feminist

Condom comedy intrudes on family

2012-03-15T06:22:00.000-07:00

I've never been the type of mother who was squeamish abouttelling kids the facts of life.

When mine were still in diapers, I decided to follow the adviceof child-rearing experts who said that youngsters will show a naturalcuriosity about their bodies. Rather than volunteer more informationthan a child is ready for, the pros advised simply answering thechildren's question honestly. So I did.

When the kids wanted to know where babies came from, I didn'thide behind the stork. We looked at picture books that showed howbabies grew inside their mother's bodies until they were ready to beborn. I told them stories about their own births, and how happytheir dad and I …

Indians Roll Past Red Sox 7-3

2012-03-15T03:56:00.000-07:00

CLEVELAND - Led by a throwback pitcher who looks as if he stepped out of their 1948 team photo, the Cleveland Indians moved one win from another crack at winning an elusive World Series title.

Pumping his arms with an old-school windup from yesteryear, Paul Byrd blanked Boston long enough and the Indians used a seven-run rampage in the fifth inning to beat the Red Sox 7-3 Tuesday night for a 3-1 lead in the AL championship series.

The Indians, who knocked out the New York Yankees and their monstrous payroll in the first round of the playoffs, now have the free-spending Red Sox on the ropes. Even three straight homers couldn't rally Boston.

A victory in Game 5 on …

Manny brings his baggage to Albuquerque

2012-03-15T01:35:00.000-07:00

J.J. Gutierrez, a 15-year-old baseball fan, didn't mince words when asked about Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez.

"He's a cheater," Gutierrez said. "But I still want to see him play."

Gutierrez and his father, Julian, were among a steady stream of fans who lined up four- and five-deep at the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes' box office Monday to buy tickets for this week's series against Nashville.

Ramirez is preparing to return from a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug rules. He is eligible to be reinstated on July 3, when the Dodgers are in San Diego and agreed to a stint in the minors to ease back into …

Tigers Trump Sox' 2 Pairs // Franco-Ventura Homer Tandem Not Enough

2012-03-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

The White Sox proved Sunday that their deep hitting arsenal,quality pitching staff and never-say-die attitude won't be enough towin every game.

But it will be good enough to win most.

"You don't expect to win every game," shortstop Ozzie Guillensaid after two Sox comebacks weren't enough in a 7-6 loss to theDetroit Tigers. "But you expect to win every series - and that'swhat we've been doing. If we can do that, we'll be exciting."

The game Sunday, which was played before a Comiskey Park crowdof 41,149, was certainly exciting, with two pairs of back-to-backhome runs from Julio Franco and Robin Ventura in the sixth and eighthinnings putting the Sox in …

Seoul Train

2012-03-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

MASS TRANSIT

SOUTH KOREA'S Online Electric Vehicle looks a bit like a kiddie ride, and its first public demonstration took place at an amusement park near the capital, Seoul. But don't underestimate the OLEV: It's powerful enough to tow three city buses. Moreover, according to the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), it may revolutionize electric-vehicle transportation. Sucking power magnetically from grid-powered electric strips buried 12 inches below the roadbed, the train collects and distributes the power to either its motor or a battery. The system requires smaller batteries, recharges rapidly, and …

FINA-Grand Prix Diving Results

2012-03-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

Results Thursday at the FINA United States Grand Prix diving event:

Men

3-Meter Synchronized

Final

1. Luo Yutong and Xinhua Zhang, China, 441.39 points.

2. Christopher Colwill and Jevon Tarantino, United States, 416.37.

3. Anton Zakharov and Dmytro Lysenko, Ukraine, 409.62.

4. Scott Robertson and Robert Newbery, Australia, 397.74.

5. Reuben Ross and Eric Sehn, Canada, 396.39.

6. Nicola Marconi and Tommaso Marconi, Italy, 387.27.

7. David Boudia and Thomas Finchum, United States, 381.75.

8. Tobias Schellenberg and Andreas Wels, Germany, 379.38.

9. …

Devine urged to look into inmates' beating allegations

2012-03-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

Groups ranging from Amnesty International to the Chicago Councilof Lawyers urged State's Attorney Dick Devine Thursday to investigateclaims that seven Cook County Jail inmates were beaten whilehandcuffed last month by as many as 50 jail guards, some armed withpool cues.

But the Cook County sheriff's office dismissed the allegations,saying the inmates were trying to cash in on recent publicity aboutbrutality by jail guards. The office added that it expects theinmates will be charged in connection with the July 27 incident.

"What do you expect from them?" said jail spokeswoman Sally Daly."Every one of them is charged with murder or sexual assault. Theseguys are among …

Quarryville calls brothers back home

2012-03-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

Bucking industry trends toward big chain stores, a Centervillebased pharmacy has expanded to Quarryville and plans to open a third store in Lancaster County.

Pharmacy owner Steve Wiley and his brother, John, who is 15 years younger, opened a second pharmacy that bears the Wiley name in their hometown of Quarryville. There, John now manages and operates the store.

Wiley's Pharmacy set up shop in Centerville eight years ago. While the two brothers often had talked about going into business together, Steve didn't expect the idea to come to fruition so soon. Until now, the two shared what each considers to be similar personalities, interests and career choices. Both are …

Tatas to move production of world's cheapest car

2012-03-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

Tata Motors says it has decided to move the factory where it has been building the world's cheapest car because of opposition from a powerful political group.

Tata group chairman Ratan Tata says he is considering offers …

Drovers glad to be tested

2012-03-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

AS we enter the period of the season that is disrupted by theshowcase autumn inter national series, Llandovery RFC coach GeraintWilliams was delighted that his charges were able to have a testingrun out before emerging 24-10 victors at Loughor in theCarmarthenshire Tyres League.

The Drovers have suffered badly as victims of their own successin recent times, with games frequently subject to last-minutecancellations on the part of opposition teams not relishing the taskof a visit to Church Bank and thus making a mockery of the challengefor league honours.

Full credit, then, to the Estuarymen, who once again fielded afull-strength team and gave this league …

Duncan, Spurs Eliminate Nuggets in 5

2012-03-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

SAN ANTONIO - Goodbye A.I. and Melo. Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs are moving on. Duncan had 23 points and 12 rebounds as the Spurs beat the Denver Nuggets 93-78 in Game 5 of the Western Conference quarterfinals Wednesday night.

Despite Denver's big midseason acquisition of Allen Iverson from Philadelphia, he and All-Star Carmelo Anthony couldn't get the Nuggets out of the first round.

Iverson has 21 points and eight assists and Anthony also had 21 points. …

Poland coach Leo Beenhakker honored by president for reaching Euro 2008

2012-03-14T04:29:00.000-07:00

Poland coach Leo Beenhakker was honored by the country's president on Wednesday for his success in qualifying the team for the European Championship.

Beenhakker, a Dutchman, was presented with the Cross of the Order of the Rebirth of Poland for leading the team to its first ever European finals, which will be held in June in Austria and Switzerland.

"I want to express right from my heart that I am very thankful and very honored to receive this award," Beenhakker said during a ceremony at the residence of President Lech Kaczynski.

"Winning football matches is always great," …

Critics say orcas not meant to entertain: ; Creatures are too big and too smart to be held in captivity, scientist says

2012-03-14T01:42:00.000-07:00

ORLANDO, Fla. - Rocky, a 700-pound grizzly considered one of themost gentle animals of all Hollywood's performing beasts, bites downon the neck of a veteran trainer. Illusionist Roy Horn is severelymauled by a show tiger during a Las Vegas performance. An elephantat an Indonesian tourist resort tramples its longtime handler todeath.

And now the latest - a 40-year-old trainer at SeaWorld Orlando isdrowned by a massive 12,000-pound killer whale named Tilikum, anincident that raises anew the question of whether some beasts,especially the biggest ones, have any business being tamed toentertain.

Descriptions of Tilikum, the 22-foot orca which has now killedtwo trainers, inevitably come around to his intimidating size.

At nearly six tons, the bull bought for breeding is a giant amongkiller whales, the largest in captivity.

"Humans trying to incarcerate orcas or elephants or any type oflarge brain or large society species, it's proven it doesn't work,"said Mark Berman, associate director at the environmental groupEarth Island Institute in Berkeley, Calif. "They're just too big."

No animals were meant to entertain humans, he said.

In fact, an investigation by California's workplace safety officeinto a 2006 attack by an orca on a trainer at SeaWorld's San Diegopark initially reported that it was only a matter of time before atrainer was killed. That trainer escaped with a broken foot.

However, after objections from SeaWorld that the office had noplace offering opinions that a trainer's death was inevitable, theworkplace safety officials rescinded the report and apologized. Theynoted its investigation required expertise it didn't have.

Former SeaWorld head trainer Thad Lacinak says captive killerwhales serve as ambassadors of the species to educate the public andhelp protect them in the wild.

"These animals are invaluable in terms of what we can learn fromthem. And you cannot learn about killer whales through a pair ofbinoculars," Lacinak said.

Using killer whales to perform, or displaying animals at zoos,brings them to life for the public, he said, something that watchingthe Discovery Channel just can't do.

"We know for a fact that people do not learn in staticconditions. They learn from these animals when they are entertainedby them," Lacinak said. "That's just how people learn. They don'tlearn when they're bored ... They have a greater appreciation of theanimals when they walk out." Lacinak also stated the obvious - thattrainers know their jobs are inherently dangerous but take the risksbecause they believe they're outweighed by the rewards.

Orlando SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau was rubbing Tilikum froma poolside platform on Wednesday when the whale reached up, grabbedher ponytail and dragged her underwater. She died from multipletraumatic injuries and drowning.

Brancheau's funeral was set for Monday at a church in Chicago,where a wake was held Sunday.

Killer whales are the largest of the dolphin species. They areextremely intelligent and the most efficient predators in the sea.Some say killer whales are just too smart to be penned in pools thatcan bore them and possibly lead to trouble.

"Orcas are simply too big, too complex, too intelligent to beadequately accommodated in captivity," said Naomi Rose, a marinemammal scientist with the Humane Society of the United States. "Thetanks are always going to be too featureless, too small. ... Thenumber of incidents where trainers have been injured is much greaterthan most people know. They aren't all reported."

Orcas in the wild can travel up to 100 miles in a day andthousands of miles in a lifetime in the ocean, where they aregenerally harmless to humans, said Howard Garrett, co-founder anddirector of the Washington-based nonprofit Orca Network.

"In their natural habitat, there is no record of any harm to ahuman anywhere," Garrett said. "You cannot say that about elephantsor wolves or any other highly evolved social mammal, and that reallyis extraordinary."

Even in captivity, orcas rarely attack out of aggression, Lacinaksaid, adding that they are usually cases of a killer whale trying toplay with a trainer.

"It was not a bloodthirsty attack," Lacinak said of the recentincident at SeaWorld.

He said the whale likely saw the trainer's ponytail as a toy,then dragged the woman into the water and turned it into a game.

Gary Wilson, a professor at Moorpark College in California, thecountry's only school where students can learn to train marinemammals, believes that interacting with animals in the wild would bebetter, but that's not possible for most people.

"If it was a perfect world we wouldn't need to have any animalsin captivity, but the reality is in order to learn about theseanimals and to actually ensure their survival in the wild, we needto have them in captivity so we can study them and people can learnto appreciate them," Wilson said. "If SeaWorld didn't have dolphinsand whales in captivity, there would be many fewer people in theworld that even cared about them at all."

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Beltran Supplies Power As Mets Rout Braves

2012-03-13T22:50:00.000-07:00

ATLANTA - If the New York Mets keep playing like this, they won't have to worry about coming up short again to the Atlanta Braves. Carlos Beltran homered twice, Orlando Hernandez allowed only three hits in eight innings and the Mets buried their old nemesis a little deeper in the NL East, routing the Braves 11-3 Saturday.

Hernandez didn't give up an earned run - Atlanta took advantage of two New York errors - and he also picked up the first two RBIs of his career during a seven-run sixth that broke open a 3-all game.

Beltran capped the big inning with a three-run homer off Chad Paronto, who had just replaced starter Tim Hudson. The Mets center fielder also hit a two-run shot in the first and now has 30 homers for the year - 14 more than he did during a disappointing first season in New York.

"I just want to stay healthy," he said. "If you're not healthy, you can't accomplish much. The difference between this year and last year is I have been healthy."

Endy Chavez chipped in with three RBIs for New York, which outhit the Braves 15-4.

Hernandez (7-8) won his third straight decision and further solidified his spot in the Mets' shaky rotation, their only major area of concern as they go for their first playoff appearance since reaching the Subway World Series in 2000.

"I'm not thinking about the postseason yet," El Duque said. "I'm staying ready for tomorrow. The postseason is way in the future."

The Mets, four times a runner-up to Atlanta in the East, now hold a commanding 14-game lead on their rival, which had hoped to use the weekend series to boost its flagging hopes of winning a 15th straight division title.

Instead, the Braves suddenly resemble the team that won only six games in June. After winning six straight series to get back into the wild-card race, the Braves have lost four of five at home.

"This ain't exactly how we wanted this series to start out," Hudson said. "We've just got to put these two games behind us and try to salvage one."

On Sunday, the Mets will go for their first sweep of at least three games in Atlanta since 1985.

It was another rough outing for Hudson (8-9), who gave up nine earned runs to equal the worst showing of his career. He allowed 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings, leaving the field to a round of boos from another big crowd at Turner Field as his ERA climbed to 5.25.

Since scoring four runs off Pedro Martinez in the first inning Friday, Atlanta has only five hits over the last 17 innings against the Mets - including a 2-for-45 stretch.

Hudson stumbled in the beginning but appeared to be settling down with three straight scoreless innings. Then came the sixth.

Struggling with his control, Hudson walked David Wright, gave up a single to Cliff Floyd and let both runners move up with a wild pitch. After Hudson walked Jose Valentin intentionally to load the bases, Chavez's two-run single put the Mets ahead for good.

Then came the killer for Hudson. His counterpart, batting for only the 30th time in a career spent mostly in the American League, singled up the middle to drive in two more runs and push the Mets to a 7-3 lead.

Asked if he remembered his last RBI, Hernandez said, "I think it was in Cuba."

Hudson's third walk of the inning finally brought manager Bobby Cox out of the dugout to lift his starter. But Beltran got hold of Paronto's third pitch, sending a drive into the right-field seats that sent many in the sellout of 49,047 scurrying for home.

"I thought I threw some pretty good pitches, but they hit them," Hudson said. "You've got to tip your cap to them. They're a good ballclub."

He might be giving the Mets a little too much credit. Over his last nine starts, Hudson is 2-5 with an ERA of 8.87. He has allowed 70 hits, eight homers and 23 walks during that stretch of 44 2-3 innings.

"Obviously, this is something no one wants to go through," Hudson said. "I feel good. It's almost like the other team knows what I'm going to throw sometimes."

The only downer for the Mets: First baseman Carlos Delgado left the game in the third after getting struck on the right knee with a pitch from Hudson. But X-rays were negative and he was day to day with a painful bruise.

The Mets started the game with three straight hits off Hudson, including Beltran's homer to right-center. The Braves mitigated the damage somewhat by throwing out Jose Reyes attempting to steal.

Atlanta scored in the bottom half after Wright messed up a likely double play with a high throw from third base.

Chavez hit a run-scoring triple in the second, but Marcus Giles tied it up with a two-out, two-run single in the Braves' half. Reyes kicked away a grounder at shortstop to extend the inning.

Notes:@ Hernandez picked up his second regular-season win against the Braves, the first coming on June 2, 2000, when he allowed one run in seven innings for the Yankees. ... Beltran had the 16th multihomer game of his career and third this season. ... Hudson allowed nine earned runs in a game two other times, most recently on May 4, 2002, while pitching for Oakland.

Wendy's/Arby's, Abercrombie & Fitch are big movers

2012-03-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market:

NYSE:

Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc., down 35 cents at $4.59

The fast-food chain said its fourth-quarter loss narrowed, even as its Arby's chain continued to struggle.

Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd., up 72 cents at $14.40

Suntech earned nearly $50 million in the fourth quarter after reducing expenses while boosting shipments of solar products to the U.S.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co., up $5.28 at $41.52

Stores open at least a year grew 5 percent in February on strength across all divisions, handily topping Wall Street's expectations.

Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA, down $1.98 at $49.42

The world's largest brewer posted a fourth-quarter profit of $1.28 billion, down 20 percent from the previous quarter.

NASDAQ:

Ciena Corp., down 58 cents at $13.97

The telecommunications equipment maker posted a larger loss as it recorded costs from a pending acquisition of businesses from Nortel.

PetSmart Inc., up $2.22 at $29.93

Strong fourth-quarter earnings and 2010 guidance beat expectations, while analysts said products and services have improved.

TiVo Inc., up $6.32 at $16.53

A federal appeals court has sided with TiVo in the second phase of its long-running patent lawsuit against Dish Network.

Take-Two Interactive Inc., up 99 cents at $10.02

The video game publisher posted first-quarter results and a profit forecast that surpassed Wall Street's expectations.

Global Weathner-Celsius

2012-03-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

	MIN	MAX	COND	PRECIP	MIN	MAX	COND	MIN	MAX	COND
Amsterdam	16	20	rn	0.0	16	23	rn	15	24	pc
Athens	22	32	clr	0.0	22	33	clr	22	34	clr
Atlanta	21	33	clr	0.0	22	35	pc	21	34	pc
Auckland	9	15	rn	0.0	9	15	rn	9	16	pc
Basra	x	x	x	33	48	pc	33	46	clr
Bahrain	32	37	clr	0.0	32	40	pc	32	39	pc
Bangkok	25	33	rn	1.4	26	34	cdy	25	30	rn
Barbados	25	31	clr	0.1	26	30	rn	25	31	rn
Barcelona	22	29	clr	0.0	23	31	clr	24	31	clr
Beijing	24	33	clr	0.0	23	35	pc	24	32	rn
Beirut	23	31	clr	0.0	24	31	clr	25	32	clr
Belgrade	19	33	clr	0.0	20	33	pc	19	30	pc
Berlin	16	24	rn	0.0	13	22	pc	12	26	pc
Bermuda	26	30	pc	0.0	26	28	rn	25	29	rn
Bogota	8	18	pc	0.0	9	20	pc	9	19	pc
Boston	18	28	clr	0.0	18	21	pc	16	21	rn
Brasilia	15	28	pc	0.0	11	30	pc	14	30	pc
Brisbane	6	20	clr	0.0	9	20	pc	6	20	pc
Brussels	15	22	rn	0.0	13	23	pc	15	29	pc
Bucharest	14	34	clr	0.0	16	35	pc	17	33	clr
Budapest	15	32	rn	0.0	18	25	rn	15	28	pc
Buenos Aires	6	13	rn	0.1	9	12	clr	8	15	pc
Cairo	23	34	clr	0.0	23	35	clr	23	35	clr
Calgary	8	23	clr	0.0	12	24	pc	12	26	clr
Caracas	26	32	clr	0.0	26	32	pc	25	32	pc
Chicago	20	31	rn	0.0	21	30	rn	18	29	pc
Colombo	26	29	pc	0.0	26	31	pc	25	31	pc
Copenhagen	15	19	rn	3.0	14	21	rn	14	22	rn
Dhahran	31	44	clr	0.0	30	43	pc	29	43	pc
Dhaka	30	31	rn	0.1	27	30	rn	28	31	rn
Dili	20	31	clr	0.0	21	32	pc	21	32	pc
Dubai	33	43	clr	0.0	32	39	pc	32	39	pc
Dublin	13	18	rn	0.0	12	19	rn	13	19	rn
Frankfurt	17	26	rn	1.2	14	25	pc	14	27	rn
Geneva	19	28	clr	0.0	15	28	pc	15	31	pc
Guatemala	15	24	rn	0.7	16	26	rn	15	25	pc
Hanoi	27	33	pc	4.2	25	36	pc	26	33	rn
Harare	8	18	pc	0.0	8	23	cdy	7	23	pc
Havana	20	32	rn	0.6	22	32	rn	21	32	pc
Helsinki	11	16	rn	0.0	10	16	rn	9	19	pc
Hong Kong	27	34	rn	0.0	26	29	rn	26	31	rn
Honolulu	24	31	rn	0.0	23	31	rn	24	31	rn
Islamabad	25	27	rn	3.1	22	32	pc	23	34	clr
Istanbul	22	29	clr	0.0	21	31	clr	21	31	clr
Jakarta	22	31	pc	0.0	22	30	pc	22	33	pc
Jerusalem	24	32	pc	0.0	20	32	clr	20	33	clr
Johannesburg	6	15	pc	0.0	9	20	clr	8	21	clr
Kabul	22	34	clr	0.0	19	34	clr	20	34	clr
Kiev	18	29	cdy	0.0	19	27	pc	18	21	rn
Kuala Lumpur	24	33	rn	0.0	23	33	rn	23	30	rn
Kuwait	32	46	clr	0.0	33	46	clr	32	44	pc
La Paz	-7	14	clr	0.0	-6	12	pc	-6	15	rn
Lima	17	20	cdy	0.0	16	20	pc	16	20	pc
Lisbon	20	33	clr	0.0	21	30	clr	19	28	pc
London	11	21	rn	0.0	14	20	rn	16	24	pc
Los Angeles	20	29	clr	0.0	19	29	pc	19	29	pc
Madrid	19	39	clr	0.0	20	39	clr	21	37	pc
Managua	24	33	rn	0.0	22	33	rn	22	34	pc
Manila	24	29	rn	0.0	25	32	pc	25	30	rn
Mecca	32	45	clr	0.0	32	44	pc	31	43	pc
Melbourne	5	12	rn	0.0	5	16	pc	6	11	rn
Mexico City	15	25	rn	0.0	13	22	rn	13	22	rn
Miami	25	32	rn	0.0	24	32	rn	24	32	rn
Montevideo	5	11	rn	0.7	8	12	pc	3	15	clr
Montreal	15	24	pc	0.0	16	23	rn	16	21	rn
Moscow	13	17	rn	0.0	14	17	rn	13	18	rn
Nairobi	14	23	pc	0.0	15	24	rn	14	24	pc
Nassau	25	33	rn	0.3	27	34	pc	27	33	rn
New Delhi	25	34	rn	7.3	27	34	rn	27	34	rn
New York	20	29	clr	0.0	19	29	pc	21	29	rn
Nice	22	28	clr	0.0	25	30	clr	24	27	rn
Osaka	28	35	rn	0.0	26	34	rn	26	33	rn
Oslo	11	16	rn	0.3	9	18	pc	9	17	rn
Panama	23	32	pc	0.0	24	31	rn	25	31	rn
Paris	17	24	rn	0.0	13	26	pc	17	30	pc
Perth	3	18	clr	0.0	7	20	clr	6	17	rn
Prague	16	26	rn	0.3	15	24	pc	13	27	pc
Rio de Janeiro	19	21	rn	0.0	19	23	cdy	19	29	pc
Rome	19	33	clr	0.0	20	32	clr	19	32	clr
San Francisco	11	17	cdy	0.0	12	17	pc	13	18	pc
San Jose	18	26	rn	2.8	18	28	rn	18	28	rn
San Juan	25	31	rn	0.0	24	28	rn	24	28	clr
San Salvador	20	31	rn	0.0	21	29	rn	20	32	pc
Santiago	4	10	rn	0.1	2	15	clr	4	15	pc
Sao Paulo	13	21	pc	0.0	15	23	pc	18	25	rn
Sapporo	16	29	clr	0.0	21	29	pc	21	28	pc
Seoul	21	30	clr	0.0	22	32	clr	24	33	clr
Singapore	26	31	rn	0.2	26	32	rn	26	31	rn
Sofia	13	32	clr	0.0	16	33	pc	18	31	pc
Stockholm	13	19	rn	0.0	14	18	rn	10	23	pc
Sydney	7	15	clr	0.0	6	16	cdy	9	17	pc
Taipei	26	35	clr	0.0	25	31	pc	25	31	cdy
Tegucigalpa	17	28	rn	0.1	17	29	rn	18	29	pc
Tehran	24	37	clr	0.0	22	38	clr	22	40	clr
Tel Aviv	24	32	pc	0.0	23	32	clr	23	33	clr
Tokyo	27	34	rn	0.0	26	31	rn	26	31	rn
Turin	20	29	pc	0.0	19	30	pc	19	29	rn
Toronto	16	24	clr	0.1	20	26	pc	21	26	pc
Tunis	23	35	clr	0.0	24	36	clr	24	36	clr
Valletta	22	32	clr	0.0	23	32	clr	23	32	clr
Vancouver	12	22	clr	0.0	18	30	clr	20	31	clr
Vienna	17	31	rn	0.1	17	25	pc	15	27	pc
Warsaw	14	27	rn	0.4	15	22	rn	15	21	rn
Washington	21	31	clr	0.0	21	31	rn	22	30	pc
Zurich	15	24	rn	0.2	17	25	rn	13	29	pc
Baghdad	29	42	clr	0.0	32	46	clr	32	45	clr
x - Indicates missing information.
clr - clear
pc - partly cloudy
cdy - cloudy
rn - rain
sn - snow
Source: Weather Underground
END

Isis Pharmaceuticals Receives Award From Homeland Security

2012-03-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

The Ibis division of lsis Pharmaceuticals has been granted two new contracts from the Department of Homeland security to develop a microbial forensics application of its triangulation identification for genetic evaluation risks (TIGER) biosensor system. Microbial forensics is used in the investigation of crimes involving infectious agents, comparing the genetic "fingerprint" of an infectious agent to that of a potential source.

The awards, totaling $1.5 million, will also support further development of the Microbial Rosetta Stone (MRS) database, a key component of the TIGER system, to include additional genetic information on infectious agents. Additional government-funded TIGER applications in development include bioweapons defense, biological product screening, and epidemiological surveillance. Ibis has set goals to deploy biosensor systems to government partners this year.

Captured tanks boost Israel's line of defense

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

KETZIYOT, Israel (UPI) When last in combat, the tanks at thisdesert base along the Egyptian border were painted with Arab markingsand seen through Israeli gunsights.

Stripped to bare metal, upgraded with Israeli and Americanequipment and repainted, these Soviet-built tanks now defend Israel.

Israeli forces captured more than enough T-54, T-55 and T-62tanks from Egypt and Syria in the 1967 and 1973 wars to create adivision of 300 of them. They call it the 540th.

Tank columns need support vehicles and Israel's wars suppliedthose, too. Sitting in rows of corrugated iron sheds are armoredpersonnel carriers, fuel trucks and supply vehicles, all from Sovietfactories and all formerly driven by Egyptian or Syrian soldiers.

Everything that moves on tracks or wheels in the 540th was builtby the Soviets.

"Any good army is one that has enemy tanks in its ranks," saidthe division commander, a brigadier general who could not beidentified for security reasons.

Bravado aside, no other army has captured as many enemy tanks.

Israel used captured Soviet tanks with their original Egyptianmarkings to create havoc behind Egyptian lines along the Suez Canalduring fighting in 1968-70. The general did not dismiss thepossibility of using similar tactics again.

Having the primary ground weapons of their adversaries alsogives the Israelis a chance to study their advantages andlimitations, aiding in developing their own tank, the Merkava.

It also has been a benefit to American armored specialists,whose tanks face the Russians in Europe.

To correct one deficiency, the Israelis installed airconditioning to ward off the blistering desert heat.

"These Eastern tanks are a nightmare" for the crews, the generalsaid.

"The human engineering is horrendous. You sweat your guts outand work your guts out in a Russian tank. It's easier to fight inAmerican tanks because they're better for the gunner."

Marseille aiming to finish off Ajax in UEFA Cup

2012-03-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Marseille is at Ajax in the UEFA Cup on Wednesday confident that it can finish what it started when it beat the Dutch club last week.

Marseille beat its fellow former European champion 2-1 in France to take a slim advantage into the second leg of the round-of-16 match, and is on a high after going within a point of longtime leader Lyon in the French league.

Marseille won 3-1 at fierce rival Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday with a performance that could be ideal preparation for another tough away trip _ this time to the Amsterdam ArenA.

"Our confidence is huge and that must help us to continue and progress," midfielder Lorik Cana said.

Ajax warmed up for the match with a 3-0 Dutch league win over De Graafschap at the weekend, but, despite dominating possession, the Amsterdam club gave away several chances through careless play and could be punished by a better side.

Marseille coach Erik Gerets, who played and managed in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven, may make changes to a winning team to ensure his players aren't too tired with the final still five matches away.

Boudewijn Zenden was man of the match after scoring the first goal against PSG, but even if he sits out the match, Marseille can call upon Mamadou Niang or Hatem Ben Arfa to replace him.

"We have a coach who knows Dutch football," said Cana, who also scored Sunday. "We will listen to him and try to apply what he tells us. There will perhaps be changes but Marseille will have a very competitive team on the field."

PSG's first loss in eight matches hit its preparations for its UEFA Cup match at Braga, one of six on Thursday. The teams are tied 0-0 following the first match.

Ukrainian rivals Dynamo Kiev and Metalist Kharkiv are tied 1-1, while Hamburg is also at 1-1 ahead of its visit to 2000 UEFA Cup winner Galatasaray.

Although Hamburg beat Energie Cottbus 2-0 on Sunday to keep alive its challenge for the Bundesliga title, it will be without key striker Mladen Petric after he tore a right thigh muscle in that match.

His replacement, Piotr Trochowski, scored the second goal but damaged knee ligaments and could also miss the match in Istanbul.

Also Thursday, defending champion Zenit St. Petersburg needs to overturn a 2-0 deficit against visiting Udinese.

Udinese has extra motivation to progress in Russia. As the last Italian club still playing in Europe, Udinese could help maintain the country's standing in the UEFA rankings and keep Serie A's fourth Champions League berth.

"It means more responsibility, but we don't feel like we're the saviors of Italian football," forward Fabio Quagliarella said. "We've just got to do our job, that's it. A two-goal lead is pretty good, but it's still going to be tough to advance."

Udinese goalkeeper Samir Handanovic is likely to return after missing Sunday's 1-1 draw with Catania, but defenders Andrea Coda and Maurizio Domizzi are out.

All three of Udinese's forwards _ Quagliarella, Antonio Di Natale and Simone Pepe _ play for Italy.

CSKA Moscow, the 2005 winner, is at Shakhtar Donetsk with a 1-0 lead, and Manchester City takes a 2-0 lead to Aalborg.

With City manager Mark Hughes reportedly unhappy at Robinho's work ethic, the Brazil striker could sit out the match anyway after he was substituted in Sunday's 1-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea because of an ankle problem.

Saint-Etienne hosts Werder Bremen in Wednesday's other match.

Argentina, Messi to stick with winning formula

2012-03-13T04:03:00.000-07:00

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Lionel Messi will be surrounded by the same lineup which started the last game when Argentina faces Uruguay in the Copa America quarterfinals on Saturday.

Messi had his best game in the Copa America on Monday when Argentina defeated Costa Rica 3-0 with two goals from Sergio Aguero. Coach Sergio Batista made four changes for that match, and he's sticking with them.

Messi, who played with the flair he shows at Barcelona, will be the playmaker for Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain and Aguero with support from Fernando Gago at midfield.

"I know when Leo touches the ball, I start to run and look for space," Aguero said Wednesday. "Messi is the best in the world and there are no words to explain how he plays."

Messi and Aguero played together in the Argentina team that won the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medal.

Gago, who plays for Real Madrid, enjoying being on the same side as Messi.

"It is easy to play with him," Gago said in an interview on radio La Red. "He always gives you the chance that, with just one touch, you're in alone. We have the best, and we have to take advantage."

Messi played the first two matches in the Copa America — both draws — with forwards Carlos Tevez and Ezequiel Lavezzi. He clicked with neither and, unless something unexpected happens, they are not expected to play much in the remaining matches.

Uruguay's defense will be weakened after Sebastian Coates was suspended for receiving a second yellow card. Mauricio Victorino is likely to fill in.

Martin Caceres is set to return after sitting out a suspension in the 1-0 victory on over Mexico on Tuesday. He may be replaced Alvaro Pereira, who scored the winning goal against Mexico.

Forward Edinson Cavani is almost sure to miss the match with an injured knee.

Rossi looking to clinch title at Japan GP

2012-03-13T00:58:00.000-07:00

Italy's Valentino Rossi is on the brink of winning his sixth MotoGP world championship and could wrap up the title at this weekend's Grand Prix of Japan.

Rossi, who last won the MotoGP world championship in 2005, has an 87-point lead over defending champion Casey Stoner of Australia heading into the 15th event of the season, where needs only a podium finish to secure the title.

"We cannot put too much pressure on ourselves and I will try to treat it like another normal race," Rossi said on the MotoGP official Web site. "We have a good margin of points, but there are still four more races so it's not over."

Rossi has won seven races this year including four straight from the United States Grand Prix in July.

Stoner wrapped up the 2007 MotoGP world championship at Motegi with a sixth-place finish last year.

After a practice session Friday, qualifying for Sunday's race will be held Saturday at the 4.8-kilomter (2.98 mile) Twin Ring Motegi course north of Tokyo.

Rossi has only won once before at Motegi, on a 500cc Honda in 2001. He ran off the course with four laps to go and finished 13th last year.

Italy's Loris Capirossi has won the last three MotoGP races in Japan, but is struggling this year and has yet to claim a podium finish.

Spanish riders Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo are third and fourth in the standings respectively, followed by Italy's Andrea Dovizioso.

Veteran rider Shinya Nakano will carry the hopes of the host nation.

Nakano, the only full-time Japanese rider in the MotoGP world championship, will be looking for his first podium of the season, while countryman Kousuke Akiyoshi will make his first appearance of the season as a wild card for Rizla Suzuki team.

Volunteering in a fabulous city

2012-03-12T22:01:00.000-07:00

The city of Ferndale is partnering with Affirmations, FernCare, Ferndale Community Foundation, Friends of the Ferndale Library and the Midwest AIDS Coalition to create a unique volunteer open house. The gathering will help people who want to volunteer learn more about where, how and why volunteering makes a difference. Learn about some of the organizations and opportunities around Ferndale. The event is planned for Monday, Nov. 15 from 5:30 p.m. to 7: 30 p.m. at Blumz by JR Designs located at 503 E. Nine Mile. To learn more call Ferndale DDA at 248-546-1632.

Davenport wins first round match in Auckland

2012-03-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

Lindsay Davenport got off to a good start in her first tuneup event for the Australian Open, beating fellow American Laura Granville 6-2, 6-3 Monday in the first round of the ASB Women's Classic.

Davenport won in 66 minutes and looked fit and sharp as she prepares for her first Grand Slam in more than a year beginning Jan. 14 in Melbourne.

"I had a lot of fun. I was really enjoying myself playing out there," Davenport said. "There were a few things I'd like to be doing better but the first match of the season is always tough and I haven't had much match play recently."

The 31-year-old Davenport spent 11 months away from the tour in 2007 for the birth of her first child, son Jagger. She's 14-1 since her return, winning two titles.

Davenport, ranked 61st, broke Granville in the first game of the first set and again in the seventh game. Davenport stumbled only once, when she lost serve with two double-faults in the sixth game of the second set. But she recovered her momentum to win the set in 38 minutes with more than 30 winners.

Davenport has won three Grand Slam titles _ the U.S. Open in 1998, Wimbledon in 1999 and the Australian Open in 2000 _ along with an Olympic gold medal in 1996. She finished four seasons ranked No. 1: 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2005.

Third-seeded Katerina Srebotnik of Slovenia, a former winner in Auckland, advanced to the second round when her Russian opponent, Anastasia Rodionova, retired in the second set. Rodionova was trailing 6-0, 3-0 when she was forced to quit due to an eye irritation.

Ashley Harkleroad of the United States upset eighth-seeded Emilie Loit of France 6-4, 6-1. Former winner Meilin Tu of the United States, playing in the tournament for the 11th straight year, was beaten 6-3, 7-5 by Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic.

Genocide charges not a threat to Sudan's leader

2012-03-12T14:54:00.000-07:00

Buoyed by support from the Arab and African world, Sudan's president showed no signs of giving in to pressure Tuesday after an international prosecutor sought his arrest for war crimes in Darfur.

Omar al-Bashir has emerged tarnished but apparently unbowed from the chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court charging him with orchestrating a campaign that the U.N. says has killed 300,000 people and driven 2.5 million from their homes in Sudan's western region.

"This regime is not in crisis," said Mahjoub Mohammed Saleh, a respected analyst and co-founder of the independent newspaper al-Ayam.

Life flowed normally in the capital one day after prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked the Netherlands-based court to issue a warrant for al-Bashir's arrest. There were no mass protests or any hint of hasty evacuations by foreigners, U.N. officials or aid workers.

The U.N. peacekeeping force in Darfur announced it was temporarily relocating nonessential personnel to neighboring countries, but there were no figures immediately available on how many.

Khartoum's tranquility was broken only by a few hundred vocal al-Bashir supporters who rallied outside his palace.

Later in the day, a hundred or so lawyers protested outside the French Embassy. Al-Bashir's government portrays France, the United States and Britain as the driving forces in what it describes as a campaign to destabilize Sudan.

Many Sudanese and even the United Nations, analysts say, want to see the president stay in power to revive faltering peace negotiations with Darfur rebels and to make good on his promise to hold what could be Sudan's freest and fairest elections in decades next year.

A soldier turned politician, al-Bashir signed a new and progressive election law Monday that many in Sudan view as a turning point in the country's march toward genuine democracy. The law sets aside 25 percent of parliament seats for women and allows foreign experts to monitor the vote, slated for the fall of 2009.

Al-Bashir's position may even have been bolstered by the genocide charges, which led some countries to criticize the international tribunal.

The Arab League, which is to hold an emergency session Saturday to discuss the charges, offered support to al-Bashir, as did Egypt's government.

The league's envoy to Sudan, Salah Halima, described the indictment as a serious blow to peace efforts in Darfur and said it would further undermine stability in a region beset by internal and cross-border conflicts.

He added that "there are countries with political agendas that target Sudan."

Yemen's president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, telephoned al-Bashir to express support while his Foreign Ministry called the indictment "a grave and unacceptable interference in Sudan's internal affairs and in the affairs of all Islamic and Arab countries."

Tanzania, the current chairman of the African Union, also criticized the prosecutor's decision to seek an arrest warrant, saying the move will harm peace efforts in Darfur, which has been wracked by fighting and atrocities since an uprising early in 2003.

But the most powerful support came from China, a major purchaser of Sudan's oil that said the charges could destabilize the region. A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Lieu Jianchao, said that "China expresses great concern and worry."

Al-Bashir also enjoys considerable domestic support for reviving Sudan.

A dour, balding man in his 60s, al-Bashir rose to power in a 1989 military coup that toppled a democratically elected but inept government. Already the longest serving head of state since independence in 1956, he represents a kind of continuity that Sudan did not see during decades of coups and attempted coups.

He took over at a time when southern rebels were closing in on Sudan's north, parts of Khartoum went for days without electricity or water, drivers lined up at service stations from the pre-dawn darkness for a few gallons and the country suffered hyperinflation.

Al-Bashir ordered one military offensive after another against rebel-held areas in southern Sudan before a 2005 peace deal ended more than two decades of fighting. Sudan struck oil, and gasoline lines became a thing of the past.

Basic items like sugar, once available only with foreign currency at duty-free shops in the 1980s, are now plentiful at the grocery stores that have sprung up in recent years.

"The indictment targets the symbol of our sovereignty at a time when Sudan is enjoying unprecedented economic prosperity and political progress," said Fathi Khalil, a prominent member of al-Bashir's ruling National Congress Party.

Former US detainee says he suffered prison abuse

2012-03-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

A German-born Turkish citizen is telling U.S. lawmakers of abuses he allegedly suffered while detained by the United States in Afghanistan and in the Guantanamo prison camp.

The lawmakers arranged for Murat Kurnaz to testify through a satellite link to a hearing on Guantanamo Tuesday.

Kurnaz was turned over to German authorities and freed from Guantanamo in 2006 after a personal plea from German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

He says that in 2002 in Afghanistan, U.S. interrogators tortured him. The alleged torture included electrical shocks and beatings while his head was held in a bucket of water. He says he also suffered abuse at Guantanamo.

A U.S. military tribunal had ruled that Kurnaz was an enemy combatant based on allegations that Kurnaz calls false.