amazeingblog1

21 killed in fighting in Somalia's capital city

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

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Heavy fighting between Islamist militants and pro-government troops raged in several parts of Somalia's capital Thursday, killing at least 21 people and wounding nearly 78, an official said.

Mortar shells pounded northern and southern neighborhoods in Mogadishu as militants launched attacks with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns, according to a witness.

In Mogadishu's south, government soldiers and African Union peacekeepers tried to push insurgents back from a strategic road often used by government officials.

Ali Muse, the head …

Honduras becomes Western Hemisphere cocaine hub

2012-03-15T04:38:00.000-07:00

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — On Honduras' swampy Mosquitia coast, entire villages have made a way of life off the country's massive cocaine transshipment trade. In broad daylight, men, women and children descend on passing go-fast boats to offload bales of cocaine destined for the United States.

Along the Atlantic coast, the wealthy elite have accumulated dozens of ranches, yachts and mansions from the drug trade.

And in San Pedro Sula, local gangs moving drugs north have spawned armies of street-level dealers whose violence has given the rougher neighborhoods of the northern industrial city a homicide rate that is only comparable to Kabul, Afghanistan.

Long an …

USASOC: Resolute and Ready

2012-03-15T02:17:00.000-07:00

As the global war on terrorism enters its eighth year, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) continues to provide trained and ready forces to support the geographic combatant commanders, the theater special operations commands and ambassadors throughout the world. On any given day, elements of three of the five active duty Special Forces groups, one Ranger battalion, some 34 special operations aircraft, more than 35 Civil Affairs teams, 35 Psychological Operations teams and supporting logistics units are deployed around the world. At the same time, the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School continues the training pipeline to put more Special Forces, Civil …

Pastor apologizes for anti-Catholic remarks

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

John Hagee, an influential televangelist who endorsed John McCain, is apologizing to Catholics for referring to the Roman Catholic Church as "the great whore" and calling it "the apostate church."

Hagee's support for McCain has drawn criticism from some Catholic leaders. McCain has said he does not agree with some of Hagee's past comments.

In a letter to William …

Secretive speed traders in spotlight after crash

2012-03-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

If you saw a penny on the sidewalk, would you pick it up?

You may think it's not worth the effort, but a breed of investors who have been in the news do. Using super-fast computers, high-frequency traders in effect bend down to pick up pennies lying about in the stock market _ then do it again, sometimes thousands of times a second.

More than a week after the Dow Jones industrial average fell nearly 1,000 points, its biggest intraday drop ever, regulators are still sifting through buy and sell orders to figure out what sparked it. One big focus are orders placed by high-frequency traders, or HFTs, and for good reason. These quick-buck firms barely existed a few …

Dow Up 7 After Late Selling

2012-03-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK Wall Street's blue-chip stocks closed higher Thursdaybut failed to hold onto higher levels when a late spurt of sellinghit trading.

Stocks, which have been struggling to recover from recentlosses, were buoyed by overseas rallies, a steady dollar and firmerbond prices.

The Dow Jones industrial average ended 7.83 points higher at3,254.64. Gainers outpaced losers 1,066-675 on the New York StockExchange.

Big Board volume rose to 178.5 million shares from 171.8million on Wednesday.

Volume levels since the big selloffs last Friday and Mondayhave been mostly moderate and traders said they detected littlestrong buying conviction.

…

Western Michigan blows out Bowling Green 41-7

2012-03-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (AP) — Alex Carder completed 23 of 33 passes for 251 yards and four touchdowns as Western Michigan blew out Bowling Green 41-7 on Friday in their Mid-American Conference season finale.

The Broncos (6-6, 5-3) scored the first 27 points of the game to take a 27-0 lead at halftime. John Potter kicked field goals of 42 and 25 yards and Carder completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Blake Hammond in the first quarter.

Carder threw a 4-yard …

Senators-Penguins Sums

2012-03-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

Ottawa 2 0 2_4
Pittsburgh 1 0 0_1
First Period_1, Pittsburgh, Malkin 19 (N.Johnson, Fedotenko), 1:34. 2, Ottawa, Fisher 18 (Foligno, Carkner), 10:06. 3, Ottawa, Kelly 10 (Ruutu, Neil), 13:39. Penalties_Cooke, Pit (interference), 10:38	Volchenkov, Ott (tripping), 15:13	Rupp, Pit (hooking), 18:25	Kovalev, Ott (hooking), 18:33.
Second Period_None. Penalties_Kovalev, Ott (interference), :44	Crosby, Pit (slashing), 5:00.
Third …

Airlines pass test for Y2K readiness

2012-03-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

DENVER As Convair Three-Niner approaches the runway at DenverInternational Airport, the airplane also is nearing an imaginaryboundary: the dreaded Year 2000 witching hour.

It is moments before midnight, in a crucial test of the FederalAviation Administration's computer system. The clocks in the airportcontrol center are about to turn from Dec. 31, 1999, to Jan. 1, 2000.

The controller calls out, "Time is one minute prior to enteringthe new millennium in our test systems. How do you read thistransmission?"The pilot of the Convair replies: "Loud and clear, and if wedisappear off the screen, it means we went into the nextmillennium."A minute later, after the clocks …

Chesapeake Energy CEO says stock price should rise

2012-03-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Chesapeake Energy Corp.'s stock remains undervalued but its price should rise during the coming months, the independent natural gas and oil company's CEO said Tuesday.

On Monday, the Oklahoma City-based company reported a $205 million loss during the first quarter, citing the marking down of the value of derivatives contracts used to guard against rising energy costs. Excluding special items Chesapeake earned $518 million, or 75 cents a share, during the quarter, which was above analysts' expectations.

CEO Aubrey McClendon didn't mention those numbers in a conference call with analysts Tuesday, instead focusing on what he said are three "significant …

Foreign investment in Myanmar tumbles

2012-03-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

Foreign investment in Myanmar, one of the world's poorest and most authoritarian countries, dropped more than two thirds last fiscal year as Chinese investment tailed off and economic sanctions on the military-ruled nation continued, according to government figures.

A statistical report from the country's Ministry of National Planning and Development that was seen Wednesday said foreign investment in the 12 months through March 2010 fell 68 percent to $315 million from $985 million the previous year.

The main reason for the drastic drop was because of China's unprecedented investment in Myanmar in 2008-2009. It spent $855.9 million in the mining sector, …

'Everything was half price' Shoppers find discounts deeper, more plentiful

2012-03-14T05:10:00.000-07:00

Gloria Torres emerged Monday from the Old Navy store on StateStreet hauling four bags filled with sweaters and pants for theholidays.

"We only went to one store and everything was half price," saysTorres, who spent about $450 at the store. "I think we got a lot ofstuff for our money."

Torres wasn't alone in finding bargains this Christmas season. AndOld Navy wasn't alone in offering deeply discounted merchandise, asstores are struggling to draw shoppers scared off by a recession andthe Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

As the final days of the holiday shopping season draw near,retailers are luring bargain-hungry customers with signs offeringdiscounts of 30 percent, …

La. Child Rapist's Death Sentence Upheld

2012-03-14T02:33:00.000-07:00

NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana's Supreme Court ruled that a man may be executed for raping an 8-year-old girl, and lawyers say his case may become the test for whether the nation's highest court upholds the death penalty for someone who rapes a child.

Both sides say the sentence for Patrick Kennedy, 42, could expand a 1977 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that held the death penalty for rape violated the Eighth Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment. The high court said then that its ruling applied only to adult victims.

Attorney Jelpi Picou, director of the New Orleans-based Capital Appeals Project, said he will ask the Louisiana Supreme Court for a rehearing and, if rejected, will go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"As horrid as (rape) is and as harshly as we believe it should be condemned, death is inappropriate in this case," Picou said.

Louisiana law allows the death penalty for the aggravated rape of someone less than 12 years old.

"He's the only person in the United States on death row for non-homicide rape," Picou said.

Kennedy was convicted in 2003 of raping a relative as she sorted Girl Scout cookies in the garage of her home in suburban New Orleans. He bragged to one man that the girl "became a lady today," deputies said.

His defense attorney at the time argued that blood testing was inconclusive and that the victim - who didn't report that Kennedy was her rapist until 21 months later - was pressured to change her story.

In Tuesday's opinion, Justice Jeffrey Victory wrote, "Our state Legislature and this court have determined this category of aggravated rapist to be among those deserving of the death penalty, and, short of a first-degree murderer, we can think of no other non-homicide crime more deserving."

Victory wrote that the Louisiana law meets the U.S. Supreme Court test requiring an aggravating circumstance - in this case the age of the victim - to justify the death penalty.

The governors of South Carolina and Oklahoma signed laws last year allowing the death penalty for people who repeatedly rape children. Richard Dieter of the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington, D.C., said he doesn't know of any successful prosecution under either of those laws.

A bill that would allow the death penalty for a second offense of child rape is awaiting the governor's decision in Texas.

Georgia law allows death as a penalty for rape. Dieter said Florida and Montana also have such laws, but authorities have said the penalty would be invoked only for rape of a child.

---

Associated Press writer Janet McConnaughey contributed to this report.

China's Premier Wen Jiabao visits Myanmar

2012-03-13T23:41:00.000-07:00

Premier Wen Jiabao arrived Wednesday in military-ruled Myanmar for a two-day official visit, the first by such a high-ranking Chinese figure in almost a decade.

Wen is scheduled to meet junta chief Senior Gen. Than Shwe, Prime Minister Thein Sein and other top leaders Thursday in Naypyitaw, the country's capital. The visit wraps up Wen's four-nation Asia tour after previous stops in South Korea, Japan and Mongolia.

China is Myanmar's main ally, giving diplomatic and economic support. Myanmar is shunned by the West because of its poor human rights record and failure to hand over power to a democratically elected government.

The trip comes at a politically sensitive time as the ruling generals prepare for elections being boycotted by the party of detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The polls are part of the government's "roadmap to democracy," which critics have dismissed as a sham. They say the military, which has been in power since 1962, shows little sign of relinquishing control, and note the government has made every effort to prevent Suu Kyi from taking part.

Wen will sign a trade package that will strengthen bilateral economic cooperation, according to China's state Xinhua News Agency, quoting Chinese ambassador to Myanmar Ye Dabo.

Ye said China wanted to expand cooperation in hydropower, energy, mining, communications, fisheries, manufacturing and infrastructure.

China is now Myanmar's third largest trading partner and investor after Thailand and Singapore, with bilateral trade totaling $2.907 billion in 2009. Up to January 2010, China had invested $1.848 billion in Myanmar, or 11.5 percent of Myanmar's total foreign direct investment.

China's then-President Jiang Zemin visited Myanmar in December 2001, and then-Premier Li Peng came in 1994.

Appeal is not from charities

2012-03-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

Trading standards chiefs have urged people to be careful aboutwho they donate old clothes to.

Flyers circulating in the North-east read "Thank you for helpingus to help others" but small print points out the collections arenot for charity.

Moray's trading standards officer Mike O' Hare said: "It does saythat they are not a charity but there's scope for the public to beat least confused and possibly misled by it."

Consumers who have any doubts about any leaflet asking fordonations should check if the company is a registered charity withthe office of the Scottish Charity Regulator on (01382) 220446 andthe Charity Commission for England and Wales on 0870 333 0123.

Mariners 5, Yankees 2

2012-03-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

72Mariners 5, Yankees 2
NEW YORK @ SEATTLE @
ab r h bi @ab r h bi
Damon cf 4 0 0 0 ISuzuki rf 4 1 1 0
Jeter ss 3 1 2 1 Reed cf 4 0 0 0
BAbreu rf 4 0 0 0 Beltre 3b 3 1 2 2
ARdrgz 3b 3 0 0 0 Ibanez dh 4 0 1 1
Giambi 1b 3 0 0 0 JoLpez 2b 4 2 3 2
Rnsom pr 0 0 0 0 Blntien lf 4 0 0 0
Nady lf 3 1 1 1 LaHair 1b 3 0 0 0
HMatsu dh 4 0 2 0 Cairo 1b 0 0 0 0
Cano 2b 4 0 1 0 Jhjima c 3 0 0 0
JMolna c 3 0 0 0 YBncrt ss 3 1 1 0
Btemit ph 1 0 0 0
Totals @ 32 2 6 2 Totals @32 5 8 5
New York 110 000 000_2
Seattle 002 110 01x_5
E_Mussina (1). LOB_New York 7, Seattle 4. 2B_HMatsui (17), Cano (29). HR_Jeter (10), Nady (10), Beltre (25), JoLopez 2 (14). CS_Jeter (5).
IP H R ER BB SO
New York @
Mussina L,17-8 6 7 4 4 1 7
Coke 1 0 0 0 0 0
Veras 1 1 1 1 0 2
Seattle @
Frbend W,1-2 7 5 2 2 3 4
Batista 1 0 0 0 0 1
Putz S,12 1 1 0 0 0 2
HBP_by Putz (Giambi).
Umpires_Home, Brian Knight	First, Mike DiMuro	Second, Tim McClelland	Third, Larry Vanover.
T_2:32. A_42,677 (47,447).

Upcoming Professional Development Seminars

2012-03-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

January PD Schedule

Jan 18 The Power of Employment Agreements

7am-9:30am, Sutton Place Hotel

Jan 19 Preparing the T4 Summary

7am-9:30am, Sutton Place Hotel

Jan 21 Accounting for Income Taxes

7am-9:30am, Sutton Place Hotel

Jan 21 CASEWare Financials

8:30am-5pm, Holiday Inn

Jan 24 CASEWare Working Papers 2004

8:30am-5pm, Holiday Inn

Jan 25 CASEWare Working Papers Advanced

8:30am-5pm, Holiday Inn

Jan 25 Financial Reporting for Preparers of Public Company Financial Statements

9am-5pm, Sutton Place Hotel

Jan 26 Accounting & Auditing Update

9am-5pm, Sutton Place Hotel

Jan 26 CASEView 1

8:30am-5pm, Holiday Inn

Jan 27 CASEView 2

8:30am-5pm, Holiday Inn

Jan 27 Family Business: Preserving the Legacy

9am-12:30pm, Sutton Place Hotel

Jan 27 Research & Development Tax Credits

9am-5pm, Sutton Place Hotel

Upcoming Seminars

Family Business - Preserving the Legacy

This session is for professionals who advise family businesses, and it will explore strategies for assisting with continuation, preservation, and ultimate succession of the business. A model will be presented that highlights the critical issues facing family businesses.

Jan 27, 9am-12:30pm, Sutton Place Hotel

Research & Development Tax Credits

Canada's Scientific Research and Experimental Development tax credits program is among the most generous in the world. This seminar will provide a comprehensive review of the program's legislative and interpretive rules, including the scientific requirements that must be met to qualify for the incentives.

Jan 27, 9am-5pm, Sutton Place Hotel

Section 85: Transfer of Property

This seminar will cover selected tax aspects of the transfer of property to a corporation and the use of the section 85 rollover rules. Each module will contain specific examples designed to help participants review relevant tax theory and focus on major tax planning issues that need to be considered, including key pitfalls to avoid.

Feb 3, 9am-5pm, Hyatt Regency Hotel

Fraud Awareness for CAs in Public Practice

This seminar will provide practitioners with some insight into the occurrence of fraud, consideration of fraud in accounting and audit engagements, how to recognize the indicators of fraud, and matters to consider when reacting to a fraud. Actual case studies will be used to illustrate the topics discussed.

Feb 4, 9am-5pm, Hyatt Regency hotel

Interactive Online Seminars

We know some members face challenges in attending traditional classroom seminars. The Interactive Online seminar allows you to learn what you want, when you want, and at the pace and amount of detail you choose.

The next offering of our Interactive Online seminars is Jan 17 to Mar 11. Each course is offered in module format. Access to the instructor and access online will be available over these eight weeks.

* Auditing Refresher

* CICA Handbook Accounting Refresher

* Income Tax Refresher: Corporate

* Income Tax Refresher: Personal

Executive Breakfasts

The Power of Employment Agreements

Learn why a growing number of Canadian employers are introducing employment agreements for their employees-from senior executives to sales representatives. This seminar will highlight the power of employment agreemenrs to clarify expectations and avoid misunderstandings after hire.

Jan 18, 7am-9:30am, Sutton Place Hotel

Accounting for Income Taxes

This seminar will focus on a number of common income tax accounting issues. Topics will include the assessment of valuation allowances, interim financial statements, Canadian/US GAAP differences, inter-company transactions, foreign exchange issues, and investment tax credits.

Jan 21, 7am-9:30am, Sutton Place Hotel

Interest Deductibility and Reasonable Expectation of Profit

Recent jurisprudence has caused the CRA and the Dept of Finance to reconsider their positions on the deductibility of interest on borrowed money. This seminar will provide participants with the knowledge and skills needed to address key changes to CRA policies and proposals.

Feb 1, 7am-9:30am, Sutton Place Hotel

Probate Fee Avoidance Planning

The seminar will review the fundamentals of when and why probate is required and what property is subject to the process. It will also examine the various strategies that can be employed to avoid probate fees.

Feb 2, 7am-9:30am, Four Seasons Hotel

Credit and Collection

This workshop will provide easy-to-understand principles and simple applications for maximizing profitability through credit management. This seminar is a must for all CAs with accounts receivables of theit own or those who provide advice to organizations with accounts receivable.

Feb 3, 7am-9:30am, Hyatt Regency hotel

More details in the Winter 2005 PD Brochure and at www.icabc-pd.com.

Congratulations to our PD Week 2004 Prize Draw Winners:

Robyn Adair, CA

Dermot Strong, CA

Clifton Chu, CA

Bernie Zacharias, CA

Lisa Eng

Bill Gold, CA

David Kenning, CA

Arthur Sit, CA

[Sidebar]

CPD REPORTING

2005 is the start of a new CPD reporting cycle. All members are now required to obtain a minimum of 14 hours of PD each year and a total of 70 hours for the three-year cycle beginning Jan 1, 2005.

And remember, your 2004 CPD reporting forms are due ]an 31, 2005.

Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian. A Grammar with Sociolinguistic Commentary/Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian. A Textbook with Exercises and Basic Grammar

2012-03-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

Ronelle Alexander. Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian. A Grammar with Sociolinguistic Commentary. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2006. 464 pp. $39.95, paper.

Ronelle Alexander and Ellen Elias-Bursac. Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian. A Textbook with Exercises and Basic Grammar. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2006 500 pp. $39.95, paper with DVD.

The work considered here consists of a combined textbook/workbook, a learner's grammar with sociolinguistic commentary, a supporting Web site (<http://www.bcsgrammarandtextbook.org>), and an audiovisual supplement in DVD format (This last item was not provided to the reviewer and so will not be addressed here.). The authors of these materials are well-established scholars. Ronelle Alexander of the University of California at Berkeley (sole author of the grammar and co-author of the textbook) is a highly respected East-South-Slavic dialectologist who is also known for her work in Bulgarian language pedagogy. Ellen Elias-Bursad (co-author of the textbook) is currently the most important translator of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian (hereafter BCS) literature into English.

This work is pioneering in that it is the first since the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia to make academic course materials for BCS generally available to Englishspeaking learners. In the fifteen years since the country disintegrated, we have seen various instances of scholarly inexpertness in the discourse surrounding BCS (confusion of regional linguistic features with ethnic ones, oversimplification in the use of the scripts, uncritical acceptance of extreme ethnic nationalist views from the region, and so forth). The authors have thus entered a sensitive field that is prone to various distortions. With that in mind, I should emphasise at the outset that the present work remains impeccably free of any non-scholarly distortions. In every segment of both books, linguistic and cultural facts are presented with full scholarly integrity, in a balanced manner, without ethnic or political bias of any kind. The authors are to be applauded for such a general attitude, as they have navigated this dangerous zone masterfully.

The textbook includes twenty lessons, each consisting of lesson texts (whereby nonauthentic texts are provided in three of four variants: Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Latin, and, initially, Serbian Cyrillic), basic grammatical and cultural explanations, and activities. The book is also equipped with appendices (additional texts, answer keys, grammatical tables, etc.) and two glossaries (BCS-English and English-BCS) with marked stress, inflectional information, and references to the lessons in which each lexical item is used.

The grammar in its first sixteen chapters follows the sequence of the structural content covered in the textbook and expands upon the basic textbook presentation. The subsequent four chapters cover successively: aspect, case usage, word formation, and accent. The remaining chapters (22-25) provide the author's sociolinguistic commentary. The first and last chapters are general, the remaining three being devoted, in turn, to Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia. The grammar is equipped with concepts and word indices.

The layout of the course materials is the next feature of the work for which the authors deserve praise. In the textbook, the students have all they need for in-class activities. Those who are interested in more elaborate coverage of the structures and the sociolinguistic situation can purchase the grammar separately; those who work on their own can purchase the recordings; and finally, all those who are looking for more general information can consult the Web site. The layout is student-friendly. The value of the course books for students is considerable, given the high degree of accuracy and clarity of the facts presented in both books. Providing the lesson texts in different ethnic variants goes a long way to accommodating the diverse needs of both professional and heritage learners.

Another strength of the course materials is the sequence in which BCS structural elements are introduced: they follow standard educational principles-from better-known to less-known, from simple to more complex. Thus, the authors first introduce the nominative case, then the accusative, followed by the genitive (these are familiar from English grammar); these cases are followed by the remaining case forms. As with the above-mentioned avoidance of any political distortions, here, too, the authors' educational expertise stands in positive contrast to some earlier Slavic-language textbooks which exhibit a dysfunctional sequencing of materials.

Like any pioneering work, these course materials leave some room for improvement, mostly in the textbook component. In what follows, I offer my wish-list for subsequent editions as an instructor who adheres to a proficiency/literacy teaching philosophy with an emphasis on immersion. This list might be shorter if it were compiled by an instructor who follows a text-and-grammar, philology-based approach.

In the early stages of foreign-language teaching, it is only natural to emphasise fluency first, then accuracy, with complexity coming at the very end. The textbook could be modified to accommodate this principle. The textbook might put less emphasis on such issues as word order, stress patterns, and archaic aorist and imperfect tense forms of verbs (their presentation could be restricted to the grammar). It might also replace literary and religious texts (of ILR 3 and higher complexity) with texts that are more appropriate to introductory language instruction.

Related to this is the matter of establishing proficiency goals and benchmarks. The book could establish its proficiency target (expressed on the ILR or ACTFL scale) and guide users towards developing particular communicative skills. The students could get more help in "doing things with words" (asking for directions, ordering, bargaining, retelling past events). Another matter is the need to introduce a more balanced ratio between popular contemporary and traditional high cultures: in its present version the textbook is biased towards high and traditional cultures.

The textbook could increase its naturalness and authenticity. Possible improvements range from correcting unnatural segments (for example, the sentence on p. 178-"Given that each student has about 15 textbooks, that means tiiat students keep approximately 20 textbooks in each room or about 4,500 books in each dormitory segment"-or the line on p. 197-"Would you be so kind [as] to come with me from the corridor to the room?"-where a natural way of speaking would omit mentioning the corridor) to introducing authentic texts other than literary and religious ones (actual menus, weather forecasts, road condition reports, news briefs). Photographs in the textbook could be more varied. Instead of fifteen street-name and -number signs in Lesson Four, two or three would suffice to convey the idea, and one could introduce other pictures related to the topic. In place of a Croatian banknote that was used for a short period fifteen years ago (p. 185 of the textbook), one could show current coins and banknotes.

The above-mentioned orientation towards high and traditional cultures has created certain problems with vocabulary selection. The BCS-English glossary at the end of the textbook (I have checked the version from the Web site, July 25, 2007) lacks numerous simple words like jeftin 'cheap', glup 'stupid', boca 'bottle', noi 'knife', hladnjak/frizider 'refrigerator', cigareta 'cigarette' (smoking is widespread in die region), crkva 'church', and ambasada/veleposlanstvo 'embassy' while containing low-frequency items Wkspuiina 'open seas', hrid 'cliff, unesreciti 'to make unhappy', zublja 'torch', and elektrifarka 'electrician (f.)'. Being a corollary of the previously mentioned matters of proficiency benchmarks and authenticity, this problem would take care of itself if the authors decided to make subsequent editions more proficiency-oriented and authentic.

Occasional factual errors should be corrected. For example, pa* 'rather, on the other hand' is not specific to Croatian (p. 67 of the textbook) but rather to the formal written style. The names Miroslav, Zarko, ieljko, and Sinisa are not exclusively Serbian or Croatian, as stated on p. 317 of the textbook: they can be either Serbian or Croatian. The Serbian/Montenegrin heraldic elements are ocila 'steel (for striking sparks)' not the Cyrillic letters 's' as claimed on p. 421 of the grammar.

My wish-list notwithstanding, the books reviewed here currently represent the best BCS course materials generally available to English-speaking learners.

[Author Affiliation]

Danko Sipka, Arizona State University

Palestinians reject latest Israeli withdrawal offer

2012-03-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

Israel's plan to pull its troops from more West Bank land - an offerwith conditions - is merely a ploy to keep control of the territory,Palestinian officials said Monday as they rejected the plan. TayebAbdel Rahim, secretary general of the Palestinian Authority, said theIsraeli Cabinet's offer was deceptive.NASA approves space walk for testsTwo astronauts will go on a space walk Wednesday to conduct spacestation tests scrapped because of last week's satellite rescue. NASAon Monday approved the five-hour walk for the crew of space shuttleColumbia. It will be NASA's last before construction begins nextsummer on the international space station.Diana's brother ends divorce battle Earl Spencer, the brother ofPrincess Diana, settled his divorce battle Monday with anannouncement of a financial agreement, ending days of accusations ina South African court. Spencer's wife is expected to receive morethan $3 million, including property.India's United Front rejects new government India's ousted rulingcoalition rejected pleas Monday to help form a new government,telling the president the only way out of the country's politicalimpasse was early elections. Congress toppled the United Frontgovernment last week.Koreans donate coins to ease crisisWorried about South Korea's multibillion dollar financial crisis,employees in a Seoul government office gathered up spare change fromtheir desks and donated it to their country. And a homemaker went tothe bank to exchange foreign coins from vacations abroad - includingNew York City bus tokens she hoped would help.

Cash-poor Illinois rejects back-to-school tax holiday

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

Unlike last year, there will be no "back-to-school" sales tax holiday in Illinois this year.

State Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago), who was chief sponsor of the state's holiday last year, says Illinois "just cannot afford it this year."

New York was the first state to enact a back-to-school sales tax holiday in 1997.

Other states soon followed, sometimes to keep residents from crossing state lines to shop in states with tax holidays.

National Retail Federation CEO Matthew Shay says the holidays "bring people into stores like few other promotions."

Studies have shown, however, that the holidays simply shift the timing of purchases consumers already planned.

The Tax Foundation and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy say the holidays mostly benefit wealthy families. Low- and middle-income families don't have the discretionary income or time to shop only on the tax holidays, the groups contend.

The Tax Foundation says states should simply cut sales taxes if they want to give consumers a break. Policy think tank ITEP says states should instead offer sales tax credits to consumers who need them the most. To get the credits, eligible consumers would have to ask for them on their tax returns.

A sales tax credit could be designed to target the low- and middle-income families lawmakers want to help, says ITEP's Matthew Gardner.

"The striking thing about sales tax holiday laws," Gardner says, "is that policy people all over the ideological spectrum agree they're a dumb idea."

Gannett News Service

FALL TV SEASON IS SORT OF WINNING

2012-03-13T01:51:00.000-07:00

Back to school, hunting season, the first football kickoff: These are all signs that the rich orange, red and yellow colors of fall are about to wrap their bony fingers around the sunny days of summer and squeeze the life out of them. And that means another symbol of the changing seasons will soon appear: the premieres of fall television shows.

Starting on Tuesday, Sept. 6, network and cable channels will reach down and give a hand to the viewers they left hanging off the cliff at the end of spring. Sons of Anarchy (FX, Tuesdays) will return for another nail-biting season of watching SAMCRO try to keep rival bike gangs at bay while trying to keep their families from falling apart. Thursdays will give television's reputation a bump up when edgily hilarious Archer (FX), lowest-common-denominatpr hilarious It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (FX) and charmingly hilarious Parks and Recreation (NBC) return. TV will need that boost because, also on Thursdays, Annie llonzeh, Minka Kelly and Rachael Taylor (who?) star in the premiere of the Charlie's Angels (ABC) reboot. Speaking of a boot, Two-And-A-Half Men (CBS, Mondays) did not get one and returns with Ashton Kutcher playing opposite the guy who was in an '80s coming-ofage movie with Molly Ringwald.

Blue Bloods (CBS1 Fridays), Kitchen Nightmares (FOX, Fridays) and Modem Family (ABC, Wednesdays) return with entertaining if not exactly provocative viewing options, and the return of Boardwalk Empire (HBO) will be the meat in a Sunday sandwich layered high with both the prime and cut-rate ingrethents of The Good Wife (CBS), Family Guy (FOX), Pan Am (ABC), Desperate Housewives (ABC), The Simpsons (FOX), American Dad (FOX) and CSI: Miami (CBS). You decide which is which. The NFL Kickoff Sunday Night Football airs on Thursday, Sept. 8 (NBC), and if that isn't enough violence for you, on Tuesdays, you can watch new seasons of Glee (FOX) and The Biggest Loser (NBC).

- Amy Atkins

For a Ml list of the fall TV schedule, visit tvguide.com.

[Sidebar]

Amy poehler returns as Parks and Recreation's uptight but lovable civil servant, Leslie Knope.

Global CD accounts can provide high return rates // But be warned, there are high risks involved

2012-03-12T22:53:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK A chart of bank rates advertises a one-month certificateof deposit with a 16.35 percent annual yield, a three-month CDyielding 10.6 percent and a one-year CD at 13.5 percent.

Sound out of this world? Well they are - or at least out ofthis country. They're in Mexico, Israel and South Africa,respectively.

CDs and money-market accounts denominated in dozens of foreigncurrencies - a few with double-digit yields that dwarf the ratescurrently offered here - can be purchased from some banks in theUnited States. Among the key players: big institutions such asCitibank and First Union and regional ones such as Mark TwainInternational Markets in St. Louis and Treasury WorldWide inWashington, D.C.

These global accounts, which sometimes require lofty minimumdeposits of $10,000 or more, can provide high rates of return forthose seeking diversity yet concerned that the soaring U.S. stockmarket may be running out of steam soon.

But global CDs and MMAs also carry some high risks.

Besides taking a chance on the direction of interest rates in aparticular country, investors have to worry about currencyfluctuations (common and constant) and whether their money will beinsured (sometimes it isn't).

"They're a gamble, but they can be a very lucrative one," saidRobert K. Heady, publisher of the West Palm Beach, Fla., newsletterBank Rate Monitor.

Some financial advisers maintain that now is the best time to goglobal.

The reason: The dollar is up sharply against many currencies inEurope and a few in Asia, though it's expected to soften after thesummer.

So, that means the dollar will likely be converted into moremarks, francs or lira, for example, when the CD or money-marketaccount is established. And if it weakens by the time the money iswithdrawn, those currencies will be exchanged for more dollars.

Investors who pick the "right" country can make a bundle.

Let's look at how $20,000 deposited a year ago in a one-yearMexican CD, which had a 27.5 percent annual yield back in July, 1996,would fare when it matures today, according to figures provided byTreasury WorldWide.

Based on the year-ago exchange rate of 7.618 pesos to thedollar, that $20,000 would be converted into 152,360 pesos upondeposit.

By the end of the year, it would have earned 41,899 pesos ininterest, bringing the account total to 194,259 pesos. Convertedback into dollars at a late-July exchange rate of 7.925 pesos to thedollar, which is slightly off from a year ago, that $20,000investment would swell to $24,512.18, or a 22.56 percent actualreturn.

Not bad, especially compared with what would have been earned ona one-year CD at a U.S. bank. That same $20,000 deposit wouldincrease to $20,989.80, based on a 4.95 percent annual yield lastyear. (Average rates today include 4.07 percent on a three-month CD,4.90 percent on a six-month and 5.20 percent on a one-year, accordingto Bank Rate Monitor.)

But what if the "wrong" country was chosen?

A $20,000 deposit into a one-year Swiss CD would have plunged to$16,625.23, for a negative 16.87 percent annual yield, according toTreasury WorldWide. That's because the dollar started out at 1.21Swiss francs per dollar when the CD was established in July, 1996,but it strengthened when the CD matured, to nearly 1.50 francs perdollar.

"You're actually betting against the dollar," Heady said of theinvestment strategy. "You're investing in the strength of a foreigncurrency. That's a 180-degree mental twist for most people here."

Neil J. George Jr., chief international economist for MarkTwain, a division of Mercantile Bank, also sees it as an investmentin the other country.

"The element here - the currency - might very well be consideredthe stock of a country," he said. "The currency's performance willtend to reflect the strength of the country's fiscal policy, itsleadership."

Why building to suit suits many just fine

2012-03-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

Out of necessity as well as efficiency, several major Chicagocorporations are having their own customized headquarters built thisyear.

Several others would have, too, but their upcoming leaseexpirations didn't allow the luxury of waiting for a new building tobe planned, designed and constructed.

One of the city's top leasing consultants, broker Brenda Sextonof Julien J. Studley Inc., has been in the center of much of thisactivity. And she has concentrated on a market she sees as secure asany in today's economy: corporate America.

"Corporate America hasn't died," said Sexton, Studley'scorporate managing director. "Among my clients, the Hartford(insurance company) is a tremendously strong company, Brunswick hasbeen in business for so long, and Angus Chemical is a super success.Life goes on for corporations of this type. They still need realestate to meet their objectives."

Brunswick and Angus Chemical are having headquarters constructedfor them, Brunswick in Lake Forest and Angus in Buffalo Grove.Cincinnati Bell and the Hartford, other Sexton clients, would like tohave done the same, but couldn't. Cincinnati Bell moved into one ofthe diminishing number of buildings with large space available, 2Pierce Place in Itasca, and Hartford renewed its downtown lease.

"In creating their own buildings, Brunswick and Angus add valueto those communities," Sexton said.

It seems strange in these overbuilt times that companies thatwould like to take advantage of the reasonable rents and giveawaysare stymied if they need large amounts of suburban space. TheHartford renewed at 200 W. Madison after considering a combination ofits suburban and downtown units in 200,000 square feet in thesuburbs.

"Hartford's original agenda was to move to the suburbs, but weproved that by staying downtown, they would save a substantial amountof money," Sexton said. "There are so few big spaces available."

Spiegel - not a Studley client - made the decision to haveHamilton Partners build its new headquarters in Downers Grove because"they really had no choice," Sexton said.

By doing so, corporations also gain in company pride andefficiency, Sexton said.

"Angus has its headquarters in one building and its laboratoryfacilities in another," she noted. "Both are cramped and presentfunctional problems. There is a lot of shuttling back and forth.Having a single building will change the nature of the company byreally integrating the product-development people with the salesforce."

Brunswick will own its headquarters, under development byHamilton Partners at Conway Park in Lake Forest. Angus Chemical isset for 20 years at its leased space, in a Buffalo Grove facilitythat fits its needs precisely.

While rents are extremely attractive in existing buildings,Sexton says companies that can commit for 15 years or more shouldseriously consider building to suit.

Van Pell seeks capital. Stein & Co. has made another move tocontinue its "growth" strategy while other companies are worriedabout their "recession" strategy these days.

The company has landed Van Pell, one of the most experiencedcapital-markets experts during his years as a top executive atRomanek-Golub, Balcor Co. and most recently as head of his own firmin Louisvile, Ky. As executive vice president and chief financialofficer, he will seek capital to support Stein's development andacquisition programs.

"While the real estate capital markets have changeddramatically, they are not gone," Pell said. "There is capital, butit is very selective and low-risk. I will be the day-to-day liaisonwith a wide range of capital sources that change almost on a dailybasis throughout the world."

Pell thinks capital for 1992 real estate activity will come frompension funds ("truly long-term investors"), foreign investors andfunds that Wall Street has created just to take advantage of thedepressed real estate market. That activity could be strong incertain areas for specific kinds of real estate, such as industrialin the Midwest, apartments in Texas and build-to-suit in a number ofareas, he believes.

With the total shutoff of construction, a strong landlord'smarket will replace the decade-long tenants' market by the mid-1990s,Pell predicts.

Rochus upsets Simon at Open 13

2012-03-12T16:01:00.000-07:00

Olivier Rochus of Belgium upset former winner and fifth-seeded Gilles Simon of France 7-5, 6-2 in the first round of the Open 13 on Tuesday.

Simon, who was playing his first match this season after being sidelined with a right knee injury since last November, struggled on his serve, with only 47 percent of first serves into play, and was broken five times.

"I was not expecting too much for my first tournament," said Simon. "I struggled both physically and mentally."

Rochus earned his 200th career match win and will try to reach his first quarterfinal this year against lucky loser Illya Marchenko of Ukraine, who beat Ruben Bemelmans of Belgium 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Former finalist Michael Llodra rallied to beat fellow Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4. Llodra, who lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga last year in an all-French final, served 17 aces and broke qualifier Roger-Vasselin three times.

Llodra won only his second match this season and will play seventh-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus in the second round of the indoor hardcourt tournament.

Eighth-seeded Julien Benneteau of France reached the second round with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) win over Swiss qualifier Stephane Bohli while lucky loser Josselin Ouanna defeated Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.

"I served well from the beginning and that's a good thing," Benneteau said. "But I didn't play well. My attitude on the court was however great and I finally went through."

Frenchman Ouanna was a late replacement for Belgian Christophe Rochus, who withdrew from the tournament with a back injury. Ouanna will next face Tsonga.

Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine also advanced, beating Simone Bolelli of Italy 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, and will take on top-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden in the next round.

Stakhovsky saved five of the seven break points he faced and served 15 aces.

Andreas Seppi of Italy beat Arnaud Clement 7-6 (5), 7-5 in two hours and will face another Frenchman in the second round, the third-seeded Gael Monfils.

Georgia Enjoys Rare Victory Over Florida

2012-03-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Georgia Bulldogs celebrated in the end zone early and on the sideline late. They probably should have hoisted Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford on their shoulders for both.

Moreno ran for a career-high 188 yards and three scores, Stafford threw three touchdown passes and No. 20 Georgia upset ninth-ranked Florida 42-30 on Saturday in a game filled with costly penalties, big plays and momentum shifts.

The Bulldogs (6-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) sacked Tim Tebow six times and contained the Gators' high-scoring offense most of the game. The result was a rare Bulldogs victory in one of the South's most heated rivalries.

Florida (5-3, 3-3) had dominated the series since 1990, winning 15 of the last 17 meetings and eight of nine. Georgia turned it around Saturday, taking advantage of Tebow's bruised non-throwing shoulder and Florida's porous defense.