Homebuilder index hits 16-year low
Confidence ebbs as delinquencies,Fiberglass Fiberglass Mesh Fiberglass Mat interest rates rise
By Bloomberg News  |  June 19, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Confidence among US home builders fell this month to the lowest since February 1991 as interest rates climbed and delinquencies surged.

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Sign up for: Globe Headlines e-mail | Breaking News Alerts The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo index of sentiment declined to 28 this month, from 30 in May, the Washington-based association said yesterday. Readings below 50 mean most respondents view conditions as poor. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News forecast the gauge to stay unchanged this month.

Home builders are losing money as they cut prices to stem a slide in sales amid stricter standards for getting mortgages. Builders have scaled back projects to work off bloated inventories, a sign housing construction will weigh on growth for the rest of the year, economists say.

"There will be continuing declines in home building through the second half" of this year, said Robert Mellman, an economist at JPMorgan Chase Corp. in New York.

JPMorgan Chase correctly forecast the drop in the home building index. The bank's economists now project residential construction will fall at a 7.5 percent annual rate in the second half, compared with a previous forecast of a 2.5 percent drop.

The median forecast of 35 economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for the index to stay at 30. Predictions ranged from 28 to 32.

The group's measure of single-family home sales fell to 29 from 31. A gauge of sales expectations for the next six months declined to 39 from 41.

Federal Reserve policy makers last month acknowledged that the housing recession will hold down growth longer than they had anticipated. At the same time, officials have kept their outlook for moderate growth in the overall economy as consumer spending gains and manufacturing accelerates.

"The environment is still very tough for builders," Joshua Shapiro, chief economist at MFR Inc. in New York, said before the report. "There is still a lot of inventory out there, and higher mortgage rates certainly don't help."

Thirty-year mortgage rates at the end of May averaged 6.37 percent, rising further to an average 6.74 percent at the end of last week, according to Freddie Mac, the second-largest purchaser of US mortgages.Louis Vuitton a-bike bicycle

Yesterday's report further showed that confidence fell in three of the fourpower cord Epoxiconazole US regions. The index declined to 27 from 32 in the West, to 19 from 22 in the Midwest and to 32 from 33 in the South. It rose to 35 from 32 in the Northeast.

Trainer likes Curlin's pre-Belmont workout
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Preakness champ Curlin, seen here with exercise rider Carmen Rosas at Churchill Downs, looks ready for this Saturday's Belmont Stakes, according to trainer Steve Asmussen.
 

By Tom Pedulla, USA TODAY
Trainer Steve Asmussen said Curlin was "easily recognizable" when he worked four furlongs in 50 3/5 seconds Monday at Churchill Downs in his last major tuneup for Saturday's Belmont Stakes.
While the Preakness champion was not pressed for speed during the drill, Asmussen saw everything he needed to see. "A horse his size just needs to be very fluid, very efficient, very relaxed," he said.

The outcome of the Belmont, the end of the three-races-in-five-weeks Triple Crown grind, may well hinge on whether the same 3-year-old is on display at Belmont Park as the one who overtook Street Sense in the last desperate stride of the Preakness and equaled the stakes record in 1:53.46 for the 1 3/16-mile contest.

The son of Smart Strike, unraced at 2 because of shin problems that often trouble young horses, has been regarded as a potential superstar from the moment he made a smashing debut with a 12 3/4-length romp at Florida's Gulfstream Park on Feb. 3.

John Moynihan, a Lexington, Ky., bloodstock agent, moved quickly to put together an ownership group of George Bolton, Jess Jackson and Satish Sanan that spent approximately $3.5 million to purchase an 80% interest in the horse from Midnight Cry Stable.

They then decided to transfer the colt from the barn of Helen Pitts to Asmussen, who has more experience preparing 3-year-olds for major stakes races.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Triple Crown | Preakness | Churchill Downs | Breeders ' Cup | Belmont Stakes | Derby | Street Sense | Curlin | Steve Asmussen
The chestnut, originally purchased for $57,000 as a yearling, just as quickly convinced his new connections that their majority stake in him was a bargain.

"Every time we led him over (for a race)," Asmussen said, "we thought he was the horse."

Curlin proved to be the best in the Grade 3 Rebel on March 17, when he made a powerful four-wide move at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., to dominate by 5 ¼ lengths. He was doubly impressive in the April 14 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn when his 10 ½-length margin set a record for that Grade 2 contest.

Curlin's lack of seasoning finally showed in his fourth career start. He failed to become the first horse unraced at 2 to win the Kentucky Derby since Apollo in 1882. Congestion in the 20-horse field caused him to lose momentum several times during the Run for the Roses. He still made a five-wide move to finish third.

If his ability was still in question, the Preakness erased any doubt. He stumbled out of the starting gate and struggled to navigate Pimlico's tight turns. Yet jockey Robby Albarado's measured ride allowed him to run down Street Sense, the first Juvenile champion in the 23 years of the Breeders' Cup to win the Derby.

Asmussen thinks he sees a change in his prized colt since the spring classics began. "Curlin was maybe a little more serious after the Derby, a little more cocky after the Preakness," he said.

The 1 ½-mile Belmont distance may be more daunting for Curlin than any of the challengers he will face. Derby runner-up and third-place Preakness finisher Hard Spun and Imawildandcrazyguy, fourth in the Derby, are prominent in the likely field of seven.

"It's a mile and a half against extremely good horses on a racetrack that can be loose," Asmussen said, referring to the fact that loose tracks can be very tiring.

While there are concerns,SmCo Temephos Etofenprox Prochloraz Epoxiconazole Fiberglass Fiberglass Mesh Fiberglass Mat a-bike bicycle Asmussen still feels he has the horse, just as he has felt before every start.

"I feel very confident about this horse in that he's doing really well," he said. "What everybody else is doing is out of our control."

Conservative approach:

Even with a small Belmont field taking shape, trainer Michael Matz is opting to send well-regarded Chelokee to the Grade 3 Northern Dancer at Churchill Downs on June 16. "To knock him out going a mile and a half, I don't see any reason for it," Matz said of the Belmont. "He's going in the right direction, and I want to keep it that way."

Pedroia a mighty mite for Red Sox  
 Baseball Perspectives
 
 Tom Singer
Dustin Pedroia watches the flight of his three-run double in the fifth inning. (Brita Meng Outzen/MLB.com)
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BOSTON -- For all of the gifts of this perennial Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, it also denies us. Amid the tension, drama and ordinarily high-level play, there is the absence of nurturing.
When either team has a hole to fill, it goes out to find top-shelf solutions. This simply is the impetuous law of this jungle. This isn't a rose garden for homegrown talent.

Thus, the Yankees replace an Aaron Boone with an Alex Rodriguez, a Gary Sheffield with a Bobby Abreu, a Bernie Williams with a Johnny Damon, and so on.

And the Red Sox get a J.D. Drew for Trot Nixon's footsteps, a Mike Lowell for Bill Mueller's and, in an ongoing search for a solution around the keystone, keep returning to the revolving door of middle infielders.

If Orlando Cabrera doesn't work out at short, they get Edgar Renteria, then Alex Gonzalez, then Julio Lugo. At second, they go from Todd Walker to Mark Bellhorn to Mark Loretta.

Then, the revolving door jams for some reason. And this is how we get to Dustin Pedroia, the type of 5-foot-9, 23-year-old who usually is a placemat in The Rivalry.

Perhaps second base was merely an afterthought for Boston general manager Theo Epstein, who dedicated his offseason to bagging Daisuke Matsuzaka and replacing Gonzalez.

But, now, Pedroia is in the forefront for the runaway American League East leaders, a little guy doing things big enough to make people rub their eyes in astonishment.

Sunday night here, he figuratively lost one to the biggest guy.

Three innings after his three-run double off The Green Monster's farthest reaches had keyed a five-run fifth, Pedroia's two-out screamer to right-center somehow found the tip of the webbing of Abreu's glove, stopping two potential runs racing around the bases in their tracks.

A little later, Rodriguez took Jonathan Papelbon on virtually the same fly pattern, only a bit deeper, to jolt the Yankees dugout on this long night's journey into the next day.

Rodriguez, the $252 million man, comes from The Rivalry central casting. Pedroia, who makes in a season about what A-Rod makes in a day-night doubleheader, does not.

Yet, Pedroia has been stealing the show for Boston. He is hitting .489 (23-for-47) during a 13-game hitting streak. More impressively, he has hit .460 over his last 23 games.

Most impressively, he was hitting .172 prior to this stretch, which has pumped his average to .336.

Just like flipping a switch, eh?

"I'm not doing much differently, just playing the game," Pedroia said deferentially in a Boston clubhouse hushed by the loss of the 6-5 fight to New York. "That's about it."

However, Red Sox captain Jason Varitek has seen the effort behind the rise. "He's worked his way into it," Varitek said. "He's done it with hard work, and he's been going out there and doing a great job. It is impressive."

So, the man who would be a David (Eckstein) is turning into a Goliath. Most are well familiar with Boston's experience with Eckstein, another diminutive middle-infield prospect let through waivers to Anaheim, where he became an admired star.

Yankees Coverage
 • A-Rod has last laugh
• Clemens aims for Saturday
• Notes: Damon may see time at first

 June 2 coverage: Moose frustrated after subpar outing Clemens scratched from start Singer: Mission aborted for Rocket Mientkiewicz suffers concussion Pettitte ready to tackle tough Sox lineup Notes: No suspension for Proctor   June 1 coverage: Big inning lifts Yanks past Sox Singer: Tensions rising in rivalry Giambi's season in question Notes: Damon moves to DH Placement aside, Yanks-Sox excites Yanks to look to close gap

Red Sox Coverage
 • Papelbon suffers power outage
• Singer: Pedroia a mighty mite for Sox
• Notes: Lowell concerned about friend

 June 2 coverage: Game photos Lowell powers Sox past Yankees Youkilis' hitting streak ends Beckett looks to continue perfection Notes: Drew rests ailing hamstring   June 1 coverage: Game photos Wakefield, Sox fall to Yankees Lowell, Drew injured in loss Notes: Timlin nearing return Hefty lead offers Red Sox no comfort Sox aim to bury Yanks in division
Season Series
Boston leads 7-5
• 6/3: Yankees 6, Red Sox 5
• 6/2: Red Sox 11, Yankees 6
• 6/1: Yankees 9, Red Sox 5

 Previous coverage: 5/23: Yankees 8, Red Sox 3 5/22: Red Sox 7, Yankees 3 5/21: Yankees 6, Red Sox 2   4/29: Red Sox 7, Yankees 4 4/28: Yankees 3, Red Sox 1 4/27: Red Sox 11, Yankees 4   4/22: Red Sox 7, Yankees 6 4/21: Red Sox 7, Yankees 5 4/20: Red Sox 7, Yankees 6
Previous season series
• 2006: Yankees 11, Red Sox 8
• 2005: Yankees 10, Red Sox 9
• 2004: Red Sox 11, Yankees 8

The Red Sox weren't going to make that mistake again. But attributing Pedroia's presence merely to a lesson learned could be wrong. The Sox inserted him into a low-stress situation late last season when they were already in their infamous injury-greased slide, with no promise that he would have a chance for any more than the usual placemat duties.

When Gonzalez went down with an oblique strain on Aug. 22, Pedroia made his sheepish way into the Boston clubhouse to play out their string, a bit at short, mostly at second.

Only those privy to behind-the-scenes stuff know to what extent Epstein canvassed the offseason market for a veteran second baseman. All that matters is Pedroia hung around to become Boston's first Opening Day position player since 2001.

He was also the 13th different starting second baseman in 14 Opening Days. Well, yeah, the others aged out of the job. That shouldn't be a problem for a while with this one.

Without doubt, Pedroia is sneaking up on people who may have written him off after his transparent (.182) April. Especially when they realized how perfectly that mirrored his first five big-league weeks, as he hit .191 down the 2006 wire.

They must have figured, "Okay, this is what we're going to get."

People who know the game, who know how time and experience become the yeast of rising talent -- or who knew Pedroia -- knew better.

Boston manager Terry Francona cautioned back in Spring Training, "In April, we might not see the player we're going to see."

San Diego reliever Cla Meredith, who partnered with Pedroia in the Boston farm system prior to being dealt to the Padres, was even more effusive.

"Don't sell him short -- pardon the pun," Meredith had said. "He's going to open some eyes and he's going to do some things that will make you go, 'Wow.'"

We're all going, "Wow!"

Dustin is wowing the league on both ends of the ball, having also played an errorless second base for 37 consecutive games.

But, little guys are supposed to excel at picking it and throwing it. They are not meant to have wall punch -- the reason why guys like Fred Patek become instant celebrities when they do muscle a few balls over it.

In truth, Pedroia has hit his wholeSmCo Temephos Etofenprox Prochloraz Epoxiconazole Fiberglass Fiberglass Mesh Fiberglass Mat a-bike bicycle life. In three years at Arizona State University, he never hit lower than .347. During his steady climb up the Minor League ladder, he hit .357 in Single-A, .324 in Double-A and .289 in Triple-A.

"He's got some pop in there," said Varitek. "But as much pop as he shows occasionally, he controls the bat very well. That's the key for him."

On that near game-winner, it was hard to conclude who was more surprised: Abreu, for having to tear back for the drive off the little guy's bat, or Pedroia, because Abreu caught up with it.

"I crushed it," Pedroia said with a shrug. "But the wind was blowing in, and it was raining. I thought it was over his head, but he made a good play."

Perhaps mindful of a 10 1/2-game lead over the division and a lead of 12 1/2 games over the Yankees, Pedroia added, "No big deal."

New Hip Hop Bling Shop
Filed in archive Jewelry Shops by tammy on February 21, 2007
I can't say that hip hop bling is my thing, but I have to admit that some of the items on the new web store called MyHipHopBling.com are pretty interesting, like this LED dog tag. I haven't seen anyone wearing these yet down here in Nowheresville, but I could see how these would be popular since they connect technology and culture.

Here's the latest about this new web shop from a company press release:

A young entrepreneur has decided that every hip hop fan should be able to have hip hop jewelry like the rap stars, but shouldn't have to pay like one. After countless attempts trying to find affordable bling jewelry for himself with no luck, entrepreneur K. Chrisler decided to go straight to the source and start buying hip hop jewelry from manufacturers and resell it at affordable prices to everyone through his online store.

"I searched for months trying to find hip hop jewelry at reasonable prices from stores all around the US, but could not find anything that was within my budget. I basically got fed up and went straight to the manufacturers and asked to buy it wholesale", said Chrisler. "When they agreed I decided to start an online store which would allow anyone just like me to be able to buy their own iced out jewelry at affordable prices".

Chrisler recently opened his online store at http://www.MyHipHopBling.com where anyone can buy numerous types of bling jewelry such as; removable gold grillz, iced out replica watches, hip hop pendants and much more.

The most popular item so far has been his LED belt buckles. LED belt buckles allow customers to input up to 6 different custom messages that scroll across the LED screen. They fit nicely onto any existing belt and can be bought in either regular size or in the mini size.

Jewelry and Fashion Blogosphere 03/12/07
Filed in archive Trends by tammy on March 12, 2007
Bam! We start off our jewelry and fashion blogosphere round up with a chunky silver knot Gucci ring selected by Kristopher Dukes. She says it is the only way you want to tie down your boy, outside of p.m. fun.

Aesthetics + Economics breaks down fabric trends for Fall '07.

The Bag Snob dishes out their disgust for the latest of Louis Vuitton's atrocities.

Bon Bons in the Bath discovers a new beauty product that makes life worth living.

Coquette showcases the cute wares by Susie Ghahremani of Boygirlparty.

Fashiontribes has the scoop on the Top 10 most interesting trends from Paris Fashionweek.

Online shopping with Girlawhirl: Lucite accessories.

LA STORY - All Hail The Queen (not Mirren or Elizabeth)! Lipstick Queen Poppy King!

Feeling a little fruity? Take a look at the 6 best fruit inspired accessories according to My Fashion Life

Nail Tech Secrets is amazed at the Extra Virgin collection by Dashing Diva

Eva at Papierdoll evaluates negative comments on New York Times fashion writer Cathy Horyn's blog

Second City Style's Got Your Hot Trends For Spring. Get Graphic: Bold, Colorful Prints Are in Bloom.

SheFinds.com Lots of Toes, Up High or Down Low in the Spring Shoes Guide

Luxe for less: StyleBakery.com offers a $35 version of a pricey designer shoe in yesterday's Daily Scoop

Just when you thought you had heard of every accessory for an iPod..presenting for your Styleaholic pleasure the iPod THONG!

Read Stylehive's interview with Katherine Kwei who combines East and West with her intricate knot handbags.

Jewelry and Beading has a lucky crystal charm for your cell phone. Just in time for St. Patrick's Day.

Jewelry and Fashion Blogosphere 03/12/07
Filed in archive Trends by tammy on March 12, 2007
Bam! We start off our jewelry and fashion blogosphere round up with a chunky silver knot Gucci ring selected by Kristopher Dukes. She says it is the only way you want to tie down your boy, outside of p.m. fun.

Aesthetics + Economics breaks down fabric trends for Fall '07.

The Bag Snob dishes out their disgust for the latest of Louis Vuitton's atrocities.

Bon Bons in the Bath discovers a new beauty product that makes life worth living.

Coquette showcases the cute wares by Susie Ghahremani of Boygirlparty.

Fashiontribes has the scoop on the Top 10 most interesting trends from Paris Fashionweek.

Online shopping with Girlawhirl: Lucite accessories.

LA STORY - All Hail The Queen (not Mirren or Elizabeth)! Lipstick Queen Poppy King!

Feeling a little fruity? Take a look at the 6 best fruit inspired accessories according to My Fashion Life

Nail Tech Secrets is amazed at the Extra Virgin collection by Dashing Diva

Eva at Papierdoll evaluates negative comments on New York Times fashion writer Cathy Horyn's blog

Second City Style's Got Your Hot Trends For Spring. Get Graphic: Bold, Colorful Prints Are in Bloom.

SheFinds.com Lots of Toes, Up High or Down Low in the Spring Shoes Guide

Luxe for less: StyleBakery.com offers a $35 version of a pricey designer shoe in yesterday's Daily Scoop

Just when you thought you had heard of every accessory for an iPod..presenting for your Styleaholic pleasure the iPod THONG!

Read Stylehive's interview with Katherine Kwei who combines East and West with her intricate knot handbags.

Jewelry and Beading has a lucky crystal charm for your cell phone. Just in time for St. Patrick's Day.

Previous Incident Reported Involving a Fired Publisher
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By SHARON WAXMAN and JULIE BOSMAN
Published: December 21, 2006
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20 ¡ª Judith Regan, the publisher who was fired last week by HarperCollins in the wake of what executives called anti-Semitic remarks, was investigated and reprimanded three years ago for making an anti-Semitic remark at work, two top executives at HarperCollins have said.

According to the executives and another person involved in the incident, Ms. Regan was investigated in the spring of 2003 after an editor complained that she had boasted of removing the scrolls from her neighbors¡¯ mezuzas and replacing them with torn pieces from dollar bills.

A mezuza is a small slender case containing a scroll inscribed with a prayer that many Jewish families place beside their front doors.

The two executives said the company¡¯s investigation had corroborated the employee¡¯s account and Ms. Regan was reprimanded at the time.

A spokeswoman for HarperCollins, Erin Crum, declined to confirm the account. ¡°We do not comment on personnel issues,¡± she said.

A lawyer for Ms. Regan, Bert Fields, denied that she had made the remark. The story, he said, stemmed from testimony given by a witness during Ms. Regan¡¯s divorce from Robert Kleinschmidt but she had had nothing to do with the incident.

Mr. Fields said Ms. Regan had not been investigated or reprimanded over an anti-Semitic remark at work.

The furor over Ms. Regan began last month after the News Corporation, the parent company of HarperCollins Publishers, canceled a planned book and television special featuring O. J. Simpson discussing how he hypothetically might have killed his former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald L. Goldman.

Last week, Ms. Regan was abruptly fired after a heated telephone conversation with Mark Jackson, a lawyer for HarperCollins, in which she reportedly made anti-Semitic remarks.

On Monday, Mr. Fields promised to sue HarperCollins for breach of contract. ¡°She would never issue any anti-Semitic remark, and she didn¡¯t,¡± Mr. Fields said at the time. ¡°It¡¯s an outrageous lie to cover the fact that they have no possible basis for terminating Judith.¡±

Mr. Fields acknowledged last week that during the phone conversation, Ms. Regan drew attention to the fact that her boss and others involved in the aborted O. J. Simpson project were Jewish.

Still, several people who worked with Ms. Regan, none of whom would speak for attribution because they feared being sued or subpoenaed, questioned whether she was anti-Semitic. They said her personal style was frequently abusive, but that she offended everyone equally.

¡°She was an equal opportunity insulter of everyone,¡± said one editor, who worked for ReganBooks for three years. ¡°I did not think of her as a generalized racist.¡±

But the two HarperCollins executives said that many employee complaints had been filed against Ms. Regan, including the one that resulted in a reprimand.

In that incident, an editor at ReganBooks, an imprint of HarperCollins, said that in early May 2003 she was in Ms. Regan¡¯s office when the publisher made the remark that ¡°she and her former husband would go around their apartment building, changing mezuzas with bits of dollar bills,¡± according to an individual involved in the investigation, whose account was confirmed by the two executives.

The editor immediately reported the incident to Greg Giangrande, an executive in the human resources department, who started an inquiry that led to Ms. Regan¡¯s reprimand.

The incident was not the first time that the editor had complained about ethnic slurs made by her boss, Ms. Regan, the two executives at HarperCollins said. In addition, two former employees said they had received cash settlements as part of a negotiated deal to leave in the wake of their complaints against Ms. Regan. They and others questioned why HarperCollins had tolerated the publisher¡¯s behavior.

Sharon Waxman reported from Los Angeles and Julie Bosman from New York.

Johnson's recovery 'exceeding expectations'
POSTED: 5:56 p.m. EST, December 19, 2006
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson has been exceeding expectations in his recovery from emergency brain surgery last week, his son Brendan said Tuesday.

Brendan Johnson, a Sioux Falls lawyer, said in an interview with The Associated Press that his father has been responding repeatedly to directions from his mother, Barbara. But he is not yet speaking.

"It's fair to say he's been exceeding expectations up to this point," Brendan Johnson said. "All the tests and the indications now are positive." (Watch CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta explain how the senator fell ill )

Johnson offered few details about his father's condition and said he doesn't know what kind of tests he will undergo this week. He said he is not sure if the senator will need additional surgery.

He said he left Washington this weekend for a brief trip back to Sioux Falls but he will be back to celebrate his father's birthday next week. The senator turns 60 on December 28, and he is expected to still be in the hospital.

Johnson was not sure how long his father would be hospitalized.

"At this point I really don't know what kind of timetable they are setting," he said.

Johnson's spokeswoman, Julianne Fisher, said Tuesday that Johnson remains in critical but stable condition and is still sedated, though he has been conscious at times and his CT scans "continue to go well."

Johnson was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation, a condition, often present from birth, that causes arteries and veins to grow abnormally large, become tangled and sometimes burst. He was rushed to the hospital December 13 after becoming disoriented on a call with reporters.

Meanwhile, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, said at an appearance in his home state that he has received word that his Democratic colleague is making "a very strong recovery."

"In fact, they think right now that there's a very good chance that he could get all or most all of his functions back," Schumer said.

Barbara Johnson issued her own statement through the senator's office Tuesday, saying that her husband "continues to move in the right direction."

Johnson showed some signs of recovery late last week, responding to voices, opening his eyes and moving his limbs. His long-term prognosis remains unclear.

The senator's sudden illness raised questions about the Democrats' one-vote majority in the upcoming Senate session. South Dakota's Republican governor, Mike Rounds, would appoint a replacement if Johnson's seat were vacated by his death or resignation. (Watch how Johnson's illness could disrupt the power balance in the Senate )

A Republican appointee would create a 50-50 tie and effectively allow the GOP to retain Senate control because of Vice President Dick Cheney's tie-breaking vote.

There is ample precedent for senators to continue to hold office while incapacitated

Pioglitazone But Not Glimepiride Slows Progression of Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Presented at AHA
By W. A. Thomasson, PhD

CHICAGO, IL -- November 14, 2006 -- Patients with type 2 diabetes who are treated with pioglitazone experience less atherosclerotic thickening of the intimal and medial layers of their carotid arteries than do those who are treated with glimepiride, according to a study presented here at the 2006 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association (AHA).

The study, published simultaneously online in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was presented by Theodore Mazzone, MD, professor of medicine and pharmacology, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois. Carotid intima-media thickening (CIMT) is considered a general indicator of cardiovascular as well as cerebrovascular risk.

Study participants were 462 men and women aged 45 to 85 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Subjects with symptomatic cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, or peripheral vascular disease at baseline were excluded. Participants were randomized to treatment with either pioglitazone or glimepiride and followed for 72 weeks, with CIMT thickness being measured at 24-week intervals.

At baseline, participants' blood pressure was well controlled and their low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels reasonably well controlled.

In the glimepiride group, average CIMT rose slowly between baseline and week 72. In the pioglitazone group, by contrast, average CIMT fell between baseline and week 24, remained essentially constant between weeks 24 and 48, and then returned to near baseline by week 72.

There was a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups at weeks 48 and 72 (P =.017 at week 72). Similar results were seen when CIMT was expressed in terms of maximal rather than average thickness. Analysis by subgroups based on age, body mass index, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level, and use of statins showed an advantage for pioglitazone in all groups, although many differences were not statistically significant.

Levels of HbA1c decreased rapidly in the glimepiride group but returned to baseline by week 72. The initial decrease in the pioglitazone group was slower but was sustained for the duration of the trial. HbA1c levels were significantly better in the pioglitazone group from week 72 onward.

Measurement of HDL-cholesterol levels showed a highly significant (P < .001) 13% increase in the pioglitazone group that was maintained throughout the trial. Glimepiride had little effect on HDL-cholesterol levels. Dr. Mazzone noted that this difference could have played a role in the pioglitazone's favorable effect on CIMT.

There was also a 13.5% decrease in triglyceride levels in the pioglitazone group with a 2.1% increase in the glimepiride group (P < .001). No significant between-group differences were seen in LDL-cholesterol levels or systolic blood pressure.

Ten cardiovascular events (1 nonfatal myocardial infarction, 1 nonfatal stroke, and 8 coronary revascularizations) occurred in the glimepiride group compared with 4 events (1 hospitalization for congestive heart failure and 3 coronary revascularizations) in the pioglitazone group.

"Our results demonstrated the beneficial effect of pioglitazone compared to glimepiride on CIMT," Dr. Mazzone concluded.

[Presentation title: Effects of Pioglitazone Compared to Glimepiride on Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (CIMT) in Type 2 Diabetes - Results of the CHICAGO Study.]

Oil prices rise after OPEC sets stage for possible cut next year
Published: Thursday, December 14, 2006 | 4:21 PM ET
Canadian Press: BRAD FOSS
WASHINGTON (AP) - Oil prices rose above US$62 a barrel Thursday after OPEC decided to keep its output steady for now but pledged to cut production in February by half a million barrels a day.

"It is a bit of a surprise and you can see that with the prices going up today," said Ann-Louise Hittle, an analyst at Wood Mackenzie. "OPEC might have been worried that they would lose credibility if they didn't make another cut" after talking about the possibility nonstop in the weeks preceding the meeting, she added. "It's a little bit more of an aggressive approach."

Light sweet crude for January delivery rose $1.14 to settle at $62.51 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for January, which expires at the close of trading Thursday, was up 90 cents at $62.23 a barrel.

The bump in oil, pushed up several large energy companies' stock prices. Shares of Exxon Mobil Corp. gained $1.32 to $78.68 on the New York Stock Exchange, where shares of Royal Dutch Shell PLC rose 41 cents to $71.29.

Meanwhile, shares of fuel-dependent airlines fell, though the drop may partly reflect profit taking after a steady runup that followed excitement about industry consolidation. Shares of American Airlines parent AMR Corp. fell 50 cents to $32.15 on the NYSE, while those of JetBlue Airways Corp. slid 21 cents to $13.94.

The delayed cuts by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, spurred by concerns of bulging worldwide inventories and anticipated non-OPEC supply growth in 2007, were meant as a warning shot to the world's major consuming countries.

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"OPEC is making a very clear statement here that they intend to limit inventories, keep a floor under prices and aim for higher price levels," Citigroup analyst Tim Evans said in a research note.

Saudi oil minister Ali Naimi said the price of crude didn't figure in the decision: "What we're working towards is to rebalance the market and this decision does this," he said.

In its official statement, OPEC said it expects non-OPEC supplies to grow by 1.8 million barrels a day in 2007, the biggest one-year jump since 1984, and about 500,000 barrels per day more than anticipated global demand growth of 1.3 million barrels.

While analysts might quibble with OPEC's math, they agreed with the underlying logic of the cartel's move.

By delaying action until February, OPEC left itself a window to decide against a cut should demand spike due to a colder-than-expected winter or stronger-than-expected economy.

Nymex heating oil futures rose 4.45 cents to settle at $1.7765 a gallon, and gasoline futures climbed 4.76 cents to settle at $1.665 a gallon. Natural gas futures fell 11.8 cents to settle at $7.555 per 1,000 cubic feet.

-

Associated Press Writer Mazin Elfehaid in Vienna, Austria, contributed to this report.

© The Canadian Press, 2006

Qualcomm Loses Ruling by Trade Panel
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By BLOOMBERG NEWS
Published: December 12, 2006
Qualcomm, a maker of cellphone chips, is infringing a Broadcom Corporation patent on a way to conserve handset battery power, a United States trade panel has found, upholding an administrative judge¡¯s earlier finding.

The United States International Trade Commission will decide on a remedy by Feb. 9 for Qualcomm¡¯s use of the technology without permission, Broadcom, a maker of chips for consumer electronic devices, said in a statement yesterday.

Broadcom wants the commission to ban imports of handsets with Qualcomm¡¯s newest chips. When he ruled for Broadcom in October, the administrative law judge, Charles E. Bullock, did not support the company¡¯s request to support a ban on sales of cellphones with the Qualcomm chips.

Qualcomm said it might be able to work around the patent, which covers a way to save battery life when a phone is out of range of networks.

¡°Qualcomm is on notice that they will get whacked with some remedy,¡± said a patent lawyer, Lyle Vander Schaaf, of the Bryan Cave law firm in Washington. Mr. Vander Schaaf handles cases before the trade commission but is not involved in the Broadcom dispute. ¡°If Customs is ordered to stop downstream products, a large number of companies will be affected.¡±

Qualcomm, based in San Diego, said it would continue to contest the decision in court. It said, however, the patent was ¡°not fundamental¡± to its cellphone technology and the remedy would not have a disruptive effect on the company if the commission followed Judge Bullock¡¯s recommendation not to ban handsets.

Qualcomm shares fell 61 cents, to $38.93. Broadcom, based in Irvine, Calif., rose 8 cents, to $34.20.

Broadcom and Qualcomm, which is the world¡¯s second-largest maker of cellphone chips after Texas Instruments, are also battling in courtrooms and before regulators in several states, Europe and South Korea

Conservation Capers
Smithsonian American Art Museum is bringing the frame back into the picture.
By Jessica Gould
 Illustration by Josh Neufeld E-mail the writerSend a letter to the editoradvertisement

Martin Kotler is the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s frame conservator. But matchmaker might be a more appropriate descriptor for much of the work he does at the museum’s Lunder Conservation Center.

According to Chief Curator Eleanor Harvey, in the ’50s and ’60s, the art world retreated from ornate frames, snatching up minimalist frames instead to accompany growing collections of modern art. Some museums even “swapped out” their decorative frames altogether, only to buy them back a few decades later at “greatly increased prices,” she says.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum never got rid of its elaborate frames, and now, Harvey says, it’s one of two or three American museums making frame research a priority. “It’s kind of a detective hunt, because you’re trying to match up the original frame with the original work of art....The kind of research Martin is doing is popping up across the country. We’re starting to look at the backs of frames. Martin’s really on the leading edge.”

Well, most of the time, anyway. Last July, Kotler was asked to get his most exciting frame ready for the museum’s big reopening. Immediately, he knew which one to get.

“I knew that this frame would really be glitzy,” he says, pointing to the giant lemon-gold rectangle at the conservation center. “And I recognized it immediately as a Carrig-Rohane.”

A Carrig-Rohane, Kotler says, is the Rolls-Royce of frames. Made by a Boston-based frame shop at the turn of the 20th century, the frames were hand-carved by renowned artisans and commanded enormous sums of money.

On July 4, 2006, a crowd of people formed outside of the glass-enclosed conservation center to watch Kotler unveil the frame. “There were hundreds of people trying to figure out what they’re looking at. They’re in a hall, looking through the glass at me.”

Before Kotler got to work, he explained the history of the prestigious Carrig-Rohane Shop. “This was not just a frame company, but this was a frame company made by artists,” Kotler says, referring to owners Hermann Dudley Murphy, Walfred Thulin, and Charles Prendergast. Prendergast’s brother, famed artist Maurice, also played a role.

“Even down to frames, America was saying, I want to come up with something new,” he says. “This is America at a pivotal time in history. This is America saying, I’m going to exist and I’m screaming.”

Every few minutes, Kotler peeked out of his cube to stump a bit about Carrig-Rohane frames—or about frames more generally. “For framers, you’re never going to be the bride. You’re going to be the bridesmaid. The frame has never gotten its due in history.”

Between speeches, however, Kotler was beginning to get worried. The name Carrig-Rohane comes from the Gaelic words for red cliff, and all Carrig-Rohanes have red backs. But as Kotler began to wet the acid-laden paper on the back of the frame and carefully remove it with a scalpel, he noticed that the wood looked dark—very dark. “I’m removing the paper, and I’m getting nervous ’cause I know it’s supposed to be painted red, and there’s no red.”

Kotler glanced at his audience. For 20 minutes he had been telling them that the frame they were looking at was an original Carrig-Rohane, one of the best frames in the business. “And I was very cocky, ’cause I thought I knew what this was.”

He began feeling around the back of the frame for a signature, a company name carved into the wood. “I just went nuts,” he says. “And then all of a sudden, I start removing the bottom of this [paper], and that’s when I saw Slater.”

Slater Studios, a turn-of-the-century frame shop located in New York, wasn’t as prestigious as Carrig-Rohane, but it was close. “If it was a Carrig-Rohane, it was a Rolls-Royce. Slater is a Bentley. It’s still a high-end frame.”

Kotler was flush with the rush of revelation. He wondered whether he should inform his audience. “I was very excited. I was kind of like a guy on a first date....Here I’m telling people it’s a Carrig-Rohane, and I’m wrong....How was I going to tell them?”

As it turned out, admitting his mistake wasn’t so bad, Kotler says. “They were kind of happy for the whole idea of a discovery.” Besides, explaining the difference between a Carrig-Rohane and a Slater frame is “kind of like speaking French to people who don’t speak French.” Nobody seemed particularly betrayed. “I don’t think anyone was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ ”

Willa Trifiatis, one of the people who watched Kotler unwrap the frame that day, says she certainly didn’t realize the magnitude of his discovery. “I didn’t know any of the detail of that,” she says, adding that “he was gesturing to a few people about the frame,” but “all we could do was observe through the glass.” Mostly, she says, she was impressed by the museum’s emphasis on education.

Looking back, Kotler says he understands why he originally misidentified the Slater frame. “Back in the day, there was no copyrighting. So it could have been reproduced....It’s a rip-off, so to speak.”

William Adair, a frame conservator and owner of Gold Leaf Studios, a D.C. workshop specializing in historic replicas and frame restoration, says it’s quite possible that Slater copied a Carrig-Rohane frame.

“Value is a relative thing. Each frame is different,” he warns. Still, he says, “A replica or a reproduction is always going to be less value than an original, no matter how well made. Carrig-Rohane was often replicated but never duplicated.”

Dischord “Surprised” By Lack of Reviews

Dischord Records is a bit peeved with the press.

Over the past few months, the Arlington-based label has put out a bunch of CDs. The Aquarium’s self-titled album. Joe Lally’s There to Here. Releases by Soccer Team and French Toast. But according to Alec Bourgeois, Dischord’s spokesperson, few media outlets seem to care.

In an e-mail circulated to reviewers Nov. 30, he complained, “Over the last several months, I have been somewhat surprised and disappointed by the lack of reviews coming from the magazines and writers we send our CDs to. First, I want to make sure you are receiving the CDs I mail out; and second, I want to make sure if you are receiving them that you are indeed interested in reviewing them,” he began.

Then he made a play for the label’s lesser-knowns.

“Many of our new releases are from newer bands and projects that will not stir up the kind of mainstream press of a new Fugazi release, but who are making important contributions which deserve to be acknowledged and critiqued by the alternative sources we feel most connected to.”

He made a distinction. “As most of you know, Dischord has a pace, rhythm, and economy that is rather unlike any other label. We don’t spend large amounts of money painting unrealistic portraits of our artists and we don’t get involved with many of the standard ‘industry’ practices that we consider unsavory. However, this should not be construed as a lack of respect.”

Finally, he made a promise. “In this spirit your mailbox will not get flooded with filler, nor will you receive calls from me pressuring or back slapping for more flattering pieces in your magazines.”

Bourgeois asked recipients to let him know if they weren’t receiving Dischord’s records. Most of all, he asked for feedback.

In an interview following his e-blast, Bourgeois explained his concerns and the responses he got. Unlike certain larger labels, Dischord doesn’t ply reviewers with a “freebie avalanche.” And, unlike some of its competitors, it doesn’t engage in “pay for play” practices, promising to run ads in return for reviews.

The problem is the relationship between a label and a music publication has turned “strictly into a business,” he says. “It’s the same as in politics. When a lobbyist is responsible for 90 percent of a campaign’s finances, you can’t pass legislation that puts that lobbyist out of business.” It’s time to get back to the music, he says.

“Alec’s e-mail reads pretty sensibly to me,” says Rob Tannenbaum, music editor at Blender. “I think it expresses a lot of what indie publicists feel.” Still, he says, it’s important to remember that magazines and newspapers are feeling the squeeze, too. “Most music publications are not doing very well. There’s less room to run reviews. It just makes the odds bad.” A lot of people talk about declining CD sales, but “just because CD sales are down, it doesn’t mean that fewer CDs are being released,” he says. “Even we cover a fraction of what we get.”

As for Dischord, “They’re a label who has always counted on true believers.…It’s an e-mail that’s predicated on an ideal, and the ideal is, if you like our music, we don’t need to wheedle or beg, you’ll come to us.”

Charles Aaron, music editor at Spin, however, says that in an era of CD- and cyber-saturation, a publicist has to be a little more aggressive. “And if there’s a band on Dischord that an editor’s not initially enthusiastic about, and then the editor gets no communication from a publicist about it, there’s a chance it might slip through the cracks,” he writes in an e-mail. Soccer Team must have fallen through Spin’s cracks, for example, since a search for the band on the magazine’s Web site only yields articles about the World Cup and sneakers. Or perhaps Dischord didn’t send Spin a CD to review. Several reviewers contacted by the City Paper, including Aaron, said they weren’t on Dischord’s mailing list.

Josh Jackson, editor-in-chief of Paste, wrote in an e-mail, “I have a ton of respect for what Dischord has done over the last 25 years.… But it’s unrealistic to expect national stories on low-profile bands because the competition is fierce.”

On Dec. 4, Bourgeois circulated a second e-mail, promising to be a little more outgoing. He decided to ditch the hard-to-get attitude, and promised “to check in on a more individual basis and make sure you have the materials you need.”

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Feng Shui ¨C which could be described as a kind of metaphysical interior decorating ¨C is becoming big business in Poland.

Letter from Poland
By Peter Gentle

But why, one hundred years after Albert Einstein¡¯s e=mc2 are these anti-scientific remedies, for problems we didn¡¯t even know we had, taking over not just the way we arrange our bathrooms, but the way we arrange b bour lives?

I turned on the television once to watch A Question for Breakfast, a programme I have mentioned before on this spot. Studio presenters introduce ¡®experts¡¯ on anything and everything, and viewers call in with their questions. This day, the subject was Feng Shui. Loads of people rang in with questions.

Feng Shui, like lots of other ¡®New Ageisms¡¯ took off here after the fall of communism. Now there is no escaping the weird and wacky in Poland. Turn on the ITV cable station and get your tarot card reading done live on air. Walk down any high street and pop into the esoteric shop and buy your self some rhino horn. But feng Shui is the new ageism of choice for the Polish middle classes.

So, I have been boning up on the principles of Feng Shui. Maybe it could help me too.

As with everything that comes from the East, it¡¯s all about energy, karma, ying and yang, or whatever.

If you want a successful life, then you must optimize the flow of energy in your home. Chi, the Feng Shui energy thingy, comes in through your front door - although it never seems to ring the bell before entering.

Once in your front door, energy likes to flow freely. If you have potted plants in a place where red flowers should be, then your life is going to be absolute hell. Apparently.

Clean up all clutter and mess. Like my girlfreind¡¯s mum, Feng Shui does not like mess. Dirty windows cloud your judgment! Burnt out light bulbs contribute to a lack of vision!

Certain ¡®hot spots¡¯ in your home have to be activated, say Feng Shuists. If you have a problem with money, then the problem could just lie in the way you have arranged your kitchen. If you have a problem with your relationship, then the problem could be found ¨C maybe not surprisingly - in the bedroom. Is you sex life not swinging as it should? Then throw away that bottle of Viagra and rearrange the bedroom furniture, stupid!

Put lots of crystals, chimes and fish tanks everywhere, except in the bathroom. In the bathroom keep the toilet seat down, because if you don¡¯t then the energy of chi will immediately spot this and dive head first down the pan.

And above all, make sure you have lots of models of frogs and toads. Before leaving for work in the morning, make sure you give the little toad a little stroke on his little head. Go on, you know it makes sense.

But the obvious question, I suppose, is why do so many intelligent people in Poland, and elsewhere, fall hook line and sinker for this gibberish?

Maybe it¡¯s because people have lost faith in the West; with science, with progress. And if the West is bad, then the East must be good.

So here are a few more drops of wisdom from the East that you might like to try.

For example: feeling depressed, lonely, spiritually unfulfilled? Then why not try what is known as coning, or ear candling. This involves a hollow candle inserted into your ear and lit. The resulting vacuum does not just suck out your earwax, but also vacuums up bad energies and karma. If this goes wrong, however, then it could suck out half your brain cells, as well.

Radio Polonia does not advise you to try this at home, listeners.

So maybe it would be wiser to do what the Xinhua news agency says that 3 million Chinese do everyday before breakfast: drink your own urine! Some prefer it straight; apparently, others say that a few drop in your orange juice works best. This, say devotees, cures anything from flu, to toothache, fatigue, lumbago, depression, Parkinson¡¯s disease, athlete¡¯s foot, diabetes and much, much more. I bet it¡¯s even a good cure for bulimia! Or maybe not. It does make sense, of course. It is a completely portable cure; it is free and could be marketed as the ultimate home brew.

To my knowledge, however, the only home brew Poles are interested in is cooking up their own vodka. But naturopathy, homeopathy, and a whole host of so-called ¡®alternative medicines¡¯ certainly are big news here. Worldwide, alternative medicine ¨C meaning medicines that have failed to pass any sort of scientific test and basically don¡¯t work¨C are worth 15 billion dollars in sales every year.

While most alternative medicines are pretty harmless, they can have very negative effects, sometimes. There was a reporrt out sometime ago here saying that many cancer sufferers are giving up on conventional medicine and turning to unproven, unscientific remedies in the hope of, well, a miracle.

So, barmy but basically harmless as urine drinking and stroaking toads may be, sometimes alternative medicine can be very bad for your health.

FILM REVIEW: JESUS CAMP
 
 
Parents don't send their children away to simple, sleepaway summer camps anymore. Long gone are the days of the generic getaway situated on the edge of a lake with an inscrutable Indian name where you're just as likely to find a kid hiking up a mountain as playing baseball or whiling away the hours weaving a beaded, lariat keychain.

No, today is the age of the specialty summer camp, whether it be dedicated to weight loss, budding astronauts, musical prodigies, academic excellence, individual sports, acting, horseback riding, marine biology, skateboarding, gymnastics, dance, computers, arts and crafts or Jesus. Speaking of Jesus, given the explosion of the Evangelical Movement across America, it should comes as no surprise to find a program devoted to developing Christian ministers of the future.

Called Kid's on Fire, this summer camp is located on Devil's Lake, North Dakota, where it is run by portly Pastor Becky Fischer, a burly momma bear given to sermonizing about the evils of warlock Harry Potter when not encouraging her tykes to feel the spirit, speak in tongues or hug a life-sized cardboard photo of President Bush. With an admirable impartiality, filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady allow the camera to make Fischer look like a manipulative monster in her earnest endeavor to indoctrinate her army of church urchins with a highly-politicized brand of Christianity.

However, as was the case with the directors' prior documentary, The Boys of Baraka, one still can't help but empathize with the plight of these pre-teens being prematurely pushed not only into the pulpit, but into the cinematic limelight. How will they feel a few years down the road when, as post-pubescent adolescents, they wake up to realize that they've been allowed to look like Bible-thumping kooks as they quote scriptures and try to convert strangers they meet in the street?

Ethical issues of exploitation, child abuse and bad parenting aside, Jesus Camp remains an alternately spellbinding and scary peek into the faith-based, boot camp industry.

Portability and piece of mind on a keychain
'Thin clients' allow remote access to your office PC -- without security and virus worries
DENISE DEVEAU

Special to The Globe and Mail

When Michael Ohnona's nanny called in sick a few months ago, the Toronto-based investment adviser didn't miss a second of work. That's because he has his own little trading secret: a diminutive remote-access tool called the MobiKEY with which he can connect to his computer at Octagon Capital Corp. and access anything he wants: specialized programs, client files or e-mails -- anything.

In fact, with the tiny USB device that's small enough to attach to a keychain, Mr. Ohnona can log onto his work system from any Internet-connected computer in the world. And, he never has to worry about viruses or compromising the security of sensitive client data.

The MobiKEY, made by Toronto-based Route1 Inc., represents the new generation of what's known as a "thin client," a scaled-down machine without a disk drive that can connect a user directly to a company's network.

Unlike remote-access software and virtual private networks that require data to travel beyond the friendly confines of a company's firewall, Mr. Ohnona's device essentially transforms his remote system into his office computer. All of the changes he makes to documents and reports are done on the office network. No files are transferred, he doesn't need copies of his work software installed on his remote computer, and when he's done, he leaves no trace of the information he's accessed.

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 "It lets me be at my office any time from anywhere," Mr. Ohnona says. "I can watch quotes, track accounts and access software on my hard drive that I couldn't access otherwise."

Thin clients aren't particularly new. Traditionally, thin clients are desk-based machines that look like pint-sized PCs (hence their name). They're generally easy to maintain because they require no hardware upgrades, they can't catch viruses because they have no operating systems to infect and at about $900, they are generally less expensive than a standard desktop computer.

Newer thin clients don't even look like computers. IT services vendor Xwave Solutions in Ottawa has developed an ultrathin client solution based on SunRay technology that uses stand-alone monitors equipped with card reader slots. Users simply insert a credit card-sized smartcard into an available reader and enter their password to gain access to their applications on the network.

Other devices, such as the MobiKEY, are small enough to fit in a shirt pocket -- a boon for the ever-increasing number of mobile professionals.

According to a recent survey on worker productivity, 29 per cent of employees work from home more than once a week -- a number that rises to 40 per cent among workers with children.

The compact units can also reduce IT headaches. Since all of a company's thin clients are connected to a single network, there's only one central system to administer, rather than several independent machines scattered throughout the office or being hauled around by road warriors. Plus, businesses have no need to pay for multiple copies of the same software to load on each machine, reducing licensing fees. "This type of service model has huge appeal where customers don't have the budgets for full blown systems," says Jim Gragtmans, chief operating officer of Armor Technologies Inc. in Toronto, which develops secure platforms.

Reduced costs aside, the big drivers behind the growing resurgence of thin clients are the constant struggle to fight off the ever-growing barrage of security threats and the demand for greater protection of client data. That has businesses taking a more serious look at the concept than ever before.

Dave Williams, president and chief executive officer of Fort Williams Diagnostics Ltd. in Thunder Bay, Ont., uses his MobiKEY to access both of his medical clinics while he is on the road. "It's a lot more secure than anything else because I can access data without transferring it back and forth over the Internet. That's important in the health care field when you're dealing with sensitive material and must meet elevated compliance requirements."

And the security advantages go beyond protecting data and systems from viral threats. Just like using a bank card at an automated teller, the new generation of thin clients requires a password to log into the home network. If a user loses his MobiKEY, for example, the device can be deactivated remotely.

"For the first time, enterprises can solve the security issues associated with remote computing," says Andrew White, CEO of Route1.

One bonus of the new generation of thin clients is that service companies such as cable and telecommunications providers can offer the devices (in whatever form) and software applications to business and home customers for a monthly subscription fee, much like renting satellite or Internet services today.

"Anything an Internet service provider could offer can be offered through a pay-per-use thin client model," Mr. Gragtmans says.

"The possibilities are endless because it's so affordable and secure."

Nigeria: Aspirant Challenges Babangida to Debate
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This Day (Lagos)

September 10, 2006
Posted to the web September 11, 2006

Paul Ohia
Lagos

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Gram Bolaji Osborne, has challenged former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.) to a debate which venue, he said should be in the United States of America (USA).

Osborne had argued that one Isa odidi was recently invited to a similar debate by Nigerians in the Diaspora, but frowned at the fact that Odidi was not a presidential candidate but a front for Babangida.

He urged Odidi to disclose his true identity and stop swinging back and fort from the position of a party chairman to a presidential candidate.

THISDAY learnt that Odidi did not attend the aforementioned debate organised by All Nigerian American Congress (ANAC) but Osborne participated with others seeking for lesser positions.

Osborne, in his submission at the debate argued that he can transform Nigeria into an industrialised nation by adopting nuclear technology. He also promised to use the same technology to make power supply regular.

While speaking to THISDAY, the presidential aspirant said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should be brought into the PDP convention coming up later this year to screen delegates.

"Thus, to prevent corruption here, I will like to see the presence of the EFCC-Crime Unit on the convention floor; during and before each delegates-counts", he stated.

He said it is wrong to think that categories of delegates wishing to attend the debate were polarised along the two warring camps loyal to President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

"The above line of thinking,is a destraction from the real key players: A South-south move versus the IBB-South-east move. This is the final now...Enter the visioner versus the technicians. The Visioners are being led by me and others, while the technicans are being lead by IBB and his Operatives,and trade-off guys." He argued.

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He went on: "The other issue here is knowing the strategy the two South-South-battle-tested heros will use; and the mix or-no mix of the PDP-ticket.

According to him, he supports the idea of two vice presidents from North and South with rotational formula which will be entrenched in the Nigerian consitution.

Osborne concluded however, stated that once there is a super growth of the Nigerian economy within the six geo-political zones, there will be no need to gentlemanly agreements again.

For these designers, way less is way moreFive graduates of the California College of the Arts earn good salaries and live the good life, yet prefer minimalist abodes.
BY DAVID A. KEEPS
Los Angeles Times Service

RICK LOOMIS/LOS ANGELES TIMES
A LOOMING PRESENCE: Karson Shadley, a member of the Lift Collective, sits in his rented room with Ooh Ooh, an upholstered gorilla that doubles as furniture.
More photosTheir jobs call for them to inject California cool into laptop computers, extreme sports gear and other 21st century boys' toys. As five industrial designers, average age 26, annual incomes upward of $75,000, they should be living large -- at least large enough to, in MySpace parlance, ``pimp their cribs.''

So why, exactly, would these young men choose to lead an existence that takes minimalism to near-monastic proportions?

''I'd rather be in an empty room than have something I don't want to keep forever,'' Nick Cronan says. ``I hate going to the store to buy chairs just so guests can sit down. Until I get something nice, they will just have to stand up.''

Whereas many adults who achieve similar professional success at this age might get caught up in that first-home-of-their-own decorating, filling kitchens with sleek appliances and living rooms with the latest chain-store collection, these designers have brought almost nothing to the coffee table. Their mantra: Way less is way more.

These guys -- all 2002 graduates of the California College of the Arts -- clearly have a different design for living. By day Cronan, Amit Mirchandani, Eric Bergman, Karson Shadley and Pichaya Puttorngul hold jobs with companies designing products for Toshiba, North Face, Infinity Audio, Bolle and other clients. But on the weekends, the five morph into the Lift collective, convening about once a month to hatch creative ideas for inventions that are informed by their Spartan domesticity -- not to mention sly sense of humor.

''We make jokes and turn them into products,'' Puttorngul says.

''No,'' corrects Bergman. ``We consider compelling concepts and issues and give a physical form to them.''

Take one look at Veggie Love, and it's clear both may be right. The collective's cutlery set looks like Shrinky Dink versions of garden tools and was designed as a way of getting people to think about nonprocessed food.

Then there's Lift's Johnny Apple Sandal, flip-flops with seeds embedded in a recyclable sole that's designed to wear away and sow plants randomly. The sandals were a prizewinner in Metropolis magazine's annual Next Generation Design Competition.

''Everybody buys shoes and eats apples, and nobody puts the two of them together,'' says Metropolis editor Susan Szenasy. ``Putting the American mythology of Johnny Appleseed and environmental issues together was an act of pure imagination -- very wild and very smart.''

Equally inventive but less likely to land on store shelves is Lift's concept for a temperature-sensitive, color-shifting urinal for the artistically minded. Yes, the Peesel.

Scratch the surface of the tongue-in-cheek innovations and product names and you'll find born-in-the-'80s tree-hugger idealism under your fingernails. The prototype products that Lift designs for competitions, exhibitions and their own amusement have a strong green component and serve as a critique of the consumer culture that, ironically enough, is fueled by their day jobs.

Impressed by the Johnny Apple Sandal, last year organizers of the behemoth International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York gave Lift its own display booth. Their exhibit, a five-foot, brown and Smurf-blue upholstered gorilla named Ooh Ooh, caused a lot of ooh-aah.

''We had people wanting us to turn it into a children's chair,'' Bergman says. ``That was never the intention.''

Though the piece looks like little more than a computer-designed stuffed animal with a faux fur mullet, Ooh Ooh is actually a highly functioning piece of modular furniture. With a few strategic tugs, it can be reduced from statuesque simian to a collection of foam-filled lounging units.

''Modern furniture is so cold and hard,'' Mirchandani says. ``We wanted to de-evolve the idea of seating into something more approachable.''

Ooh Ooh may have sprung to life as a nod to evolution, but it began on a more primitive level -- a seating system called Cellu that Mirchandani and Puttorngul designed for a class project. Composed of curved modules that fit together tongue-and-groove, Cellu forms a sculpture that looks like a mouth with tongue.

''We wanted to make something with an organic form,'' says Mirchandani, ``without trying to impose how to use it, because that depends on the environment and how it fits your needs.''

Projects such as Ooh Ooh, Shadley says, serve as an important outlet for the blue-sky brand of creativity that Lift members aren't always allowed to exercise while designing for corporate clients. While collaborating as Lift, ''We don't care if what we do is not well received,'' he says. ``This is for our personal growth, a way to get the experimentation out of the system.''

Achieve your goal at any age
By Marie Snider
Published: Wednesday, August 2, 2006 9:16 AM CDT
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Everybody has goals - career goals, health goals, financial goals, social goals. Some people write down their goals. Other people store them in their memories. Some people have vague goals. Others have pinpoint goals with hard dates when they should be accomplished.

Some people achieve their goals intuitively without much thought. And others are obsessed by their goals.

I'm in that latter group. My life is filled with lists of goals and I'm always refining them.

When I look through my goals from years back, I find some recurring themes. Not surprisingly, the most prevalent theme is writing because I have always loved to write and made my living as a writer.

In my 1982 "Lifetime Goals," three of my 13 goals had to do with writing. But much earlier than that, I had a goal to live in a woods and write. That goal came from two books I read in my early 30s - "The Lighted Heart" by Elizabeth Yates and "Gift from the Sea" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

That goal finally merged with another goal after my retirement - a goal to have a national column by my 65th birthday.

 
Those two goals are examples of different kinds of thinking. My goal to "live in a woods and write" was in the back of my mind throughout my whole life and never written down until very recently.

On the other hand, my goal to "have a national column by my 65th birthday," was written with a hard date attached.

Some of my goals were easy to achieve - "getting a breadmaker." But others seem impossible - "organizing my house."

 
Some goals are short-term - "baking cookies to send to my son." And some are long-term - "making maple syrup in March 2015" from the sugar maple tree we planted in memory of my mother when she died in 1985.

Jack Canfield, co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, is a goal-driven person. As a result, he has published more than 60 best-selling books and now receives $25,000 per speaking engagement.

In his book "The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be," Jack Canfield has a whole chapter about goal-setting. In that chapter he says you need goals that stretch you.

 
Says Canfield, "It pays to have goals that will require you to grow to achieve them."

Most people would find Canfield's goals too lofty and probably wouldn't want to work that hard. But it's a good idea for everyone to have some goals that "require you to grow to achieve them."

We all had goals in our 20s and 30s. And it is just as important, maybe even more so, to have goals in our 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond.

 
So think about it. What goals should you be trying to achieve now - cultivating new friends, losing 10 pounds, finding a new dog as a companion, writing your memoirs, getting a golf score of 65, walking without a walker, following your dream to finish your college degree.

Always remember it's up to you to create the life you want. And it's never too late to cultivate new goals.

Copyright 2006 Marie Snider

House fire's cause blamed on overheated extension cord

Air conditioner plugged into outlet started blaze

By Nathan Phelps
nphelps@greenbaypressgazette.com

An overheated extension cord used to plug in an air conditioner caused a fire Monday morning in a Green Bay home that caused an estimated $15,000 in damage and displaced six people.

Green Bay firefighters were called to 1216 S. Broadway around 4:30 a.m. for a report of a fire in a multifamily home.

Capt. Larry Wilson of the Green Bay Fire Department said the blaze broke out when an extension cord overheated and subsequently overheated the home's electrical wiring, igniting insulation in the attic.

"We need to get the word out that those 16-gauge extension cords ?just aren't made to handle that kind of a load," Wilson said. "All they do is overheat, they don't fail to a point where they would trip a breaker or blow a fuse."

He said appliance cords are rated to carry a greater load.

"If you need an extension cord, it needs to be properly rated for that appliance," Wilson said.

The Lakeland Chapter of The American Red Cross is assisting the two families impacted by the fire.

No one was injured in the fire, Wilson said.

Fire crews were called to the scene again around 7:40 p.m. Monday to extinguish a fire that rekindled in the attic of the home.