Hitotsubashi University, in 1928. After World War II, he taught trade theory at Yokohama City University and became the head of its School of Commerce. After the death of his father, a rice farmer and merchant who had acquired two buildings, Mr. Mori inherited the modest family business in 1959. The timing was perfect for capitalizing on Japan's great expansion of the next three decades. Although his prosperity stemmed from Tokyo's enormous growth, Mr. Mori in recent years criticized the city's soaring real estate prices, which have run as high as several thousand dollars a square foot, as grossly excessive and in need of correction. When Japan's economic boom finally burst last year, his holdings suffered, dropping by $2 billion from their 1991 valuation of $15 billion, but his company seemed secure. Mr. Mori expressed nostalgic ambivalence about having helped reshape Tokyo's skyline. "We have to change in order to live in the new era," he said. But he added: "In a way, I feel very sad that the neighborhood has changed this way. In my childhood, the roads were very narrow, and just like a snake who swallowed an egg, they would widen out in places, and children would play hide and seek and spin tops without danger from the traffic as there is today." He is survived by his wife, Hana; two sons, Minoru and Akira, and a daughter Aiko. Photo: Taikichiro Mori (Associated Press)

Taikichiro Mori, who became the richest man in the world after he quit his position as an economics professor at the age of 55 and built a real estate empire in downtown Tokyo, died yesterday at a hospital in Tokyo. He was 88 years old. He died of heart failure, a spokesman for his Mori Building Company, said.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/15/dining/reviews/15rest.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20120502161041id_/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/15/dining/reviews/15rest.html

The New York Times > P.J. Clarke's on the Hudson Restaurant Review > New York City Restaurant Reviews

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P.J. CLARKE'S ON THE HUDSON | SATISFACTORY YOU can look at the new P. J. Clarke's in downtown Manhattan as an unremarkable illustration of the laws of supply and demand, as an economics lesson writ boozy and caloric. It puts broad slabs of beef, tall mounds of carbohydrates, stiff drinks and an atavistically musky atmosphere in the paths of hungry financial types, who have been known to respond to such things. Or you can take a dimmer view and see a dark capitalist allegory, a validation of the idea that no rarity is safe from replication or protected from conversion into a kind of franchise divorced from any particular place and time. For many decades, there was only one P. J. Clarke's, and it was one of a kind. It occupied (and still occupies) a squat building in the East 50's, a loud and proud saloon, dating back more than a century, where Scotch would never cede territory to flavored vodka. At P. J.'s you often didn't glance at a menu. You glanced at the blackboard, and if you couldn't read what was scrawled there, it meant you'd had too many pints or tumblers and should probably quit — after one or two more. P. J.'s trafficked in its own singular history. Nat King Cole had a charge account there. Johnny Mercer supposedly wrote the hit song "One for My Baby" on a napkin at the bar. Aristotle Onassis and Jackie Kennedy had a favorite table and, of course, dibs on it. The new P. J.'s, a roughly 220-seat leviathan called P. J. Clarke's on the Hudson, certainly has history around it. The space it inhabits in Battery Park City, in a building complex that's also home to Merrill Lynch and American Express workers and a Starbucks with the longest midafternoon coffee lines I've ever seen, became available after 9/11 displaced businesses in the area. But P. J. Clarke's on the Hudson owes just as much to an impulse to peddle the P .J.'s mystique beyond its cradle. There's money in these initials, and the East Side isn't the only place to make it. Philip Scotti, who put together the group of investors that took over the original P. J.'s in 2002, and who is also an owner of its spawn, said in a telephone conversation that he has plans to keep the brood growing. He's all but finalized a deal to put a P. J.'s near Lincoln Center. He's had thoughts about Washington, and he's had 10 copies of the original's famously oversize, winged porcelain urinals made, at a total cost of about $80,000. Ten was the minimum order that a special ceramics manufacturer in Ohio would accept, he said. Two of these urinals were installed in the new P. J.'s. Four pairs remain. P. J.'s could be the first restaurant chain with a destiny manifestly influenced by lavatory flourishes. In terms of food, the new P. J.'s, like the old P. J.'s, positions itself as an uncomplicated crowd pleaser. It's an American steakhouse (shrimp cocktail, iceberg wedge, T-bone for two, creamed spinach, cheesecake), a British pub (fish and chips, shepherd's pie), a brasserie (roasted chicken, steak tartare, oysters, other raw bar selections) and a diner (meatloaf, turkey club, corned beef Reuben) all wrapped into one. It's better than snobs would like to think and worse than contrarians would hasten to claim, which may be another way of saying that it's usually serviceable and sometimes respectable. It does nothing spectacularly well. It does some things badly. Its baked macaroni and cheese, almost stiff enough to be hoisted from its bowl in one clump, should be called macaroni and an unconfirmed rumor of cheese, and even that might be overstating dairy's role in the affair. For their part clams had seemingly minimized their involvement in a chowder named for them. Other dishes betrayed their pedigrees or purposes in other ways. A Caesar salad was insufficiently salty and excessively watery. French fries were stony, mashed potatoes pasty, lump crabmeat chalky. But apart from that crab, the raw bar selections, including chilled lobster, chilled shrimp, littleneck clams and cherrystone clams, suggested that P. J.'s was finding good ingredients and, in the cases of the lobster and shrimp, cooking them well.

P.J. Clarke's on the Hudson is better than snobs would like to think and worse than contrarians would hasten to claim.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/28/us-europe-weather-idUSLDE61R0C020100228

http://web.archive.org/web/20120518213716id_/http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/28/us-europe-weather-idUSLDE61R0C020100228

Storms rip through Europe, kill up to 50 in France

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PARIS | Sun Feb 28, 2010 4:53pm EST PARIS (Reuters) - Storms swept through western Europe at the weekend, killing up to 50 people in France and threatening further damage as powerful winds and torrential rains moved north, officials said. The storms ripped through cities, uprooting trees and street signs, wreaking havoc on rail networks and forcing hundreds of flights to be canceled at airports like Paris and Frankfurt. Three people were killed in Spain, two in Germany and one in Portugal, but France was the worst hit as heavy rains, strong gusts of wind and high tides destroyed Atlantic coast sea walls, killing 25 people in the town of l'Aiguillon sur Mer alone, the mayor told French television. "It is a natural catastrophe," French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux told BFM TV, estimating the total death toll in France at between 45 and 50 and warning that high tides could cause further damage. Hortefeux said the French government had set aside 1 million euros in immediate relief aid and Budget Minister Eric Woerth issued a statement saying victims could seek tax relief. The French regions of Vendee and Charente Maritime bore the brunt of the storm and were placed on flood alert along with parts of Brittany. But centuries-old trees were also uprooted in the gardens of the Versailles palace near Paris, according to France Info radio. Weather forecasters said the storm, named Xynthia, had moved up to northeast France and Belgium and would hit Denmark next. Meteo France said the storms seemed less fierce than those that battered France in December 1999, killing 92 people. "Policemen are currently touring flooded houses and some of their inhabitants were found drowned," said Frederic Rose, cabinet head of the Vendee Prefect. A woman in l'Aiguillon sur Mer in Vendee, where a sea wall collapsed, told France's M6 television she swam out of her house through the bathroom in the middle of the night to join neighbors on their roof. A man in Loire-Atlantique, who spent the night on the roof of his restaurant, said: "It was as if we were on an island." Two people were killed near the northern Spanish city of Burgos when their car hit a fallen tree and a woman died when a wall fell on her in northwestern Spain, authorities said. Unusually strong winds also uprooted trees in many parts of Portugal and heavy rain swelled rivers, prompting flood warnings in low-lying parts of Porto along the Douro River estuary. A girl of 10 died when she was hit by a falling tree. In Germany, authorities said a 69-year-old man was killed by a falling tree while hiking in the state of Hesse. A 74-year-old man was killed and his wife critically injured in the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg when a tree fell on their car, according to media reports. Rail travel was severely disrupted in the three western states of Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland due to trees falling on overhead power lines. Frankfurt airport was forced to cancel about 10 percent of its flights, an airport spokesman said. Air France said it had canceled more than 100 flights on Sunday and more than half of all flights departing from Paris were significantly delayed, Aeroports de Paris said, while high-speed TGV train service was severely delayed due to branches and other debris obstructing the rail network. By late Sunday, some 500,000 people in France were without electricity, said ErDF, the distribution arm of French energy group EDF, with Brittany and central France the hardest hit. Much of England and Wales was on flood alert Sunday, with further prolonged heavy rain and strong winds expected after torrential downpours overnight. (Additional reporting by Claude Canellas in Bordeaux, Guillaume Frouin in Nantes and Laure Bretton in Paris, Jason Webb in Madrid, Axel Bugge in Lisbon, Foo Yun Chee in Brussels and Kylie MacLellan in London and Axel Hildebrand in Berlin, Editing by Noah Barkin)

PARIS (Reuters) - Storms swept through western Europe at the weekend, killing up to 50 people in France and threatening further damage as powerful winds and torrential rains moved north, officials said.The

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http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/terrorism-report-attacks-deaths-2010/story

http://web.archive.org/web/20120614012804id_/http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/terrorism-report-attacks-deaths-2010/story?id=14335774

Terrorism Report: Attacks Up, Deaths Down in 2010

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Around the globe, the number of terror attacks in 2010 rose by approximately five percent, yet the number of lives claimed in those attacks dropped, according to a comprehensive report released today by the U.S. State Department. The 250-plus page document, titled "Country Reports on Terrorism 2010," says that 13,200 people were killed in 11,500 attacks in 72 countries. A vast majority of the attacks -- approximately 75 percent -- took place in the Middle East and South Asia. The rise in attacks but decline in deaths is attributed in the report to fewer mass-casualty attacks and a significant increase of attacks that claimed no deaths. Of the 13,200 people killed, 15 were private American citizens -- 13 of whom were killed in Afghanistan. In the largest attack against American civilians in 2010, six members of a medical mission were gunned down in a Taliban ambush in the Badakhshan Province in August. The Taliban reportedly claimed the workers in the Christian medical team were spies. In the Western Hemisphere, both the number of terror attacks and deaths caused by them dropped by 25 percent compared to the year before. Download: Country Reports on Terrorism 2010 (PDF) 'Troubling Trend': Potential Jihadists Take to the Web Al Qaeda, whose founder and longtime leader Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. Navy SEALs in May this year, was seen to be the "preeminent terrorist threat" to the U.S. in 2010, the report says. Though the hub of core al Qaeda in Pakistan "has become weaker," the report says the terror organization's affiliates have grown in strength. "While [al Qaeda] senior leadership continued to call for strikes on the U.S. homeland and to arrange plots targeted at Europe, the diversity of these efforts demonstrated the fusion of interests and the sharing of capabilities among [al Qaeda] groups with different geographical focuses," the report says. "In a troubling trend, English-speaking militants increasingly connected to each other through online venues like militant discussion forums and video-sharing platforms, which encouraged both violent behavior and individual action." U.S. officials, most recently President Obama, have repeatedly warned that one of the greatest threats to homeland security are so-called "lone wolf" terrorists who are self-radicalized online to carry out violent attacks and difficult for U.S. authorities to track. The report comes out less than a month before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. In handwritten notes and computer files recovered at Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan, evidence emerged the terror leader hoped for a high-profile attack on the U.S. homeland to mark the anniversary. READ: While America Slept, The True Story of 9/11 ABC News' Luis Martinez and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

State Department report says 13,200 killed in 11,500 attacks.

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http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/list/201208/2012-us-olympians-they-were-stars

http://web.archive.org/web/20120805053313id_/http://www.thepostgame.com:80/blog/list/201208/2012-us-olympians-they-were-stars

2012 U.S. Olympians: Before They Were Stars

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What can you say about a 16-year-old with an irrepressible smile and two Olympic gold medals to her name -- including the coveted women's gymnastics all-around? When it's Virginia Beach native Gabby Douglas, you can say: Go, Flying Squirrel! After the first-place finish of the girls’ team, Douglas took personal gold by the slimmest of margins, with Russia's Viktoria Komova just three-tenths behind. Douglas celebrated with her coach, Liang Chow -- whose instruction to avoid looking at the scoreboard she didn't quite manage to follow, admitting that she peeked "after vault, and bars, and beam, and floor."

By Nina Hammerling Smith Snakkle.com The whole world is watching. And although the 2012 Summer Games in London haven't been without their share of con...

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http://www.nytimes.com/1864/02/06/news/lord-bacon-works-francis-bacon-collected-edited-james-spedding-robert-leslie.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20120821050344id_/http://www.nytimes.com:80/1864/02/06/news/lord-bacon-works-francis-bacon-collected-edited-james-spedding-robert-leslie.html?

LORD BACON. - THE WORKS OF FRANCIS BACON, collected and edited by JAMES SPEDDING, ROBERT LESLIE ELLIS and DOUGLAS DENON HEATH. In 14 volumes, Boston, Published by BROWN and TAGGARD. - Article - NYTimes.com

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Let us, in the beginning, give a word of cordial praise to the American publishers of these splendid volumes. The undertaking, in the first place, was an intellectual compliment to the country. It was based on the faith that there is in this country enough of philosophy and scholarship to justify a new and complete edition of the writings which one of the greatest thinkers that ever lived has left to the world as his immortal legacy. When the edition was first undertaken, times were quiet, and the peace, the prosperity, the regular, permanent economy of the nation did not seem to be seriously threatened. There was, indeed, a small cloud in the sky, a low, grumbling noise in the air -- yet none but a prophet could have seen in that cloud the commencement of the thick gloom which has since encompassed us in its darkness, or heard in the murmur of the grumbling noise the coming of the tem-pest which has since shaken our political institutions almost to their foundations. But, amidst all this fear, trouble and uncertainty, the publication of BACON'S works has been continued, with only necessary interruptions. We praised the intelligence which commenced the publication, and we still more praise the courage which has continued it, until it is now given in its fullness to the public. Never before has the public of the civilized world -- and that is BACON'S public -- had a more complete view and exposition of BACON'S mind. Of the several editors, each is perfect in his own department; and it would seem now as if all the materials were collected, which are necessary to a full and fair judgment on BACON'S personal character and philosophical genius. The English edition we have not seen, but we cannot suppose that in any respect it could excel the American. The volumes are of a size and form that it is pleasant to handle, the paper is of the most agreeable tint and texture, and the clearness of the print is a preservative for strong sight and a comfort for weak sight. All that can be said on BACON, has been said many times over; we propose only to offer a few casual and general remarks. BACON'S personal character has, of late years, been the subject of much discussion. It is curiously interesting to observe how this discussion has been conducted, and to note the opposite conclusions which different disputants hare drawn from the same facts. BASIL MONTAGU, we believe it was, who in the present age, opened the controversy. He had for BACON an idolatrous admiration. He did not believe in the charges which the Past -- and as he thought -- its prejudices had left on the memory of that great man. One line of POPE'S, and a single word in that line, had distilled these charges into the essence of their bitterness, and made the ignominy easy to the recollection of generations-. Accordingly, to a voluminous edition of BACON'S works MONTAGU prefixed an elaborate examination of his life and character. In the editor's view, BACON'S life had been cruelly misrepresented; it was the life of a good man as well as of a great man, and such also was his character. Either BACON had not the faults ascribed to him, or in BACON they were not faults; at least they were not peculiarly his individual faults, but rather the faults of his time -- faults which he shared with those cotemporaries who were placed with him in like circumstances. The whole case, therefore, according to the editor, when fairly considered and candidly adjudged, leaves no heavy charge proved against the memory of BACON. His immortal intellectual fame is clouded by no personal infamy, by no official corruption. He Accepted presents, hut not bribes -- and the officials of his day accepted presents. Nay, it has been urged, in proof of BACON'S judicial purity, that be often decided suits against those from whom he accepted presents. But it has not been said that BACON gave back the presents. It was charged -against the late Sir WILLIAM FOLLETT that he would take a heavy retaining fee from a party, and yet appear against him on the trial. This was certainly impartiality in the matter of money -- both parties were fleeced alike -- whatever it was in the matter of honesty and of justice. "Whether BACON practiced the same impartiality on the bench that FOLLETT did at the bar, we have not learned, or we do not remember.

Let us, in the beginning, give a word of cordial praise to the American publishers of these splendid volumes. The undertaking, in the first place, was an intellectual compliment to the country.

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http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/Vic-Tafur-s-scouting-report-Sept-28-3900990.php

http://web.archive.org/web/20121003080038id_/http://www.sfgate.com:80/49ers/article/Vic-Tafur-s-scouting-report-Sept-28-3900990.php

Vic Tafur's scouting report, Sept. 28

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-- MVP candidate Matt Ryan is on pace for 43 touchdown passes with only five interceptions for Atlanta. Only two QBs in NFL history have finished a season with at least 40 TD passes and fewer than 10 picks - Tom Brady (50 and eight in 2007) and Aaron Rodgers (45 and six last season). -- Speaking of the Falcons, their number crunchers figured out that they scored more points (193) than anyone else the last five years on their first possessions of games. The Rams are the worst at 73, and laid-back West Coasters San Francisco (83) and Oakland (85) are second- and fourth-worst. -- The Redskins lead the league with 99 points, but Mike Shanahan would be wise to expose quarterback Robert Griffin III a little less on running plays. The Washington Times reports that Griffin, who underwent (and passed) a concussion test Sunday, was knocked to the ground 28 times in the game. -- Rodgers hopes the Saints blitz Sunday. New Orleans has blitzed on 28 pass attempts, and opponents have completed 22 of those passes (a league-high 78.6 percent) for three touchdowns with zero interceptions. -- Giants coach Tom Coughlin said running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who missed last week's game with a neck injury, will start in Philadelphia, but that backup Andre Brown - cut eight times before emerging this season - has earned himself a larger role. -- If Packers fans were waiting for an apology from Commissioner Roger Goodell for Monday night's theft of a win, they don't know Goodell. The controversy is "the beauty of sports and the beauty of officiating," he said in a conference call Thursday. It's good to be the king. -- Fairfield's Stevie Johnson has scored three times for the Bills this year without any excessive celebrating, after being flagged twice last year. "Stevie wants to score a touchdown on every play," quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said. "He's an emotional guy, and he knows he needs to play with those emotions. But he's found a way to rein them in a little bit." -- Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert stinks early, with no touchdowns in the first quarter in two years, but, surprisingly, he is money late. In the fourth quarter this season, he has thrown for 209 yards and two scores, for a passer rating of 122.9. -- The Texans are 35-5 under coach Gary Kubiak when rushing 30 or more times. -- Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, left, had his second career game with at least 230 rushing yards last week. Only Jim Brown, right, with three, has more. -- Reggie Wayne, 33, is glad he stuck around with the Colts. He's been targeted a league-high 40 times this season, and his 23 catches are the fourth-most in the league. Wayne said he left "a minimum of $3 million" on the table to stay. He said he was "very, very close" to leaving. "Probably two teams Colts fans wouldn't have liked." -- The Patriots' offensive line problems are taking some of the shine off tight end Rob Gronkowski. On Sunday, he stayed in to block on 29 of 41 passing attempts and was targeted just three times, catching two for 21 yards. -- The Dolphins' Davone Bess, who grew up in Oakland, ranks 18th among undrafted players in career receptions (273). Bess, 27, needs 576 more to catch former Broncos great Rod Smith at No. 1.

MVP candidate Matt Ryan is on pace for 43 touchdown passes with only five interceptions for Atlanta. Only two QBs in NFL history have finished a season with at least 40 TD passes and fewer than 10 picks - Tom Brady (50 and eight in 2007) and Aaron Rodgers (45 and six last season). -- The Redskins lead the league with 99 points, but Mike Shanahan would be wise to expose quarterback Robert Griffin III a little less on running plays. New Orleans has blitzed on 28 pass attempts, and opponents have completed 22 of those passes (a league-high 78.6 percent) for three touchdowns with zero interceptions. -- Giants coach Tom Coughlin said running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who missed last week's game with a neck injury, will start in Philadelphia, but that backup Andre Brown - cut eight times before emerging this season - has earned himself a larger role.

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http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/18/books/two-decades-of-a-russian-giant.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20121110102733id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/18/books/two-decades-of-a-russian-giant.html

TWO DECADES OF A RUSSIAN GIANT

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TOLSTOI IN THE SIXTIES By Boris Eikhenbaum. Translated by Duffield White. 255 pp. Ann Arbor: Ardis. $25. TOLSTOI IN THE SEVENTIES By Boris Eikhenbaum. Translated by Albert Kaspin. 174 pp. Ann Arbor: Ardis. $22.50. THERE were many Tolstoys, from the university dropout and footloose playboy of 1847 to the tormented, guilt-ridden octogenarian who vainly thirsted for martyrdom at the hands of the state (which, of course, dared not touch the country's most revered cultural icon) and was at last obliged to cast his own wife in the role of persecutor and then escape from her to his death. Intermingled with these real Tolstoys have been the perceived Tolstoys of various times and places. In the West ''War and Peace'' and ''Anna Karenina'' were early recognized for their compelling power, though not always acknowledged as consummate works of art (''baggy monsters'' was Henry James's famous putdown). These Russian giants seemed barbaric, uncouth, offensive to Western sensibilities. But before long they were judged as belonging among the greatest artifacts of mankind. Like all such masterpieces, they can be read ''absolutely,'' without reference to any context of time and place other than what they themselves provide, and most non-Russians inevitably read them that way. Yet behind the timeless, universal Tolstoy remains the original Russian Tolstoy, the live man of complex passions and self-engineered metamorphoses who lived a real Russian life in real Russian society. The books he wrote were responses to, and agents in, a Russian (as well as European) cultural tradition. If Tolstoy is to be perceived historically, and his art assessed as part of a developing literature that was in turn a product of a developing society, it is not surprising that his best interpreters are his fellow Russians. The foremost of these Russian explorers of the Russian historical Tolstoy was Boris Eikhenbaum (1886-1959), two of whose wonderful books have now at last been translated into English (an earlier, much shorter work, ''The Young Tolstoy,'' was issued in 1972 by the same publisher). Though their publication is an event to be celebrated, it is a symptom of our stubborn cultural provincialism that these books come to us so late. Together with Roman Jakobson, Viktor Shklovsky, Yuri Tynyanov and Viktor Zhirmunsky, Boris Eikhenbaum was a founding father of what came to be known (though he disliked the term) as ''Russian formalism,'' a school of criticism whose seminal doctrines (judiciously presented to Western readers in Victor Erlich's ''Russian Formalism'') have been substantially assimilated by latter-day literary theorists in the West. The young Eikhenbaum, as a graduate student, eagerly joined the formalist campaign to make literary studies solely literary, freeing them from all extraneous political, ideological and psychological concerns. His own contributions were dazzling demonstration pieces of practical criticism, such as his revolutionary article ''How Gogol's 'Overcoat' Was Made'' (1919), which effectively ''defamiliarized'' (to use Shklovsky's winged word) that seemingly ossified classic and opened a generation's eyes to its inexhaustible ambiguities. Eikhenbaum, like Zhirmunsky, was a moderate among the formalists, less brash and obstreperous than Shklovsky, less flamboyant than Jakobson. In his early, more rigorously formalist period, Eikhenbaum had tried to limit literary history to the succession of genres and styles. But by the end of the 1920's, he had become interested in literature as a social institution, and through this crack many formerly excluded subjects crowded back into his scholarly arena. It was fortunate that they did, since the whole formalist movement, never more than grudgingly tolerated by the official Soviet establishment, was to come under increasingly menacing attack in the Stalin era. Formalism as a school could not have survived in any case, but it should not be assumed that Eikhenbaum's ''retreat'' to more conventional literary scholarship was simply a submission to external pressure. He himself had undergone a metamorphosis - from a great critic and theoretician into a great literary historian. The new Eikhenbaum revealed himself in the first two books of what was intended to be a four-volume, decade-by-decade study of Tolstoy. In the first of these, ''Tolstoy in the Fifties'' (1928), he returned -but with a much broader compass - to the years 1847-60, which he had already sketched in ''The Young Tolstoy.'' (Unfortunately, the 1928 volume has so far been skipped in the Ardis series of translations.) In a somewhat acerbic preface, Eikenbaum confessed to a ''biographical deviation'' (from his erstwhile strict formalism), but insisted that he was not gloating over piles of trivial facts in an ''unprincipled and indiscriminate'' manner, but that his aim was to produce a study of the writer's ''historical fate, historical conduct.'' The untranslated 1928 volume traces the growth of Tolstoy's literary art from its beginnings in his diaries and self-improvement exercises to the semi-fictionalized autobiography of the trilogy ''Childhood,'' ''Boyhood'' and ''Youth,'' the Caucasian and the Crimean War sketches and ''Family Happiness,'' and that book ends with the creative crisis of the late 1850's. Being totally out of sympathy with the dominant plebeian radicals' insistence on harnessing literature to social purposes, Tolstoy grandly withdraws to his estate and to pedagogy.

TOLSTOI IN THE SIXTIES By Boris Eikhenbaum. Translated by Duffield White. 255 pp. Ann Arbor: Ardis. $25. TOLSTOI IN THE SEVENTIES By Boris Eikhenbaum. Translated by Albert Kaspin. 174 pp. Ann Arbor: Ardis. $22.50. THERE were many Tolstoys, from the university dropout and footloose playboy of 1847 to the tormented, guilt-ridden octogenarian who vainly thirsted for martyrdom at the hands of the state (which, of course, dared not touch the country's most revered cultural icon) and was at last obliged to cast his own wife in the role of persecutor and then escape from her to his death.

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http://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/16/obituaries/hu-yaobang-ex-party-chief-in-china-dies-at-73.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20121111223532id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/16/obituaries/hu-yaobang-ex-party-chief-in-china-dies-at-73.html

Hu Yaobang, Ex-Party Chief in China, Dies at 73

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BEIJING, April 15— Hu Yaobang, who helped navigate China away from orthodox Marxism and led the world's largest Communist Party for six years until he was forced to resign in disgrace in January 1987, died today, the Government announced. He was 73 years old. The official New China News Agency said Mr. Hu died of complications from a heart attack suffered on April 8, when he reportedly collapsed during a Politburo meeting. The agency tonight distributed a glowing obituary of Mr. Hu, presumably at least in part to divert criticism that the party had mistreated him. Mr. Hu's vigor and impetuousness carried him from a humble peasant family, which he left at age 14 to join the Communist guerrilla forces fighting in China's civil war, to the summit of power in the capital. And yet the same characteristics ultimately doomed him, for other officials chafed at his tendency to make startling statements without thinking them through or consulting his colleagues. Had Few Sacred Cows Nothing was sacred to Mr. Hu, not the memory of Mao Zedong, not even chopsticks. On a trip to Inner Mongolia in 1984, he suggested that the Chinese might start using Western utensils. ''We should prepare more knives and forks, buy more plates and sit around the table to eat Chinese food in the Western style, that is, each from his own plate,'' he urged. ''By doing so, we can avoid contagious diseases.'' Mr. Hu dropped the idea after his startled colleagues reproached him for criticizing a Chinese way of life. In a nation where caution is often prized, he was the exception. Mr. Hu was one of the first Chinese leaders to abandon the Mao suit in favor of jacket and tie. And when he was asked which of Mao's thoughts were applicable in China's efforts to modernize its economy, he is reported to have replied: ''I think, none.'' Right Arm to Deng Xiaoping Mr. Hu played a critical role in helping his long-time mentor, Deng Xiaoping, gain and consolidate power in the late 1970's. In the early- and mid-1980's, he was in charge of day-to-day matters during China's liberalization. And yet his extraordinary career was overshadowed by its even more extraordinary end: the blur in December 1986 and January 1987 that included tumultuous student demonstrations, a torrent of criticisms against him by top-level officials, his resignation, and the subsequent campaign against ''bourgeois liberalization,'' or Western democratic influences. His resignation came to be a milestone in post-Mao China, for several reasons. It showed that resistance to rapid change and personal style was considerable, especially among ''old revolutionaries'' and military officials. And it upset the plans for an orderly succession under which Mr. Hu could have taken over from Mr. Deng as paramount leader, instead opening the way for the rise of more cautious officials like Li Peng, now Prime Minister. Resignation and Crackdown The ''resignation'' of Mr. Hu and the subsequent crackdown seemed to harm the party's credibility and to bolster his own. He became viewed, particularly by intellectuals, as a man who refused to bend with the political winds and who had paid the price. ''I am not a man of iron,'' Mr. Hu was once reported to have said. ''I am a man of passion, of flesh and blood.'' It was a fair assessment of a leader who was so focused on change and the future that he neglected his flank. In the period in which he served as top official of the party, from 1981 to 1987, Mr. Hu was often in the shadow of Mr. Deng. Thomas Chan, a China scholar at the University of Hong Kong, noted that while he was outspoken, Mr. Hu never transcended the process of collective decision-making. Still, as time went on and Mr. Deng began to withdraw from day-to-day management of the country, it was Mr. Hu as much as anyone who tugged China toward market economics and a more open political system. In some ways Mr. Hu seemed to resemble his mentor. Like Mr. Deng, Mr. Hu was barely five feet three inches tall, but fired with enormous energy and pragmatism. Criticism in the Military Associates in the party and the military criticized Mr. Hu for moving too fast toward the market and for his tolerance of dissidents. Even Mr. Deng turned against him after students began demonstrating in several cities and calling for greater democracy. Mr. Hu was born in November 1915 in Liuyang City, Hunan Province, the remote south-central region of spicy food and rebellious farmers. His parents were poor peasants and as a child he apparently never attended school, although he later taught himself to read. He took part in his first rebellion at age 12, and at 14 he ran away from home to join the Communists. In 1934 and 1935, Mr. Hu was one of the youngest participants in the legendary Long March, during which the Communist rebels fled on foot 6,000 miles from southeast China to their new base in northwest China. Later he became an army political officer and quickly impressed his superior, Mr. Deng. After the Communist victory, Mr. Hu followed Mr. Deng to Beijing and became head of the Communist Party's organization for young people. After Mao Zedong launched the Cultural Revolution in 1966, Mr. Deng fell from power and Mr. Hu fell with him. His head was shaved and he was sent to the countryside to tend livestock. Mr. Deng was restored to power from 1973 to 1976, and Mr. Hu's career was resuscitated for that period. Then Mr. Deng and Mr. Hu were purged again in early 1976, near the end of the Cultural Revolution. A Landmark Meeting In 1977, after Mao died and the country was seeking new directions, Mr. Deng and Mr. Hu began a slow return. At a landmark Central Committee meeting at the end of 1978, Mr. Hu was not only named to the Politburo but also head of the party's organization and propaganda departments. Mr. Hu won influence and helped consolidate Mr. Deng's rise to preeminence. His own star was also soaring. He was named General Secretary of the Party, and in 1981 he succeeded Hua Guofeng as Party Chairman, then the top position. A year later his title was changed back to General Secretary and that became the highest post in the party. His downfall came in January 1987, amid a flurry of secret meetings that are still not entirely understood. On Jan. 16, 1987, a somber television announcer read a statement that Mr. Hu had resigned after making ''a self-criticism of his mistakes on major issues of political principles in violation of the party's principle of collective leadership.'' Mr. Hu subsequently went into seclusion, and Beijing Review reported in 1988 that he spent his time reading reminiscences of China's revolutionary marshals, practicing calligraphy and walking long distances for exercise. Mr. Hu is believed to be survived by his wife, Li Zhao, four children and numerous grandchildren. Photo of Hu Yaobang in 1983 with Deng Xiaoping, his longtime mentor (Camera Press)

LEAD: Hu Yaobang, who helped navigate China away from orthodox Marxism and led the world's largest Communist Party for six years until he was forced to resign in disgrace in January 1987, died today, the Government announced. He was 73 years old.

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Red Sox owner John Henry to shutter investment firm that helped build sports empire

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Red Sox principal owner John Henry is shutting down his Florida investment firm, a business that once had $2.5 billion under management and helped him build a formidable sports empire, but never came back from declines during the financial crisis. With less than $100 million in funds left, Henry said his firm, John W. Henry & Co., has told clients it plans to return the rest of their money by year’s end. The Boca Raton, Fla., company, founded in 1982, will continue to manage Henry’s personal account. Henry, 63, in response to questions from the Globe, said in an e-mail Friday that he has not run his hedge fund firm since 1989, but it has “always had a mathematical approach and a philosophy that hasn’t changed.” The markets have changed, however, making it harder to make money. “It is clear that economies are much more managed than they were,’’ Henry said. Henry acknowledged Friday that the firm’s decline has spurred a number of people to approach him about selling his Sox stake, but he said he has rebuffed them. “My answer has been that I’m not interested in selling any portion of my ownership. While others within the partnership have sold all or portions of their stakes over the past 11 years, my percentage of ownership has increased,’’ Henry said. “I have no interest in reducing that. If anything, I expect it to increase over time.” There was speculation in September that Henry’s investment firm’s struggles might mean he would lack the resources to support the Sox and another team he owns, the Liverpool Football Club in England. But people close to Henry said most of his wealth is now in his sports teams, not in the Florida firm. Partners in the Red Sox said Henry’s focus has long been on baseball, and not on the commodities firm where he made his fortune. Some suggested it would be a relief for him to fully exit the investment business, given the pressures on the Red Sox after a miserable baseball season in which they finished last in their division, despite having one of the biggest payrolls in the league. On Friday, Red Sox chairman Tom Werner reiterated Henry’s commitment to the storied franchise. “I know that John doesn’t have any intention to sell either the Fenway Sports Group or any portion of his shares,’’ Werner said in an interview. Henry and Werner are the largest owners of Fenway Sports Group, a company they created when they bought the Red Sox in 2002. It also includes ownership of Fenway Park, the Liverpool soccer club, 80 percent of New England Sports Network, 50 percent of a NASCAR race team, and other assets. The Red Sox were valued at $1 billion last year by Forbes magazine. Henry and others bought the team for $380 million, and it won the World Series two years later, in 2004, breaking an 86-year-old drought. A college dropout who grew up on a farm in Arkansas, Henry was a self-taught investor. He developed an appreciation for the commodities markets at a young age, figuring out how to sell soybeans. He built a successful firm on a brainy, numbers-intensive approach to speculating in commodities where he could make money betting that prices would rise as well as fall. Assets at the firm rang up to $2.5 billion in 2004, faring best in times of economic or political turmoil, when other investments tend to suffer. But by 2009 assets had declined to $188 million, and the business never recovered. Associates say the firm’s trajectory changed when Henry turned his attention to baseball full time. Some clients left the firm, aware that he was focused elsewhere; later, performance started to fall off, and then the financial crisis hit. In November 2009, the Globe reported that Henry had laid off nearly one-third of the staff at the firm, or eight people, leaving 20. On Friday, The Wall Street Journal first reported the closing of the firm. Mark T. Williams, who teaches finance and economics at Boston University, said, “Henry earned a strong reputation in making macro trend bets using mathematically driven trading models. A very Spockien way to mint money.” The problem, he said, “is the market is driven by human behavior, not by mathematical models. Over the long term, models continually fall short of modeling human behavior.” Recent performance is down by double digits in two of the funds John W. Henry & Co. oversees — one by 32 percent over the past year, according to the firm’s website. Over three years, the funds are down 6 percent annually, although longer term the funds look better: producing 8.9 percent average annual returns over five years, versus 1 percent for the stocks of the Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

Red Sox owner John Henry is shutting down his Florida investment firm, a business that once had $2.5 billion under management and helped him build a formidable sports empire, but never came back from declines during the financial crisis. With less than $100 million in client funds left, Henry said his firm, John W. Henry & Co., has told clients it plans to return the rest of their money by year’s end. The Boca Raton, Fla., company, founded in 1982, will continue to manage Henry’s personal account.

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Patriots and Partisans.

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The Evening Post makes a faint and feeble endeavor to rebuke the TIMES for complaining of the course of public affairs at Washington. The pith of its retort is contained in the following paragraph, which concludesits article: "With the exception of the nominations to the Cabinet, the appointments which have been made thus far by Mr. LINCOLN, comprising some of the most desirable and most coveted of all which the Executive has to bestow, are, with a very few exceptions, given to that class of which the TIMES is one of the principal organs. After this generosity to its friends, the President had a right to expect from that journal a different treatment. If Mr. LINCOLN has seen occasion to pause in making appointments of this description, and it is desired to induce him to proceed as he began, he has a right to expect that it will be done by gentle blandishments rather than by scolding. At this rate he will have no encouragement to show any peculiar favor to the politicians for whom the TIMES speaks, since he cannot count on their gratitude, nor expect their forbearance for the least deviation from the course which they have marked outfor him." The Evening Post has but one political idea, -- and that is dread and dislike of Mr. SEWARD and the old Whig portion of the Republican Party. It seems to suppose that the sole end and aim of the recent political canvass was to give absolute supremacy to the Democratic wing of the victorious party, and end the political career of Mr. SEWARD and his friends forever. The President had scarcely entered upon the functions of his high place, and had appointed no new officers except a few to Foreign Missions, when the Post set up a howl of apprehension lest Mr. SEWARD should get more than his share of offices. Delegation after delegation of those who sympathized with the Post's selfish and narrow-minded bigotry, went on to Washington, crowded the vestibules of the Departments and the gates of the White House, and filled the ear of the President and the atmosphere of the Capital, with their clamorous and factious protests against any marked recognition of the services or the abilities of the man whom Mr. LINCOLN, with a more just and intelligent instinct, had selected to be his Secretary of State. Elaborate arguments were thrust upon the President to prove, that the entire patronage of the New-York Custom-house ought to be placed in the hands of Mr. SEWARD'S enemies, and that no possible check should be permitted upon their abuse of the power thus conferred. While the whole country recognized the eminent fitness of Mr. CHASE for the Cabinet, this class of politicians urged his appointment, not upon any such common-place ground as this, but because they hoped to make him the instrument, either of driving Mr. SEWARD from his position or of stripping him of all influence with the President, and of all ability through that influence to serve the men who had upheld the banner of Republican principle in this State, while the great body of the other wing of the party were still doing service in the Democratic ranks. What degree of success has attended these efforts, we do not care to inquire. The old Democrats in this State constitute probably about one-fourth of the Republican Party. They have made no more sacrifices, done no more work, evinced no more zeal and contributed no more to the triumph of Republican principles, than the same number of the same party of different antecedents. But we believe we are not mistaken when we say, that from the very beginning they have enjoyed at least half the emoluments and the honors of whatever public office was to be held within this State. We can appeal to every Republican Convention which has ever been held in this State for evidence of the fact that the honors have always been fairly divided between the two wings of the party. Yet they have kept up and still maintain an independent organization within the Republican ranks, -- holding caucuses to which Republicans of Whig antecedents are not admitted unless willing, from motives of revenge or the gratification of resentments, to aid their plans, -- and endeavoring, by all the means in their power, to discredit prominent and influential Republicans who once were Whigs, to obtain control of popular Conventions and the Legislature, and to secure to themselves a monopoly of office and influence with the Government at Washington. Now for all this we care nothing whatever, except as it interferes with the public good and prostitutes a great party into an instrument of private vengeance and factious ambition. So far as we have any personal concern or feeling in the matter, Mr. LINCOLN might have given every office in his gift to the Democratic wing of the Republican Party, -- and welcome. What we complain of is, that he should have allowed his time and strength to be wasted, and his thoughts absorbed, day and night, by their clamorous and disgusting wrangles. If there were nothing else to do -- if the condition of public affairs had not called for prompt and vigorous public action, the matter would have been of little consequence. But Mr. LINCOLN came into power at the most momentous period in the history of this nation. Conspiracy and treason had been at work for months and years in undermining the foundations of the Government. Every department of the public service was filled with corruption. Seven States had withdrawn from the Union, -- had been allowed to seize forts, arsenals, navy-yards, vessels, and other property of the United States, -- to form a league among themselves, to organize armies, plant batteries against our forts, and make the most vigorous and effective preparations for waging open war upon the Government of the country. The imbecile toleration of BUCHANAN had shocked the public sense of the American people, and led them to look, with eager and anxious longing, to the incoming of a new Administration. They expected from it prompt and vigorous attention to the honor and interests of the country. The whole nation hung with eager expectation upon the lips of President LINCOLN, when he pronounced his Inaugural, and expected to see it followed instantly by some wise and energetic policy which should arrest the decaying loyalty of the American people and restore the honor of the American name. Why have these expectations been disappointed? Was it because Mr. LINCOLN did not appreciate the magnitude of the crisis, and the necessity for action? Not in the least. No man ever understood it better. But a vast army of office-seekers poured into Washington, filled the White House, haunted the President's chambers night and day, drove sleep from his eyes and peace from his heart, with their claims and clamors for the offices within his gift. The momentous question with the Post and its peculiar friends was, -- not whether the Union should be saved, whether this great Republic should maintain its place of supremacy among the nations created to bless mankind and vindicate the capacity of man for self-government, -- but whether Mr. SEWARD should get more than his share of the offices or not, -- whether this wing should be neglected or that wing overpaid, in the distribution of the public plunder. Secession was a matter of no consequence. The madness of six or seven millions of people, -- the disruption of the American Union, -- the dying loyalty of the American heart, the imminent prospect of civil war, the dread accumulation of crimes and horrors that shocked the vision and stirred the heart of kindred nations across the sea, andmade millions of men tremble for Liberty and Humanity, throughout the world, -- all these were things of no account, -- things which called for no care, deserved no thought, must be left to settle themselves as best they might, while the EXECUTIVE of the Nation, was required to give the last remnant of his mental and physical strength, to hearing the conflicting claims of rival candidates for the sops of office which had been placed at his disposal. More than once have we borne willing and hearty testimony to the patience, the kindness, the unfailing goodnature, the sincere and earnest longing to do equal and exact justice to every man and every section and every sentiment of the party, with which the President met this harsh and cruel onset. His only fault was in permitting it to be made at all, while events of such infinite magnitude and moment demanded his attention; and that was a fault which sprang from an excess of virtue and of goodness on his part. But there is no excuse for those who forced all this upon him. There is no excuse for the greedy cormorants of place, or the still more hungry hunters for personal revenge, who dogged his footsteps, and haunted his chambers and drew aside the curtains of his brief and broken repose, to thrust upon his perplexed and jaded mind the story of their griefs, and the still longer story of their petty hatreds and factious resentments. The most inauspicious omen which greets the Republican accession to power, is the readiness with which thousands among them who should be patriots, sink every thought of the public good in these paltry and disgusting scrambles. The Evening Post, if it can lift itself above this low level of the peddling politician long enough to realise the fact, may rest assured that we have no such purpose in view as that to which, with characteristic magnanimity, it attributes our rebuke of the office-seeking horde who have forced into their selfish service, powers and opportunities of which this great country had most pressing need. We had no design or thought of influencing the President's appointments, either for Mr. SEWARD'S friends or against them. Its theory of "gentle blandishments" may be just and true; -- its rebuke of our ingratitude may be deserved, -- and its aim in all this elaborate and rather transparent appeal to the assumed jealousies of the President, may or may not be reached. These are matters for which we have but little care. We have nothing to ask of President LINCOLN, but that he will devote the utmost energies of his mind and heart to the salvation of the country from the demoralization and ruin which seem to be impending over it. We owe many duties to him as the head of the Government of our country -- and first and foremost among them is to tell him the truth. He may rely upon it, we shall perform that duty with unflinching fidelity. We are Republicans, -- but above and beyond all that, we are Americans. We love our party, but we love our country better. What the great body of the people think, but what no seeker after place and plunder dare say, we shall make it our special business to tell the President. We shall support his administration with whatever of ability we can command; but we shall not do him the evil service of concealing important truth, lest it should prove unpleasant, nor misleading him as to public sentiment, lestsome personal or political friend should lose an appointment.

The Evening Post makes a faint and feeble endeavor to rebuke the TIMES for complaining of the course of public affairs at Washington. The pith of its retort is contained in the following paragraph, which concludesits article:

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DINING / Setting outshines food at Zack's Bar and Grill

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The setting is nice enough and the staff is so pleasant that I can understand why Zack's Bar and Grill has been around in Millbrae for 25 years. I just wish the food was better. Located near the Caltrain/BART station, Zack's has several regular customers who are greeted warmly by the servers as they walk in, but novices also receive friendly, helpful service, having nicely paced meals and even getting warned off such pasta dishes as lasagna ("it's frozen"). At one lunch, I planned to have the prime rib French dip sandwich ($9.95), along with the rigatoni vodka ($9.95). My server offered to substitute a side portion of the rigatoni for the french fries that normally go with the sandwich, but maybe I should have stuck with the fries. The rigatoni's sauce didn't have even a hint of peppery vodka flavor -- or any other flavor, for that matter. It was part of an unfortunate pattern at Zack's; if you go for the pasta, you can leave your taste buds at home. Even the fettuccine Alfredo ($14.95 at dinner), which got the closest thing to a hearty recommendation from the servers, had a thick, lifeless sauce. But people visiting at dinner certainly won't go hungry. All dinners come with a good minestrone, a generic green salad and dessert, which is usually rainbow sherbet. There's also bread and a relish dish, although it gets so much spiciness from the juice of green chile peppers that everything from cauliflower to carrots to black olives tastes like the peppers. Diners will probably have a good idea the minute they walk in whether Zack's is the kind of place for them. There's a long bar with bottles displayed along the wall and televisions at both ends, and many walls of the restaurant have pictures of sports figures, particularly from the 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers. Owner Jack Marquard is from Pittsburgh, and many people show up to watch Steeler games at Zack's. Tables are covered with red and white checkered cloths, although a closer examination reveals that they are plastic rather than cloth. That pretty well fits the menu. It's not a place for cuisine, but for food -- and drink. As long as you go in expecting that, you'll probably walk out satisfied. At lunch, the prime rib French dip comes on a wonderfully soft French roll, with a nice helping of the beef and a cup of jus. Although its dressing and portion size are only average, the shrimp Louis ($13.95) includes lots of bay shrimp that actually have flavor, rather than the watered-down shrimp common to the salad in so many restaurants. On the other hand, the mesquite chicken salad ($8.95) was mediocre. A bag of precut lettuce and cooked chicken strips from any grocery store would have been an improvement. Dinners are also hit or miss. The sauteed prawns ($24.95) were a particular letdown. When we ordered them on a very slow night, the half dozen medium-size prawns came with too little of the lemon butter sauce and rested on a bed of cappellini that managed to be overcooked and cold. When we complained, our server quickly asked what he could do. Did we want another dish, or simply to have the chef give the prawns another try? We chose to give the prawns one more try, and they were at least adequate. Still, the dish seemed woefully overpriced in comparison with the rest of the menu. On the other hand, the steak Diane ($25.95) is very good, with a rich sauce and mushroom slices. Another fine choice is the chicken Parmesan ($17. 95), with a fillet of tender, crisply coated chicken in a chunky tomato sauce. Those who don't care much for the soup and salad can get appetizers, but that won't entitle them to any discount on their meal prices. Although the menu doesn't mention appetizers and the servers didn't say anything at either of our dinner visits, there's a handwritten list of several appetizers at the bar each night. The garlic bread ($5.95) is good and the crab cakes ($10.95) OK, although they would have been better with an aioli instead of the tartar sauce that Zack's offers. Then again, Zack's isn't an aioli kind of place. It's really an ice cream kind of place. Besides the rainbow sherbet, customers also can order an ice cream truffle ($5), a frozen dessert of chocolate ice cream coated in chocolate. There are no desserts other than ice cream or sherbet. But they're basically good, both the people and the food. Sometimes that's enough.

Located near the Caltrain/BART station, Zack's has several regular customers who are greeted warmly by the servers as they walk in, but novices also receive friendly, helpful service, having nicely paced meals and even getting warned off such pasta dishes as lasagna ("it's frozen"). At one lunch, I planned to have the prime rib French dip sandwich ($9.95), along with the rigatoni vodka ($9.95). Even the fettuccine Alfredo ($14.95 at dinner), which got the closest thing to a hearty recommendation from the servers, had a thick, lifeless sauce. [...] people visiting at dinner certainly won't go hungry. All dinners come with a good minestrone, a generic green salad and dessert, which is usually rainbow sherbet. There's also bread and a relish dish, although it gets so much spiciness from the juice of green chile peppers that everything from cauliflower to carrots to black olives tastes like the peppers. There's a long bar with bottles displayed along the wall and televisions at both ends, and many walls of the restaurant have pictures of sports figures, particularly from the 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers. Owner Jack Marquard is from Pittsburgh, and many people show up to watch Steeler games at Zack's. Tables are covered with red and white checkered cloths, although a closer examination reveals that they are plastic rather than cloth. At lunch, the prime rib French dip comes on a wonderfully soft French roll, with a nice helping of the beef and a cup of jus. [...] the mesquite chicken salad ($8.95) was mediocre. A bag of precut lettuce and cooked chicken strips from any grocery store would have been an improvement. When we ordered them on a very slow night, the half dozen medium-size prawns came with too little of the lemon butter sauce and rested on a bed of cappellini that managed to be overcooked and cold. [...] the dish seemed woefully overpriced in comparison with the rest of the menu. 95, with a fillet of tender, crisply coated chicken in a chunky tomato sauce. The garlic bread ($5.95) is good and the crab cakes ($10.95) OK, although they would have been better with an aioli instead of the tartar sauce that Zack's offers. Besides the rainbow sherbet, customers also can order an ice cream truffle ($5), a frozen dessert of chocolate ice cream coated in chocolate. There are no desserts other than ice cream or sherbet. Reservations and credit cards accepted. Parmesan and prime rib dip sandwich.

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SAN FRANCISCO / Homeless project's army of citizens calls year success / Mayor's gathering of volunteers ensures neediest have access to shelter, services - SFGate

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Barry Cowart stood in front of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, staring at the 200 homeless people in a line snaking into the front door. He threw back his head and laughed, the sound rippling out in a mix of relief and exuberance. "Last April, that was me in that line," he said. "I'd been sleeping in the Greyhound bus station for months, and then I came here to this thing they do every month. That day, they got me into a residential hotel room." The grin on his face subsided, and he looked down at his shoes. "I've been inside ever since," Cowart, 50, said quietly. "For the first time in my life, I know people can truly care. I mean, truly." The "thing" he referred to is Project Homeless Connect, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's monthly gathering of volunteers to help his city's street people -- and Tuesday was its first anniversary. On Oct. 13, 2004, the mayor kicked off his concept with a walk through the Tenderloin with a handful of participants and street counselors, unsure what they had to offer homeless people, or just how to give it. By the end of the day, they had placed 24 into shelter and housing -- and got a taste of success. That taste has now grown into a regularly occurring feast. Since that first foray, Project Homeless Connect became a veritable citizen army that assembles between 1,000 and 2,000 community and government volunteers from all over the nation at the auditorium every other month to help more than 1,000 homeless people get into shelter, permanent housing, counseling and health care. While the homeless are being hooked up to those services, they get massages, food, clothing, blankets, and even kibble for their dogs or cats. On the off months, the volunteers assemble for a day of training. The event has attracted so much notice that representatives of 30 cities from New York and Chicago to Los Angeles and Sacramento have come to check out the past few gatherings, and on Dec. 8 they plan to simultaneously begin identical events of their own in tandem with San Francisco's eighth Connect. "It's daunting and overwhelming to even consider doing something this big," said Kathleen Gardipee, a representative of Portland, Ore., who came to help prepare her city for its own Connect in December. "But this is amazing. It has such great energy, and it's such a great idea, we just have to try it." Newsom warned the volunteers -- as well as Gardipee and the 20 other out-of-towners who came to pick up tips Tuesday -- not to expect that these events will be the end-all answer for homelessness. But he said the evidence is in that they are making a difference. "When you're on the street, you can lose hope, and what you guys are doing is providing hope," he told the crowd just before it sang him "Happy Birthday," in honor of his 38th birthday last week. "Please don't think things have to go perfectly all the time. People will appreciate another person going down on one knee to help them." Over the past year, including Tuesday, the Connect efforts have helped 6,822 homeless people, putting 646 into shelter or housing, 1,583 into medical or mental health care, and the rest into legal counseling, food programs or other services. A total 11,382 individual volunteers pitched in. "We've never seen anything like this back home, but I'm sure we will soon," said Steve Radin of Pittsfield, Mass., who came to San Francisco to visit his daughter-in-law -- psychologist Phaedra Caruso-Radin, also a volunteer -- and wound up helping out Tuesday. "It needed someone to start it off, like this mayor, and make it work so people could see that it could. Now it can spread." Chris Gardner, who was homeless in the Tenderloin in the 1980s and rose to become a millionaire stockbroker, marveled how a new method could be created from the simple, ageless wisdom of people reaching out to each other. He's in town this month while actor Will Smith films "Pursuit of Happyness," based on Gardner's life. "Where the hell were you 23 years ago?" he asked Newsom, chuckling.

SAN FRANCISCO / Homeless project's army of citizens calls year success / Mayor's gathering of volunteers ensures neediest have access to shelter, services Barry Cowart stood in front of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, staring at the 200 homeless people in a line snaking into the front door. The "thing" he referred to is Project Homeless Connect, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's monthly gathering of volunteers to help his city's street people -- and Tuesday was its first anniversary. On Oct. 13, 2004, the mayor kicked off his concept with a walk through the Tenderloin with a handful of participants and street counselors, unsure what they had to offer homeless people, or just how to give it. Since that first foray, Project Homeless Connect became a veritable citizen army that assembles between 1,000 and 2,000 community and government volunteers from all over the nation at the auditorium every other month to help more than 1,000 homeless people get into shelter, permanent housing, counseling and health care. Over the past year, including Tuesday, the Connect efforts have helped 6,822 homeless people, putting 646 into shelter or housing, 1,583 into medical or mental health care, and the rest into legal counseling, food programs or other services.

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For the Architect, a Height Never Again to Be Scaled

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THE architect of New York's best-loved landmark, William Van Alen, has been all but forgotten in the half-century since his death. Even at the height of his career, Van Alen never approached the fame of Frank Lloyd Wright or Le Corbusier, but he was a major architectural figure and had been a star in the making since his student days. Soon after the Chrysler Building was finished in 1930, though, his professional standing began to slide, and he watched helplessly as his career unraveled, a victim, ultimately, of its greatest achievement. "The Chrysler Building" (Princeton Architectural Press, 2002) The Chrysler Building under construction. Art and Architecture Collection, New York Public Library CHRYSALIS: William Van Alen's design evolved from conventional to streamlined. The spire was kept secret, rising at the last minute to beat the competition. Van Alen, who was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 1882, grew up in a New York of low, flat-topped buildings and trained as a draftsman for a Manhattan row house developer. By 20, he had studied at the Pratt Institute and apprenticed with some of the city's best architects; six years later he won the Paris Prize, a scholarship that allowed him to study architecture - and develop a fresh eye for it - at the École des Beaux-Arts. When he returned to New York in 1910, "he tingled with the touch of approaching modernism," Kenneth Murchison, an architect and critic, wrote years later. Murchison went on to characterize the young Van Alen's thoughts: "No old stuff for me! No bestial copyings of arches and colyums and cornishes! Me, I'm new! Avanti!" He soon went into practice with another young architect, H. Craig Severance, his polar opposite in style and personality. Severance was a handsome charmer who loved nights out at the Metropolitan Club and felt most comfortable in crowds, while Van Alen was tall, gawky and socially awkward. He spoke quietly, smiled sparingly and let his wife, Elizabeth, carry the conversation at parties. He kept his distance from even his fellow architects. "I am not particularly interested in what my fellow men are doing," he said when asked if he read the popular architectural journals. "I wish to do things original and not be misled by a lot of things that are being done by somebody else." Van Alen's independent spirit and skills as a designer were well matched with Severance's strength at bringing in commissions, and the firm quickly began to prosper. In 1914 they finished the Standard Arcade, a string of shops on lower Broadway whose facade was notable for windows set flush with the walls, rather than set back, a practice that set a new standard. In 1915, Van Alen earned considerable praise for his novel design of an office building (the Albemarle, at 24th Street and Broadway) without a decorative cornice. By the early 20's, the partners were winning more commissions for bigger jobs, but in 1924 Van Alen's 10-year partnership with Severance broke apart in a fight over credit for the firm's success. Van Alen now had trouble getting commissions on his own. For four years, even as he continued to attract attention from critics and other architects ("Van Alen's stuff is so darned clever that I don't know whether to admire it or hate it," one architect, Richard Haviland Smythe, told Pencil Points), his most notable projects were limited to a Lucky Strike shop, the Delman shoe shop and a Childs restaurant on Fifth Avenue. With the real-estate market reaching fever pitch at the end of the 20's, skyscrapers were becoming the obvious route to stardom for architects. In 1927 Van Alen got his shot when William H. Reynolds, a real-estate speculator famous as the impresario behind Dreamland Park at Coney Island, commissioned him to design a 40-story tower at 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Van Alen worked on the design for more than a year, but then Reynolds sold the land to Walter P. Chrysler. Van Alen won the new commission, though he had to abandon the earlier plans: Chrysler wanted the world's tallest skyscraper, one that would spare no extravagance in catching the public's eye. Through the winter of 1928-29, Van Alen's plan evolved, from a building topped with a pyramid crown to one with a Byzantine dome to one likened by Murchison to Alfred E. Smith's derby hat. He finally hit on a multi-arched dome cut through with triangular windows, which made his tower seem to shoot into the sky. The dome's stainless chromium-nickel facade gave it the appearance of steel suffused with starlight. Neal Bascomb is the author of "Higher" (Doubleday, 2003), which chronicles the 1929 skyscraper race.

The Chrysler Building was William Van Alen's greatest accomplishment, and the one that guaranteed his obscurity.

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Missing Toddler Found Dead in Closet

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Detroit police are investigating the mysterious death of a toddler girl who was found dead under a pile of clothes in her grandmother’s, hours after she was reported missing. Zyia Turner was found dead in a closet, underneath a pile of clothes, some type of metal box and other items, sources told ABC News’ Detroit affiliate WXYZ-TV. Zyia, who is 17 months old, was being watched by her uncle and another adult, who were babysitting several kids at the time of her disappearance. “The uncle was taking care of several children and left for a couple minutes to a bedroom and when he returned the girl was gone,” Sgt. Allan Quinn told the Detroit News. “When he asked the other children where she was, none of them knew.” The family passed out flyers in the area and were under the belief little Zyia had been abducted, they said. “We were hoping… just hoping… someone had took her,” Zyia’s grandmother, Bridget Elan told WXYZ-TV. “We never thought she was in the house right up under our nose it didn’t cross our minds.” It wasn’t until 1 a.m. Saturday that a cadaver dog picked up the girl’s scent inside the home and led police to her body. Detroit police have declined to comment on the case beyond a brief statement released Saturday. “This is an ongoing investigation and individuals are being questioned by the Detroit Police Department’s Homicide Investigators. No additional information is (being) released at this time,” the release said. Zyia’s mom, Erica James, 24, told the Detroit Free Press she had no idea how her daughter got stuck in a closet. “I [have] two closets at home and she never went in,” she said. “She never pulled [anything] down out of the closet, so it’s strange that my baby is in the closet under 20 pounds of clothes.” Elan told WXYZ-TV she believes the little girl’s death was an accident. “My grandkids … they’re blaming themselves, like we didn’t search the area,” she said. “But you can’t put that on you. It was a bad accident. It was a very bad accident that we just have to deal with.” The Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office has completed an autopsy, but they are awaiting results of a toxicology report, which could take up to eight weeks.

(ABC News) Detroit police are investigating the mysterious death of a toddler girl who was found dead under a pile of clothes in her grandmother’s,  hours after she was reported missing. Zyia Turner was found dead in a closet, underneath a pile of clothes, some type of metal box and other items, sources told ABC News’ Detroit affiliate WXYZ-TV. Zyia, who is 17 months old, was being watched by her uncle and another adult, who were babysitting several kids at the time of her disappearance. “The uncle was taking care of several children and left for a couple minutes to…

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Review of Rihanna’s “Unapologetic’’

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One of Rihanna’s talents as a pop star is her ability to convey exactly how she’s feeling in the moment. Her art has imitated her life, starting with 2009’s dark-hearted “Rated R,” released the same year Chris Brown, her boyfriend at the time, assaulted her. The next year she bounced back with “Loud,” a return to the infectious dance-pop that made her world famous with hits like “Umbrella.” “Unapologetic,” her seventh studio album in as many years, is a defiant middle finger to her critics, particularly the ones who don’t approve of her relationship with Brown. Given how exuberant her catalog has been, it’s surprisingly moody at times. Even the club bangers (“Phresh Out the Runway” and “Numb,” featuring Eminem) are heavy with bass that rumbles more in your chest instead of rattling your feet. Ballads work well for Rihanna, and this album has two of her finest. Riding a dubstep beat, “No Love Allowed” presents the Barbados-bred singer in her element. On “Stay,” her chemistry with Mikky Ekko, her duet partner, is magnetic. And then there’s “Nobody’s Business,” a breezy duet with Brown that feels more like a calculated PR move than an honest-to-God proclamation of their undying love. It hits a sour note with Rihanna’s opening verse: “You’ll always be mine/ I’ll sing it to the world/ You’ll always be my boy/ I’ll always be your girl/ Ain’t nobody’s business.” (Out Tuesday)

Review of Rihanna’s “Unapologetic’’

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/05/09/us-lebanon-conflict-idUSL0742599820080509

http://web.archive.org/web/20121201111401id_/http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/05/09/us-lebanon-conflict-idUSL0742599820080509

Lebanon government denounces Hezbollah "coup" in Beirut

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BEIRUT | Fri May 9, 2008 6:55pm EDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah group took control of the Muslim half of Beirut on Friday in what the U.S.-backed governing coalition called "an armed and bloody coup". The United States pointed to Hezbollah's links with Tehran and Damascus and said it was talking with other powers about taking measures against "those responsible for the violence". At least 18 people have been killed and 38 wounded in three days of battles between pro-government gunmen and fighters loyal to Hezbollah, a Shi'ite movement with a powerful guerrilla army. The violence follows 17 months of political deadlock between the Hezbollah-led opposition, which demands more say in government, and the ruling coalition. It has paralyzed the country and left it without a president. Lebanon's worst internal strife since the 1975-90 civil war erupted this week after the government decided to dismantle Hezbollah's military communications network. The group said the government had declared war. In scenes reminiscent of the civil war, men with rifles roamed the streets amid smashed cars and smoldering buildings. Fighting died down as outgunned government supporters, many of them supporters of Sunni leader Saad al-Hariri, handed over their weapons and offices to the army, which has tried to remain neutral in the conflict. The anti-Syria ruling coalition said the "armed and bloody coup" was aimed at increasing Iran's influence and restoring that of Syria, forced to withdraw troops from Lebanon in 2005. A U.S. State Department spokesman said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had phoned her French and Saudi counterparts and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to discuss "what the international system can do to support this Lebanese government ... in the face of illegal acts, by the armed gangs". "The linkages that we know exist, and are ongoing, between Hezbollah and Syria and Iran, are starting to manifest themselves in the current crisis," he said. "We are seeing now some evidence of those groups that are linked to Syria ... taking a much more active role in fanning the flames of the violence." A White House spokesman said: "The United States is consulting with other governments in the region and with the U.N. Security Council about measures that must be taken to hold those responsible for the violence in Beirut accountable." Syria said the issue was an internal Lebanese affair, while Iran blamed "the adventurist interferences" of the United States and Israel for the violence. A senior opposition source told Reuters that Hezbollah and its allies would maintain roadblocks, including barricades on routes to the airport, until a full resolution of the crisis. "All issues are linked. Beirut will remain shut until there is a political solution," the source said. An influential pro-government leader called for dialogue. Walid Jumblatt, leader of the Druze minority, said Hezbollah "regardless of its military strength, cannot annul the other". The dead included a woman and her 30-year-old son, killed while trying to flee Ras al-Nabae -- a mixed Sunni-Shi'ite Beirut district and scene of some of the heaviest clashes. "They were trying to flee to the mountains. Instead ... they reached the hospital, dead," said a relative, who declined to give her name out of fear for her own safety. "It was terrifying during the night. We couldn't even move about in the house," said another woman, a Ras al-Nabae resident who fled the area at first light with her children. "We spent the night in the corridor." Hezbollah seized the offices of pro-government factions, including Hariri's Future group in the predominantly Muslim western half of the city. Backed by gunmen from the Shi'ite Amal group, Hezbollah handed over the offices to the army. Hariri supporters gave up their offices to the army elsewhere in the country. Hezbollah also moved into Hariri-owned media outlets, and Hariri's television and radio stations went off the air. Opposition gunmen of the Syrian Socialist National Party set ablaze a building housing studios of Hariri's TV station. "It certainly leaves the government weaker and the Future movement weaker," said Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. But Hezbollah does not want to be seen as an "occupier of Beirut", he said, and handing control to the army appeared its most likely exit. The European Union, Germany and France urged a peaceful resolution. Syria said the issue was an internal Lebanese affair while Iran blamed the United States and Israel for the violence. Hezbollah was the only Lebanese faction allowed to keep its weapons after the civil war to fight Israeli forces occupying the south. Israel withdrew in 2000 and the fate of Hezbollah's weapons is at the heart of the political crisis. (Additional reporting by Nadim Ladki and Laila Bassam; editing by Andrew Roche)

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah group took control of the Muslim half of Beirut on Friday in what the U.S.-backed governing coalition called an armed and bloody coup.The United

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http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/49ers-A-J-Jenkins-likely-to-make-debut-4101150.php

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49ers' A.J. Jenkins likely to make debut

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Finally, in the 13th game of his rookie season, 49ers wide receiver A.J. Jenkins might step onto the field. Mario Manningham, nursing a shoulder injury, missed practice Friday and was listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against Miami. Kyle Williams already is out with his season-ending torn ACL, so the 49ers are getting thinner and thinner at the position. This should create a long-awaited chance for Jenkins, the team's first-round draft choice from Illinois. Michael Crabtree and Randy Moss are still ahead of Jenkins, and so is Ted Ginn Jr., but the 49ers are likely to use more than three wide receivers. Asked directly if Manningham's status will give Jenkins a shot to play Sunday, coach Jim Harbaugh said, "Yes." He then elaborated on Jenkins' development in practice in recent weeks, saying, "I've seen progress from A.J. He's been on his assignments, and he's executed well when he's been out there. He's giving great effort, and football rewards that effort." Jenkins has suited up for two games this season, Sept. 9 in Green Bay and last Sunday in St. Louis. He didn't play in either game. Bouncing back: Before their loss to the Rams, the 49ers had dropped five games and tied one under Harbaugh. All six times, they came back and won the next week. This pattern will be tested once more against the Dolphins. "You're ticked off," Harbaugh said of the practice-week vibe after a loss. "Usually, you're going to do one of two things - come back and do something about it or cower in the corner and curl up in the fetal position. So let's come out and do something about it." Briefly: The NFL issued fines of $10,000 to linebacker NaVorro Bowman (unnecessary roughness) and $7,875 to safety Dashon Goldson (roughing the passer) for infractions against the Rams. ... The 49ers listed 10 players as probable on their injury report, including running back Frank Gore (wrist), linebacker Patrick Willis (shoulder) and kicker David Akers (pelvis). Ron Kroichick is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.

[...] in the 13th game of his rookie season, 49ers wide receiver A.J. Jenkins might step onto the field. Before their loss to the Rams, the 49ers had dropped five games and tied one under Harbaugh. The NFL issued fines of $10,000 to linebacker NaVorro Bowman (unnecessary roughness) and $7,875 to safety Dashon Goldson (roughing the passer) for infractions against the Rams. ... The 49ers listed 10 players as probable on their injury report, including running back Frank Gore (wrist), linebacker Patrick Willis (shoulder) and kicker David Akers (pelvis).

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'Harry Potter' Charms Moviegoers Once Again

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LOS ANGELES -- A fairy-tale princess gave young wizard Harry Potter a run for his money at the weekend box office. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" remained the No. 1 movie with $50.3 million over Thanksgiving weekend, closely followed by the animated musical "Tangled" with $49.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The next-to-last "Harry Potter" movie raised its domestic total to $220.4 million after just 10 days in theaters, according to distributor Warner Bros. The film also has taken in $389.2 million overseas, giving it a worldwide total of $609.6 million. "Tangled" is the latest Disney cartoon musical, with Mandy Moore providing the voice of fairy-tale princess Rapunzel. The movie raised its five-day total to $69 million since opening the day before Thanksgiving. While "Deathly Hallows" continued to work box-office magic, Disney's "Tangled" far exceeded industry expectations, delivering the second-biggest Thanksgiving debut ever behind "Toy Story 2," which had a $57.4 million opening. Disney head of distribution Chuck Viane said the studio would have been happy if "Tangled" had matched the $34 million debut of its hit "Enchanted" over Thanksgiving 2007. "Tangled" not only shot past that mark but also challenged "Harry Potter" for the No. 1 spot. "That was the last thing we were thinking of, but it sure is nice to be even thought of in that situation," Viane said. "'Potter' is such a huge hit. To be that close, it was amazing." Three other new wide releases had so-so openings, led by Christina Aguilera and Cher's song-and-dance tale "Burlesque" at No. 4 with $11.8 million for the weekend and a five-day total of $17.2 million since premiering Wednesday. Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway's romance "Love & Other Drugs" debuted at No. 6 with a three-day haul of $9.9 million and a total of $14 million since opening Wednesday. Dwayne Johnson's action tale "Faster" opened at No. 7 with $8.7 million for the weekend and $12.2 million since its Wednesday debut. With a $125 million opening weekend, "Deathly Hallows" had the biggest start yet for the franchise about the young wizard. Its 10-day total also surpasses the previous high of $201 million set by "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and last year's "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," according to Warner Bros. "That kind of tells you how big the last `Potter' is going to be," said Jeff Goldstein, general sales manager for Warner Bros. "If you look at films like `Lord of the Rings,' when you get to the last one, anticipation is just overwhelming." "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," the final installment, hits theaters next July. Despite big business for "Harry Potter" and "Tangled," Hollywood fell short of the Thanksgiving revenue record set last year, when "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" and "The Blind Side" led the box office. According to box-office tracker Hollywood.com, revenues from Wednesday to Sunday last Thanksgiving totaled $273 million, compared to $267 million this season. "This one was really close. I thought we might eke out a record," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. Other than "Tangled," the new wide releases did not draw huge crowds, each catering to a segment of the audience. Sony's "Burlesque," with Aguilera as a waitress seeking stardom at a Hollywood musical club, drew women; 20th Century Fox's "Love and Other Drugs," with Gyllenhaal as a pharmaceutical salesman who falls for an ailing woman (Hathaway), brought in date crowds; and CBS Films' "Faster," starring Johnson as an ex-con out for revenge, attracted male action fans. In limited release, the Weinstein Co. drama "The King's Speech" got off to a majestic start with $349,791 in four theaters in New York City and Los Angeles. That gave it a whopping average of $87,448 a theater, compared to $13,628 in 3,603 theaters for "Tangled." "The King's Speech" stars Colin Firth as British monarch George VI, father of Queen Elizabeth II, as he comes to power in 1936 while struggling to overcome a lifelong stammer. The film, which has early Academy Awards buzz as a potential front-runner, gradually expands to more theaters through the holidays. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday. 1. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1," $50.3 million. 6. "Love & Other Drugs," $9.9 million. 8. "Due Date," $7.3 million. 9. "The Next Three Days," $4.8 million. 10. "Morning Glory," $4 million.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 remained the No. 1 movie with $50.3 million over Thanksgiving weekend, closely followed by the animated musical Tangled with $49.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20130105070713id_/http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/Rookie-tight-end-Celek-making-his-own-name-4168955.php

Rookie tight end Celek making his own name

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As an undrafted rookie in his first NFL minicamp, tight end Garrett Celek had a slight problem this past spring: He couldn't catch a football. Recalls 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman: "The first week he was here, he wasn't catching that well." Offered tight end Delanie Walker: "I could see he was kind of nervous. He just wasn't really focusing on the ball." And, finally, tight end Vernon Davis: "He was kind of struggling." So much for the importance of first impressions. Eight months since his inauspicious debut, Mr. Iron Hands was Mr. Iron Man compared to San Francisco's other rookies. The only undrafted rookie to make the 53-man roster, Celek logged 105 snaps, more than the six draft picks still with the team. Did Celek imagine he'd play more than rookie running back LaMichael James, who was an All-American at Oregon while Celek toiled in anonymity at Michigan State? Celek, who had three of his 14 career catches as a senior, smiled before turning serious when posed that question Friday. "I don't want to say I didn't see it coming because I'm always working for it," Celek said. "I'm just really happy that happened." Looking ahead to the 2013 season, there is some evidence that Celek could move from feel-good story into an offensive factor, particularly if Walker, the No. 2 tight end and a pending free agent, signs elsewhere in the offseason. A left tackle in high school, Celek, 6-foot-5 and 252 pounds, made the team thanks largely to his blocking prowess. However, he also possesses above-average speed for his size, and quarterback Alex Smith was initially struck by how his wingspan made him an inviting target. "The first thing that jumped out to me was his catch radius," Smith said. "He's got long arms and is such a big target. And he catches with his hands really well." Celek (four catches for 51 yards on the season) had a season-high 29 snaps in a 42-13 loss at Seattle on Dec. 23 after Davis left with a concussion in the first quarter. He responded with two catches for 41 yards, including a difficult 35-yard grab over the middle. The catch was a reminder of how much Celek has developed as a pass catcher since his college days. Earlier this season, he offered this scouting report of himself at Michigan State: "I didn't run that good of routes. And I didn't catch very well." The secret of his progress isn't much of a mystery. He has spent countless hours catching balls after practice, dedication that doesn't surprise Mark Staten, Celek's offensive line coach for three years at Michigan State. In the summer, Staten was hoping Celek could make the 49ers' practice squad. "To make the regular squad?" Staten said. "That's just his work ethic. That's just the Celek work ethic that we were fortunate to have for a number of years." Indeed, Staten also coached Celek's older brother, Eagles tight end Brent Celek, at the University of Cincinnati. And his more-accomplished brother was Garrett's lone claim to fame when he arrived in May as a struggling rookie: Left tackle Joe Staley said Garrett was generally referred to as Brent Celek's little brother. Garrett Celek has since made a name for himself. And he hopes this season is just the beginning. "I still need to improve in a lot of areas," Celek said. "I want to be one those key players that the quarterback can count on a big situation. I still have a lot of work to do." Briefly: Wide receiver Michael Crabtree and running back Frank Gore were each fined $10,500 for throwing the football into the stands after scoring touchdowns in last week's win over Arizona. ... Defensive tackle Justin Smith (partially torn triceps) practiced for the second straight day without a non-contact jersey. Eric Branch is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: ebranch@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Eric_Branch

The only undrafted rookie to make the 53-man roster, Celek logged 105 snaps, more than the six draft picks still with the team. Did Celek imagine he'd play more than rookie running back LaMichael James, who was an All-American at Oregon while Celek toiled in anonymity at Michigan State? Looking ahead to the 2013 season, there is some evidence that Celek could move from feel-good story into an offensive factor, particularly if Walker, the No. 2 tight end and a pending free agent, signs elsewhere in the offseason. [...] he also possesses above-average speed for his size, and quarterback Alex Smith was initially struck by how his wingspan made him an inviting target. Celek (four catches for 51 yards on the season) had a season-high 29 snaps in a 42-13 loss at Seattle on Dec. 23 after Davis left with a concussion in the first quarter. Wide receiver Michael Crabtree and running back Frank Gore were each fined $10,500 for throwing the football into the stands after scoring touchdowns in last week's win over Arizona. ... Defensive tackle Justin Smith (partially torn triceps) practiced for the second straight day without a non-contact jersey.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20130111101346id_/http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/Packers-receiver-Jones-talks-a-good-game-4185198.php

Packers receiver Jones talks a good game

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Packers receiver James Jones had four catches for 81 yards and a touchdown in Green Bay's season-opening 30-22 loss to the 49ers. He's been telling himself he needs to do more of the same Saturday in a rematch in the divisional-round playoff game. He keeps telling himself to do it, again and again. Out loud. And it doesn't stop come game time. "I heard him" in the teams' first meeting, 49ers cornerback Perrish Cox said. "I don't know where that's coming from." Jones, a San Jose native who went to Gunderson High and San Jose State, uses the habit to keep himself motivated. He assures opposing players that he is not crazy. "I'm out there talking to myself saying things like, 'Stay focused. Stay hungry. The ball's gonna come,' "Jones told the NFL Network. "A lot of the players think I'm crazy. "I remember Jabari Greer of the Saints walked by me, and I was talking to myself saying, 'Stay open.' He was like, 'Hey, man, you all right?' I told him, 'Yeah, man, I'm good. Just staying focused.' " Jones has been better than good in his sixth season. He had a league-high 14 touchdown catches - as many as Pro Bowlers Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne had combined. "He's had a great season," Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers said. "In my opinion, he at least should have gotten some Pro Bowl consideration." For Jones, staying motivated is crucial, as he doesn't have the size (he's 6-foot-1, 208 pounds) or speed of some of those guys who did make the Pro Bowl. What he does do is run clean, crisp routes and fight for the ball. This season, he stepped up with timely, highlight-reel touchdown catches when Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson were sidelined with injuries. "A couple weeks ago, he made a tough one, kind of picking a ball off a defender's head," Rodgers said. "He's done a really good job with his body control, making sure it's his ball or nobody's. It gives you a lot of confidence as a quarterback when he's able to make some plays like that." Jones, 28, posted career-highs of 64 catches and 784 yards along with the 14 touchdowns - and after dropping 20 passes over the past three seasons, he had only three drops this year. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy called Jones "San Jose proud," saying, "James has a great work ethic. He has always put in his time and has always been ready for the opportunities. J.J. has clearly had not only his best season but one of the better seasons we've had here." The Packers drafted Jones in the third round of the 2007 draft, after his team-MVP season at San Jose State, where he had 70 receptions for 893 yard and 10 touchdowns. Former Spartans coach Dick Tomey said he is "absolutely not" surprised that Jones led the league in TD receptions this season. "He's always worked hard," Tomey said. "And he's very strong and competitive. Plus, James is just an amazing person. He had an unbelievable childhood. ... He's not had an easy life." Jones spent his childhood moving around to different homeless shelters in San Jose with his mother. Those shelters each had a three-month maximum stay, and Jones remembers many nights going to sleep hungry at a cheap hotel or on a bus. The two begged for money and got by however they could. When he was asked what his most-treasured possession was during his travels as kid, Jones told a Fox Sports reporter that it wasn't a toy or an article of clothing. "It had to be my mother," he said. "I had opportunities to stay with my grandma at a young age, go stay with my dad. He was living in Fresno at the time. Whatever Mama went through, whatever was gonna happen, I was gonna be with her. No matter where we were, under a bridge or something, I felt I was safe." When he was 5, he told his mom that he was going to be an NFL football player, and he bought her a house shortly after he was drafted. Last summer, he signed a three-year, $9.4 million contract. Green Bay's top receivers during the regular season: Vic Tafur is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: vtafur@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VicTafur

Packers receiver James Jones had four catches for 81 yards and a touchdown in Green Bay's season-opening 30-22 loss to the 49ers. For Jones, staying motivated is crucial, as he doesn't have the size (he's 6-foot-1, 208 pounds) or speed of some of those guys who did make the Pro Bowl. Jones, 28, posted career-highs of 64 catches and 784 yards along with the 14 touchdowns - and after dropping 20 passes over the past three seasons, he had only three drops this year. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy called Jones San Jose proud, saying, James has a great work ethic. The Packers drafted Jones in the third round of the 2007 draft, after his team-MVP season at San Jose State, where he had 70 receptions for 893 yard and 10 touchdowns. Former Spartans coach Dick Tomey said he is "absolutely not" surprised that Jones led the league in TD receptions this season. Jones spent his childhood moving around to different homeless shelters in San Jose with his mother. When he was asked what his most-treasured possession was during his travels as kid, Jones told a Fox Sports reporter that it wasn't a toy or an article of clothing. When he was 5, he told his mom that he was going to be an NFL football player, and he bought her a house shortly after he was drafted.

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http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20130115-kia-stretches-its-styling

http://web.archive.org/web/20130118045638id_/http://www.bbc.com:80/autos/story/20130115-kia-stretches-its-styling

Kia goes long with Cadenza

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With the introduction of its new full-size sedan, Kia continued its curious blend of Korean and German aesthetic references under the leadership of former Audi designer Peter Schreyer. The introduction was heradled with a revue featuring a blank-faced female dancer befitting a Robert Palmer music video, and concluded with a bit of performance art involving an actor wearing a box on his head that carried video screens showing Schreyer's face delivering his remarks. Just to check, yes, we are in Detroit, not an underground Berlin discotheque. The 2014 Kia Cadenza itself displays Schreyer's trademark minimalism, but in a newly restrained flavour. "I think the larger the car, you need to take care of the audience that is going to buy it," Schreyer told BBC Autos in an interview. "In the larger segment you shouldn't do something spectacular." Spectacular-looking or not, the Cadenza puts Kia into the larger-car segment, one populated by the Toyota Avalon, Buick LaCrosse and Hyundai Azera – its corporate cousin, with which it shares its platform and 293-horsepower, 3.3-litre V6 engine. The strength of the chassis is enhanced by the use of high-tensile steel, which, along with details like the hydraulic transmission mounts, contributes to a suitably serene cabin environment. Infotainment includes Sirus XM satellite radio, an 8-inch touch-screen display and 550-watt, 12-speaker Infinity sound system. Technology for outside the car includes adaptive high-intensity discharge headlights that steer into curves, forward radar for adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot and lane-departure warning systems. Kia spokesman James Hope said on Tuesday that the Cadenza should be in US showrooms late in the second quarter, with pricing and fuel economy to be announced closer to launch.

Not a mid-size and not quite a full-size sedan, the Cadenza occupies an increasingly sweet middle ground for automakers.

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http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/movies/2013/02/24/live-blogging-oscars/KQgPEgo4aqPN26g5c1FVMP/story.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20130228050225id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com:80/arts/movies/2013/02/24/live-blogging-oscars/KQgPEgo4aqPN26g5c1FVMP/story.html

Live-blogging the Oscars - Movies - The Boston Globe

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It’s the 85th Academy Awards. Who will win the coveted golden statues? Will “Argo” win Best Picture? Or will “Lincoln” take the prize? Could it be the star-studded “Silver Linings Playbook”? Or the dramatic thriller “Zero Dark Thirty”? We will be keeping track of the winners, acceptance speeches, show highlights, and how host Seth MacFarlane pulls it all together in our live Oscar blog starting at 8:30 p.m. Click here to refresh the updates. As the credits roll, Seth and Kristin Chenoweth end with a musical tribute to the “losers,” including MacFarlane. Mercifully, they do not pan to these “losers” in the crowd. There were several surprises tonight so congrats to all the office pool winners. Michelle Obama beams in from the White House Oscar party to introduce the nominees and the winner. “Argo.” The award goes to producers Grant Heslov, George Clooney, and Ben Affleck. On behalf of Clooney and himself, Heslov thanks Affleck as a director. A very rapidly speaking Affleck acknowledges Steven Spielberg specifically and all of the other nominees, awkwardly and sweetly thanks his wife Jennifer Garner, and thanks many people in the room for continuing to believe in him. “It doesn’t matter how you get knocked down in life, because that’s going to happen, all that matters is that you gotta get up.” Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln.” He also gets a nice ovation. He’s the first actor to win three Best Actor Oscars according to the announcer. He says he’s not sure how all of this good fortune has come to him. Then he gets a great line off about his presenter Meryl Streep. He says originally Steven Spielberg wanted her for the role. And for it to be a musical. He is funny, earnest, and magnanimous. Easily, the best speech of the night. Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook.” She stumbles slightly and starts her speech endearingly, “You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell.” “Life of Pi,” Ang Lee. Wow. Nice ovation. He thanks all 3,000 people who worked on the film. 11:32 So we’re two minutes past the scheduled end time. How much longer you think? “Django Unchained,” Quentin Tarantino. He giggles his way onstage and says if people remember his films in the future it will be because of the characters he’s created and that comes down to casting and he thanks his cast. “Argo,” Chris Terrio. (Interesting. Many, many people predicted Tony Kushner would win for “Lincoln.”) 11:18 If Seth was bummed about not winning... ... he didn’t show it throwing to commercial. Pretty sure that even he knows that when you’re nominated in a category against Adele, you’re probably going home empty-handed. We get two see clips of two other nominees and then Norah Jones comes out to sing “Everybody Needs a Best Friend” from “Ted,” which was co-written by Seth MacFarlane and Walter Murphy, who had a huge disco hit with “A Fifth of Beethoven.” All of that is of course prelude to “Skyfall,” by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth winning. This means Adele is halfway to an EGOT. “Life of Pi,” Mychael Danna This year’s sad roll call includes Ernest Borgnine, Jack Klugman, Celeste Holm, Charles Durning, Adam Yauch (the Beastie Boy was also a film producer), critic Andrew Sarris, Tony Scott, Nora Ephron, and Marvin Hamlisch, who is paid tribute by Barbra Stresiand who emerges to sing his praises and “The Way We Were.” 10:54 So who hasn’t Seth MacFarlane offended? We all knew the “Ted” director and Fox animated series king was going to be polarizing but my Twitter timeline has mostly complaints about MacFarlane’s jokes and amount of screen time. I’m more concerned that we’re two and a half hours in and we still haven’t heard all of the Best Song nominees yet or gotten to any of the big awards. The next needless “bit” on the show needs to get the “Jaws.” “Lincoln,” Rick Carter and Jim Erickson (Presented by Harry Potter and a limping Bella.) Nicole Kidman introduces the final trio of clips of “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Django Unchained,” and “Amour.” Adele sings Best Song nominee “Skyfall” from “Skyfall.” Following Bassey and the musicals tribute earlier in the evening is not an enviable task but Adele acquits herself well, going with an understated approach to the melancholic ballad. 10:29 Break time. (Sorry Academy prez.) Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables” (As most predicted.) She starts off by looking at her Oscar saying “it came true.” (Guessing this is a nod to her song “I Dreamed a Dream”?) Then she does her list. She finishes with “Here’s hoping that someday in the not too distant future the misfortunes of Fantine will only be found in stories and never more in real life.” It’s a tie! First up: “Zero Dark Thirty,” Paul N.J. Ottosson Next: “Skyfall,” Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers “Les Miserables,” Andy Nelson, Simon Hayes, and Mark Paterson 10:11 Marky Mark and his teddy bear Mark Wahlberg and “Ted” bring some Boston accents, and raunch, to the Oscahs. After that huge musical number this tribute to the-- totally deserving-- science and tech award winners feels a little... dry. 9:53 Let’s put on a show! It’s time for the tribute to the movie musical throughout the years. The line-up includes several Oscar winners and nominees. Now we’re talking. First up is Catherine Zeta-Jones doing “All That Jazz” from “Chicago.” Excellent work. Jennifer Hudson appears to reprise “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” from “Dreamgirls.” And gets a standing ovation for her impressive efforts. Then we get a show of force from the cast of current nominee “Les Miserables” including Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Russell Crowe, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Banks, Helena Bonham Carter, and Sacha Baron Cohen. As a huge musicals fan this has been my favorite part of the show. Essentially the part where the Oscars turned into the Tonys. Seth tells us that the orchestra is playing live from up the road at the Capitol Building. 9:50 Best Foreign Language Film He’s gotten off a few good lines when he pops up and he seems to be handling the pressure well but it doesn’t feel like the room is really behind him. The show definitely has that “early awards that less people care about” drag happening. (This one right before commercial was pretty good: “When we come back... the cast of ‘Prometheus’ explains what the hell was going on there.”) 9:42 Best Documentary Feature Film “Searching for Sugar Man,” Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn. (For music fans this film about Rodriguez is definitely worth seeing.) So that play off seems to have been very effective, as all of the winners have really rushed through their acceptance speeches wary of getting cut off. Granted, none have been particularly captivating but perhaps they would be if they weren’t so nervous? Liam Neeson presents the second set of nominees “Argo,” “Lincoln,” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” (I see what they did there.) “Inocente,” Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine. 9:32 Best Live Action Short 9:22 Shaken, not stirred... into a montage A visual and musical tribute to James Bond. The franchise is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Following the quick-cut clip-fest Shirley Bassey comes out to sing “Goldfinger.” The Dame shut it down. (Can Sheena Easton be far behind?) The show has been on for less than an hour. 9:16 Best Costume Design and Make-Up Costume: “Anna Karenina,” Jacqueline Durran Make-up: “Les Miserables,” Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell “Life of Pi,” Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer, and Donald R. Elliott. They are played off by the “Jaws” theme song even as the accepter is trying to make a heartfelt plea on behalf of someone connected with the film who is experiencing financial difficulties. Awkward. (That’s two in a row for “Pi.”) “Life of Pi,” Claudio Miranda. Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., Jeremy Renner join together...to hand out awards and needle each other. Quvenshane Wallis does a cute fist pump after her clip. Reese Witherspoon introduces the clips for a trio of nominated films “Les Miserables,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” and “Life of Pi.” 9:00 Best Animated Feature Film “Brave,” Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman. Andrews is wearing a snazzy kilt. 8:55 Best Animated Short Film And the winner is: Christoph Waltz for “Django Unchained.” He gives his respect to his fellow nominees, Robert De Niro, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Arkin, and Tommy Lee Jones. On Shatner’s advice he ends the monologue with a big song and dance number set to the tune of the Disney favorite. Whether you loved or hated it, Seth’s got pipes. 8:44 Seth really, really likes Sally Field In a bit with the Oscar nominee he dresses up as the Flying Nun and hits on Field and they start making out. Field’s a great sport. 8:42 Dancing with the stars Daniel Radcliffe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Seth do a little soft shoe to “High Hopes.” (All of this in keeping with this year’s theme celebrating the movie musical.) Very classy and cute. 8:40 “Magic Mike,” a “Monster,” and Seth In order to save the show and “celebrate” old style Hollywood glamour, Seth instead segues into “The Way You Look Tonight” and Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron do a lovely dance routine. 8:35 Captain Kirk beams down William Shatner appears onscreen to needle Seth and to stop him from “destroying the Academy Awards” and shows him a headline from tomorrow saying he’s the worst host ever. He wonders why Tina Fey and Amy Poehler can’t host everything. And then he shares an “offensive” song that Seth will sing “later” called “We Saw Your Boobs,” which is actually pretty snappy. Seth MacFarlane kicks things off with a winner: “The quest to make Tommy Lee Jones laugh begins now.” He also gets off a nice bit about Ben Affleck being shut out of the best director race saying that the story of “Argo” was so classified that the Academy didn’t even know who directed it.

It’s the 85th Academy Awards. Who will win the coveted golden statues? Will “Argo” win Best Picture? Or will “Lincoln” take the prize? Could it be the star-studded “Silver Linings Playbook”? Or the dramatic thriller “Zero Dark Thirty”? We will be keeping track of the winners, acceptance speeches, show highlights, and how host Seth MacFarlane pulls it all together in our live Oscar blog starting at 8:30 p.m.

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http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20130327-detroit-electric-returns

http://web.archive.org/web/20130330064523id_/http://www.bbc.com:80/autos/story/20130327-detroit-electric-returns

After 74 years, Detroit Electric preps for a comeback

20130330064523

Between 1907 and 1938, the Detroit Electric Car Company (formerly the Anderson Carriage Company) produced some 13,000 examples of its electric car – a tall, finely appointed carriage powered by a trunk full of lead-acid batteries. The car promised 80 miles of zero-emissions cruising on a full charge, with a top speed of 20mph – pokier than the 40mph Ford Model T, but adequate for city driving. Now, seven decades after the lights went out on Detroit Electric, the company – well, the name, at least – is on the verge of a comeback. Former Lotus Cars chief Albert Lam revived the Detroit Electric name in 2008, and after a five-year development effort, his gamble seems ready to pay off: The company, from its newly rented headquarters on the 18th floor of Detroit’s landmark Fisher Building, just released this very enticing teaser image. The Lotus Elise-based sports car – which will be the first member of “a diverse family of all-electric production vehicles” – will fill the gap left by the recently departed Tesla Roadster (itself Elise-based). Lam and company are mum on specs, but a press release promises “bold styling, outstanding performance, exhilarating handling and impressive range.” Detroit Electric will unveil its two-seater in its namesake city next week, with a global debut at the Shanghai motor show on 20 April. The company aims to open a dedicated factory with an annual capacity of 2500 vehicles – a plan that could bring 180 jobs to Detroit before the end of 2013. Production of the new roadster is set to commence in August, and Detroit Electric expects to add two additional EVs to its range before the close of 2014. Visit BBC Autos on 3 April for a better look at Detroit Electric’s vision of the future.

Seventy-four years after its demise, Detroit Electric is charged for a comeback with a Lotus Elise-based 100% electric sports car.

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http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/04/15/short-sale-may-count-against-you-just-like-foreclosure/izriAT1k2Whk4jfOcDICeO/story.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20130420161653id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com:80/business/2013/04/15/short-sale-may-count-against-you-just-like-foreclosure/izriAT1k2Whk4jfOcDICeO/story.html

Short sale may count against you just like a foreclosure

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NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — When his home’s value plunged, George Albright opted to sell it for less than he owed, believing the ‘‘short sale’’ would scar his credit less than a foreclosure. But after saving for a down payment and building back his credit, the single father learned he still wouldn’t qualify for a new loan. After two years in the penalty box, underwriters said, he still had five years to go. To his surprise, his credit history showed a foreclosure, a ‘‘kiss of death’’ stemming from a strange credit quirk. Banks and credit bureaus have no special code to report a short sale. Without the distinction, homeowners who won the bank’s approval for a short sale of their underwater home are seen as no different than years-long defaulters who ended in foreclosure. Loan and credit experts call this oversight one of the biggest challenges for today’s short sellers. ‘‘They’re very frustrated and sad and disillusioned by the whole thing,” said Joe ­Gendelman, Florida director of the National Credit Federation, a Tampa credit-restoration firm. When hopeful borrowers ask for loans, their credit histories are run through automated underwriting systems that assess whether they might pose a risk to the lender. The systems follow guidelines from mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that suggest foreclosed borrowers should wait seven years before receiving a new loan. Short sellers, guidelines said, could qualify in two years. But without a specific credit code for short sales, the distinction between waiting periods is lost. Homeowners who went through the short-sale process, finding buyers and winning bank approval, are penalized exactly like defaulters who walked away. Credit agencies said the label is correct in portraying a mortgage gone wrong: whether short sale or foreclosure, the loan was unpaid. But some said the mistaken message began at a level outside their control, perhaps in the credit-reporting system itself. ‘‘Where we have found the discrepancies occurring is in the underwriting process, and codes are being misinterpreted somewhere during this process,’’ Experian spokeswoman Kristine Snyder said. ‘‘This is a concern to us, and we are currently working to learn more about the issue and how it can be remedied.’’ Messages left with the Consumer Data Industry Association, which developed the credit-reporting system, Metro 2, that serves as the industry standard, were not returned. No one tracks how many short sales have been reported as foreclosures, though Realty­Trac data show more than 2 million Americans have completed short sales since the housing bubble burst. The missing code was barely an issue before the bust because short sales were so rare. Banks have begun approving short sales more and more because they are cheaper and less of a hassle than foreclosures. Short sellers must prove a hardship, like a lost job, medical ailment or divorce, to escape their debt, and even then some are hounded by judgments to pay back deficiencies. Short sales leave lasting credit scars, hurting sellers’ ability to qualify for everything from car leases to credit cards. But they also allow sellers to leave bad loans behind without seeing their homes repossessed. Credit experts disagree over what lenders can truly learn from a few bad years during the recession. Clifton O’Neal, a spokesman for TransUnion, one of the big three credit bureaus, referred on Friday to a report that said ‘‘short sales are, in fact, indicative of future elevated credit risk.’’ But a TransUnion report in 2011, Life after Foreclosure and Hidden Opportunities, said ‘‘life event’’ defaulters who missed loan payments during the recession ‘‘are otherwise good credit risks,’’ whose short-term woes were not symbolic of some larger economic flaw. Blacklisting short sellers could dent the housing market as prospective buyers remain sidelined by rejection. Terry Clemans, executive director of the National Credit Reporting Association, said the lack of a distinct code hurts lenders and credit agencies, too, by obscuring the full picture of a prospective borrower’s past. ‘‘It skews the ability down the road to properly document what really happened, and when this consumer should get back in the market,’’ Clemans said. ‘‘The sooner the system is changed to properly document the difference . . . the better.’’ The only solution so far, Trinity mortgage broker Pam Marron said, has been to turn to short-term fixes. Responding to questions over how it processes the cases, Fannie Mae issued a clarification in March saying its underwriting system could not identify short sales ‘‘with 100 percent accuracy’’ as long as no short-sale code was in place. Lenders, it said, would need to check whether the ‘‘significant derogatory event’’ was a short sale on a case-by-case basis. Some borrowers have cleared the scarlet letter by petitioning their banks to certify the short sales in letters to the credit bureaus. But brokers said the process is slow, inconsistent, and far from a long-term fix. Potential solutions, like a form letter for banks to certify borrowers’ short sales, have gained ground among regulators, Marron said. But for now, borrowers like Albright, who has worked for more than six months to clear his record, will have to keep renting and waiting to sign the loan for a new home.

When his home’s value plunged, George Albright opted to sell it for less than he owed, believing the ‘‘short sale’’ would scar his credit less than a foreclosure. But after saving for a down payment and building back his credit, the single father learned he still wouldn’t qualify for a new loan. After two years in the penalty box, underwriters said, he still had five more years to go. To his surprise, his credit history showed a foreclosure, a ‘‘kiss of death’’ stemming from a strange credit quirk. Banks and credit bureaus have no special code to report a short sale. Without the distinction, homeowners who won the bank’s approval for a short sale of their underwater home are seen as no different than years-long defaulters who ended in foreclosure.

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http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/television/2013/05/06/critic-corner-may/V9n1abvf7kXENPhAVVImXM/story.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20130509005501id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com:80/arts/television/2013/05/06/critic-corner-may/V9n1abvf7kXENPhAVVImXM/story.html

Critic’s corner: May 7

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Constitution USA With Peter Sagal 9 p.m., Channel 2 You’ve probably heard him on NPR’s “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me,” where he is endlessly witty. Now you can see him, and his significant eyebrows, on this new four-part series. Sagal takes a cross-country motorcycle trip to explore the contemporary relevance of the Constitution. Among the issues he addresses with the people he meets: same-sex marriage, presidential power, the separation of church and state, medical marijuana, gun control, and health care. Three of my favorites are on tonight, so I thought I would foist that information on you. First is Edie Falco, whose “Nurse Jackie” is so steadily engaging and honest. Then, Marc Maron pays his almost 50th visit to Conan, to promote his amusing new IFC comedy. And finally, Iron & Wine, led by Sam Beam, performs from their new album. While the new sound is too jazzy and soft-rocky for me, his trademark low-fi banging-acoustic sound on “Woman King,” “The Shepherd’s Dog,” and “Around the Well” is beautiful. The Mindy Project 9:30 p.m., Fox Bill Hader returns. So does the funny, I hope. Colin Hanks guests, fresh from his role as Allison on “Burning Love.” This series is all wet.

Constitution USA With Peter Sagal 9 p.m., Channel 2 You’ve probably heard him on NPR’s “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me,” where he is endlessly witty. Now you can see him, and his significant eyebrows, on this new four-part series. Sagal takes a cross-country motorcycle trip to explore the contemporary relevance of the Constitution. Among the issues he addresses with the people he meets: same-sex marriage, presidential power, the separation of church and state, medical marijuana, gun control, and health care. The Mindy Project 9:30 p.m., Fox Bill Hader returns. So does the funny, I hope.

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http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/05/20/special-churns-out-products-brand-evolution/RmbHl9xfotQ6MCSmQEkVYJ/story.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20130615032108id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com:80/business/2013/05/20/special-churns-out-products-brand-evolution/RmbHl9xfotQ6MCSmQEkVYJ/story.html

Special K churns out products in brand evolution

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NEW YORK — Special K was once just a line of cereals. Today, it’s a diet food empire. The brand first hit shelves in 1955 as a no-frills breakfast alternative but now caters to dieters who see its airy chips and pastries as a way to beat cravings and lose weight. And this summer, Kellogg Co. is building on its biggest moneymaker with a ‘‘hot cereal’’ called Special K Nourish that’s made with quinoa and other grains. The new line, which promises to fill people up with 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, reflects Special K’s push to move in step with evolving trends. Until now, Special K products largely gave dieters low-calorie imitations of their fantasy foods. But weight watchers are increasingly looking for added nutritional benefits, rather than just counting calories. ‘‘They’re eating better, not just eating less,’’ said Noel Geoffroy, vice president of marketing for Kellogg Morning Foods. The Special K Nourish hot cereal will come in individual serving cups; people add water and toppings that come in separate compartments on the lids. The products, which have less than 200 calories, are slated to hit stores in July and will come in Maple Brown Sugar, Cranberry Almond, and Cinnamon Raisin Pecan. A line of Nourish bars will come in Dark Chocolate Nut, Cranberry Bliss, and Lemon Twist. Special K’s evolution to stay relevant is critical for Kellogg. The company, which also makes Frosted Flakes and Eggo waffles, has been struggling to grow cereal sales at a time when Americans are looking for more on-the-go options. Over the past decade, for example, sales of cold cereals in the United States have grown just 6 percent to $8.9 billion, according to the market researcher Euromonitor International. But Special K has been standout for Kellogg, with the brand’s market share increasing to 5 percent, up from 3.3 percent a decade ago, according to Euromonitor. The broader transformation of Special K into a weight management tool also reflects its ‘‘Special K Challenge’’ ad campaign that first aired in 2003. Those ads famously promised that women would be able to lose 6 pounds in two weeks by replacing breakfast and lunch with Special K and having a sensible dinner at night. ‘‘It really hit on the need women had for easy, attainable way to manage their weight,’’ Geoffroy said. The Special K brand became a psychological stamp of approval and Kellogg has been churning out spinoff products ever since. Shakes and bars came in 2006, cracker chips in 2009, and popcorn chips last year. Three types of breakfast sandwiches popped up in frozen food sections in January.

NEW YORK — Special K was once just a line of cereals. Today, it’s a diet food empire. The brand first hit shelves in 1955 as a no-frills breakfast alternative but now caters to dieters who see its airy chips and pastries as a way to beat cravings and lose weight. And this summer, Kellogg Co. is building on its biggest moneymaker with a ‘‘hot cereal’’ called Special K Nourish that’s made with quinoa and other grains. The new line reflects Special K’s push to move in step with evolving trends. Until now, Special K products largely gave dieters low-calorie imitations of their fantasy foods. But weight watchers are increasingly looking for added nutritional benefits, rather than just counting calories.

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http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/eye-performance/201307/jennie-finch-capital-one-cup-ncaa-athletics-olympic-softball

http://web.archive.org/web/20130721185126id_/http://www.thepostgame.com:80/blog/eye-performance/201307/jennie-finch-capital-one-cup-ncaa-athletics-olympic-softball

Jennie Finch Talks About Getting Softball Back In Olympics And Representing Capital One Cup

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ThePostGame just had another chance to catch up former softball star and Olympic gold medalist Jennie Finch just before she presented the Capital One Cup to UCLA for being the top NCAA Division I school in men's sports overall this season. (North Carolina won the women's Cup.) In addition to being an ESPN commentator, she is also helping softball campaign to return to the Olympics. ThePostGame: Looking back at your own college experience, was there particular class that you remember having the most impact on you, your life or outlook? JENNIE FINCH: I majored in communications, and there were so many different aspects of how people communicate. Verbally. Non-verbally. It definitely helped me in what I do now. TPG: The program with the Capital One Cup really touches all the sports from the marquee teams on down. That really gives women's sports an opportunity to be part of the mix, and that's probably an aspect important to you. FINCH: Yes, I'm proud to be on the advisory board for the Capital One Cup. And it really does bring light to the sports that maybe don't get as much attention. And for women's sports in general, it's a great way for college fans and alums to cheer for their school one more time, and for bragging rights in winning the Capital One Cup. It was nice to crown two new winners this year. The Florida men had won it the past two years. This year UCLA took it. Stanford, on the women's side, had taken it the past two years, and we just crowned the UNC women this year. And also, Capital One donates $400,000, so a lot of the money goes back to the schools in scholarships. TPG: Softball had been an Olympic sport but it was voted out of the Games for 2012 and 2016. There is a campaign to get it restored for 2020. You've been involved in that fight. Can you give an update on what's happening? FINCH: I'm blessed to be working closely with the WBSC -- World Baseball Softball Confederation -- to get it back in. We've made the short list. It's baseball/softball, squash and wrestling. One of us will be reinstated in the 2020 Olympics. The vote is in September. Just a few weeks ago, they narrowed the list down from eight to three. The first victory was getting on that list. That was a big hurdle, and you can support us by going to PlayBall2020.com. ThePostGame brings you the most interesting sports stories on the web. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to read them first! TPG: What sort of lobbying or twisting of arms can you do in the meantime before the vote in September? FINCH: We want to get the word out that more than 140 countries play baseball and softball and get that point to the International Olympic Committee members that make the vote. TPG: There are so many countries active in the sport. Is that perhaps your most compelling argument, that this isn't an isolated sport that only a handful of nations participate in? FINCH: Definitely, they're global games and we've worked on a plan where we can play on the same field. It'll kept to six days, which is shorter so hopefully we can get the Major League Baseball players to come over and play in it. Our sport needs it. A lot of sports have other platforms, but our sport truly needs the Olympics. And everything they're judged on from ratings and world participation, we were in the upper half. TPG: Sometimes it all comes down to politics. FINCH: Unfortunately, yes. But hopefully it can work in our favor this time around. Here's more of our conversation with Jennie Finch in which she discusses being a mom, advice for young players and her peanut butter preference. This text will be replaced This text will be replaced

ThePostGame just had another chance to catch up former softball star and Olympic gold medalist Jennie Finch just before she presented the Capital One ...

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Best First-Time NBA Finals Battles

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Another powerhouse resided in New York thanks to the Syracuse Nationals, who were facing Fort Wayne for the first time in the final, but playing in their third championship in five years. Led by Paul Seymour, Dolph Schayes, Red Rocha, Billy Kenville, and Dick Farley, the Nationals held off the Pistons to take the series 4-3.

Great drama unfolds thanks to the unknown. When teams meet for the first time in their respective histories to battle for a championship, the potentia...

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http://web.archive.org/web/20130826221301id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/08/14/conferences-end-licensing-deals-with-sports/xGatPl9TkC2IfuQcT5y1VK/story.html

Conferences end licensing deals with EA Sports

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NEW YORK — The Big Ten, Pac-12, and Southeastern Conference are following the NCAA’s lead and will no longer allow EA Sports to use league logos in its college football video games. The NCAA said last month it will no longer allow Electronic Arts Inc. to use its logo starting next year. The move comes as the NCAA fights a high-profile lawsuit that says the governing body owes millions of dollars to former players for allowing their likenesses to be used for free. ESPN first reported the SEC would end its licensing agreement with EA, and a spokesman confirmed that to the AP Wednesday. Spokesmen for the Big Ten and Pac-12 said their conferences also will not renew agreements with EA. The conference contracts do not cover individual schools, which can sign their own licensing deals. Big 12 spokesman Bob Burda said in an e-mail to the AP that ‘‘there is no change in status for the Big 12 Conference at this time.’’

The Big Ten, Pac-12 and Southeastern conferences are following the NCAA’s lead and will no longer allow EA Sports to use league logos in its college football video games. The NCAA announced last month it will no longer allow Electronic Arts Inc. to use its logo starting next year. The move comes as the NCAA fights a high-profile lawsuit that says the governing body owes millions of dollars to former players for allowing their likenesses to be used for free. ESPN first reported the SEC would end its licensing agreement with EA, and a spokesman confirmed that Wednesday. Spokesmen for the Big Ten and Pac-12 say their conferences also will not renew agreements with EA. The conference contracts do not cover individual schools.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20130827032917id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com:80/business/2013/08/15/state-unemployment-rate-rises-again-july/zZztxA4gDrpC8Ey1hLv7DN/story.html

State unemployment rate rises again in July

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Massachusetts added a meager 300 jobs in July and the unemployment rate rose to 7.2 percent, the highest level in nearly two years, state officials said Thursday. The state unemployment rate has risen in each of the past three months as the economy has deteriorated under the weight of steep federal budget cuts and a slowing global economy, said Daniel Hodge, director of economic and public policy research at the University of Massachusetts’ Donahue Institute. The US unemployment rate averaged 7.4 percent last month, down 7.6 percent in June. “The unemployment rate is going up while the US unemployment rate is going down,” Hodge said of the report. “So it’s definitely disappointing in that respect.” The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development also reported that the job market was much weaker in June than first thought. The state initially estimated that the state economy added 2,800 jobs in June, but that figure was revised to show a loss of 2,100 jobs. Employment and unemployment data are subject to frequent revisions. The Massachusetts economy, after strong growth in recent years, has slowed noticeably in 2013. The state has shed about 3,000 jobs since January, while the unemployment rate has increased half a percentage point. Federal budget cuts, weakening economies in key foreign markets such as Europe and China, and uncertainty about US economic policies are among the reasons that economists have cited for the state’s slowing expansion — despite an improving housing market. Last month, the University of Massachusetts estimated that the state economy grew at an annual rate of less than one percent between April and June, compared to 1.7 percent for the US economy. “All the forecasts showed the economy picking up later in the year, but this is the start of quarter three, and it sure hasn’t happened yet,” said Andre Mayer, senior vice president for research at Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the state’s largest employer group. “Maybe the economy is crouching, waiting to leap forward, but so far we’re not seeing the leap.” In July, private sector employment gains, about 2,500 jobs, were mostly offset by loss of 2,200 government jobs. Local governments, which shed 1,600 jobs, accounted for most of the losses. Education and health services, a sector that relies heavily on federal spending, shed 1,100 jobs in the last month. The manufacturing sector lost 400 jobs in July. Leisure and hospitality, which includes hotels and restaurants, added 1,700 jobs in July. Trade, transportation, and utilities gained 1,500 jobs, information services 800, and financial activities 500. Professional, scientific, and business services, which includes a variety of technology, research, and consulting firms, gained just 100 jobs over the month. Construction employment was flat. Michael Goodman, a public policy professor at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, said he was not surprised by the weak employment report. Federal policies have cut spending, resulting in slower economic growth, he said. For now, he said, the Massachusetts’ economy is “treading water.” “The state is being buffeted by a couple of different forces,” he said. “While this [jobs report] is clearly disappointing, especially for the tens of thousands of workers in Massachusetts who are seeking employment, it’s not terribly surprising.”

Massachusetts added a meager 300 jobs in July and the unemployment rate rose to 7.2 percent, the highest level in nearly two years, state officials said Thursday. The state unemployment rate has risen in each of the past three months as the economy has deteriorated under the weight of steep federal budget cuts and slowing global economy, said Daniel Hodge, director of economic and public policy ­research at the University of Massachusetts’ Donahue Institute. The US unemployment rate averaged 7.4 percent last month. The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce also reported that the job market was much weaker in June than first thought.The state initially estimated job gains 2,800 jobs in June, but that figure was revised to a loss of 2,100 jobs

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Toil and rubble: Adrian Searle is captivated by the Berlin Biennial | Art and design | The Guardian

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I'm standing in the middle of a weed-strewn wasteland, looking for the sculpture park that's part of the Berlin Biennial. In the distance, some overdressed people are stumbling around a patch of ground that was once the "death strip" beside the Berlin Wall. Music wafts from a mound of rubble. Someone is peering intently at a birch tree. It has a label - this must be the art. Dotted about the place, various other works resemble abandoned billboards, bus shelters and shanty dwellings. A series of holes decorate one patch of earth, as if excavated with a giant ice-cream scoop. This miserable patch of churned, fallow ground in the centre of Berlin has been squabbled over by developers ever since unification; it is a place with a haunted past and a contested present. Among the broken lumps of masonry and rubbish is a shed in which a film by Lars Laumann tells the story of a Swedish woman who fell in love with the Berlin Wall and now believes they are husband and wife. In the dark, my jaw dropped. The story, I realised, is not a spoof. Eija-Riitta Berliner-Mauer really is Mrs Berlin Wall, and lives with her now retired husband, in the form of various small barbed-wire-topped models of himself, in a village in northern Sweden. She says the day the wall came down was an absolute disaster, but she loves her wall just the same. As well as her beloved husband and numerous cats, she also keeps various scale-models of guillotines for company. What turns her on is parallel lines, rectangular shapes, forms that divide (such as walls), and others that connect (such as bridges). Don't ask about the guillotines. She says she's an object-sexualist, and believes that objects have souls, feelings, desires and thoughts they share with her telepathically. Which isn't all that different from the art critic who also believes that man-made objects can talk and hold secrets they can share. Admitting you're an art lover might say more about you than you think. Elsewhere, inside Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's 1968 Neue Nationalgalerie, a group of steel sculptures painted yellow are serving as a cloakroom. The welded sheets are draped with gallery-goers' coats, bags, crash helmets and packages. Gabriel Kuri's Items in Care of Items are abstract modernist sculptures improved by life, the severe forms animated by all the things being deposited and retrieved. Hanging in the entrance, Paula Pivi's spiky decorative screen is a sort of gigantic rhinestone-encrusted portcullis, whose bling aesthetic is matched only by its title: If You Like It, Thank You. If You Don't Like It, I'm Sorry. Enjoy Anyway. We might take this as an equivalent to the phrase inscribed on the gates of hell, in Dante's Divine Comedy: Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. As it is, it's difficult to forget the ghost of Mark Wallinger's Sleeper, who spent night after night wandering this same space, pondering the conundrums of Berlin's history in a bear suit. In a small booth, a 16mm film by Paul Sietsema provides a kind of lecture, as silent images show us old coins, frayed rope, pottery shards, crackled ceramic glaze, fragments of netting. Nothing is explained; it is as if the artist is inviting us to draw comparisons between these details, in a game of show-and-tell - but where the explanations are withheld. The Neue Nationalgalerie section is the most consistent part of this biennial. It works as one large conversation piece. In the midst of it, Susan Hiller amplifies archived voices speaking in near-extinct languages, translations of which appear on a screen slung from the ceiling. It is a cinema of the unseen and the no-longer-heard. There are snatches of song and folk myth, exhortations and lamentations, last voices no one can understand speaking languages in which no new thing will ever again be said. The voices echo and mingle with all the other voices, objects, films and images in this gigantic room. The overall atmosphere is of light, transparency and sprawling drapery. After the success of the last Berlin Biennial - called Of Mice and Men, and with a curatorial team led by artist Maurizio Cattelan - I was nervous that this latest, called When Things Cast No Shadow, would disappoint. It is less spectacular; there are fewer big-name artists. It proceeds by stealth, offering possibilities rather than answers, conditions rather than a theme. What is meant by the title? If art casts no shadow, it is either dead or without substance. More likely, the curators, Adam Szymczyk and Elena Filipovic, wish us to cast our own shadows here. The result is a more generous and rewarding biennial than most. In the cellar at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art, several Belgians are staring at a small model of a black frigate. Then they stare boggle-eyed at one another and adopt strangely stiff and ludicrous postures for the camera. The one in the beard doesn't fool me. It's false. And the one in the plus-fours is a woman. Bursts of dramatic but arbitrary organ music alternate with dead silence. All this is incomprehensible, but hilarious. To reach Jos de Gruyter and Harald Thys's film, The Frigate, one has to pass through the building's main hall, on whose floor Ahmet Öğüt has deposited several tons of well-laid black Tarmac, like a wall-to-wall carpet. Soon, the work suggests, the whole of Öğüt's native Turkey will be covered with the stuff. Why stop there? The Berlin sculpture park could do with a few truckloads. The hall looks like a parking lot, an arena waiting for something to happen. People pass through without a second's thought. This is not so much art that casts no shadow, as art that is all shadow. There are other things here that eat the hours. Babette Mangolte's installation includes lovely black-and-white photos taken on a beach, film of fields and foliage, horse riders, gardens and interiors, and numerous choreographed fragmentary and inconsequential actions - the building and rebuilding of a wall of cigarette packages; a hand splayed on the back of a chair; photos of Manhattan shuffled on a table. I ask myself why all this apparently inconsequential material is so compelling. It is a matter of pace, cutting, focus, concentration and a sort of reserve. Nearby, Michael Auder films himself smoking his last ever bag of heroin. He chases the dragon and drums his fingers on the table. Tomorrow, rehab. Auder's videos are shown in a red-lined, womb-like cabin. Maybe smack gives you a sense of safety, too. Auder undercuts this with his expert and rapid montages of war, death, eyes, mouths, ruins, guns and skulls. This is hardly the poet's laudanum reverie. An exhilarating film-maker, Auder doesn't flinch. This somewhat voyeuristic theme - of the world consumed, the eye always hungry for one more image, whatever it might be - is continued in Kohei Yoshiyuki's famous 1970s black and white photographs of nightlife in a Tokyo park. The camera seeks out people cruising among the trees, couples having sex, voyeurs creeping up on them. We're there too, dogging the artist's camera. And, here in the gallery, we all watch each other looking, in an endless chain of hungry eyes. But my favourite work is a film by Belgian Manon de Boer. Her camera records a live performance in Brussels of John Cage's silent work for piano, 4'33". The pianist sits and sets the timer. He sits and sits. Behind him, condensation fogs the window. We hear the ambient sound of distant traffic sizzle by on a wet road. After four minutes and 33 seconds, the audience clap. As Cage's piece is performed a second time, the camera circles the room and we see the attentive audience. There is complete silence. You can almost feel the pressure in your ears. The camera wanders over to the window. Outside a winter gale is thrashing the bare trees, unheard. Silence, perhaps, casts its own shadows. And if you can marry walls that aren't there, who knows where the real darkness lies. · When Things Cast No Shadow runs until June 15. Details: berlinbiennial.de

A wasteland sculpture park, boggle-eyed Belgians and a woman who married a wall ... Adrian Searle is captivated by the Berlin Biennial

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http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/08/17/mayoral-candidates-development-issues/pAR9FHf2tby0dUXucw45iP/story.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20130927015250id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com:80/business/2013/08/17/mayoral-candidates-development-issues/pAR9FHf2tby0dUXucw45iP/story.html

Mayoral candidates on development issues

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The candidates to become Boston’s next mayor want to transform the physical city. In daily campaign forums, they promise to spur development in outlying neighborhoods, build low- and middle-income housing, reform the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and make bicycling safer and public transit more accessible. But the candidates differ dramatically in how to accomplish those goals. Some want to dismantle the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the city’s development agency, while others want to keep it intact. On housing, some candidates would use tax incentives to spur construction of lower-priced units; others want to mandate that developers designate a larger percentage of projects to affordable housing or encourage construction of micro-sized units. These and other sharp contrasts emerged in responses to a series of Globe questions on economic development, housing, building heights, and parking requirements. Here’s a breakdown of the candidates’ positions as they seek to become Boston’s first new leader in a generation. David James Wyatt wasn’t able to be reached for comment. How tall should Boston’s skyline get? The next mayor will take office as developers pursue skyscrapers that would reshape the skyline from the Fenway to Downtown Crossing to the South Boston Innovation District. Developer Thomas N. O’Brien is proposing a massive cluster of buildings to replace the Government Center Garage, while Carpenter & Co. wants to build a residential and hotel tower of up 700 feet high near the signature Christian Science Plaza. Dan Conley, the Suffolk district attorney, said the city should encourage dense development in areas where new stores and housing could bring more activity to commercial districts and neighborhoods. “Density can add immeasurably to the vibrancy of a city,” he said, adding that Boston could encourage housing with smaller units, or micro housing, to accommodate its surging population. “The city of Paris, for example, is roughly the same physical size as Boston but has three times our population.” City Councilor Michael Ross cited the redevelopment of the Fenway neighborhood as a good example of how tall buildings can help revitalize a time-worn corner of the city. Several new buildings on Boylston Street have replaced gas stations and sub shops with modern homes and restaurants. “Because we planned first and the community articulated what its vision was, the process of developing Boylston Street was faster and easier,” said Ross, whose district includes the Fenway. “We can and should do that in every neighborhood in the city, which will lead to increased height and density where it makes sense.” John Barros, executive director of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, said the city should be more aggressive in requiring developers to meet key conditions, such as creating affordable housing, if they want to build taller. “I support dense, high-rise development next to transportation nodes when the required 15 percent affordable units are produced,” Barros said. He added that mitigation money from developers should be devoted to neighborhoods surrounding new developments and more contracts should go to minority- and women-owned enterprises. Change at the Boston Redevelopment Authority? Several candidates said they have repeatedly fielded campaign trail complaints about the BRA, with residents and developers saying that the review of building proposals is unpredictable and too easily swayed by politics. The changes proposed by the candidates vary widely. Many want to dismantle or abolish the BRA, while others say it should be kept intact, but reformed to make decision-making more transparent. Charlotte Golar Richie, a former director of Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s Department of Neighborhood Development, said she is in the latter camp. She praised the BRA’s work to spur construction of new homes and stores downtown. “Now I want to leverage that experience and bring transformational projects to our underserved neighborhoods,” she said, adding that she intends to streamline the permitting process. State Representative Marty Walsh wants to get rid of the BRA. He proposed folding its responsibilities into a larger economic development agency whose director would be more insulated from politics. “Individual citizens and developers will find a process that is more open, less arbitrary, and far easier to navigate,” Walsh said. Charles Clemons Jr., a local radio host, suggested more regular financial audits of the authority and giving greater oversight to the City Council through the creation of a community review board. City Councilor John Connolly raised concerns that developers have too much influence over the permitting process. “We need a process where the community has real input, where we drive development from a plan, not the other way around,” he said. The BRA’s leaders defend its performance, noting that $5.6 billion worth of projects are underway, revitalizing districts from Dudley Square to the East Boston waterfront. In the last two years, construction investment in Boston has increased by 74 percent, and more than 5,000 homes are now under construction, according to the BRA. How can the city make housing affordable? Despite a residential building boom, Boston’s housing costs remain among the highest in the country. And with land costs increasing, it is becoming even more difficult to finance construction of homes that low- and middle-income workers can afford. Bill Walczak, a former health care executive, said Boston can moderate prices by building more homes. He said the city must work closely with neighboring communities to boost production of a variety of housing types. “It is absolutely necessary today to follow our region’s rapid transit lines and work to build new housing near transit stations — regardless of the existing political boundaries,” he said. City Councilor Felix Arroyo said he would offer incentives for developers to build affordable housing, noting that pressure on the rental market is particularly severe. Boston’s average rents are about $1,850 per month, ranking among the highest in the country, behind San Francisco and the New York metropolitan area. “It is necessary to take a broad approach that increases the supply of affordable rental housing, promotes opportunities for home ownership as well as providing supportive housing for the homeless,” Arroyo said. City Councilor Rob Consalvo pledged to work with local companies to provide low-interest loans to fund housing construction and pursue other employer-assisted models. Conley said he would consider construction of micro-units to house young professionals, while also offering financial incentives to help middle-class families renovate old or dilapidated homes. Menino has launched a plan to build 30,000 new homes in the city by 2020. During his tenure, he also established requirements that developers offer 15 percent of their units at below-market prices. Charles Yancey, another city councilor, said the percentage should be increased to as much as 33 percent. “Too many people are being priced out of the housing market in Boston,” he said, adding that the city must prevent publicly subsidized units from being redeveloped into pricier homes. Should Boston build more parking, or less? Under Menino, officials are discouraging construction of new parking spaces with development projects, citing the need to reduce reliance on automobiles and devote more land to housing and open spaces. In many densely packed neighborhoods, that is proving controversial among residents who wage daily battles to find precious street spaces. Many candidates said they support weaning Boston off the automobile, but offered different solutions for achieving that goal. Connolly said he would push for longer service hours at the MBTA, building safer bike lanes, and expanding the Hubway bike-sharing system to more neighborhoods. He also noted that requiring less parking cuts construction costs for developers and makes it easier to build lower-cost housing. “This is not one-size-fits all,” he added. “In certain neighborhoods there is a real parking crisis that we must work to alleviate.” Walsh said he would seek to tailor policies to individual neighborhoods by conducting something of a parking census, and trying to strike a delicate balance between supply and demand. In the last five years, transportation preferences have changed rapidly, with number of registered vehicles in Boston dropping by 14 percent, even as the city’s population has swelled by tens of thousands of people. Even with such evidence, many candidates are urging caution, especially given an aging and inconsistent public transit system. “We cannot talk about reducing parking until we ensure that everyone has equitable and safe access to other forms of transportation. Arroyo said. “Our focus should be on funding long-term investments in Boston’s infrastructure in a progressive way.”

The candidates to become Boston’s next mayor want to transform the physical city. In daily campaign forums, they promise to spur development in outlying neighborhoods, build low- and middle-income housing, reform the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and make bicycling safer and public transit more accessible. But the candidates differ in how to accomplish those goals. Some want to dismantle the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the city’s development agency, while others want to keep it intact. On housing, some candidates would use tax incentives to spur construction of lower-priced units; others want to mandate that developers designate a larger percentage of projects to affordable housing or encourage construction of micro-sized units. These contrasts emerged in responses to Globe questions on economic development, housing, building heights, and parking requirements.

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http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/sep/22/lisbon-architecture-triennale-rowan-moore

http://web.archive.org/web/20130927042716id_/http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/sep/22/lisbon-architecture-triennale-rowan-moore

Lisbon Architecture Triennale - review

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Redefining space: The Nation Room – Embassy of No Land by Paulo Moreira and Kiluanji Kia Henda, part of The Real and Other Fictions exhibition. I'm standing in the shadow of an equestrian statue in a Lisbon square, as part of a small crowd, listening to eager young architects explain their projects through megaphones. We're not meant to be here, as a special stage has been constructed nearby for this and other events. But the sun is hot, the stage has no shade and the pompous statue casts a big shadow. It is a perfect demonstration of architects' tendency to insert construction in the wrong places. The square makes a good enough stage unassisted, but a structure to keep off the sun would have made a real difference. Which is ironic, as a major theme of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale, entitled Close, Closer, is that architecture is not just about designing buildings. Under its British chief curator, Beatrice Galilee, Close, Closer is a series of events and exhibitions dedicated to the ideas and proposals of young, mostly European architects. They share a powerful scepticism about the creation of large structures and monuments, as tending to be associated with the more or less corrupt concentrations of power and wealth that have done so much damage over the past decade. Which scepticism coincides with the fact that there are now precious few large structures for young architects to design. Rather than designing buildings, the theory goes, architects can be strategic and tactical. They can map and observe and form networks that might eventually enhance people's enjoyment of their cities. So the triennale includes a programme called Crisis Busters, where architects were invited to spend very small grants on clever ways to address the economic crisis, which in Portugal is acute. Thousands of traditional family restaurants, for example, are threatened with closure by a drastic hike in taxes. So one Crisis Buster grant is being spent on a guide to some of the more endangered ones, such that increased business might help keep them going. If it works, this is indeed a smart way of supporting city life without building anything. It is justified to mistrust the urge to bring in diggers and cranes whenever possible and the idea of thinking more widely about the usefulness of architecture is attractive. But it requires a seriousness of intent, a realism as to how such thinking might take effect, without which strategising becomes ornamental, and the architects in question might as well be designing replicas of Louis Quinze chaise longues. In the triennale, there is a proposal that architects should work with lawyers to redesign legal systems. Well no, they shouldn't and they shouldn't help brain surgeons, either. There is also a display announcing the great importance of the various agencies that now ferment architectural ideas, something that needs to be demonstrated rather than stated, and news of which doesn't seem to have reached the passers-by in the street outside. Much of the triennale is a valiant attempt to realise good intentions within budget limitations made tougher by the crisis, without really succeeding. It is also hampered by the fact that the aversion to building things means that it is hard to know what to look at. An exhibition called Future Perfect, a series of science-fiction cliches about cities of tomorrow, doesn't improve matters. The Real and Other Fictions, by the London-based Portuguese architect Mariana Pestana, however, does. Here a decayed 18th-century palace has been populated by installations inspired by the building's varied history – as an embassy, an institute of landscape architecture, a Madeiran cultural centre. They include a machine whereby you lie on a sofa and find yourself put in intimate proximity with a stranger on another sofa, a sinister quasi-embassy, and a mind-torturing card game by the artist Carsten Höller. The intention is not only to create a series of engaging and provocative rooms, which they are, but also to create an unofficial temporary town hall, where debates and dinners can be held. The point that Pestana gets is that, in the end, architects' main skill is in designing things, in ordering materials and spaces to given purposes and ideas. A wider awareness is highly desirable, but in the end what matters is the way these two things – designing things and social intelligence – come together.

A series of sceptical exhibitions in Lisbon questions the purpose of architecture, writes Rowan Moore

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http://web.archive.org/web/20130928030614id_/http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/mar/01/titian-95m-pair-national-gallery

Second part of £95m Titian pair bought for Britain

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Titian's Diana and Callisto goes on show at the National Gallery in London. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Titian's masterpiece Diana and Callisto has been secured for Britain after the National Gallery stumped up £25m from its reserves and the painting's owner dropped the asking price by £5m, it has been announced in London. It now joins its pair, Diana and Actaeon, in the shared ownership of the National Gallery and the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) without any need for a big public fundraising campaign – something the galleries thought would be a challenge too far in the economic circumstances. The news was announced in London. The National Gallery's director, Nicholas Penny, said the two Titians had long been regarded as pre-eminent among masterpieces in private hands in the UK. "We have been able to secure both of them for the public, in a period of economic hardship, because of the esteem and affection that both institutions have enjoyed for many decades," he said. "It is a triumph for us, but also for our predecessors, made possible by today's supporters, but also by benefactors who have long departed." The two paintings were offered to the nation in 2008 by their owner, the Duke of Sutherland. The asking price was £100m – an enormous sum but by most estimates perhaps half of their market value. The first painting was secured in 2009, with the biggest sum, £17.1m, coming from the Scottish government and NGS purchase funds. The race then began to raise the next £50m with a deadline of December 2012. On Thursday it was announced that £45m had been raised and the Duke of Sutherland had reduced the asking price by £5m. A total of £25m came from the National Gallery reserves, mainly money left in wills to the gallery. Then £3m came from the Heritage Lottery Fund, £2m from the Art Fund and £15m from various donations and grants, some from individual donors and some from trusts including the Monument Trust and the Rothschild Foundation. The acquisition also secures the continuation in Edinburgh of the Bridgewater loan from the duke, an incredible collection of works by artists including Raphael, Rembrandt and Poussin. John Leighton, director general of the NGS, said that loan allowed the gallery to maintain its "triple A status" in the realm of major public galleries. "We are delighted that the purchase of Callisto will now keep that loan intact and allow the public to continue to enjoy some of the greatest achievements of western European art." Diana and Callisto went on display in Room 1 of the National Gallery on Thursday. It will remain in London for 18 months and be joined by Diana and Actaeon in July. It will then go to Scotland for 12 months. After that the pair will be shown in London for three years and Scotland for two before settling into a display cycle of six in London, four in Scotland. The 60:40 share reflects the fact that the National Gallery put in more money.

Diana and Callisto goes on show in National Gallery, to be joined by Diana and Actaeon in July, after £45m raised

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http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/Game-review-4874504.php

http://web.archive.org/web/20131011012630id_/http://www.sfgate.com:80/49ers/article/Game-review-4874504.php

Game review - SFGate

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Hmmm. Six completions? No catches by a wide receiver besides Anquan Boldin? There are still some serious wrinkles in the passing game, but it hardly mattered. For the second straight week, Frank Gore (81 yards) and the running game (177 yards) did the heavy lifting. Pick-prone QB Matt Schaub against this unit wasn't a fair fight. The 49ers entered tied for 27th in the NFL in turnover margin (-4), but were +4 against Houston and turned their miscues into 24 points. CB Tramaine Brock set the tone with his pick-six on the third play of the game. LB Michael Wilhoite did a fair impression of sidelined Patrick Willis with 11 tackles, including three for a loss. C.J. Spillman set the tone for this group by forcefully dropping Houston's Keshawn Martin at the 16-yard line on the opening kickoff. Spillman combined with Nate Stupar on another kickoff stop, which forced the Texans to start another drive at their 9. Kyle Williams averaged 14 yards on two punt returns and Andy Lee averaged 48.8 yards on four punts. The Texans started their average drive at their 21-yard line. The 49ers were well-prepared for the Texans' offense, which features few deep passes. With Schaub unable to beat them with the long ball - Houston didn't have a completion longer than 19 yards - the 49ers often dropped an extra defender into the box. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman had a nice mix of calls on the first TD drive. The Texans are reeling, but this was still a 31-point win over a perennial AFC power that went 12-4 in 2012. The passing-game issues need to be resolved, but the running game and defense have rounded back into form following that ugly two-game skid.

The 49ers entered tied for 27th in the NFL in turnover margin (-4), but were +4 against Houston and turned their miscues into 24 points. C.J. Spillman set the tone for this group by forcefully dropping Houston's Keshawn Martin at the 16-yard line on the opening kickoff. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman had a nice mix of calls on the first TD drive. The passing-game issues need to be resolved, but the running game and defense have rounded back into form following that ugly two-game skid.

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http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20131017-ferrari-on-ice

http://web.archive.org/web/20131019035815id_/http://www.bbc.com:80/autos/story/20131017-ferrari-on-ice

At the Winter Olympics, Ferrari hits a different track

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Ferrari is not an automaker that is traditionally known for its mastery of ice. Until now. Amid preparations for the launch of the 950-horsepower LaFerrari hybrid supercar, the Italian automaker has found the time to design and construct a lightweight, highly aerodynamic bobsled for the Italian team. The carbon-fibre-bodied two-man sled, seen here testing on 15 October at the French Alpine resort of La Plagne, piloted by Lukas Gschnitzer (front) and Giorgio Berdini (back), is set to debut on the ice track in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The company has been developing the sled in collaboration with the Italian National Olympic Committee, since 2010, and the design helped the team of Patrick Baumgartner and Alessandro Grande win the gold medal at the Innsbruck 2012 Youth Olympic Games. Ferrari follows the lead of BMW, which has designed a sled for the 2014 US Olympic bobsled team that is similarly cutting-edge, but much less red. No surprise, Ferrari is mum on the cost of its bullet-shaped sled. Ferrari builds a bobsled. (JEAN-PIERRE CLATOT/AFP/Getty Images)

The automaker has designed and built a cutting-edge ride for the Italian bobsled team.

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http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/oct/25/photography-competition-discovered-win-guardian-masterclass

http://web.archive.org/web/20131026103206id_/http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/oct/25/photography-competition-discovered-win-guardian-masterclass

Photography competition: show us something you've discovered

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What have you discovered lately? A hidden curiosity in your neighbourhood? A new recipe? A long-forgotten object? Or a new friend? Show us a photo you've taken that perfectly captures something you've discovered recently. From people to places – to things you’ve seen, touched, learned or felt. The person who submits the best photo will win a Guardian photography Masterclass of their choice. Whether this is the first time you've picked up a camera or you're ready to tackle the challenges of professional level photography, we have classes to match all abilities and interests. The photos will be independently judged by award-winning photojournalist and Masterclass tutor, Antonio Olmos, whose work focuses on issues surrounding human rights, the environment and conflict. Antonio is also an editorial and portrait photographer whose images have appeared in all the UK broadsheet weekend magazines, including the Observer Magazine. Antonio will select a winning image that he finds most interesting, well composed, artistic and original – and which evokes the best interpretation of the theme. You might like to add a description to your image to let us know more about the picture, how you took it, or what it means to you – but it's the photo itself we'll be judging. To take part, click on the blue 'contribute' button above or download the free GuardianWitness app for your smartphone. Closes 15 November 2013 at 2pm GMT 1. The Guardian Photography Masterclass competition (the “Competition”) is open to UK residents aged 18 and over subject to paragraph 2 below. 2. Employees and employees of agencies of Guardian News & Media Limited ("GNM") or its group companies, or their family members, freelance contributors to GNM, or anyone else connected with the Competition, may not enter the Competition. 3. By entering the Competition you are accepting these Terms and Conditions. Any entry or entrant which does not comply with these Terms and Conditions may be disqualified. 4. To enter the Competition, you must sign in to GuardianWitness (on desktop, Android or iPhone app) using your Guardian, Facebook or Twitter account and submit a photograph which relates to the theme “discover” (“Photo”), and which meets the requirements in section 12 below. In submitting your entry, you must follow the instructions on GuardianWitness (including as to file format and size). Your photograph can be taken in a style of your choosing. The maximum file size is 20MB on desktop and we can receive .jpg, .png and .gif files. 5. If you have any questions about how to enter or in connection with the Competition, please e-mail us at peter.langdon@theguardian.com with “GuardianWitness” in the subject line. 6. You are responsible for the cost (if any) of sending your Competition entry to us. You must not endanger yourself or others, or take any unnecessary risks, in order to produce or make any Photo to be submitted to this Competition. 7. Only one entry, and one Photo, is permitted per person. The winner shall be the owner of the Guardian, Facebook or Twitter account from which the selected winning entry is sent. Entries on behalf of another person will not be accepted and joint submissions are not allowed. No purchase is necessary to enter. 8. The image must not have been published previously in any other publication or website. 9. The competition opens at 16:00 on 25 October 2013 and closes at 14:00 on 15 November 2013. Entries received after that date and time will not be considered. 10. Entries may be featured on an online gallery on witness.theguardian.com, and on the Guardian Masterclass Twitter page. 11. By submitting an entry to the Competition, you grant GNM: a. a non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual licence (with a right to sub-licence) to use, republish, reproduce, edit and/or modify your Photo without restriction in any and all media (including in electronic format and hard copy), for purposes connected with the Competition (including the promotion of the Competition and to report on the Competition both now and in the future) and as otherwise described in these Terms and Conditions, including a licence for publication of the Photo on GNM websites including but not limited to witness.theguardian.com and theguardian.com (“GNM Websites”) and on any social media account controlled by GNM, including but not limited to Facebook and Twitter accounts (“GNM Social Media Accounts”), and in GNM hard copy publications; and b. the right to use your name and town or city of residence for the sole purpose of identifying you as the author of your entry and/or as a winner of the Competition. 12. You also hereby waive all your moral rights in your Photo. Notwithstanding the afore-going waiver, in order to use Photos as intended and advised in these Terms and Conditions, (i) GNM may need to modify Photos, including but not limited to resizing, cropping or colour adjustment as necessary, provided that GNM shall endeavour in undertaking such modifications to maintain the integrity of your Photo as originally created; and (ii) GNM shall use its best endeavours to provide a picture credit for all Photos. 13. You own the copyright to your Photo as its author. Your Photo must: a. be your own work, must not be copied, must not contain any third-party materials or public domain materials (including third party works of art, and third party brands or trade marks) or any other content that you do not have permission to use; and b. not be obscene, defamatory, offensive, inappropriate, or in breach of any applicable legislation or regulations. If GNM has reason to believe your entry is not your own work or otherwise breaches these Terms and Conditions, then GNM may not consider it. You accept that You will be liable for any claims, losses, fines, penalties, costs or damages suffered or incurred by You or GNM as a result of Your breach of this clause. 14. If your Photo contains an image of another person, you must have that person’s consent to enter the Photo in the Competition. Where an individual whose image is featured in a Photo is aged less than 18 years the entrant confirms that the parent or guardian of that individual has given the relevant consent. On request of GNM and by any stipulated deadline, you must provide a written signed personal release (in any form requested by GNM) from the person featured in the Photo (or their parent or guardian) granting GNM permission to use the Photo without restriction in any and all media (including in electronic format and hard copy), for purposes connected with the Competition (including the promotion of the Competition and to report on the Competition both now and in the future) and as otherwise described in these Terms and Conditions. 15. An independent judge, photographer Antonio Zazueta Olmos, will choose one winning entry from all the valid Competition entries received in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. 16. When choosing the winner, the judge will be looking for the most interesting, well composed, artistic and original Photo that evokes the best interpretation of the theme. 17. The judge’s selection of the winner will be made on or before 22 November 2013. The prize is awarded at GNM’s discretion. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 18. The winner will win a place at a GNM photography Masterclass (the “Prize”). The winner may choose which course he or she attends out of the list of one and two day courses contained at http://www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses/photography-courses, subject to availability of places in that particular course, and the Prize must be taken by 30 April 2014. The Prize does not include anything other than the course and any advertised inclusions applicable to that course, and in particular, the winner will need to arrange and pay for their own travel, accommodation and incidental costs as necessary to attend the course. 19. The terms and conditions of attendance at the course, found at http://www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses/terms-and-conditions?intcmp=239&guni=Article:in%20body%20link (“the Masterclass Terms”), shall apply to the winner’s participation in the course, except that the winner will not be required to undergo any separate application process or pay the fees. 20. The winner will be notified by GNM by telephone or email on or before 29 November 2013 and will be given details of how to claim the Prize. If the winner does not respond to GNM to claim the Prize within 14 days of being notified by GNM, rejects the Prize, or the entry is disqualified, fraudulent or deemed invalid, then the Prize will be forfeited by that winner and the Judge shall be entitled to select another winner based on the criteria described above (and that winner will have to respond within 14 days or else they will also forfeit the Prize). 21. Details of the winner and their Photo will be published in a Masterclass newsletter. Details of the winners can also be obtained by sending a stamped addressed envelope to the following address: Masterclasses, Guardian News & Media Limited, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. 22. Details of how to book a course and obtain the Prize will be confirmed to the winner by GNM within 7 days of the winner being notified that he/she has won. GNM will not be liable if the Prize fails to reach You, if You cannot accept it for reasons beyond GNM’s control, or if GNM is unable to contact You, including due to Your provision of inaccurate or incomplete information. 23. The Prize cannot be exchanged or (notwithstanding clause 4.3 of the Masterclass Terms) transferred by you and cannot be redeemed by you for cash or any other prize. You must pay all other costs associated with the prize and not specifically included in the prize. 24. We retain the right to substitute the Prizes with another prize of similar value in the event that the original Prize offered is not available. 25. We take no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed, misdirected or incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason. Proof of delivery of the entry is not proof of receipt. 26. By submitting your Photo and entering this Competition, you consent to the use of your personal data by GNM as set out in these terms and conditions and GNM’s privacy policy located at www.guardian.co.uk. GNM will not pass your details to any third party not referred to in these terms and conditions and/or the privacy policy located at www.guardian.co.uk. 27. Entrants’ details will be used by GNM for the purposes of administering the competition. Entrants’ details will also be used for marketing purposes if you have indicated that you want to receive marketing materials (such as email newsletters) from GNM. GNM may pass entrants’ details to third parties where the third party is acting on GNM’s behalf for the purposes of administering this competition and/or any subsequent publicity, and/or for the purposes of sending you GNM’s marketing materials (provided you have indicated that you want to receive any such marketing materials); and/or as otherwise required by law. 28. Entrants may be required to take part in promotional activity relating to the Competition. By entering the Competition, you agree to the use of your name, voice, image and likeness by GNM for such purposes, and in advertising and promotional material, in any media, without further compensation. 29. The Promoter of the Competition is Guardian News & Media Limited whose address is Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Any complaints regarding the Competition should be sent to this address. 30. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall exclude the liability of GNM for death, personal injury, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation as a result of its negligence. 31. GNM accepts no responsibility for any damage, loss, liabilities, injury or disappointment incurred or suffered by you as a result of entering the Competition or accepting any prize. GNM further disclaims liability for any injury or damage to you or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participation in or downloading any materials in connection with the Competition. 32. GNM reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, this Competition with or without prior notice due to reasons outside its control (including, without limitation, in the case of anticipated, suspected or actual fraud), including where it has not received a sufficient number of entries of suitable quality to allow for selection of an appropriate winner. The decision of GNM in all matters under its control is final and binding. 33. GNM shall not be liable for any failure to comply with its obligations where the failure is caused by s33. omething outside its reasonable control. Such circumstances shall include, but not be limited to, weather conditions, fire, flood, hurricane, strike, industrial dispute, war, hostilities, political unrest, riots, civil commotion, inevitable accidents, supervening legislation or any other circumstances amounting to force majeure. 34. If any court or competent authority finds that any provision of these terms and conditions (or part of any provision) is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that provision or part-provision shall, to the extent required, be deemed to be deleted, and the validity and enforceability of the other provisions of these terms and conditions shall not be affected. 35. The Competition will be governed by English law and any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

Show us a photo that perfectly captures something you've discovered recently – and you could win a Guardian photography Masterclass

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http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/articleGallery/Goodell-Smith-s-rehab-may-affect-NFL-discipline-4929466/photo-5300511.php

http://web.archive.org/web/20131027233951id_/http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/articleGallery/Goodell-Smith-s-rehab-may-affect-NFL-discipline-4929466/photo-5300511.php

1 - SFGate

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FILE - In this Aug. 25, 2013, file photo, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith stands on the sideline during an NFL preseason football game against the Minnesota Vikings in San Francisco. Smith has been charged with three felony counts of illegal possession of an assault weapon, stemming from a party at his home in June 2012. The 49ers issued a statement Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013, saying, "We recognize the serious nature of this situation, as does Aldon." (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

LONDON - Aldon Smith's stay in a treatment facility to address a substance-abuse problem will factor into any discipline the 49ers' outside linebacker may face from the NFL, Commissioner Roger Goodell said Saturday. After his second DUI arrest Sept. 20, Smith became subject to discipline from the league under its personal conduct policy. Goodell indicated he's in favor of players sitting out after DUI arrests, but the NFL Players Association is opposed.

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http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/movies/2013/10/26/daniel-radcliffe-plays-allen-ginsberg-darlings/mtrdubtAOqQA4XLGlmTwNP/story.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20131028030155id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com:80/arts/movies/2013/10/26/daniel-radcliffe-plays-allen-ginsberg-darlings/mtrdubtAOqQA4XLGlmTwNP/story.html

Daniel Radcliffe plays Allen Ginsberg in ‘Darlings’

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Willie Davis for The New York Times From left: Director John Krokidas, Radcliffe, and Dane DeHaan on the set. TORONTO — Legend has it that Lowell’s own Jack Kerouac coined the term “Beat Generation,” the ferociously literary members of which — Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and Kerouac among them — called New York City home. These poets and novelists became as legendary as the movement itself — larger than life, brimming with creativity, sparking controversy, responsible for helping to bring about a cultural revolution. Plenty has been written about them, especially about the work they were doing in their collective heyday. Everyone has at least heard of Ginsberg’s “Howl,” Kerouac’s “On the Road,” and Burroughs’s “Naked Lunch.” But little has been noted about who they were and what they did before they were the Beats. “Kill Your Darlings,” the first feature film directed and co-written (with Austin Bunn) by Springfield native John Krokidas, remedies that oversight. It’s partially the story of the meeting of those minds when they were attending Columbia University in the early 1940s; it’s also the revelation of a long-covered-up murder mystery whose players included Ginsberg, Kerouac, Burroughs, another student, named Lucien Carr, the catalyst who brought the three young men together, and an older man, David Kammerer, who was infatuated with Carr. But the film focuses on the relationship between the innocent Ginsberg (Daniel Radcliffe) and the manipulative Carr (Dane DeHaan). Krokidas, whose stepfather is screenwriter Jeremy Leven, and Radcliffe (those Harry Potter films) recently spoke about the film at the Toronto International Film Festival. DeHaan (“Chronicle,” the TV show “In Treatment”) was interviewed by phone from New York. Radcliffe was attracted to the script because he’d never heard of the events it described. “That was one of the things that fascinated me,” he said. “I thought, ‘How could it be about these guys, three of the most famous literary figures of the last century, and nobody knows the story?’ It’s because it was suppressed.” The project began when Krokidas’s friend Bunn considered writing a play about the murder. When they decided, about 10 years ago, to co-write a screenplay instead, they began an extensive period of research, reading every biography they could find about their subjects. “We thought we had to start creating and writing characters that would become the legends,” said Krokidas. “The danger is that you’re just doing mimicry of who they would become later in life rather than just representing the awkward 17-year-olds, 19-year-olds, 24-year-olds they are in this movie. So I said, ‘No, we are going to research their childhood, their adolescence, and this year-and-a-half in which the movie takes place, because this is not a movie where we are portraying Allen Ginsberg. He is an awkward Jewish kid from a working-class family in New Jersey who gets into Columbia University, goes to New York, and meets this guy named Lucien Carr who says, “I see the potential of a great writer in you.” That’s the story we’re writing, and those are the characters we’re writing about.’ ” Financing came and went, as did some of Krokidas’s actor choices. But Radcliffe, who had been trying to move on from his Harry Potter image by working on Broadway in “Equus” and later “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” was on his radar quite early. “I had the idea to cast Daniel as Allen because I was thinking, ‘Allen in the movie is somebody who goes from a dutiful son who’s only shown the world one side of himself, to being a rebel, being a poet, and showing the world that he has so much more inside of him than they ever knew.’ And I thought, ‘Maybe Daniel Radcliffe, the person, might be able to identify with this.’ ” Radcliffe was offered the role and took it. But he had to bow out due to his two remaining Potter commitments. The part then went to Jesse Eisenberg, who changed his mind after playing an iconic college student in “The Social Network,” and the role reverted to a freed-up Radcliffe. Then Krokidas turned to casting Lucien Carr. “My boyfriend was a huge fan of ‘In Treatment,’ and said from the very beginning, ‘Oh, you’re gonna cast Dane DeHaan in this role’,” said Krokidas. “But I had to discover things for myself. I picked the top young actors I really admired, including Dane, and we did old-fashioned Hollywood chemistry reads. I had them work together, and Dane was seducing Dan, intimidating him, charming him. There were sparks in the room.” So Radcliffe was set to play Ginsberg, whom he would eventually portray as a wide-eyed, quietly excited young man, amazed at the new world opening up around him at Columbia, and DeHaan tackled the role of Carr — who went on to a career as a news editor at United Press — as a gleefully charismatic fellow who pumped himself up with self-assurance. But neither actor knew much about the person he was playing. “I knew nothing about Ginsberg’s life,” said Radcliffe. “I only knew about his poetry and sort of what he and Burroughs and Kerouac and [Neal] Cassady stood for in the pantheon of American literature. I didn’t understand the poetry. I still don’t understand all of the poetry.” DeHaan hadn’t even heard of Carr. “He was a completely new piece of this puzzle for me,” DeHaan said. But both Radcliffe and DeHaan believed that because they were portraying real people, they wanted to be faithful to them. “I had them work together, and Dane was seducing Dan, intimidating him, charming him,” said Krokidas on DeHaan’s initial reading with Radcliffe. “I think my job was easier than Dane’s because I had a huge amount of information about Allen,” said Radcliffe. “And Allen, though he did go pretty bloody mad as he got older, he was a very likable guy, a compassionate and curious person, someone who was quite fun to be around. It helps to like the person you’re playing, yet you don’t have to. The other responsibility you have in playing a real person is not to eulogize them unnecessarily. I want to play the real person. I don’t want to play the idealized version of the real person. Allen was, for all his good points, easily manipulated and kind of emotionally needy. He’s kind of an insecure, neurotic guy, and he’s easily led and corrupted. It’s questionable behavior. None of it’s bad, there’s nothing he does that you can really judge, but he’s not a perfect human being.” DeHaan readily admitted that it was more difficult pinning down Carr because there’s not much information about him. “With Lucien it was complicated because he spent most of his life, after this story, almost running away from the story,” he said. “I think that Lucien, the actual person, would have had very specific ways he’d want this story to be told, if he even wanted it to be told. So I think my allegiance to the actual person is just to do my best to honor who he was, and try to truly, accurately portray who this person was at this point in their life.” “The first time I met Dane was at his audition,” said Radcliffe. “He came in and he was the first person we saw that day. We did the scene once, and when I acted with him it was like I was pinned against the wall. He’s a force, he’s fantastic.” “I didn’t know what to expect going into the room,” remembered DeHaan. “But I had the scenes prepared, and everything seemed to be going pretty well. Then John turned to me and said, ‘So, what are you doing next January or February?’ And I said, ‘Well, you tell me, man.’ [laughs] I think he appreciated the audacity of that comment. He sometimes likes to say that’s why I got the part, although I’d like to think I got the part because I also gave a good audition.”

TORONTO — Legend has it that Lowell’s own Jack Kerouac coined the term “Beat Generation,” the ferociously literary members of which — Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and Kerouac among them – called New York City home. These poets and novelists became as legendary as the movement, itself – larger than life, brimming with creativity, sparking controversy, responsible for helping to bring about a cultural revolution. Plenty has been written about them, especially about the work they were doing in their collective heyday. Everyone has at least heard of Ginsberg’s “Howl,” Kerouac’s “On the Road,” and Burroughs’ “Naked Lunch.” But little has been noted about who they were and what they did before they were the Beats. “Kill Your Darlings” remedies that oversight.

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http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2007/jul/08/art

http://web.archive.org/web/20131031060704id_/http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2007/jul/08/art

The interview: Stella Vine

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When Modern Art Oxford announced that it was planning a major show of Stella Vine there were quite a few shudders in the art world and I heard someone mutter 'they'll be doing Jack Vettriano next.' Is Stella Vine really that bad? From 17 July we'll be able to judge for ourselves. the gallery is mounting by far her biggest show to date, consisting of over 100 works - almost her entire oeuvre - including about 25 new ones, with a catalogue essay by Germaine Greer, i.e. all the panoply of a serious museum exhibition for an artist whom many in the art world still regard as a talentless imposter. Ever since Saatchi discovered Vine just three years ago she has been more or less ignored by art critics while being keenly sought by collectors - and also by younger fans who might not know her paintings but are currently snapping up her T-shirts in Top Shop. I've always loved her work because I love her colours but her crime in many people's eyes is that she paints celebrities, and not just Princess Diana but Z-listers like Chantelle and Preston. The best known fact about Stella Vine is that she used to be a stripper but you would never guess it to meet her: she has a soft, pink, sweet, round face that makes you think of milkmaids and mop caps. Old photos reveal her to have been a real beauty a few years ago but since then she has gained weight and cropped her hair, as if to declare that she has no further interest in being pretty. She certainly doesn't want to be recognised and has an odd ability to make herself invisible: twice I was supposed to meet her in the street and both times failed to spot her, even when she was standing in front of me. I had to meet her in the street because she said I wouldn't be able to find her studio and she was right: it is in a warren of warehouses and workshops in a derelict corner of London's Clerkenwell. The door is heavily barred and locked - a necessary precaution, she explains apologetically, because her paintings are 'quite valuable these days' (they sell for anything from £6,000 to £20,000) and she is not insured. The studio is painfully small with only one office chair to sit on - canvases take up all the wall space and the floor is densely cluttered with tins of paint. There is a bed in the corner but she says she no longer sleeps there 'because of the rats' so she has moved into a hostel. 'A hostel!' I squawk like Lady Bracknell, but she says it suits her down to the ground because 'it's wonderfully anonymous, safe, friendly, and there's the excitement that all the other people are travelling so they're optimistic. There are five bunk beds and you have your own little locker and you can read with a torch under the bedclothes.' She is 38, but still very 'new' as a painter. She only started seven years ago when she took her son Jamie to art classes at Hampstead School of Art and got hooked. At the time she was a stripper and before that an actress. But in 2004 Charles Saatchi saw one of her paintings of Princess Diana ('Hi Paul can you come over, I'm really frightened') in a small East End gallery, bought it for £600, and made it the centrepiece of his New Blood show at County Hall. Critics rubbished it but it didn't matter - where Saatchi goes, collectors follow. She only met him for two minutes but he changed her life. She rightly saw the Saatchi show as her launch pad, her chance to get out of stripping and into painting, and seized all the publicity she could get. But then she found it overwhelming: 'I felt really scared that I was just going to be a joke. The press were putting me in this box saying 'Stripper, Uneducated'. Worse still, her ex-husband, the Stuckist painter Charles Thomson, came out of the woodwork to tell the Mail on Sunday 'Stella is a violent, lying She-Devil'. She was married to him for about two months in 2001 and has not seen him since but he obviously still has the power to upset her. And after the Saatchi show she took on too much work, so she started using cocaine to stay awake and ended up with a £600-a-week habit. It didn't last long but she regrets that the one time she met Sarah Lucas, whom she reveres, she was too drugged to speak. Eventually she had a nasty fall in the street, was taken to hospital, seen by a psychiatrist and referred to therapy. She did four months of daily therapy last year, which she says changed her life. Even so, she is still a wobbly mixture of toughness and vulnerability, egotism and self-doubt, and I find her hard-going at first. She has so much she wants to tell me, it's as if she's been sitting in solitary confinement for months waiting for her lawyer, but then the words come tumbling out so fast I can't follow. And there is no chance of getting her to explain anything because she simply ignores my questions and carries on. But then periodically she breaks off mid-flow to ask herself 'where was I?', as if a light switch has gone off in her brain. (Could this be a result of all the Prozac she has taken? She is not on it now, but was for many years.) At one point, talking about her stepfather, she breaks down helplessly in tears. Later, when she has calmed down a bit, she explains: 'I always get absolutely terrified of interviews - I get too emotionally involved in every sentence.' To start with, she is full of grumbles about how the art world mistreated her. After Saatchi (who behaved entirely honourably) she fell among thieves, she thinks - patronising smoothie-chop art dealers who claimed they had sold things when they hadn't or kept the best paintings for themselves, who had no interest in nurturing her career but only in making a quick buck. But the galleries she admired all told her to go away and learn to paint and maybe come back in a year. So, faute de mieux, she became her own gallerist (she sells her work on stellavine.com) which meant 'learning to be Jay Jopling - and there's no manual. These last three years have been really hard but I think it's been worth it because I've learned so much and now I don't need to be so desperate.' She shows me some of the work she is doing for Oxford - portraits of all the murdered Ipswich prostitutes, and some new Diana pictures. 'I wanted to do 100 paintings of Princess Diana but then I realised I couldn't physically do it in time. Everything takes me so much longer than it used to.' So then she decided to mix new with old, especially as she was keen to borrow back paintings that were sold to collectors in the States three or four years ago without being properly photographed. But shipping all these paintings back is costing a fortune so she has given Modern Art Oxford four paintings worth £46,000 to sell, to cover their costs. There are about a dozen canvases in the studio either in progress or waiting to go to Oxford. At present she is working on a portrait of the young Beatrix Potter, taken from a photograph in which Potter is holding a dormouse, and Vine says she looks forward to painting the dormouse because 'I like putting bits of nature in. It started in 2003 when I did a painting of Sharon Tate and I wanted to put her in heaven so I added some birds, and I just really enjoyed having nature.' But she worries that if she paints birds people will say she is copying Tracey Emin. While much of her work is 'sweet' and 'pretty' - words she uses herself approvingly - some of it is also incredibly witty. She showed me a great series of Lily Cole paintings she did for the American magazine Black Book, which are a brilliant spoof on the whole fashion shoot concept - 'Lily breaks up with her boyfriend in Bulgari, Marc Jacobs & Still by JLO'; 'Lily thinks about Good and Evil in Moschino'; 'Lily contemplates suicide in Van Cleef and Arpels' and 'Lily overdoses in Marc Jacobs'. They're so clever, I tell her, but she bridles at the compliment - 'I'm really not bothered by the clever thing,' she sniffs. 'I don't need to be intellectually approved - I think it's there anyway in my work.' Much of the time, though, she goes out of her way to seem naive or childlike. But that is to do with empathising with her subjects. Basically, she says, all her portraits are self-portraits - she identifies with all these damaged, vulnerable women and commemorates them with all the sweetness she can muster. But sometimes the damage - dripping blood, running mascara - overrides the sweetness. It depends how she is feeling at the time. She has noticed that when she had long blond hair she tended to paint blondes, then when she dyed her hair black she painted brunettes - she shows me one of Princess Beatrice, Fergie's daughter, taken from a Tatler photograph. 'I'm drawn to Beatrice because you can see that there's something very sweet and delicate about her,' she explains. 'I liked her throwing that Scarlett O'Hara birthday party.' When Vine talks about celebrities, there's always this sort of possessive familiarity - 'when Kate [Moss] was in the Priory' - that reminds me of the way children talk about their imaginary friends. And perhaps celebrities are her imaginary friends - she has had quite a lonely life. She is drawn to 'damaged' people because she feels that she is damaged herself and, 'I think when you're damaged you have a childlike vulnerability that never grows up until you fix it. Which I think I have done by four months of daily therapy last year. But there is an openness to me, an empathy and understanding, that causes people to treat me very badly. It's bizarre how many nutters homed in on me in the strips - there were some very dark conversations. And I don't necessarily walk away from those, even when they're very graphic, violent, because I think there's a sort of attempt to self-heal by being kind, by being understanding. But you have to learn that you have the right to walk away - you can't be compassionate to everybody.' 'As a child,' she says, 'I was quiet, very sweet - and afraid the whole time.' Actually it wasn't till she was seven that she was afraid - up till then she was happy, living with her mother, brother, grandmother and auntie Joan (her father ran off with the lodger when she was only two) in her grandmother's house in Alnwick, Northumberland. She was Melissa Robson in those days (she changed her name to Stella Vine about 10 years ago) and she remembers 'There was a roaring fire and there were always gypsies bartering fabric. There was this real sense of belonging there. So all that early stuff was beautiful and wonderful...' But she was closer to her aunt Joan than to her mother, Ellenor, a seamstress, who was strangely elusive. 'She was fragile, she wasn't an affectionate woman, there was never a cuddle, there wasn't really a bond. I adored her but there wasn't anything there - she was ethereal, just this glittering thing. She was hardly there - I think she went off hitchhiking round Europe for a year or something.' She was also ill, with Crohn's disease, which later turned into bowel cancer. The idyll ended when Melissa was seven and her mother told her they were moving to Norwich and she was marrying a Norwich Union executive called Richard Jordan. The first time Melissa met him was the day before the wedding and she distrusted him on sight. She claims he always hated her and her brother because they were not his children and that she spent the years from seven to 13 - when she ran away from home - in a state of constant fear. She never quite says that her stepfather abused her, but that seems to be the idea - she told Waldemar Januszczak that he was always asking 'Have you got your knickers on?' But when I try to press her she suddenly bursts into tears and sobs: 'This stuff that happened and happened, there's just no point in remembering - it just means that for the next three days I feel suicidal. It's not worth it!' At 13 she ran away from home and lived for a while in London (she mentions hanging out in Brixton with Meg Mathews) but then went back to Norwich and signed on as Jane Blackwood, saying she was 19 and had just run away from a hippie convoy - 'I'm sure the social services must still have all those files.' She lived in a bedsit in a derelict house, and at 17 had a baby by the caretaker. This was her son Jamie, light of her life - she always wanted a baby as someone to love. But then Jamie's father started hassling them so she ran away to London where she suffered the awful loneliness of the tower-block single mum. 'People just don't realise the craziness of the isolation - you almost go mad. The only time I ever had to myself was one night a month for a few hours when a charity paid for a babysitter. And I would go to Blow Up and dance to soul music for a few hours and then go home.' Nevertheless, she somehow managed to get herself to drama school, the Academy of Theatre Arts, because she'd always loved drama. She did a Joe Orton play at the National Theatre of Wales in Clwyd, and then went on tour round the country. 'When I went to drama school they told me I would never work because I had a child, so I had this incredible drive, but it was quite tough touring the country, just me and Jamie, finding different babysitters in different towns.' And because she was so driven, she accepted every job she was offered, always afraid to leave a gap, so her career slid gently downhill from Joe Orton to Agatha Christie to panto. (She says she made the same mistake at the start of her painting career but has now learned to pick and choose.) She gave up acting in the end, simply because she was exhausted and Jamie had to go to school, so she rented a flat in Hampstead and worked as a waitress at Fatboy's Diner. From waitressing she moved on to hostessing and stripping, which paid better. She was never an escort girl because that was too dangerous: instead she'd sit in these rather old-fashioned hostess clubs - there was one called The Directors' Lodge where the White Cube gallery is now - chatting to elderly gentlemen and pouring her champagne into flower vases for £50 a night. Then it was stripping at the Windmill Theatre, which she loved because it was a real theatre and felt like acting. She also mentions some mysterious 'sugar daddies', one of whom invited her to stay in New York where she discovered the Frick Collection and her love of Gainsborough. One year when Jamie was a teenager and keen on skateboarding they bought a camper van and spent the year going round skate parks - she says it was the best year of her life. In 2000 she started attending classes at Hampstead School of Art and in 2001 she had her short, unhappy marriage to the Stuckist painter Charles Thomson. In 2003 her mother died and she expressed her grief in paintings of Princess Diana - five of which Saatchi would buy, and is lending back for her Oxford show. Her life now is just painting, painting, painting. Jamie is grown up and has his own flat so there is nothing to distract her. She paints all day and then goes back to the hostel to sleep, or perhaps to read Heat under the bedclothes. 'The drive is phenomenal,' she says. 'At the beginning you think you could be up there with people you admire, and that's a fantastic thing, but then maybe if you get there, you want to go a bit further.' She must be thrilled to be doing the Oxford show, I tell her, but she gives me a black look - I am being patronising and there is no worse sin in her book. 'Obviously I am grateful, and hopefully I'll be proud of the Oxford show, but I'm not really into this acceptance of gratitude because I know that I'm capable of putting a show on anywhere in the world. I don't want to compromise, I don't want to have to prove and explain the way I work and what I do. It will be when I'm dead that the critics can do all that.' I can't wait to see her Oxford show - I think she's the real deal. Born Melissa Robson in Alnwick, Northumberland, in 1969. Changed her name to Stella Vine in 1995. Childhood Aged 13 asked to be fostered due to a breakdown in her relationship with her stepfather. Shortly after moved into a bedsit on her own. Gave birth at 17 to her son, Jamie, then moved to London to attend drama school. Worked as a stripper, waitress, cleaner and in a hostess bar to earn money to provide for her son. Art training Studied at Hampstead School of Art in late 1990s. Opened a gallery in 2003 in former butcher's shop. Big break Charles Saatchi kickstarted her career when he bought her portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales in February 2004 and one of Rachel Whitear, a dead heroin addict, for £600 each to showcase in his New Blood exhibition. Vine spiralled into depression soon after, painting in her car and becoming briefly addicted to cocaine. Personal life Married the co-founder of the Stuckists, Charles Thomson, in 2001 in New York. The couple separated almost immediately. · Stella Vine: Paintings will be at Modern Art Oxford from 17 July to 23 September

Vilified by critics but pursued by art dealers including Charles Saatchi, this ex-stripper lives anonymously but never escapes controversy. On the eve of her first major show, Stella Vine tells how her sudden fame was followed by cocaine addiction and therapy. By Lynn Barber.

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http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/fbi-chases-leads-50-year-stolen-baby-case-20762974%26flashvars

http://web.archive.org/web/20131109152558id_/http://abcnews.go.com:80/2020/video/fbi-chases-leads-50-year-stolen-baby-case-20762974%26flashvars

FBI Chases 'New Leads' in 50-Year-Old Stolen Baby Case

20131109152558

Reporter: The search is on, with new solid leads coming in from the oil fields of the west. It could be. I could be paul. Reporter: To southern california. I might be paul fronczak. Reporter: To a... Reporter: The search is on, with new solid leads coming in from the oil fields of the west. It could be. I could be paul. Reporter: To southern california. I might be paul fronczak. Reporter: To a family that added facial hair to the age progression image, and saw the spitting image of dad. I do believe that there is a chance of me being paul fronczak. Reporter: After almost 50 years, there is now new life in the stolen baby investigation that the fbi closed out in the 1960's. We're going to do everything that we can to follow up to see if that baby is out there. The special agent in charge of the fbi office in chicago, bob shields, says the case was re- opened after paul fronczak dna revealed that he was not the stolen baby. Reporter: And he showed me the thousands of page of documents from the old case files. Including one directive signed by then-director j. Edgar hoover. You could tell from the documents, significant investigation with priority. We believe there's someone out there that has information. Reporter: Is there a danger that the person who think she might be the stolen baby would say, "but I don't want to turn in my mother as a kidnapper?" It is. There's always that concern. But I would ask them to reach out to us, talk with us. Reporter: Would you actually prosecute 50 years later? That's the us attorney's office who would make that decision. But we definitely would follow up with them and see whether or not this could be prosecuted. Reporter: Law enforcement experts told us that once the age progression images were made public, we should be prepared for all kinds of people to come forward with their own sad tales. Own reasons why they may be the grown up stolen baby. So far, four separate individuals have come forward, each of them 48 or 49 years old, the right age range. Joel lang and his wife joni contacted us after they saw the age progression images on the abc news website. It's about as close as it's gonna get. It's shocking, the similarities. The hairline, everything is a match. Reporter: Lang volunteered to have his dna tested, telling us that he learned at the age of 8 that he was adopted under what he called suspicious circumstances. Nothing adds up. Nothing is normal. Everything is different all the time and that's you. Reporter: It was much the same story with cody hall of loveland, colorado. His wife pamela contacted us after seeing the story on television. The baby picture really just reminded me so much of cody that it gave me chills. Reporter: Hall said he wanted to take a dna test because he never knew his birth parents, and was told he was just "found somewhere" by a relative. She just said she found me, but I don't know how that was done. Reporter: And then there is david fisher, who lives outside fresno, california. A man with a troubled life that he says grew out of uncertainty about his real identity and parents. Even questioning what appears to be a valid birth certificate. I do believe there is a chance that I am the stolen baby, just due to the fact of all the circumstances of my childhood and how I was raised, and how I was passed around. Reporter: As he provided us with his dna sample, he told us how his wife and children saw the abc news stories. And when they saw the picture pop up, they said, "well, dad, that looks like you." Reporter: And when his family added facial hair to the age progression images, there was a distinct resemblance. I was totally shocked when i saw the resemblance. If I had no mustache, it would be me. Reporter: But we found an even more intriguing lead closer to chicago. In kansas city, where we sent our consultant, former fbi agent brad garrett to meet with a man who did not want to be identified publicly but said he not only looks like the drawing, but that his grandmother was found with an aged clipping of the original kidnap story from 1964 hidden in her closet. There's enough loose ends in this case, in this particular lead, to resolve with a dna test. We can cut to the chase. But with four separate dna samples ready to be tested, the best leads in five decades, our investigation hit an surprising and unexpected roadblock. Paul fronczak reported to us that his parents and his brother refused to provide their dna samples to us, making it impossible for us to see if any of the men were a match. You know, my parents love me and I love them. But for some reason, they don't want to know. And I think by not wanting to know, they don't want to help at all. The fronczak parents, chester and dora, and their other son david say they will work with the fbi. But they declined to speak with us and have not spoken publicly about the case since 1964 when they pleaded for their son's return. It turns out there are a number of questions they have never addressed. Either publicly or with their son. When they brought paul home from new jersey, there was no celebration, and they refused to talk to reporters about what should have been a joyous homecoming. In fact, there was so much uncertainty, that they were required to formally adopt paul as their son. And the previously-sealed adoption files obtained during the course of our investigation, in fact, say the blood tests of the parents and the little boy "were contradictory," meaning the tests did not prove or disprove that the little boy was the fronczaks' son. But we learned, the top detectives on the case, including lt. Jack cartan who led the investigation, were skeptical all along. He was sure that was not the baby. Reporter: Lieutenant cartan's daughter mary hendry says her father said the police and the fbi tried to tell the parents it was not their missing son, but kept it quiet publicly. And the fbi and chicago police, who were working together closely, agreed that they would do that. Reporter: They kind of went along with it? Yeah. I overheard him saying to my mother,"that's not the fronczak baby." Those people are so nice and want to believe it that we're going along with it. Reporter: With the public believing the case had been solved, the fbi and chicago police essentially closed the investigation. The search for the stolen baby was over. And at the fronczak home, paul says his parents never shared whatever doubts they might have had with their adopted son, trying to keep it all a deep, dark secret. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

Act 5: Agents hope new tips will pour in after ABC News report.

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http://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/06/books/the-pop-life-159782.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20131114095011id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/06/books/the-pop-life-159782.html

THE POP LIFE - NYTimes.com

20131114095011

THE worst concert tragedy in the history of rock-and-roll took place a little more than two years ago, on Dec. 3, 1979, outside Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum. Eleven young people died of asphyxiation in a crowd that was jammed together on an open plaza, waiting for the doors to open so that they could see a concert by the Who. Official inquiries have been conducted and the findings studied, and the policy of selling unreserved, or ''festival seating,'' tickets, a policy that may encourage enthusiastic fans to rush and shove for the most desirable seats, has been discontinued at Riverfront Coliseum and at many other rock venues. But an incident as tragic as the Cincinnati concert deaths will not soon be forgotten. One suspects that it continues to weigh heavily on just about everyone who attends rock concerts, or whose children attend them. And some of these people were convin ced then and remain convinced that the true villain was rock itse lf. On that December night at Riverfront Coliseum, a crowd of 18,000 was kept waiting for hours, in bitterly cold weather, on a funnelshaped outdoor plaza that was not designed to accommodate such a mass of people. The rock fans who pressed toward the Coliseum's tightly shut doors were unaware that they were literally crushing fans nearer to the doors. When a few doors were opened -estimates on the number of doors opened vary, but everyone agrees that it was not nearly enough - people near the doors were shot into the Coliseum's lobby like projectiles by the pressure behind them. There was little or no shoving. The pressure had built up because so many people were pressing in from the back of the crowd, and there was little anyone could do. The tragedy was dissected in a meticulous report issued by the Cincinnati City Manager's office, studied by a number of state legislatures (including New York's), and investigated by reporters for many local, national and international publications. But to some observers, the explanations detailed in these reports, and the corrective and regulatory measures undertaken by the city of Cincinnati and by other municipalities as a result of them, are not enough. These are the observers who would like to blame the tragedy on rock-and-roll. The most comprehensive argument of this kind has been advanced by John G. Fuller in his new book, ''Are The Kids All Right?'' The book's subtitle is an indication of the scope of Mr. Fuller's charges: ''The Rock Generation and Its Hidden Death Wish!'' Mr. Fuller, an invesigative author whose previous books include the best sellers ''Incident at Exeter,'' ''We Almost Lost Detroit'' and ''The Poison That Fell From the Sky,'' has really written two books. One is a detailed and sympathetic account of the night of the Cincinnati tragedy, seen through the eyes of several witnesses. The other is an attempt to document the thesis that ''hard rock'' ignites and is responsible for unprecedented and potentially disastrous concert violence on a regular and continuing basis. Sees Element of Hypnosis Mr. Fuller believes this is so because the music's repetitive rhythms and deafening volume, and the ''shamanistic'' charisma of its superstars, actually hypnotize its young listeners, putting them into trance states in which they are unusually open to suggestion - including des tructive and potentially fatal suggestions coming from superstars wi th a ''hidden death wish.'' Anyone who is part of or familiar with the contemporary rock scene may have some difficulty recognizing it in Mr. Fuller's scrambled rock history and inept musicology. He contends that something called ''hard rock,'' which he describes as a ''throbbing fustigation that enveloped body tissues as well as ears at metasonic levels,'' emerged in the wake of the Beatles. This ''new post-Beatles hard-rock music'' was ''entirely different in character from any that had ever been heard before.'' In this hard rock category Mr. Fuller includes heavy-metal groups like Led Zeppelin and Van Halen, art-rock classicists like Yes, and even the Rolling Stones and the Who, bands that have experimented with a staggering variety of musical idioms and invest even their most hard-edged numbers with a jazzy swing and lilt. The theory that soft rock as represented by the Beatles metamorphosed into hard rock beginning in the mid-60's will also be news to fans of the Eagles, the Doobie Brothers, and the other soft-rock or country-rock bands that sold more records than any of their competitors through much of the 70's. But anyone who writes sentences like ''A new, snarling, dissonant beat was starting to be heard'' or repeats as gospel truth the hoary and thoroughly discredited canard that Peter, Paul and Mary's ''Puff the Magic Dragon'' ''referred to smoking dope'' can hardly expect to be taken seriously as an analyst of popular music. Outright Falsification Some of Mr. Fuller's generalities amount to outright falsification . His descriptions of ''hard rock'' concerts would lead an innocent reader to conclude that many groups routinely smash their instruments on stage and attempt to goad their audiences into destroying property. ''Almost everywhere a hard-rock or heavy metal group played, from the mid-sixties on, there was trouble with the crowds,'' he writes. ''The mayhem was persistent, pervasive, and predictable. It was different in nature from the occasional riots and disturbances at football games, hockey games, baseball games, soccer games or grandiose religious spectacles where infrequent incidents would arise spontaneously and unpredictably.''

THE worst concert tragedy in the history of rock-and-roll took place a little more than two years ago, on Dec. 3, 1979, outside Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum. Eleven young people died of asphyxiation in a crowd that was jammed together on an open plaza, waiting for the doors to open so that they could see a concert by the Who. Official inquiries have been conducted and the findings studied, and the policy of selling unreserved, or ''festival seating,'' tickets, a policy that may encourage enthusiastic fans to rush and shove for the most desirable seats, has been discontinued at Riverfront Coliseum and at many other rock venues. But an incident as tragic as the Cincinnati concert deaths will not soon be forgotten. One suspects that it continues to weigh heavily on just about everyone who attends rock concerts, or whose children attend them. And some of these people were convin ced then and remain convinced that the true villain was rock itse lf. On that December night at Riverfront Coliseum, a crowd of 18,000 was kept waiting for hours, in bitterly cold weather, on a funnelshaped outdoor plaza that was not designed to accommodate such a mass of people. The rock fans who pressed toward the Coliseum's tightly shut doors were unaware that they were literally crushing fans nearer to the doors.

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http://www.msnbc.com/all/roadmap-financial-reform

http://web.archive.org/web/20131114223718id_/http://www.msnbc.com:80/all/roadmap-financial-reform

A 'roadmap' for financial reform

20131114223718

The sweeping financial reform law known as Dodd-Frank may have been an important step in the right direction, but it didn’t go nearly far enough, according to a comprehensive report on financial reform being promoted by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. “We still have a financial system that’s very vulnerable to collapse, and the next collapse may very well be far worse than the last crisis,” Center for American Progress senior fellow and former congressman Brad Miller, one of the report’s contributors, told msnbc. The 125-page paper, called “An Unfinished Mission: Making Wall Street Work For Us,” was unveiled Tuesday morning ahead of an event, keynoted by Senator Warren, where most of the authors presented their arguments and discussed the future of financial reform. Warren, a progressive favorite in the Senate, has been a strident advocate of curtailing Wall Street’s power. In her speech at the event, Warren argued that the problem of “too big to fail” banks had only gotten worse. “Today, the four biggest banks are 30% larger than they were five years ago. And the five largest banks now hold more than half of the total banking assets in the country,” she said. Part of the reason for drafting “An Unfinished Mission” was simply “to hold a conference with Elizabeth [Warren] keynoting,” said Americans for Financial Reform policy director Marcus Stanley, one of the paper’s two editors. “So we wanted to talk about a range of issues that are the unfinished or only partially completed business of financial reform. But I think the other deeper reason is this stuff is all connected. The financial fragility that was created, that led to the crisis, it led to bad lending on the consumer side … but it also involved a comprehensive failure at every step.”Roosevelt Institute fellow Mike Konczal, the report’s other editor, said he believes the time is ripe for a broad survey of financial reform because of increased activity on the Senate Banking Committee, of which Warren is a member. The paper is intended to serve as a “good roadmap for everybody, but in particular for reformers and liberals.” Financial reform is also a live issue outside of the senate, particularly on the left. Warren has even been floated as a in large part because of her reformist credentials. “I think that there is a great sense of frustration and a sense of injustice that the laws have not been enforced in the way most Americans think they should have been,” said Miller, who wrote the report’s chapter on regulatory enforcement. He notes that 79% of Americans “think more bankers and other financial executives should have been criminally prosecuted for their role in the financial crisis.” “An Unfinished Mission” is unlikely to persuade them otherwise. While the authors credit Dodd-Frank with reining in the mortgage market and creating valuable new regulatory tools, they also describe the law as a band-aid on a much larger problem. “I don’t think Dodd-Frank has succeeded in changing the financial situation over the long run so it better serves the real economy, and so it’s less vulnerable to the kind of buildup that led to the crisis,” said Stanley. The challenges that remain include a colossal, unaccountable shadow banking system, which was the subject of Stanley’s chapter in the report. By the time of the 2008 financial collapse, Stanley estimates, over 50% of all credit in the United States flowed through shadow banking institutions, which are difficult to track or regulate. Another key challenge may simply be compelling regulators to crack down on bad actors in the financial sector, according to Miller. “In fact, regulators rarely consciously betray the public interest, but their view of the public interest may be greatly influenced by the industries subject to their regulation,” he writes. To make sure that regulators do their job, he recommends measures like finding them funding streams independent of congressional appropriations. Because the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded by the Federal Reserve instead of Congress, it is “insulated from some of the pressures that other regulatory agencies are subject to,” he told msnbc. He also suggested that aggressive reformers, if elected to Congress, can “create pressure on agencies … to enforce the damn laws.” In her speech to the Roosevelt Institute, Warren seemed to be trying to create some of that pressure. She excoriated regulators who she said had failed to write new rules for the financial industry, and suggested that Congress should step in where those regulators would not. “If Dodd-Frank gives the regulators the tools to end ‘too big to fail,’ great; end ‘too big to fail,’” she said. “But if the regulators won’t end ‘too big to fail,’ then Congress must act to protect our economy and prevent future crises.”

Financial reform still has a long way to go, according to a study being highlighted by Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

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http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/jun/21/yoko-ono-remembers-bed-in

http://web.archive.org/web/20131115220701id_/http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/jun/21/yoko-ono-remembers-bed-in

Mind over mattress: Yoko Ono remembers the bed-in

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Reading this on mobile? Watch the bed-in video here "I am just in awe that the bed-in is getting attention again. We did it in 1969 for a week in Amsterdam and a week in Montreal. We loved doing it and thought somebody will give us applause for creating original theatre to appeal to the world about the importance of world peace. Instead we got the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to tell all newspapers to never put us on the front page again. Did any theatre critic stand up for us? Well, no. But now we have the film of it that tells of the incredible event: a creation of a woman and a man, performed by them. See the film, and you will get encouragement and inspiration for what you are doing now as activists … which is all of you who now live on this planet. The bed-in may seem too primitive to you … if so, create an event that tops it. You can do it. I will send applause to you. John will too, from wherever he is now. Yoko."

In 1969, Ono and John Lennon took to their bed to campaign in support of world peace. Here, she recalls the experience

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Taken aback by modern-day time travel

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Has time travel in the movies gotten easier over the decades or are screenwriters just getting lazier? In “About Time,” the new romantic comedy from Richard Curtis (“Love Actually”), hero Domhnall Gleeson learns from his dad (Bill Nighy) that the men of the family have the ability to zip back through the years — simply by going into a dark room, clenching their fists, and sort of thinking about when they want to end up. But what kind of time travel is that? Where’s the sweat equity? Once upon a movie, you needed a machine to do the trick — specifically the tricked-up Edwardian chaise longue of H. G. Wells’s “The Time Machine” as memorialized in the classic 1960 George Pal film. Everything since then has gone in the direction of parody or minimalism. The first strain gave us the flying DeLorean of “Back to the Future” (1985), the phone booth of “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” (1989 and itself a nod to the TARDIS of British TV’s “Dr. Who”), and the titular soak of “Hot Tub Time Machine” (2010). Ironically, the latest chrono-contraption — the homemade time-boat of last year’s “Safety Not Guaranteed” — looks an awful lot like Wells’s original time machine. The second tributary of cinematic time-travel has been a tale of diminishing technology. In 2004’s “Primer” — which won a science prize at Sundance, for pity’s sake — the method of going back to the future is a box. With wires sticking out of it. The admission being that the mechanics of time travel are not only beyond the audience’s ability to comprehend (not to mention too expensive for first-time filmmakers to fake) but totally beside the point. It becomes even more insulting when romance enters the genre picture and screenwriters assume moviegoers will get brain cramps if the science is too forbidding. Thus the genetic ability of the hero in “The Time Traveler’s Wife” (2009) to pop in and out of the years — no wires necessary, thank you — or the certifiably nuts “The Lake House” (2006), in which out-of-time lovers Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock correspond through a magic mailbox. The current “About Time” owes its no-fi depiction of time travel to those films and to the 1980 three-hankie classic “Somewhere in Time,” in which Christopher Reeve hypnotizes himself back through the decades to Jane Seymour. Arguably, they all got the idea from Jack Finney’s great 1970 cult novel “Time and Again,” but by now time travel just seems too darned easy. Getting through one day in the right direction is hard enough. Going backward through the years should involve more than doing Kegel exercises in a broom closet.

Has time travel in the movies gotten easier over the decades or are screenwriters just getting lazier? In “About Time,” the new romantic comedy from Richard Curtis (“Love Actually”), hero Domhnall Gleeson learns from his dad (Bill Nighy) that the men of the family have the ability to zip back through the years -- simply by going into a dark room, clenching their fists, and sort of thinking about when they want to end up. But what kind of time travel is that? Where’s the sweat equity? Once upon a movie, you needed a machine to do the trick -- specifically the tricked-up Edwardian chaise lounge of H.G. Wells’s “The Time Machine” as memorialized in the classic 1960 George Pal film.

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WEEK AHEAD: FOLK, WORLD & COUNTRY

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PINK If you missed Pink’s high-flying act the first time she came through town in support of her sassy 2012 release “The Truth About Love,” here’s your chance to check out one of the hardest-working entertainers in the pop game. Getting things toasty before Pink swings in will be Swedish rockers the Hives. Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $37-$122.50. TD Garden. 800-745-3000. www.ticketmaster.com MGMT The adventurous popsters behind hits like “Kids” and “Electric Feel” should get the joint jumping as they play the jittery tunes from their self-titled latest album. Dec. 5, 8 p.m. Tickets: $23.50-$43.50. The Orpheum Theatre. 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com BRYAN ADAMS The genial Canadian rocker may be touring in a solo acoustic format but the tunes will all still be there from “Cuts Like a Knife” to “Summer of ’69” to “Straight From the Heart” to our favorite, “Run to You,” and more. Dec. 6, 8 p.m. Tickets: $33.25 - $88.75. Citi Shubert Theatre. 800-447-7400, www.telecharge.com COMMANDER CODY AND HIS MODERN DAY AIRMEN The ground-breaking country rockers — who also toss in R&B, rockabilly, Western swing, and a little bit of bop for good measure — pay a rare local visit with simpatico support from crackerjack locals the Darlings. Dec. 12, 8 p.m. Tickets: $20. Johnny D’s. 866.468.7619, www.ticketweb.com CHILDSPLAY This fiddle supergroup not only features the playing of group founder Bob Childs, but violins and violas made by the master luthier and played by the likes of all-Ireland fiddle champion Sheila Falls and national Scottish fiddle champion Hanneke Cassel. Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $30. National Heritage Museum, Lexington. 617-354-1673, www.childsplay.org SACRED SHAKERS The last time the Shakers played in town, they were making a live recording of their singular take on the sacred side of old country, blues, bluegrass, and old-time music. When they return for this date, you’ll have two good reasons to go: a nowadays-rare chance to see them live, and a chance to pick up a copy of that new record. Dec. 5, 8 p.m. Tickets: $15. Johnny D’s, Somerville. 888- 777-8932, www.ticketweb.com ANNE McCUE TRIO Australian native and East Nashville denizen McCue is a roots music triple threat: striking vocalist, gifted guitar player/slinger, talented songwriter. She brings her trio with her to play her muscular, expansive brand of roots Sunday afternoon. Dec. 8, 4 p.m. Tickets: $10. Atwood’s Tavern, Cambridge. 800- 838-3006, www.brownpapertickets.com POOR OLD SHINE: BAND IN TIGHTS This is opening night for “The Heart of Robin Hood,” a new twist on the venerable tale of the original good outlaw, and nouveau roots/bluegrass band Poor Old Shine will be intimately involved in the American Repertory Theater production. They’re providing original music for the play, and will play a short set of their music each night beforehand. Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m. (through Jan. 19). Tickets: $25, $35. Loeb Drama Center, Cambridge. 617-547-8300, www.americanrepertorytheater.org EDDIE GOMEZ QUINTET At a mere 21 years of age, Gomez found himself playing bass in the legendary Bill Evans Trio. Since then, he’s performed with the likes of Miles Davis and McCoy Tyner and received two Latin Grammy awards. He remains among the finest bassists in jazz. Dec. 5, 9:15 p.m. Tickets: $10. Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge St., Cambridge. www.lily-pad.net DONNY McCASLIN The tenor saxophonist’s bold, brawny sound has been an essential voice in the music of bandleaders as different as Dave Douglas and Maria Schneider. His latest recording, “Casting for Gravity,” sets his rampaging tenor loose in groove-oriented, electronica-inspired settings. Dec. 7, 8 p.m. Tickets: $25-$28. Narrows Center for the Arts, 16 Anawan St., Fall River. 508-324-1926, www.narrowscenter.org DAVE BURRELL & GARRISON FEWELL Burrell’s dazzling pianism encompasses the jazz history of his instrument, from stride to free, and he’s played with everyone from Archie Shepp to David Murray. In a rare area appearance, he’ll perform duets with creative guitarist Fewell, a local master of inside and outside improvisation. Dec. 8, 7 p.m. Tickets: $15. Third Life Studio, 33 Union Square (Somerville Avenue), Somerville. 1353 Cambridge St., Cambridge. 617-628-0196, www.thirdlifestudio.com MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN The omnivorous Boston-based pianist performs a Celebrity Series recital devoted to works by Medtner and Schubert as well as his own music. Dec. 8, 3 p.m. Jordan Hall. 617-482-6661, www.celebrityseries.org CANTATA SINGERS For its holiday program, the chorus returns to Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers for the first time since 1992, to be performed with a period instrument ensemble under the direction of David Hoose. Dec. 7, 8 p.m. St. Paul’s Church in Cambridge. 617–868-5885, www.cantatasingers.org A FAR CRY The self-directed chamber orchestra has cued up two programs for the Gardner Museum in the coming days. Thursday brings a modern-tilting concert with music by Andrew Norman, Christopher Theofanidis, Louis Andriessen, and Bach. And on Sunday it’s works by Ives, Gershwin, Dvorak and others in a concert titled “Melting Pot,” to be previewed on Saturday at St. John’s Church in Jamaica Plain. 617-278-5156, www.gardnermuseum.org MUSIC FOR FOOD Violist Kim Kashkashian’s series of one-hour benefit chamber concerts continues with an eclectic program of works by Taneyev, Dvorak, and Gabriela Lena Frank. Among this month’s guest performers will be cellist Marcy Rosen, pianist Lydia Artymiw, and the Carpe Diem String Quartet. Dec. 9, 8 p.m. Brown Hall, New England Conservatory, 617-585-1260, www.necmusic.edu

CHILDSPLAY This fiddle supergroup not only features the playing of group founder Bob Childs, but violins and violas made by the master luthier and played by the likes of all-Ireland fiddle champion Sheila Falls and national Scottish fiddle champion Hanneke Cassel. Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $30. National Heritage Museum, Lexington. 617-354-1673, www.childsplay.org SACRED SHAKERS The last time the Shakers played in town, they were making a live recording of their singular take on the sacred side of old country, blues, bluegrass, and old-time music. When they return for this date, you’ll have two good reasons to go: a nowadays-rare chance to see them live, and a chance to pick up a copy of that new record. Dec. 5, 8 p.m. Tickets: $15. Johnny D’s, Somerville. 888- 777-8932, www.ticketweb.com

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