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Toews, Montador score twice, Blackhawks top Oilers

2012-03-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO (AP) — Jonathan Toews and Steve Montador each scored twice to help the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Edmonton Oilers 6-3 on Sunday night for their third straight victory.

Duncan Keith had a goal and assist for Chicago (11-4-3), which handed Edmonton its third consecutive loss. Daniel Carcillo capped the scoring with an empty-net goal.

Ryan Smyth, Jordan Eberle and Shawn Horcoff scored for the Oilers (9-6-2).

Montador, a defenseman playing his 10th NHL season, had his first two-goal game. He …

In China, Vargas Llosa criticizes authoritarianism

2012-03-15T04:37:00.000-07:00

BEIJING (AP) — Authoritarian governments corrupt society, Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa told students in China, where state media covered his speech without mentioning his political comments.

The Peruvian writer spoke Tuesday at Shanghai International Studies University, which named him an honorary professor.

Without mentioning China directly, he said he wanted to show in his 1969 novel "Conversation in the Cathedral" ''how a dictatorial and authoritarian government corrupts all the society" and "effectively poisons the less political activities, those activities that are further from politics, corrupting and degrading them."

"Politics should not be left only in the …

On Freud's "Creative Writers and Day-dreaming,"

2012-03-15T02:16:00.000-07:00

On Freud's "Creative Writers and Day-dreaming," edited by E. Person, P. Fonagy, and S. Figueira. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995, pp. 196.

This collection of papers, based on Freud's "Creative Writers and Day-Dreaming" is most welcome, for Freud opened up a connection between child's play, phantasy, and creativity that has remained fruitful throughout the century. The contributors to the volume have taken this occasion to make summaries of their most important contributions concerning phantasy and creativity, and have presented informed reviews of essential ideas on the topic from Freud, Klein, and Bion.

Several authors debate the nature of unconscious phantasy and …

New Jersey base suspends outdoor weapons testing after shell fragment crashes into home

2012-03-14T23:53:00.000-07:00

The Army is suspending outdoor weapons testing at a northern New Jersey base after a wayward artillery shell fragment crashed through the roof of a home miles away, fatally injuring a pet cat, the base's commanding officer said Saturday.

Picatinny Arsenal officials will investigate how a 2-pound (0.91-kilogram) piece of artillery fired from the base ended up crashing through the roof of a Jefferson Township home Friday afternoon, Brig. …

Syracuse overwhelms Vermont 79-56

2012-03-14T21:32:00.000-07:00

Five years ago Vermont shocked Syracuse in overtime in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Catamounts never had a chance to duplicate that amazing moment.

Wes Johnson had 18 points to lead five Syracuse players in double figures, and the top-seeded Orange beat Vermont 79-56 on Friday night in the first round of NCAA tournament.

The Syracuse zone defense clamped down at the outset and allowed few openings, and the Orange rolled up a 20-2 run to take command early.

"Going to practice, that was our emphasis, to focus on the defensive end, get out and play defense like we did at the beginning of the year," Johnson said. "I think …

Country living taps world of looks

2012-03-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

Country living doesn't always mean Early American furnishings.

It can have a sophisticated urban look, a relaxed contemporarySouthwest mood, the elegance of a French or English manor home, orthe charm of a cottage of yesteryear.

All these lifestyles and others are represented about 45 mileswest of Chicago at the 1991 Show of Homes in Sugar Grove at theWindstone Valley development tomorrow through Aug. 25.

Six furnished single family custom homes and one custom townhouse, priced from $219,500 to $349,900, are on display.

Interior designers have decorated these homes to enhancearchitectural features. For example, a soaring ceiling may bepainted a …

Western Kentucky stuns Hofstra 62-60 in P.R.

2012-03-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Juan Pattillo had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Steffphon Pettigrew scored 12 points and Western Kentucky beat Hofstra 62-60 Friday night in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

The Pride (1-2) blew an eight-point lead with 2:50 left in the game.

Kahlil McDonald hit consecutive 3s that pulled Western Kentucky (3-1) to 59-56. Caden Dickerson sank a 3-pointer with 35 …

Roberto Carlos eyes Copa Libertadores title

2012-03-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

Former Brazil left back Roberto Carlos is vowing to help Corinthians win a first Copa Libertadores title after being officially introduced to the club's supporters.

Around 3,000 fans gave the 2002 World Cup-winning defender a warm welcome at the team's stadium on Monday.

The 36-year-old player says he signed a two-year …

Gladys Knight gives voice to her troubles, triumphs

2012-03-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

Gladys Knight 8 p.m. today and Sunday Star Plaza, I-65 & U.S. 30, Merrillville

$35(312) 559-1212LAS VEGAS "Life is hard," Gladys Knight announces from the stage toa murmuring chorus of assent - mmm-hmmm - from the folks in thefolding chairs.It's a hot desert night with only a timid breeze. Knight's justslashed through a scorching version of "Ain't No Mountain HighEnough" that really should prompt Diana Ross to take earlyretirement, and now the audience at this outdoor concert is noddingat one of her between-song homilies, part patter, part sermon."It was designed to be that way, happy as we would like it tobe," Knight goes on, a bit sorrowfully, discussing life."It is …

15 die in Cameroon bus crash, official says

2012-03-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — A government official says that 15 people were killed and 40 were seriously injured in a bus crash in Cameroon's northwest.

West Regional Governor Samuel Diboa says that the bus was heading to Yaounde when it crashed into a trailer truck parked on the side of the road and carrying a bulldozer early Monday. He said the bus burst into …

US general in Afghan war to explain remarks Wed.

2012-03-14T07:29:00.000-07:00

The U.S. commander of the war in Afghanistan is at the Pentagon, starting a day of meetings to explain derogatory remarks about the Obama administration that he and his aides made in a magazine article.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal was meeting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Wednesday morning before seeing the president.

McChrystal came to Washington from Afghanistan on a summons from President Barack Obama. He is to meet with Obama before the president's regular monthly war meeting. McChrystal usually participates by videoconference.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for …

Tiger grabs tie for lead

2012-03-14T05:09:00.000-07:00

LOUISVILLE, Ky. Jack Nicklaus had seen the record scores and thelandslide victories in the last two majors. More impressive was whathe saw in the first round of the PGA Championship-Tiger Woods.

Playing with his idol for the first time in competition, Woods puton a phenomenal display of power and control Thursday and made fourstraight birdies in a round of 6-under-par 66 that gave him a shareof the lead with Scott Dunlap.

"He shot the easiest 66," Nicklaus said. "It was a real treat towatch."

Woods hardly broke a sweat on a sweltering day at Valhalla GolfClub, and got off to a perfect start in his bid to become the firstplayer since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win …

Tuning up to help charity

2012-03-14T02:32:00.000-07:00

A GRAND concert is being held in Carmarthen to raise money forCancer Research UK.

The Carmarthen Symphonic Wind Band will be performing alongsideLlanelli Male Voice Choir on Sunday, September 12 at Christ Church.

The concert starts at 7pm. Admission is Pounds 6 and tickets areavailable from Caban y Dderwen, Siop y Pentan, Max Evans Outfitters,M&J Menswear and on the door.

Protester says rules are unclear and refuses to move his boat

2012-03-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

A man who lives in a canal boat with no engine has covered it inbanners and petitions in protest at efforts by waterways officialsto move him on.

Ian Gill, 48, who has lived on the Kennet and Avon Canal aroundBath for more than 15 years, has had his boat licence revoked afterBritish Waterways complained he was not moving far enough.

Mr Gill, whose boat is moored at Bathampton, said the terms ofhis cruising licence did not state how far he should move and he didnot believe he was breaching any conditions. Mr Gill, who works inthe city handing out the Metro newspaper, said he could not move anyfurther away because of his work commitments.

He said: "There is nothing in the rules and regulations to sayhow far you have to move - only that you have to move every 14 days.

"A few months ago I had a problem in that I wasn't very well so Icouldn't move the boat and they decided that when I did it wasn'tfar enough. They have told me to go to Trowbridge or Devizes butthat is too far for me to be able to cycle back for work."

Mr Gill said his boat has no engine, and punting it was quitehard work.

More than 1,000 people have signed a petition to support him.

He said he was now living on the canal illegally and that he waswaiting for British Waterways to take him to court.

He said: "I get really upset and I honestly feel I am part of theBath community. I do volunteer work in the city and do things withthe Fringe Festival."

A British Waterways spokeswoman could not comment on individualcases but said it revoked licences from people who did not abide bycontinuous cruising rules.

Biogasification of organic solid wastes

2012-03-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

Developed at the University of CaliforniaDavis, new AD system will be used commercially at a 1,900-head thoroughbred horse training farm in Florida - turning 80 tpd of stable wastes and food residuals into biogas and soil amendment.

A NEW advanced anaerobic digestion technology called Anaerobic Phased Solids Digester (APS-Digester) has been developed at the University of California (UC), Davis. The APS-Digester is specially designed for biogasification of organic solid wastes that are normally difficult to process using conventional anaerobic digesters. A variety of organic materials may be used as feedstock for the APS-Digester, including crop residues, animal manures, food processing residuals, paper sludge, and municipal solid waste. A U.S. patent has been approved for this new technology. The University of California has licensed the APS-Digester technology exclusively to Onsite Power Systems, a California-based company specializing in renewable energy generation.

The first commercial A'b-Digester system will be built on a new 1,900-head thoroughbred horse training farm in Boynton Beach, Florida, to convert about 80 tons (dry weight) of horse stable wastes each day into biogas and soil amendment product. The first phase is expected to be operational by fall of 2002. The expected benefits that the APS-Digester technology offers such an animal facility include renewable energy production, odor control, pathogen and insect control, truck traffic reduction, and production of high-quality soil amendment.

Several food processors in California also have expressed interest in using the APSDigester for treating their wastes, which have been traditionally used as low-value cattle feed or disposed of in landfills. With more stringent environmental regulations on waste management and increasing demand for alternative fuels, advanced bioconversion technologies such as the APS-Digester will allow agricultural producers and food processors to use waste by-products effectively and increase the profitability and sustainability of their operations.

HOW THE DIGESTER WORKS

The APS-Digester system combines the favorable features of both batch and continuous operations into one biological system. Solids to be digested are handled in batches, while the biogas production is continuous. This allows the solids to be loaded and unloaded without disrupting the anaerobic environment for the bacteria. A typical APSDigester system consists of four hydrolysis reactors and one biogasification reactor. Liquid is recirculated intermittently between each hydrolysis reactor and the biogasification reactor. The solids being digested are housed in the hydrolysis reactors, while most of the bacteria, especially methanogens, are housed in the biogasification reactor.

In each hydrolysis reactor, as the solids are broken down and liquefied, soluble compounds, which are mainly organic acids, are collected and transferred to the biogasification reactor for conversion into biogas. The hydrolysis reactors are operated on different batch schedules so that the biogasification reactor is fed at a constant organic loading rate and therefore produces biogas constantly. The biogasification reactor is specially designed to maintain a high density of bacteria in the reactor for achieving efficient conversion.

Each hydrolysis reactor is loaded from the top and emptied from the bottom. Liquid that carries soluble compounds is collected at three locations along the depth of each hydrolysis reactor through filters installed in the reactor and transferred into the biogasification reactor every four hours. The return liquid is distributed over the top of the hydrolysis reactor. The biogasification reactor is fed at the bottom and decanted from the top; its contents are mixed after each liquid recirculation. Biogas is collected from all the reactors and piped into an engine-generator for cogeneration of electricity and heat.

The APS-Digester operates at a thermophilic temperature of 135 deg F to achieve a high rate of solids conversion. The solids retention time in the hydrolysis reactor ranges from three to 14 days, depending on the degradation rate of the solids. Food waste normally degrades very quickly and therefore requires a three to five day retention time. Crop residues such as rice straw are relatively slow to degrade and require a longer retention time of up to 14 days. The digested solid residue from the hydrolysis reactor can be dewatered and further processed into high quality soil amendment.

The APS-Digester has been technically validated in the laboratory for effectively digesting rice straw, animal manure, paper sludge, and a variety of food processing wastes. With the sponsorship from Onsite Power Systems and the University of California Biotechnology Program, a pilot APSDigester facility has been developed at UC Davis to allow researchers to determine the material handling requirement and optimal parameters for the engineering and operation of full-scale systems for a wide range of feedstocks. The pilot facility consists of two heated and insulated anaerobic reactors (one hydrolysis reactor and one biogasification reactor), a chopper pump, a mixer, and equipment for liquid transfer, gas collection and metering, and computer control and automation. Each reactor has 10,000 gallons of working volume. Except for loading and unloading, the digester system is fully automated and can be monitored both on-site and remotely via the Internet.

COMMERCIALIZING THE SYSTEM

After about five years of laboratory research and development, the APS-Digester technology is being scaled up for commercial installation by Onsite Power Systems. The company will design, construct, and operate commercial APS-Digester systems. Several projects are currently in various design stages with full-scale operation expected in 2002. One of the first is the thoroughbred horse-training farm in Boynton Beach Florida.

Biomass facilities are in the planning stages for two California State University facilities located in southern and north-central California. These facilities will incorporate local municipal yard trimmings and agricultural residuals as feedstock for the anaerobic digesters. One of the major advantages of the APS-digester is that the system can be scaled in size to meet the facility's supply of biomass. This scalability results in project capital costs ranging from $500,000 to $20 million. Based on projected financial returns, which are calculated from the value of electricity and heat generated, cost savings for disposing of the waste materials, and value of soil amendment produced, the payback of the investment for the biomass plants is estimated to be three to seven years.

The biomass plant in Boynton Beach will convert all the horse stable wastes and food residuals generated on the farm. The biogas, which contains about 60 percent methane, will be used for electricity and hot water generation. The design capacity of engine generators is 1.5 MW. The stable waste contains 80 percent wheat straw, which is used as bedding, and 20 percent horse manure and has a moisture content of about 80 percent. The anaerobic digestion system consists of ten sealed digester tanks (eight hydrolysis reactors and two biogasification reactors) of 325,000 gallons each.

All the tanks will be built above ground, preventing any impact on the ground water. This enclosed digester system will eliminate open storage of manure and bedding materials, greatly reducing odors, and insect and pest generation. Each digester tank will hold a two-day quantity of the waste material. Once filled, the tank will remain sealed for 14 days and operate at 135 deg F to allow anaerobic digestion to occur. During the 14 days of retention, a volumetric reduction of up to 70 percent of the waste solids occurs. Liquid recovered from the reduction process is useable for irrigation or wash-down. The recovered solids will be essentially pathogen-free and dried and processed into high quality soil amendment both for use on the farm and for sale to the local nurseries. The whole farm will be managed to have zero discharge.

BUILDING A BIOENERGY BASE

Anaerobic digestion is an important environmental biotechnology that can play a significant role in building the new national bioenergy and biobased economy and in the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, odors and public health concerns associated with conventional waste disposal systems. In California, the electrical power produced from anaerobic digestion systems is eligible for a 1.5 cents/kWh green supplementary payment from a renewable energy program run by the California Energy Commission.

The California State Legislature recently passed Senate Bill 5X, which allocated $10 million to provide cost sharing for dairy farmers to build anaerobic digesters to convert animal manure to electrical power. These government assistance programs are certainly helpful in encouraging agricultural producers, industrial processors and urban communities to take on the new anaerobic digestion technologies for renewable energy generation. Anaerobic digestion systems that are high-rate, simple to operate and easy to maintain, and have reliable performance, are needed to make anaerobic digestion of organic wastes a mainstream wasteto-bioenergy conversion technology.

[Sidebar]

SAVINGS ON GREEN POWER INVESTMENT

[Sidebar]

IN an article on methane generators in California Agriculture, published by the University of California's (UC) Divi

[Sidebar]

sion of Agriculture and Natural Resources, author John Stumbos describes how the APS-Digester "is helping to fulfill a brighter outlook for converting organic residuals into energy." As noted in the accompanying report by Dr. Zhang, the technology has been licensed exclusively to Onsite Power Systems of Fresno. Dave Konwinski, co-owner of Onsite, expects that full-scale commercial systems such as the one being installed at the thoroughbred training facility in Florida will generate cost savings in as little as five years.

A generator proposed for the Los Angeles Turf Club racetrack, based on Stumbos' interview with Konwinski, would yield estimated annual savings on electricity and hot water (calculated at 11 cents/ kilowatt-hour) of $2.1 million. The ability to generate pow

[Sidebar]

er on-site will also eliminate lost revenue and equipment damage from power-grid outages and poor power quality, estimated at $1.1 million annually. Another $720,000 savings are projected by eliminating the $25/ton cost of hauling stable waste to the landfill. The cost for the racetrack digester system is estimated at about $20 million.

"Environmental laws have become one of the driving forces behind this," Konwinski says, citing recent California regulations pertaining to groundwater and odor containment, as well as landfill reductions. The APS-Digester also will generate a soil amendment, which is being analyzed by UC Cooperative Extension horticulturist Richard Evans.

Zhang's "green power" system could also be tapped for fueling internal combustion engines, gas turbines or fuel cells for electricity production at mills, processing plants and refrigeration facilities with a consistent demand for power, notes Stumbos.

[Author Affiliation]

Ruihong Zhang is an associate professor in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of California, Davis. E-mail: rhzhang@ucdavis.edu. She will be presenting a talk on this anaerobic digestion technology at the BioCycle West Coast Conference in San Francisco, March 4-6, 2002.

Celts' Davis, Perkins not around for end of Game 5

2012-03-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

Kendrick Perkins was thrown out. Glen Davis was knocked out, then needed referee Joey Crawford to keep him from tumbling to the court.

Strange doings left the Boston Celtics' frontcourt precariously thin after Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

By game's end, all three of Boston's primary centers were gone, a variety of reasons sending them away before the conclusion of Orlando's 113-92 season-saving win. The Celtics, who still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2, have wasted two chances to clinch a spot in the NBA finals, and will try yet again to finish the Magic off when the series returns to Boston on Friday night.

Question is, when Game 6 rolls around, who will Boston have to match up with center Dwight Howard?

"Well, it's not a pleasant thought," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

Perkins is facing a suspension.

Davis was diagnosed with a concussion.

Rasheed Wallace tweaked his back.

Not good signs, not at all, for a team trying to avoid becoming the first club in NBA history to take a 3-0 lead and not win a series. They're halfway to history on that front.

"Point blank. I ain't speaking. I'm all right. I'll be back next game," Davis said, marching through a parting wall of reporters huddled around his stall in the locker room, then shouting an expletive. "That's all you need to print."

When the Celtics' locker room opened, Perkins was gone, and Wallace later declined interview requests.

The mood was glum, to no one's surprise. A series that once looked like a Boston runaway might be running away from the Celtics.

"We need to win one game," Rivers said, "and let's hope it's the next one."

Perkins was ejected with 36 seconds left in the first half after picking up two technicals in less than 2 minutes. That was just the start of the big woes on the Boston big-man front.

Perkins and Howard were jostling in the post, and Perkins was whistled for his third personal. He outstretched his arms and protested the call demonstrably, not an uncommon sight for the Celtics' starting center, and referee Eddie F. Rush apparently decided he went too far.

Rush called the technical, Perkins looked on with an expression of stunned disbelief, then slowly shuffled to the other end of the court and eventually through the tunnel to the Boston locker room. Perkins' first technical came after he and Orlando's Marcin Gortat were both whistled with 2:15 left in the half.

"Didn't think he deserved either one," Rivers said.

Perkins' ejection came after his sixth and seventh technicals of the postseason, which under NBA rules merits an automatic one-game suspension, though the league will review the calls and has the authority to rescind either or both of the techs if it sees fit. The NBA said it would have an answer Thursday about Perkins' status for Game 6.

"We've put ourselves in that position," Rivers said. "And like I told our guys, you can't make any excuses."

Davis' situation is out of the league's control. He was diagnosed with a concussion, and there was no immediate word on the severity.

He was hurt as Howard maneuvered near the basket with about 22 seconds left in the third quarter. Howard's left elbow struck Davis in the face, and Davis began staggering, falling to the floor and staying down on his back for a few seconds.

The 289-pound Davis tried to get up, taking a few steps before falling again as play continued on the other end of the court. When he finally got to his feet, he was clearly without his bearings, staggering sideways before Crawford stepped in front of him and tried to wrap his arms around the massive man.

"Never want to see anybody, especially a friend, go down like that," Howard said.

Davis was tended to on the court, sat up, then walked to the Celtics' bench with 9.7 seconds left in the quarter. He remained there for about two minutes, before walking toward the Boston locker room for evaluation, and the concussion diagnosis was announced shortly afterward.

Also concussed was Celtics reserve Marquis Daniels, who _ like Davis _ was briefly unconscious in the second half.

"He ain't talking," Boston backup Nate Robinson said after the game, shooing reporters away from Daniels' locker.

Wallace fouled out with 4:49 remaining after scoring 21 points in 18 minutes on 7-for-9 shooting. After a brief moment on the bench, he shuffled slowly toward the Boston locker room as well. Little-used Shelden Williams took over at center when Wallace departed, only his second appearance in the series.

Opposition leaders to set joint demands for Pakistan elections, keep boycott option

2012-03-13T15:03:00.000-07:00

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's brother faced possible arrest Tuesday over murder charges dating back to 1998 after both brothers were excluded from upcoming parliamentary elections.

An anti-terrorism court in Lahore issued contempt notices to two police officers for not arresting Shahbaz Sharif for having allegedly ordered security forces to kill suspected criminals in a shootout when he was chief minister of Punjab province, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported Tuesday.

The move against Shahbaz Sharif came after election officials on Monday rejected Nawaz Sharif's candidacy for Jan. 8 parliamentary elections because he was convicted in two cases stemming from a 1999 military coup in which current President Pervez Musharraf overthrew his government.

Since coming home last week after eight years in exile, Sharif has emerged as Musharraf's most vociferous opponent. He has called Musharraf's presidency illegal and refuses to deal with the newly retired army general. He also has demanded the reinstatement of Supreme Court judges fired by Musharraf after it appeared likely they would rule against his attempt to secure a new presidential term.

The candidacies of both Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif have now been rejected due to their past legal problems.

"Whatever Musharraf wants to do, let him do it," Nawaz Sharif told reporters in the northern town of Abbottabad. "We can face imprisonment, but our struggle will continue."

In a show of unity Monday, Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, another former prime minister who recently returned from exile, agreed that the upcoming elections would not be free and fair under the state of emergency that Musharraf proclaimed a month ago.

The meeting in Bhutto's residence in the capital was the first between the two since their return to the country.

Sharif said a committee consisting of four members from each of their parties would meet Tuesday to draw up demands for the government and set a deadline for compliance.

"The main (issue) will be how much time we should give to the government to accept our demands," Sharif said in Abbottabad. "Our main demand is all the actions in declaring emergency rule should be withdrawn."

That included the restitution of the Constitution and the release of former Supreme Court judges from house arrest, he said.

In the past month, Musharraf has filled the Supreme Court with loyalists and jailed hundreds of human rights workers, civic activists and lawyers. Most have been released. He has promised to lift the emergency Dec. 16.

Musharraf retired as army chief and took the oath as a civilian president last week. At his inauguration, he said there would be a level playing field in the elections for both Sharif and Bhutto.

Police clashed briefly with about 250 people taking part in a protest march in the capital, Islamabad. There were no immediate reports of injuries or arrests.

Meanwhile, a female suicide bomber blew herself up Tuesday in the northwestern city of Peshawar, without causing any other casualties or damage. Police said they did not know her intended target.

Although there has been a rash of suicide bombings in Pakistan in recent months, this is the first known case in of a woman carrying out a such an attack.

In Bajur, a tribal region bordering Afghanistan, suspected Islamic militants abducted six police and blew up a roadside security post, a military statement said.

Bajur is a rugged region where security officials say al-Qaida and Taliban-linked militants operate. Militants have been blamed for attacks on security forces in the area.

MORNINGLINE

2012-03-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

Results Should the federal government spend more money to speed upnaturalizations?Yes: 28.5%No: 71.5% QuestionDo you agree that Bolden and Frias were entrapped? (Page 6) Yes:(312) 408-3641No: (312) 408-3642

Paying the Price: Trade for Young adds some size

2012-03-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hoping to make the playoffs for the first time in the franchise's four-year history, Sky general manager and coach Steven Key traded guard Armintie Price to the Atlanta Dream for forward Tamera Young on Wednesday.

The Sky needs help in the post, and the 6-2 Young provides the height to help 6-6 center Sylvia Fowles, 6-2 forward Candice Dupree and 6-5 reserve center Chen Nan.

''We were lacking height in the rotation, and teams have been able to capitalize on us,'' Key said. ''They were down a player, and Tamera was not helping them so they called me.''

Young is in her second year in the WNBA. She is averaging 2.7 points, 1.3 rebounds and 6.5 minutes this season.

Price is averaging 1.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 14.7 minutes and has 12 steals.

The Sky drafted the 5-9 Price third overall in the 2007 draft out of Mississippi. She started all 34 games that season and was named the WNBA rookie of the year. But in 2008 and '09, Price's playing time dropped. She started only 11 games last season and has not started this season.

Price was playing behind recent pickups Erin Thorn and Shyra Ely. With Thorn and Ely rotating in and out of the lineup, the Sky are leading the WNBA in three-pointers.

The Sky (11-12) is a half-game out of the fourth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 11 games left.

Comment at suntimes.com.

Today's people

2012-03-13T05:12:00.000-07:00

Robert Kennedy Jr. wrote Friday that the memorial for World TradeCenter victims should be the tallest tower in the world.

Editorial calls for

towering memorial

NEW YORK - The ideal memorial for the former World Trade Centersite should be the tallest spire in the world, according to RobertKennedy Jr.

In an op-ed piece published in Friday's Daily News, Kennedy calledfor "a spire rooted at ground zero and flowering in the heavens ...the best memorial to the nearly 3,000 souls who lost their livesthere."

"It's appropriate that American democracy memorialize the courageof the 365 blue-collar police officers and firefighters with the kindof commanding monument that other nations reserve for kings,presidents and pharaohs," Kennedy said.

The spire would not have any office space, but its footprint wouldbe less than a block, leaving room for other, more modest, commercialtowers to be built, Kennedy said.

He called for it to be taller than the CN Tower in Toronto, whichmeasures 1,815 feet.

"America's best answer to terrorism is to rise higher when we arestruck down," he said.

Ryder charged in

shoplifting arrest

LOS ANGELES - Winona Ryder was charged with four felony countsstemming from her shoplifting arrest at a Saks Fifth Avenue store inDecember.

The Oscar-nominated actress was charged Friday with theft,burglary, vandalism and possession of a controlled substance.Although she is free on $20,000 bond, prosecutors recommended raisingthe bail to $30,000.

She is scheduled to be arraigned in Beverly Hills on Feb. 8.

The maximum combined sentence is three years, eight months inprison, but a judge could impose a lesser term, including probation,said Sandi Gibbons, district attorney's spokeswoman.

The 30-year-old actress was arrested Dec. 12 for stealingmerchandise worth $4,760 and possessing painkillers without aprescription.

Beverly Hills police said store security officers saw her removesecurity tags from the store items, place them in her bag and leavethe store.

Ryder's attorney, Mark Geragos, contended after the arrest thatthe actress was merely carrying items between store departments, nottrying to steal them.

Broadway musical

set to Joel tunes

NEW YORK - The Billy Joel-Twyla Tharp musical is coming toBroadway.

Last fall, Joel told The Associated Press that Tharp was workingon a play based on his music.

"Twyla Tharp had taken a lot of the music from the pop and rock'n' roll recordings that I've done, and the classical stuff that I'vedone, and choreographed it, and made a story," Joel told The AP.

Now, Tharp's vision will become reality with "Movin' Out." Themusical will follow six friends through 1967 to 1987. It will feature26 songs and instrumental compositions by Joel.

Dogs and cats deserve healthy food, too

2012-03-13T01:50:00.000-07:00

Care for your beloved pets with a tender loving diet and supplements.

How healthful is your pet's diet? When you open that can, tear open a pouch, or pour the dry food, do you really know what you're feeding your dog or cat?

Experts agree that, like humans, the best diet for pets would be home cooked. However, due to time constraints and myriad responsibilities, this is not feasible for many loving pet owners.

Here are some things you should be aware of when shopping for a commercially prepared food.

Additives & preservatives

When choosing a commercial pet food, be on the look-out for harmful chemicals. BHA and BHT are preservatives which are, according to The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, both "known to cause kidney and liver dysfunction." In his book, Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats, Pitcairn says that sodium nitrate in food, used as a preservative and red food color, "can produce powerful carcinogenic substances know as nitrosamines." The common preservative ethoxyquin, he warns, "is among the compounds most suspect as causes of severe health problems in dogs."

Other chemicals to be aware of include artificial dyes, various forms of sweeteners and artificial flavorings.

Pet-grade and the 4-D's

Meat termed "pet-grade" comes from sources labeled as the 4-D's: dead, dying, disabled, or diseased (including cancer-ridden carcasses). "The meat scraps," reports Pitcairn, "can also contain hormone levels comparable to those that have produced cancer in laboratory animals." Other ingredients commonly used in pet foods "include food rejected by the USDA for human consumption, such as moldy grains or rancid animal fats," says Pitcairn.

Enzymes and other supplements

CJ. Puotinen, author of The Encyclopedia, advises those who are not able to provide an all-raw diet for their pets to give their pets enzyme supplements. "[Such supplements] replace enzymes killed by the cooking and processing of food....Enzymes increase the assimilation of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients in food."

Pitcairn recommends the use of a variety of nutritional supplements for pets, including bonemeal, lecithin, vegetable oil, and vitamins. "Part of the purpose of these supplements," he says, "is to fortify the diet with plenty of important vitamins and minerals." If you use a commercially prepared vitamin supplement for pets, Pitcairn warns, avoid those "containing the preservative sodium benzoate, especially for cats, for whom this preservative is a poison."

Providing pure water

Many humans are foregoing tap water for bottled, filtered, or otherwise purified drinking water. Pets deserve no less, and should have unlimited access to fresh water at all times. "The purity of your pet's drinking water," states The Encyclopedia, "is a serious consideration....Municipal water contamination has become a national concern now that chemical pesticides, fertilizers, industrial solvents, road salt, bacteria, parasites, and heavy metals have found their way into kitchen faucets."

An acceptable compromise

There are definitely some commercial pet foods that are better for your animals than others. Find a pet food without artificial colors or flavors, free of harmful preservatives, and prepared with ingredients that would also be fit for human consumption. Additionally, supplement your pet's diet to compensate for what might be lacking in their food, and always provide the purest drinking water available. Your pet will thank you for it by being healthy, happy, and energetic!

[Reference]

REFERENCES

[Reference]

Pitcairn, Richard H., D.V.M., Ph.D., and Pitcairn, Susan Hubble. Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats. Emmaus, Penn.: Rodale Press, 1995.

Puotinen, CJ. The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care. New Canaan, Conn.: Keats Publishing, Inc., 1998.

Nets-Rockets, Box

2012-03-12T22:52:00.000-07:00

NEW JERSEY (73)

Jefferson 4-12 4-6 12, Krstic 3-12 0-0 6, Boone 0-5 0-0 0, D.Harris 3-10 4-6 10, Carter 5-15 3-3 13, Diop 2-6 3-4 7, M.Williams 3-6 2-3 8, Nachbar 1-6 3-5 5, Hassell 1-2 3-4 5, S.Williams 1-2 0-0 2, Swift 1-3 3-5 5. Totals 24-79 25-36 73.

HOUSTON (91)

Battier 3-8 0-1 9, Scola 5-11 2-6 12, Mutombo 1-2 0-0 2, Alston 5-11 1-2 12, McGrady 6-14 6-7 19, Jackson 2-6 1-2 5, Novak 4-6 0-0 11, Hayes 0-0 0-0 0, M.Harris 2-7 2-4 6, Head 4-4 0-0 9, J.Williams 1-3 1-4 3, Brooks 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 34-74 13-26 91.

New Jersey 15 13 19 26_73

Houston 22 24 24 21_91

3-Point Goals_New Jersey 0-6 (Jefferson 0-2, M.Williams 0-2, D.Harris 0-2), Houston 10-20 (Novak 3-4, Battier 3-6, Brooks 1-1, Head 1-1, Alston 1-2, McGrady 1-3, Jackson 0-3). Fouled Out_Hayes. Rebounds_New Jersey 59 (Carter, Diop 8), Houston 60 (Hayes 10). Assists_New Jersey 12 (Carter, Diop, Jefferson 3), Houston 21 (McGrady 4). Total Fouls_New Jersey 19, Houston 26. Technicals_Carter, New Jersey Coach Frank, Jefferson, Scola. A_18,271 (18,500).

Jet destroyed, but 57 escape in Peruvian aviation 'miracle'

2012-03-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

LIMA, Peru -- Trudging through knee-deep mud in a hail storm, atleast 57 people escaped a flaming Peruvian airliner that crash-landed in the Amazon jungle, killing 31. An aviation expert Wednesdaycalled it a "miracle" that so many walked away.

TANS Peru Flight 204 was carrying 98 people, including six crewmembers, on a flight from Lima to Pucallpa in the Amazon, a TANSspokesman said Wednesday. He said the 10 missing may includesurvivors who went home without receiving medical assistance.

"A plane is totally destroyed and more than 50 percent of thepassengers have survived," said John Elliot, an experienced Peruvianpilot and aviation expert. He called it "a miracle."

Gaps in the wreckage of the 737-200 apparently allowed people tocrawl out. Two Italian survivors said they used the emergency exitthen walked to a town where people took them to a hospital.

Expert: 'Big beginners' error'

The pilot began his approach to the Pucallpa airport in torrentialrains and strong winds. Four miles from the airstrip he attempted tomake an emergency landing, after wind shear apparently pushed hisplane near the ground, TANS said.

Elliot and Victor Girao, another aviation expert, said pilot errormay have caused the crash. Elliot said the pilot should have avoidedthe storm and landed at another airport. Both men said the pilot wasflying too close to the ground.

"They were coming in very low, looking for the airstrip. A bigbeginners' error," Girao said. AP

DEADLY MONTH FOR AIR TRAVEL

At least 325 people have been killed in plane disasters thismonth, the most since May 2002, when at least 485 died.

*Aug. 23: At least 31 killed when TANS Peru Boeing 737-200 crash-lands during storm.

*Aug. 16: 160 killed when Colombian-registered charter MD-82crashes in Venezuela after pilot reported engines failed.

*Aug. 14: 121 die when Cyprus' Helios Airways Boeing 737-300 losescabin pressure, crashes north of Athens, Greece.

*Aug. 6: 13 die as ATR-72 flown by Tunisia's Tuninter crashes offSicily after engines fail.

*Aug. 2: All 309 aboard survive when Air France Airbus A340overshoots Toronto runway.

Sources: AP; World Almanac Reference Database at FACTS.com;infoplease.com

Hamas man who fled Egyptian prison celebrated

2012-03-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

BUREIJ REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip (AP) — A Hamas militant who escaped from an Egyptian prison and sneaked back to Gaza though a smuggling tunnel received a hero's welcome Sunday by the Palestinian Islamist movement.

Egypt arrested Ayman Nofal in the northern Sinai Peninsula town of El-Arish three years ago and accused him of planning bomb attacks. Along with thousands of other prisoners, Nofal took advantage of the chaos in Egypt to escape last week. He returned to Gaza on Saturday.

Welcoming several dozen supporters to his home in a central Gaza refugee camp on Sunday, Nofal denied accusations that he was on a Hamas mission when he was arrested. He said he had crossed the border with hundreds of thousands of other Gazans when militants blasted open the border wall in January 2008 to protest Egypt's cooperation with Israel in blockading the territory.

Before his arrest, Nofal was a field commander in central Gaza for Hamas' militant wing, known as the Al-Qassam Brigades. Hamas actively campaigned for his release and often accused Egypt of torturing him.

A banner hung outside his home Sunday read: "The Al-Qassam Brigades greet the leader Ayman Nofal for his safe return and liberation."

Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV showed a number of Hamas parliamentarians and one Cabinet minister visiting Nofal at his home. Inside, family members served sweets and fruit drinks.

Nofal, 34, denied he had been tortured in Egypt, though he said his captors threatened to use electric shocks on him and did use them on other prisoners.

Wearing a green, military style-jacket and with his hair newly buzzed, Nofal recalled the days before his prison break last week. Prisoners had followed the street protests in Tunisia that led to its president fleeing the country, he said.

"Then God blessed us when the great Egyptian people rose up," he said. "When we heard what was happening, it encouraged us and the criminals and we broke the doors and escaped."

Nofal declined to say how he traveled from Cairo to Gaza, saying only he had help from "his brothers on the Egyptian side." He also refused to discuss his plans for the future.

He made his way though a smuggling tunnel under the Gaza-Egypt border on Saturday and was greeted by a crowd who fired celebratory shots in the air.

Nofal said Egypt never charged him with a crime, making him suspect that his imprisonment sought "to blackmail Hamas to show more flexibility in its political positions."

Egypt has long distrusted Hamas, which grew out of Egypt's own officially banned Muslim Brotherhood.

Hamas officials have declined to comment on the 12 days of Egyptian protests calling for the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. But privately they say a new Egyptian regime could help lift the Israeli-Egyptian blockade on Gaza.

Broccoli breaks the boredom

2012-03-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

This is not about George "Broccoli" Bush. Not really. It'sabout how almost all of you know exactly what that first sentencemeans.

We've already heard much more than we cared to concerning thegreen vegetable thing. Over the past few weeks, the "controversy"about the president's distaste for broccoli effectively replaced "Asthe Donald Turns" as the humorous news vignette of choice across thecountry.

It mattered not that there wasn't anything terribly funny aboutthe story.

So Bush banned broccoli from Air Force One. Big deal. RichardNixon didn't like red beets, but you didn't see the media doingverbal cartwheels over that one.

Even worse were the countless reaction pieces, most of themciting Bush as a bad example for America's youth. As if America'syouth looked to the president as a role model when selecting itsdiet.

It would have been a legitimate cause for parental concern ifHulk Hogan or Paula Abdul or one of the New Kids on the Block hadcome out against broccoli, but Bush's stance on vegetable ingestionhas about as much relevance to the average youngster as the releasedate of Pat Boone's next album.

Nevertheless, the anecdote avalanche continued: The broccoliindustry reacted with indignation. Ten tons of the stuff were sentto Washington, D.C. The president refused to change his position("wouldn't be prudent"). The first lady came out in favor ofbroccoli. Newspapers printed Julia Child's broccoli recipes.

Even in this era of hype and overkill (sounds like the name of acouple of entertainment attorneys), the Bush/broccoli brouhahaattracted an inordinate amount of attention.

Why? Well, I blame Ronald Reagan.

Compared to Reagan, Bush has been just plain boring, especiallywhen it comes to generating amusing little side stories. His wifedoesn't care about the alignment of the planets and the stars, he'son speaking terms with his family, he stays awake at Cabinetmeetings, and he never slapped around Angie Dickinson in a badB-movie. He just does the president thing.

For an entire year, the media have been waiting for somethinggoofy (besides Dan Quayle) to turn up in the White House. But goodgray George has just plodded along, doing his job.

Compare that with Reagan's first year, which was chock full ofzany antics: When a band struck up "Hail to the Chief," Reagan put his hand onhis heart and stood at attention. He later explained, "I thought itwas the national anthem." Nancy admitted to reporters she used to carry "a tiny little gun"for protection. For a press conference, names of questioners were chosen from ajelly bean jar. The president called L.A. Times theater critic Dan Sullivan andasked him to put in a plug for his old pal Buddy "BeverlyHillbillies" Ebsen, who was appearing in a play called "Turn to theRight." As his dog scampered across the White House lawn, Reagan called,"Lassie! Lassie! Um, I mean, Millie!" Fending off questions about Nancy's image, Ron cited a poll thatfound her to be "the most popular woman in the world." No such pollexisted.

So it went for eight years. There was never a shortage ofReagan sidebars. But when the Last Cowboy rode out of office and thePrudent Yuppie took over, there was a sudden stoppage of nonsensenews - a chuckle drought, if you will.

And that's why the broccoli thing was greeted with suchoverkill. It wasn't really funny, but it was better than nothing.