anybodyhelp2

Diversification of GOP makes campaigning tricky With the first George Bush, GOP fissures began to develop.

2012-03-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

As the Iraqi war was debated four weeks ago, there was a good dealof controversy about it within the conservative movement. "Paleos"warred with "neo-cons," libertarians seemed doubtful and socialconservatives split. Now that the war has been won, George W. Bush'sratings with conservatives and other groups have never been higher.But debate will begin again as the United States prepares tosupervise the rebuilding of the defeated country. Thus, here is ashort glossary of how conservatives divide up.

In the beginning, there was only one type of politicalconservatism. Prior to Dec. 7, 1941, it was the policy of nationalismor, as its detractors labeled it, isolationism. A …

OBJECTIVE FORCE WARRIOR

2012-03-15T03:48:00.000-07:00

Advanced Technology Demonstration

"It is only by doing things others have not that one can advance."

LTG George S. Patton Jr.

The Objective Force Warrior Advanced Technology Demonstration (OFWATD), led by the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center (NSC), is the Army's flagship science and technology (S&T) program charged with maturing and integrating technologies into a system-of-systems (SoS) and demonstrating a revolutionary capability for the individual soldier and small team. OFW is the primary S&T feeder to Land Warrior Block III Advanced Capability (LW-AC), the variant of Land Warrior that is scheduled to be fielded with the Future Combat Systems (FCS) …

Jets' Smith suspended 1 game for hit on Boldin

2012-03-15T01:27:00.000-07:00

New York Jets safety Eric Smith was suspended for one game by the NFL on Monday for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin.

Smith was also fined $50,000 by the league for what it called a flagrant violation of player safety rules. In a statement, the NFL said Boldin was in a defenseless position at the time contact was made.

Boldin was resting at home Monday, a day after being carted off the field following the scary collision in the Cardinals' 56-35 loss to the Jets at the Meadowlands.

Cardinals spokesman Mark Dalton said Boldin was fully mobile and was "resting comfortably at home" on Monday evening. The …

MP's activities

2012-03-14T23:04:00.000-07:00

What does your Wells representative stand for?

A good question as we now have a little experience of our "new"Liberal Democrat MP - our Tessa.

Perhaps the strategy is:

Let's appear to support local issues by taking all the photoopportunities we can.

Let's appear to support local issues even when we should be inWestminster representing our constituency.

Let's support the No Moor Pylons campaign - especially now wehave access to Commons notepaper. Something the Conservatives havebeen supporting locally and at Westminster for some time.

Let's hold constituency "surgeries" and only reply to some of theletters that are received (see …

Myers likely `Pink Panther'

2012-03-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

Mike Myers is in negotiations to star as Inspector JacquesClouseau in MGM's remake of "The Pink Panther."

The former Chicago improv star is known to be a longtime fan ofPeter Sellers, who as the clumsy inspector made famous the originalfilm franchise that started in 1963.

Although an offer had …

Saints RB Thomas on crutches after practice

2012-03-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Pierre Thomas hobbled into the Saints' locker room on crutches Thursday, keeping weight off his sprained left ankle and sounding perplexed about why his recovery is going so much slower than he'd hoped.

"I really don't know what's the whole problem. Everybody keeps saying it's a sprain or maybe a little tear there," Thomas said. "I don't know for sure if that's true. I'm hearing so many different stories. I don't know what to believe."

Thomas, the Saints' leading rusher in 2009, accounted for 280 total yards from scrimmage and one touchdown rushing in the Saints' first three games of this season. His injury occurred while he was being tackled late in the …

Hayward boosted BP's bottom line, but not safety

2012-03-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

Two decades ago, Tony Hayward was a "turtle" _ one of a handful of young high fliers at BP earmarked for great things, named after the cartoon warriors, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Fast-tracked through BP's heavy bureaucracy by the man he would succeed as CEO, John Browne, Hayward took the top job three years ago, promising to focus "like a laser" on safety and change the company's champagne culture. He was supposed to get BP back to basics, and for most of his tenure shareholders were happy with the results.

Then came the rig explosion that set off the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history, and several weeks in which Hayward …

BOISE WELCOMES OATES

2012-03-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

Esteemed author to appear at Egyptian Theatre

One of the most beloved and compelling writers in contemporary American literature is coming to Boise's Egyptian Theatre. Joyce Carol Oates will be here as part of the popular "Readings and Conversations" series presented by The Cabin.

Anthony Doerr, local novelist, short story author and essayist, will introduce Oates. While a Hodder Fellow at Princeton University, Doerr became acquainted with Oates and says of her, "She is a very warm person, with huge reserves of energy, and she has a reputation of being very dedicated to her students (all undergraduates, by the way). I mean, she's Joyce Carol Oates, and she's spending lots of …

Dust, Air, Water Sources of Lead

2012-03-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

The dangers of lead in some toys are well-known, but there are plenty of other ways people can be exposed to the metal.

Young children are especially at risk of harm because their bodies are growing quickly. They can suffer damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and other problems.

In adults, excessive lead exposure can lead to problems in reproduction, high blood pressure, memory and concentration problems and other effects.

Levels of lead in the air have plunged since the late 1970s with the removal of lead from gasoline. Today, most lead in the air comes from industrial plants, and it's a problem chiefly in urban and …

Blackhawksâ fantastic four

2012-03-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

It's a pick-your-poison situation for opponents. Do you send out your best defensive players against Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane or Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa?

The Blackhawks are lucky enough to have two "first" lines for opponents to contend, and coach Joel Quenneville has made it clear that he'll keep the four split up — two and two — this season.

The numbers don't lie. There simply isn't a better foursome of forwards in the league right now than Toews, Hossa, Kane and Sharp. Through 29 games, they have amassed:

◆ 122 points, the most of any four forwards on any team entering Saturday, including 85 at even strength.

◆ 52 goals, including 12 on the …

Retro Rob is back on the job

2012-03-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

Life's twists and turns get more interesting for me all the time. We at Diesel & Gas Turbine Publications have just purchased Automotive Industries magazine and I will be its publisher and editorial director.

Several years ago, I had a premonition that such a thing might be in the cards. After all, it's such a good match with our solid engine/driveline heritage and focus. And besides that, I came to Diesel & Gas Turbine Publications from Chilton's Automotive Industries in 1979, when diesel engine development was heating up on a number of fronts - much as it is today.

GM had just launched the 5.7L passenger car diesel and would soon launch the 4.8L. Mid-range trucks …

Yankees extend lead over Rays

2012-03-14T04:21:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees opened a 2-1/2 game lead over Tampa Bay in the American League East by beating the Rays 8-3 on Tuesday.

Nick Swisher homered off James Shields (13-13) to key a five-run burst in the first inning as the Yankees cut their magic number for clinching a playoff spot to three over AL East third-placed Boston.

Tampa Bay nicked Phil Hughes (17-8) and two relievers, but never quite got the big hit it needed while stranding 10 runners.

Ahead 7-3, Chamberlain escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth by striking out one and inducing a line drive.

Angels 2, Rangers 0

In Anaheim, Ervin Santana …

Nyquist is one to watch at X Games X

2012-03-14T01:32:00.000-07:00

Ryan Nyquist began riding his bike at 3 in California. And one ofthe greatest BMX riders was on his way. Obviously, I wasn'tjumping off ramps at that age,'' he said.

OK, the 25-year-old isn't superhuman. It just seems that way.

He will be one of the favorites at the X Games X in Los Angelesthis week. The pinnacle of action sports competition began Thursdayand continues through Sunday. ESPN carries most of the live coverage.More importantly, ABC will air the bike stunt dirt finals and moto Xfreestyle finals in prime time from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday.

As one of the best action sports stars, Nyquist defined X Games Xbest.

The X Games is the biggest one of the year for us,'' he said.Everything leads up to this one. Hopefully, you are having a good daythat day.''

Nyquist, who just won the 2004 ESPY for Best Action SportsAthlete, will be favored in the dirt and street. He won gold medalsin both at the X Games last year. He used to do all three disciplinesof BMX: street, dirt and vert.

My goal is do what I want to pull on my runs,'' said Nyquist, whois fresh off firsts in the Vans Triple Crown of BMX for both streetand dirt in Salt Lake City.

As to his main competition, Nyquist said, It is hard to say. Thisyear, they cut it down to 10. For street, Dave Mirra, he is alwaysthere. For dirt, the format changed.''

This year, 15 of the 17 events were limited to a field of 10athletes, the best of the best.'' There have been some formatchanges, as Nyquist noted, and skateboard big air and moto Xsupermoto have been added. Moto X supermoto and surfing are the onlyevents with more than 10 athletes.

For the past decade, evolution and progression have defined actionsports and in turn the X Games,'' said Ron Semiao, senior vicepresident, ESPN Original Entertainment. These distinguishingenhancements are designed to clearly identify the X Games as thesignature action sports championship.''

An event of this magnitude favors the experience of somebody likeNyquist, who has clearly come into his own the last two years.

Nyquist has the advantage of years of practice, being in thatenvironment of contests and knowing how to react,'' he said. It is ahigh-pressure environment. If you are new, you get real nervous, andit affects your performance.''

Channeling that pressure of the X Games X will be key. Or to putit another way, Now, you have to jug yourself and make it happen,''Nyquist said.

He should know. He began early enough, entering his firstfreestyle BMX dirt contest at 16. He turned pro as a high schooljunior.

From the day, things have changed a lot,'' he said. This is kindawhat I do for a living -- especially T-Mobile. It is a pretty bigdeal. We have a lot of awesome riders on the team. It kinda blows meaway. Back in the day, we were just messing around. If I could goback in time, it would [look] pretty ridiculous [to see thepresent].''

Nyquist is part of the T-Mobile Action Sports Team that includesBMX rider Mirra, skateboarder/snowboarder Shaun White, skateboarderBucky Lasek, freestyle moto X rider Carey Hart and snowboarderGretchen Bleiler.

That alone shows how far action sports have come in America.Advertisers are actively pursuing riders as spokespeople.

I am pretty fortunate,'' Nyquist said. All that stuff, it neveroccurred to me that it could happen. Before that, it was all fun andgames.''

For Chicago kids watching the X Games X this weekend, he had thisadvice: There are quite a few skateboard parks in the area; just havefun. I hate to see people get into the [sport] because they thinkthey can make money.''

At least from Nyquist's view, the sport is far from peaking.

The sky is the limit,'' he said. Hopefully, it keeps growing. Kidsbeing in it don't need a team or a coach. It is a pretty individual-based sport. For kids to get into it, it is all healthy. It justseems like a lot of people are catching on to it, and it continues togrow.''

That's the view of somebody who started at 3. Will he still be atit at 65?

I doubt it, unless there is some medical breakthrough,'' Nyquistsaid. Sixty-five is a long time away; hopefully, my body won't be toobanged up. I have a hard time thinking about next year.''

X GAMES X

What: World's premier action sports competition

Where: Various venues around Los Angeles

When: Through Sunday

Info: www.expn.com

Today's TV: bike stunt vert finals, moto X step up finals,skateboard street men's finals, 8-11 p.m. (ESPN).

Saturday's TV: aggressive in-line skate vert finals, surfingfinals, wakeboard women's finals, 1-3 p.m. (ESPN); bike stunt parkfinals, surfing finals, wakeboard men's finals, 3-5 p.m. (ABC); motoX freestyle prelims, skateboard vert best trick finals, 8-11 p.m.(ESPN)

Sunday's TV: moto X supermoto finals, skateboard big air finals, 3-5 p.m. (ABC); bike stunt dirt finals, moto X freestyle finals, 6-8p.m. (ABC).

The 17 events: aggressive in-line skate (vert); bike stunt (dirt,park, vert); moto X (best trick, freestyle, step up, supermoto);skateboard (big air, men's street, women's street, men's vert,women's vert, vert best trick); surfing (the game); wakeboard (men's,women's).

Braga beats Beira Mar 2-1 in Portugal

2012-03-13T22:40:00.000-07:00

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Braga rallied to beat Beira Mar 2-1 and move past Sporting into third place in the Portuguese league Saturday.

Leandro Martins' header put Beira Mar ahead in the 40th, but an own goal by the hosts' Jaime Melao leveled the score in the 68th.

Two minutes later, substitute Albert Meyong capped the comeback after having come on just five minutes before.

Braga is two points in front of Sporting ahead of its game at Guimaraes on Sunday.

Also Saturday, Academica edged Portimonense 1-0, while Maritimo beat Leiria 3-1 Friday.

FC Porto can clinch the league title if it beats second-place Benfica on Sunday, when Rio Ave hosts Setubal and last-place Naval is at Olhanense.

Nacional plays Pacos de Ferreira Monday.

Author offers guidance on feeding a picky eater

2012-03-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

Ann Hodgman's "One Bite Won't Kill You" (Workman, $15) features"More than 200 Recipes to Tempt Even the Pickiest Kids on Earth," asthe subtitle has it. Garlic is always optional in these recipes.Onion is optional, too. And as if that weren't enough, theillustrations are by Roz Chast, cartoonist par excellence.

I have used Hodgman's recipes from two past books, "Beat This!Cookbook: Absolutely Unbeatable, Knock-'em Dead Recipes for the VeryBest Dishes" and "Beat That! Cookbook: More Outrageously DeliciousRecipes." Her recipes really are the best, and she approachesrecipes - and, I think, life - with sense of humor always at theready.

She also gives common-sense advice. In a chapter titled "Why Noneof This Matters," she writes: "There's an excellent chance that ifkids get enough calories, vitamins and minerals - no matter what thesource - they're going to be healthy. When did your son or daughterlast pass out from hunger? When did you last see one of yourchildren - any child in your neighborhood - any child at yourchild's school - suffering from a serious nutritional disorder?Rickets? Scurvy? Kwashiorkor?

With that, I dispense with additional palaver.

First, under "a few observations on sandwiches," Hodgman writes:"A quick, easy quesadilla is made by spreading any cheese the childlikes over one flour tortilla, topping it with another tortilla,wrapping the whole in foil and baking at 350 degrees for 10 minutesor until the cheese has melted. With the addition of a little pizzasauce, this becomes a "pizza quesadilla."

Also: "If you're really, really worried about vegetables, you cantry grating some carrot into the peanut butter in a sandwich. I'mnot saying your child won't notice, but you can try. Maybe you canclaim you used crunchy peanut butter."

Floch, Jauzion and Rougerie lead France to 25-13 win over Italy in Six Nations

2012-03-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

Fullback Anthony Floch, center Yannick Jauzion and winger Aurelien Rougerie scored a try each Sunday to help France beat Italy 25-13 and retain a slim chance of a third straight Six Nations title.

France is in second place with a 3-1 record and needs a big win over unbeaten Wales in Cardiff next week. A fifth straight victory for Wales would guarantee its second Grand Slam in 30 years.

Prop Martin Castrogiovanni crossed for Italy's try midway through the second half, while fullback Andrea Marcato and France scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili traded two penalties each to make it 13-6 to the French at halftime.

France also beat Scotland and Ireland and lost to England, while Italy has lost all four matches.

At Stade de France, France's forwards released the ball in the 13th to flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc. His high kick to the left was patted down by Julien Malzieu into Floch's hands for his first international try, which was converted for 7-0.

France got a second try in the 53rd, when Yachvili collected the ball out of the scrum 25 yards (meters) out and his clever kick over the defense bounced perfectly into Jauzion's path.

France struggled in the pack and Italy coach Nick Mallet's team punished weak defending in the 58th when Castrogiovanni powered over the line for a converted try to make it 18-13.

Center Damien Traille charged into Italy's defense in the 66th and fed Rougerie for his 21st international try.

Prop Fabien Barcella, flanker Ibrahim Diarra and center Yann David were the new players among nine changes to the starting France side that lost 24-13 to England on Feb. 23. Hooker Guillem Guirado and scrumhalf Julien Tomas came off the bench in the second half, bringing to 13 the number of rookies introduced by new coach Marc Lievremont in this Six Nations.

Meanwhile, Italy gave former captain Marco Bortolami his first start since the World Cup following injuries.

Winger Kaine Robertson and loosehead prop Andrea Lo Cicero also were recalled, and openside flanker Alessandro Zanni replaced Mauro Bergamasco, who was banned for 13 weeks for eye-gouging against Wales.

Pa. lawsuit: Whites told they can't teach blacks

2012-03-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Four white Philadelphia teachers charge in federal race-bias lawsuits that a black principal suggested they were unfit to teach black students.

The teachers work at a predominantly black school in the city's East Falls neighborhood. Their lawsuits say a former principal had them read an article that said "white teachers do not have the ability to teach African-American students."

The Thomas Mifflin Elementary teachers say the principal and others undermined their work by reprimanding them, randomly changing their room assignments and letting black teachers ignore rules that white teachers had to follow.

The lawsuits were filed last week and first reported on Tuesday by Courthouse News Service.

A school district spokeswoman had no immediate comment.

Vote monitors slam Tajikistan's parliamentary vote

2012-03-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

Rampant fraud including ballot-box stuffing and proxy voting marred Tajikistan's weekend parliamentary elections, international observers said Monday, while the opposition threatened legal challenges.

Results have yet to be announced, but Sunday's election was expected to confirm President Emomali Rakhmon's two-decade grip on power over the impoverished Central Asian country that serves as a supply route for international forces in neighboring Afghanistan.

The opposition Islamic Revival Party complained of serious vote fraud, saying it had evidence of forged ballot count reports.

Vote monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe also said that the vote, while peaceful, was tainted by ballot-box stuffing and proxy voting.

"Such serious irregularities weaken genuine democratic progress," said Pia Christmas-Moeller, an OSCE delegation leader.

Islamic Revival leader Muhiddin Kabiri warned that, if his party's complaints were not quickly addressed, "we will take tough and decisive legal steps."

The opposition party said it had about 100 copies of blank vote count reports with faked signatures of local election commission members, which Kabiri said would have allowed for incorrect tallies to be submitted to the Central Election Commission.

"This behavior is unacceptable in a democratic society," he said, calling the vote "untransparent and undemocratic."

The OSCE said Tajikistan's laws may have led to unfairly balanced electoral commissions as well as a lack of fairness in voter registration, campaigning and election day procedures.

It also criticized the lack of TV news coverage of campaign activities, as state media focused instead on encouraging Tajik citizens to buy shares in the government's Roghun hydroelectric plant project. Tajikistan is hoping to generate enough energy for itself as well as for exports to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Challenging the results may be difficult, however, due to a lack of clarity in the appeals process.

Complaints to the election commission before the vote were dealt with behind closed doors without any formal decisions issued, undermining the right to court appeals, the OSCE said.

How to Make Your Money Grow // Tips on Getting Start in Investing

2012-03-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

An investment program doesn't always start with a windfall.

Sometimes it's a few hundred dollars you've managed to keep awayfrom everyday bills or the occasional spending spree.

Or maybe it's $30,000 or $40,000 from a company buyout that tookyou by surprise a few weeks ago.

In any case, there's the money, and it's in your hands. Butthat can be intimidating if you've never ventured beyond acertificate of deposit or a company savings fund that someone elsemanages.

What do you do?

Moneylife picked out four dollar figures - $1,000, $5,000,$10,000 and $50,000 - and called experts to get some "how to getstarted" advice.

And boy, do people need it.

"More and more, people are having money put in their hands toinvest that they never thought they'd have to manage before," saysJohn Markese, president of the Chicago-based American Association ofIndividual Investors, which gives basic investment advice to some150,000 Americans.

"One thing everyone is smart enough to figure out - you don'twant to get just 3 percent on your investments," Markese notes.

Generally, experts advise novices to get into mutual funds withvarious risk - conservative when you start, riskier when Tyouunderstand the market better. Most of the advice below has to dowith specific funds and investment strategies first-time investorsshould follow.

Before you start. You want to become an investor, right? Don't do anything without asafety net, and that means keeping some savings in a safe place.Before you begin subjecting your money to any risk at all, put threeto six months' living expenses into an insured account in case youlose your job or if there's a family emergency, planners say.

Also, get rid of those credit card bills before you start. Three important words to keep in mind: Diversification,diversification and diversification. As your investment grows,spread it out into a variety of investments. Get in touch with the news. The complexity of the globalmarketplace should make you a news junkie. Learn what's happeningwith political trends (economic trends always follow); check thelocal and national business news. And watch how people are acting asconsumers - many investment opportunities are born simply from howpeople spend their money now.

It's especially important now, with the uncertain outlook forthe U.S. stock and bond markets.

"An enormous number of people have 40 to 50 percent of theirmoney in U.S. stocks," said Bill Kovacic, a financial planner inPalos Heights. "Under current economic conditions, in my opinion,that could be classified as high risk," because he sees the U.S.market as overvalued.

OK, so where should you put your money?

You've got $1,000. Don't be embarrassed about starting withonly $1,000 - assuming you've got your emergency fund. Everyone hasto start somewhere.

Financial Planner James Platania designed a plan for a23-year-old making his or her very first investment. This person cantake a little risk in exchange for growth, because he or she isn'tretiring anytime soon. So Platania turned to equity mutual funds.

Specifically, Platania advises the $1,000 starter get into ano-load growth stock fund such as the Janus Fund with half his money,and place the other half into a diversified global stock fund such asG.T. International, which has a 4.75 percent load, or service fee. A4.75 percent load means that 4.75 percent of your investment goes tocommissions right off the bat. For a $500 investment, the load wouldbe $23.75.

Platania would add $100 to these funds monthly, using automaticwithdrawal programs, under which funds automatically take money fromyour checking and savings account every month. "It's like payingyourself," Platania said.

The AAII's Markese generally agrees that small investors shouldstart with mutual funds instead of putting their eggs in one basketwith individual stocks or bonds.

"With a fund, you hire an experienced investment manager verycheaply, for an entry fee of about $500. And you get the benefit ofdiversifying your investment, since funds may invest in hundreds ofinvestments that that offset each other's risk."

One important note about mutual funds: unlike banks, they don'tcarry deposit insurance, so in most cases, there's no protection ifyour investment plummets. But generally, the best-known andbest-managed funds are diversified enough so serious losses are rare.

You've got $5,000. Keep looking at funds to build yourportfolio. Half your money should go into a moderately aggressivefund such as the Putnam Growth and Income Fund (which holds bothstocks and bonds), with 25 percent into G.T. International and 25percent into Putnam Voyager, a domestic common stock fund, Plataniarecommends. Putnam funds charge a 5.75 percent load.

If you're older than 50, however, he'd use a utilities fund,either Putnam or Franklin, rather than a common stock fund, becauseutilities usually have a reliable income stream and are among thesafest of stocks.

Again, Platania advises dollar-cost averaging into these fundsover the year, putting a little money in at specific intervals. It'sa mechanism that helps you even out the ups and downs of the market.

You've got $10,000. This amount may allow you to dabble inindividual stocks while maintaining a base in mutual funds. If yougo into individual stocks, do your homework.

But Kovacic would put $2,000 into each of the following funds: Vanguard Windsor II (a no-load domestic stock fund). EuroPacific Growth (an international fund with an 5.75 percentload). Vanguard GNMA (a domestic no-load bond fund). Scudder International Bond (no load). And the Vanguard money market fund.

That's 60 percent in fixed-income and 40 percent in stocks, aconservative approach, he noted.

You've got $50,000. People usually get such amounts in lump-sumpayouts from a retirement plan, or in the case of John and CaseyPlecinoga, from the sale of two restaurants.

Platania, their financial planner, not only invested fordiversity but used dollar-cost-averaging.

Because the Plecinogas are in their 50s and nearing retirement,Platania is using a very conservative time frame, doingdollar-cost-averaging over 18 months, putting $695 per month intoeach of four funds until their $50,000 is invested.

The money is being kept in a government bond fund untildispersed into funds in the Putnam family: Utilities Growth andIncome, the Fund for Growth and Income, the Global Fund and theVoyager Fund.

This offers conservative utility and bond investments as well asaggressive growth in the Voyager fund, he said.

"The keys are that they invest with discipline anddiversification," Platania said. "This will definitely reduce theirrisks and increase their chance for overall long-term success."

Sometimes the complexity of a person's situation leads a plannerto choose investments beyond mutual funds.

Take the case of Judy Gould, a single woman who runs a farm withher brother near Harvard, 65 miles northwest of Chicago. Retirement,tax and estate planning all had to be taken into consideration, saidFrances Schrader, a financial planner with IDS Financial Services inTinley Park.

Schrader had her put: $2,000 a year into an aggressive growth fund for her individualretirement account. $2,400 a year into a life insurance policy as part of estateplanning (to make sure estate taxes are paid). $6,000 into a variable annuity (which invests in stocks) tosupplement the IRA. $15,000 into municipal bonds, which produce untaxed income and thuscut down on Gould's tax liability. $7,500 for two real estate limited partnerships.

Gould also purchased a low-income housing tax credit for $10,000to further cut taxes. This will allow Gould to reduce her taxes by$1,400 each year for 10 years.

Dodgers pull plug on Angels' hopes for sweep

2012-03-13T03:53:00.000-07:00

Manny Ramirez hit a pair of RBI singles and the Los Angeles Dodgers scored five runs in the fourth inning despite another mental mistake on the bases, beating the Los Angeles Angels 10-6 Thursday night to avoid a six-game season sweep by their Southern California rivals.

The game was delayed 18 minutes in the seventh when a bank of lights overlooking right field went out, moments after the Dodgers increased their lead to 8-4 on a one-out RBI single by Casey Blake.

Both teams eventually agreed that the Freeway Series finale should resume even though stadium workers were still trying to fix the balky lights _ which never did come back on.

The difference was hardly noticeable. Dodgers hitters could see the ball just fine when play continued, getting two runs on four hits in the eighth against reliever Trevor Bell. Angels left fielder Reggie Willits made a diving catch of Andre Ethier's sinking liner without having to worry about losing the ball in the lights.

Dodgers knuckleballer Charlie Haeger was charged with four runs, five hits and four walks over 4 2-3 innings in his return from the disabled list after being sidelined because of a sprained big toe. The right-hander struck out his first two batters in the fifth with a 6-2 lead, putting him one out from the required number of innings for a victory.

But Haeger gave up a single to Kevin Frandsen and walked Bobby Abreu with his 102nd pitch before he was pulled by manager Joe Torre. Ramon Troncoso then gave up RBI singles to Torii Hunter and Hideki Matsui before Mike Napoli grounded into a force play.

Jeff Weaver (4-1) faced just three batters, but got credit for the win after a baserunning snafu short-circuited an Angels rally in the seventh with runners at the corners and two outs. Willits was erased in a rundown between third and home, after Weaver spotted Brandon Wood breaking for second on an attempted steal and tossed the ball to second baseman Jamey Carroll.

The Angels scored two runs in the ninth against Justin Miller, but catcher Russell Martin threw out Abreu at third when he tried to advance on a pitch in the dirt by Jonathan Broxton, who got the final three outs.

Scott Kazmir (7-6) threw 93 pitches in 3 2-3 innings, giving up five runs, six hits and three walks. The left-hander escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second when he got Reed Johnson to chase a third strike in the dirt, but the Dodgers loaded the bases again in the fourth and grabbed a 5-1 lead.

Johnson drove in the first run with an infield hit. Rafael Furcal lined the next pitch into the left-field corner for a two-run double and Carroll followed with an RBI single. Ethier then hit a comebacker that handcuffed Kazmir, whose throw to second was too late to get the force on Carroll.

Umpire Bill Welke made an emphatic "safe" call with both arms extended. But for some inexplicable reason, Carroll casually walked off the bag toward the first-base dugout before realizing he was indeed safe _ and was tagged out by Wood as he scampered back.

The Angels ran themselves into a couple of outs in the first after Abreu gave them the lead with an RBI single. Martin threw out Abreu trying to steal second, then nabbed Hunter at third despite a great jump against Haeger.

NOTES: The Dodgers host the Yankees on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series that will complete their interleague schedule. Torre, who guided the Yanks to six pennants and four World Series titles during his 12 seasons in the Bronx, said he will take the lineup card to home plate himself for the series opener. "It's going to be crazy, but that's fine," Torre said. "I'm looking forward to seeing some people tomorrow. I will have the memories that were made for me there forever. The weird part for me is that I'm going to be in that other dugout, pulling against people I've never pulled against before. But the competitiveness is going to come out, and I probably won't think about it as much then as I am now." ... The only other time the Dodgers and Yankees have met during the regular season was in June 2004, when Los Angeles took two of three at Chavez Ravine. The two storied franchises have faced each other in 11 World Series, with the Dodgers losing eight of them and going 28-37 overall against the pinstripes in the Fall Classic.

Poca opens sectional play with 8-2 victory: ; High school baseball; Sectional roundup

2012-03-13T00:47:00.000-07:00

Poca collected only four hits Monday night but was aided by fiveSherman errors as the Dots earned an 8-2 victory as the Class AARegion 4, Section 2 baseball tournament opened at Winfield High.

Sophomore Taylor Humphrey scattered nine hits in getting the winfor the Dots (14-14) while Caleb Arthur and Josh Smalley doubled forPoca.

"Taylor pitched a real strong game and is throwing the ball wellfor us," Poca Coach P.E. McClanahan said. "They had some errors andwe took advantage of their mistakes. It was an ugly win."

Sherman faces elimination tonight at host Winfield (24-6) at 6:30p.m. Poca plays at Winfield at 6:30 Wednesday in the double-elimination sectional.

In other high school baseball sectionals Monday:

Sissonville 4, Clay County 2 - The host Indians got a solidpitching performance from Jameson Landers in earning a victory inthe Class AA Region 4, Section 1 opener.

Sissonville (13-16) entertains defending state Class AA championHerbert Hoover (15-8) tonight at 6:30 p.m. Clay goes againsttonight's loser on Wednesday at 6:30 in an elimination game.

Landers (3-0) only allowed four hits. Billy Kiesel had three hitsto lead the winning offense. J.D. Johnston had two hits for Clay.

Hurricane 9, Lincoln County 0 - The Redskins cruised to the easyvictory over the Panthers (7-22) in Region 4, Section 3 game at Ona.

Justin Henry collected two hits, as did Parker Lang, who alsodrove in three runs while Billy Smith and Bret Barber combined forthe shutout for Hurricane (18-10).

Evan McMillion, Thor Meeks, and Steven Workman also had extrabase hits for the Redskins.

Hurricane faces regional host Cabell Midland (16-7) tonight at 6.Lincoln County plays Wednesday against tonight's loser at 6 p.m. atHurricane High.

US settles suit over '07 immigration raids

2012-03-12T21:51:00.000-07:00

HARTFORD, Connecticut (AP) — Eleven men who claimed immigration agents violated their rights in 2007 raids have won a $350,000 settlement from the U.S. government, which also agreed to halt deportation proceedings against the plaintiffs, their attorneys said Tuesday.

The raids on a predominantly Latino neighborhood of New Haven came a day after the city became the first to offer identification cards to illegal immigrants, and critics including the mayor have contended the federal sweep was retaliation for the ID program — a charge denied by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The settlement appears to be the largest ever paid by the United States in a lawsuit over residential immigration raids, and the first to include compensation as well as immigration relief, according to Mark Pedulla, a Yale law student who was involved in representing the plaintiffs.

"They hope to be able to offer an example of what can happen when you stand up for your rights," Pedulla said.

Ross Feinstein, an ICE spokesman, said the settlement is not intended as an admission of liability on the part of the U.S. government.

"The government is settling in order to avoid the additional time and expense of further litigation," Feinstein said.

The plaintiffs were among roughly 30 people arrested on the raid in the early morning hours of June 6, 2007.

The men argued the agents drew their weapons, forced them out of bed and frightened young children in some of the homes. They claimed the federal agency was retaliating against New Haven, which has a reputation as a "sanctuary city" for its embrace of illegal immigrants, and that they were targeted solely because of their Latino appearance.

"I remember everything that happened to me that morning as if it were yesterday," plaintiff Edinson Yangua Calva said. "There are things I haven't been able to get over, it is something that stays with you forever."

In June 2009, a federal judge ruled that agents violated the constitutional rights of four immigrants in the raids. Immigration Judge Michael Straus said the ICE agents went into the immigrants' homes without warrants, probable cause or their consent, and he put a stop to deportation proceedings against the four defendants, whose names were not released.

Five of the plaintiffs were still facing deportation proceedings, but those will be halted as part of the settlement agreement, Pedulla said.

The sweeps in New Haven came after the city approved issuing identification cards to all of its residents, regardless of immigration status. ICE officials have denied that the raids were retaliatory, saying planning began the year before.

New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr., a Democrat who introduced the ID card program, said the settlement highlights faulty immigration policies.

"Today's settlement is bigger than a lawsuit. It is about who we are as a nation," he said. "Today's settlement is a victory of law, but the real case yet to be tried is a matter of the character and temperament of this nation as it relates to immigration, and how we as a nation, a state, and a people view our legacy as a nation of immigrants."

DeStefano tightened his embrace of newcomers in December by announcing a proposal to extend voting rights to illegal immigrants and other noncitizens. He also has prohibited police from asking people about their immigration status and spoken out against a federal immigration enforcement program, Secure Communities, which uses fingerprints collected in local jails to identify illegal immigrants who have been arrested.

A look at economic developments around the globe

2012-03-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Thursday:

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FRANKFURT, Germany — European Central Bank head Jean-Claude Trichet warned there are increasing risks for the eurozone's waning economic recovery and less chance of inflation — clear signals the bank is done raising interest rates for some time.

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LONDON — Soft U.S. jobs figures kept stock gains in check on Thursday despite hopes that global policymakers are readying measures to shore up economic growth. The euro, meanwhile, fell to its lowest level since July after the European Central Bank's chief indicated borrowing costs would not rise anytime soon.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares closed 0.4 percent higher while Germany's DAX rose 0.1 percent. The CAC-40 in France was 0.4 percent higher.

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TOKYO — In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 0.3 percent as a softening yen helped Japan's exporters.

South Korea's Kospi rose 0.7 percent, benefiting from a decision by the country's central bank to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged for a third month. Higher interest rates generally drag on stocks by making them a potentially less attractive investment.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.7 percent as did shares in mainland China while the Shenzhen Composite Index lost 1 percent.

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PARIS — The U.S. and rich nations in Europe need to take action to shore up confidence in their economies as their recoveries are set to stagnate or go into reverse, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said.

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BERLIN — Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble urged lawmakers to support the latest euro rescue package as Germany's parliament opened debate on the measures.

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TAIPEI, Taiwan — Fitch Ratings said that China's credit risk has increased because local governments have become heavily indebted, with a lack of disclosure by financial institutions compounding the problem.

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SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea's central bank froze its benchmark interest rate for a third month as global economic uncertainty outweighed concerns over accelerating inflation.

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ROME — The U.N. food agency says world food prices remained virtually unchanged last month, but that cereal prices rose amid concerns that production won't satisfy demand.

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ATHENS, Greece — Greek taxi drivers, hospital doctors and dentists walked off the job at the start of a new round of anti-austerity protests by professional groups and labor unions in the debt-ridden country.

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Just ask Essie: It pays to read the Sun-Times

2012-03-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

Essie Pettis' love of reading paid off. The Far South Side native was a $25,000 winner in the Sun-Times' Scratch2Win contest earlier this year. A new round kicks off again Wednesday.

Her son and seven grandchildren "didn't believe it" when she told them she'd won the money. "I had to take a copy of the check and show it to them to prove it," she said.

Pettis plans to use the $25,000 to buy bonds for her grandchildren and take a pair of trips. She'll visit Atlanta this month to see friends and family and take a tour of New York City in September, where she hopes to catch a Broadway show.

Pettis, a retired nurse, said she has been a subscriber to the Sun-Times and its sister paper the SouthtownStar for more than 25 years.

"It could be longer," said Pettis. "My husband was a Sun-Times man. After he passed two years ago, I just continued getting the Sun-Times. I've just always loved reading."

Comment at suntimes.com.

Photo: Keith Hale, Sun-Times / Essie Pettis won $25,000 from the Sun-Times. ;

Give Older Cars an `Italian Tune-Up'

2012-03-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

Rather than switching to a higher-octane fuel to satisfy an oldercar with an engine carbon deposit buildup, American Honda's Rameysays to give the auto "what is sometimes called the `Italiantune-up.' That is, operate the car at wide-open throttle to burndeposits from the engine combustion chambers.

"You needn't break speed limits. Just put the car in, say,second gear with a manual transmission, or in `D2' with an automatic,and accelerate from 20 m.p.h. to 65 m.p.h. with your foot to thefloor. Then do the same thing in high gear, or `D' with anautomatic, from 45 to 65."

Acceleration times will vary, depending on what type of car youdrive. A Corvette takes just seconds for a 20 to 65 m.p.h. run. Nomatter what you drive, give it plenty of room ahead.

"Don't exceed speeds listed for various gears in the owner'smanual. The point is to use lots of wide-open throttle to raise thetemperature of the combustion chambers to burn off the deposits,"Ramey says.