Quakers' support for peaceful protesters

At Sunday's meeting of the Society of Friends in Street supportwas given to a statement issued by Quakers nationally in support ofthe Occupy London Stock Exchange activists, particularly as theyface eviction by the City of London Corporation.

We share the concern for global economic justice andsustainability expressed by the Occupy movement. Speaking from ourlong tradition of non- violence, we praise the peaceful nature ofthe Occupy movement.

The Quaker statement, signed by Paul Parker, recording clerk,goes on to say: "Quakers in Britain agree with the statement ofOccupy London Stock Exchange that our current economic system isunsustainable. It is …

5 U.S. Troops Killed in Attacks in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Four U.S. soldiers and a Marine were killed in attacks in Baghdad and Iraq's western Anbar province, the military said Monday. The five deaths took place in separate attacks Sunday, the military said in a statement.

In Baghdad, a U.S.-Iraqi patrol was hit by a roadside bomb in a western district of the capital, then gunmen opened fire, killing one American soldier and wounding two Iraqi policemen.

A second soldier was killed when gunmen attacked his patrol in southern Baghdad, the military said in a statement.

Two soldiers and …

Suicide car bomber kills 8 people in Kirkuk

A suicide bomber rammed his car into an Iraqi police truck Tuesday, killing five policemen and three civilians in the northern oil city of Kirkuk, said police.

The attack, which took place in a crowded downtown commercial area packed with people preparing for work, also wounded at least 11 people, many of them civilians, said Brig. Gen. Sarhat Qadir, the police spokesman in Kirkuk.

The blast burnt three cars and damaged several shops along the street.

A roadside bomb exploded near an army patrol on the other side of the city at the same time as the suicide …

Metro BRIEFINGS

SCHOOLS IN CRISIS: The Chicago public school system faced yet anotherin a long line of crises. With no reform plan, no new money, nocompromises and no help in sight, all hell broke loose at a ChicagoSchool Finance Authority meeting after the oversight panel rejectedthe School Board's reform plan, saying it failed to substantiallymove power away from the board. Story on Page 3. BRIDGE COSTS RISE: The city has hired a team of four engineeringfirms to quickly reinspect and reassess repair costs for Chicago's 52bridges and 303 viaducts. The move was triggered by the soaringcosts of the Michigan Avenue bridge rehabilitation project, which nowwill cost $5 million over the $225.8 million …

SPACE WEATHER

A Policy Statement of the American Meteorological Society

(ADOPTED BY THE AMS COUNCIL, 5 MAY 2008)

SUMMARY STATEMENT. The American Meteorological Society (AMS) recognizes the importance of space weather research and services, and the need to develop advanced forecasting and mitigation techniques. Because of our increasing reliance on technologies susceptible to space weather and the demonstrated importance of space weather to society, the AMS strongly endorses activities and investments that further our understanding of this cross-disciplinary science and its practical applications.

SPACE WEATHER DEFINITION. Space weather refers to the variable conditions on the Sun …

Ochoa 11 Strokes Back in Mexico

Lorena Ochoa fought to recover Saturday from a rough first round in the MasterCard Classic, shooting a 2-under 70 that left the top-ranked Mexican star 11 strokes behind leader Ji-Young Oh.

Ochoa was coming off an opening 76, her highest score in nearly a year.

"I'm happy with my round. It was a good day," said Ochoa, who had four birdies and two bogeys Saturday on the hilly Bosque Real course. "I wasn't able to get a lot of birdies, but I still really want to tomorrow. I'm not putting the desire to win the tournament out of my head. You never know what will happen."

Oh, a 19-year-old from South Korea in her second season on the …

Record can grab gold James Given holds a three-strong hand in the fiercely-competitive William Hill Trophy at York tomorrow.

James Given holds a three-strong hand in the fiercely-competitiveWilliam Hill Trophy at York tomorrow.

His speedy filly Morinqua has made a huge impression this season,but there must be a significant doubt about her proving so effectiveover six furlongs on rain-softened ground.

However, the recent wet spell has boosted the chance of equally-progressive stablemate Off The Record, and with Tony Quinn on board,he is tipped to grab gold in the pounds100,000 cracker.

Earlier in the afternoon, …

A checklist of the vascular flora of Pike County, Alabama

ABSTRACT

The vascular flora of Pike County, Alabama was surveyed from 1987 to 2001. A total of 1190 species and two named hybrids in 589 genera from 160 families are reported. Forty-five species represented by herbarium specimens or reported in the literature as occurring in Pike County were not re-collected during this study. Thirty-four species appear on the Inventory List of Rare, Threatened and Endangered Plants, Animals and Natural Communities of Alabama as compiled by the Alabama Natural Heritage Program. Two hundred thirty-eight of the species, or approximately 20 percent of the flora, are considered non-indigenous. Families with the largest number of taxa were Asteraceae …

McCain raises $27 million in July

John McCain raised $27 million in July, his largest one-month fundraising haul since clinching the Republican presidential nomination, while the Republican National Committee brought in nearly $26 million.

The Republican nominee-in-waiting had $21 million to spend as August began and the national party started the month with $75 million to compete with the Democrats.

"Our fundraising continues to be very healthy," Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager, said in a conference call with reporters, noting that July was the fifth-straight month McCain has improved his cash flow. He said the money came from 600,000 donors, who are part of the party's 1.5 …

Galarraga hears plenty of cheers

Opening day, American-style, began with a huge ovation for KenGriffey Jr. and ended with a familiar sight - the New York Yankeesshaking hands after a win. "It's always fun. Everyone's anxious,"outfielder Paul O'Neill said after the two-time defending WorldSeries champion Yankees won at Anaheim 3-2 Monday night. "If youthink about it, we spent all spring really getting ready for onenight."

Andres Galarraga, meanwhile, waited a whole year for this day.For Tony Gwynn and Mark McGwire, however, opening day was a bust.

Gwynn might have a broken bone in his right elbow after being hitby a pitch in San Diego's 2-1 loss to the New York Mets, and McGwiredid not play because …

Olympic Champion Swimmer Thorpe Retires

SYDNEY, Australia - Five-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe has quit competitive swimming.

Thorpe, 24, held a news conference Tuesday to announce his decision at a downtown Sydney …

U.N. humanitarian chief appeals for more help for Somalia

The U.N.'s top humanitarian official has appealed for more help for Somalia as an insurgency that has killed thousands of civilians this year brought fresh bloodshed in the capital.

John Holmes, U.N. undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, said Monday that aid agencies are struggling to operate because of violence in this Horn of Africa nation, which the U.N. says faces Africa's biggest humanitarian crisis.

"There is a (humanitarian) response but it is not adequate. It is terrible over here," Holmes told reporters after landing about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of the capital, Mogadishu.

He also visited a therapeutic …

Clinton Knew Plans

WASHINGTON Attorney General Janet Reno and the FBI informedPresident Clinton about their plans to assault David Koresh'scompound today, and the president didn't raise any objections, theWhite House said.

The attorney general went to the FBI command center at thebureau's headquarters at 6:30 this morning, where she remained tomonitor developments, said a Justice Department spokesman.

Donald to miss British Open with wrist injury

Luke Donald of England will miss the British Open next week because of a wrist injury that will keep him out of competition for three to four weeks, jeopardizing his hopes of qualifying for the Ryder Cup team.

Donald said in a statement Friday that he felt a pop in his wrist on the 15th tee of the final round at the U.S. Open, and he has been meeting with doctors over the last three weeks to figure out the best way to treat it. Surgery is among the options.

"I consider The Open Championship to be at the top of the list of the four biggest tournaments I play each year, so it is extremely disappointing to not be able to be at Royal Birkdale," Donald said.

The British Open starts Thursday. Donald would be replaced by Pat Perez, who was the first alternate.

Donald, a former NCAA champion at Northwestern, is No. 9 in the Ryder Cup standings based on world ranking points earned since September. His injury means European captain Nick Faldo might have to use one of his two picks on Donald, if he is healthy enough to play at Valhalla in September.

Your views

Some state workers

really need raises

On Jan. 5, Daily Mail reporter Ry Rivard wrote an article titled"Outlook gloomy for raises."

This is not new news for West Virginia state employees who, inthe past four years, have not received merit or performance-basedraises, just cost-of-living increases.

Gov. Manchin's spokesman, Matt Turner, stated in the same articlethat "this administration has been careful with its spending, andwe're going to have to be even more careful."

Yes, he is right about being careful now and in the future, buthe couldn't possibly mean they've been careful in the past.

First, I think renovating the old Department of Motor Vehiclesbuilding in Charleston to host meetings is a great idea. Butrenovating Holly Grove and renovating the Governor's Mansion with$12,000 vanities is absurd.

If I cannot buy a $12,000 vanity, then the governor and firstlady should not be spending the kind of money made available by thetaxpayers of West Virginia.

Second, our state representatives need to do a little moreresearch than they are currently doing. There are state employeesgetting raises and six-figure salaries, but they are the ones ontop.

How do top-level managers get raises, but the lower echelon doesnot? This hardly seems fair. Many of those on the lower echelons arebarely making ends meet.

The salaries of state employees are public knowledge. I do notsee enough hoopla from state employees about this issue.

Am I the only one that is concerned about this?

I am furious. But I cannot fight this alone.

Third, as the State Journal reported on Jan. 7, lawmakers need to"govern prudently." In other words, let's not worry about licenseplates and other things that are not relative at this point.

Let's get on the ballot the issues that are most important likehealth care, raises, retirement, roads and education. Enoughfoolishness already.

We voted the lawmakers into their offices to do the job. Nowlet's require them to do the job.

I am certainly demanding it.

Stephanie F. Stover

Charleston

1st District should oust Alan Mollohan

Unlike Michelle Obama, I have always been proud of my country -proud of the principles of government and conduct set forth by ourFounders, and by the example they set as a testament to thoseprinciples.

We have strayed from the course they charted on many occasionsduring our history, but like a listing vessel, we have managed toright ourselves and continue on course.

The state of Massachusetts did this very thing on Jan. 19 of thisyear. They threw off a one-party rule that was instituted in 1972with the election of Ted Kennedy.

Surely the people of the First District of West Virginia, inwhose veins course the blood of our magnificent and fiercelyindependent forebears, will rise up and do the same as the people ofMassachusetts.

Let us elect as our representative a person of character who willdo honor to our Constitution.

Alan Mollohan has filed for reelection. This is one of the mostcorrupt members of the House of Representatives. He supports, andstated that he will vote for, the so-called health bill - a piece ofwork that will not pass constitutional muster according to mostscholars. He voted to continue funding the sinister group "Acorn."

If the good and right-thinking people of the great state ofMassachusetts can deny office to a candidate with no legislativerecord, surely we can oust a person with the shabby record of AlanMollohan.

Many folks have filed for that position. Let's examine each ofthose candidates, and get their commitment to uphold ourconstitutional values before deciding.

When that person replaces Mollohan, they must know that they canbe replaced in 2010, something we should have done 28 years ago. Wedeserve better.

Denver McMullen

Middlebourne

Obese at risk

updates

According to a June 2002 survey of more than 1,200 adults, most Americans understand their chances of getting heart disease and diabetes increase when they are overweight, but many don't know the risk of cancer increases as well. Twenty-five percent of adults in the study were unaware of the increased risk.

The results of the survey, conducted by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), were presented in July 2002 at a conference on diet and nutrition held in Washington, DC.

The report also says the risk for post-menopausal breast, colon, prostate, esophageal, endometrial and kidney cancers increases among non-smoking, overweight and obese adults. At highest risk are people who gain 22 pounds or more after age 20. People should limit weight gain during adulthood to no more than 11 pounds, says researcher, George Bray, MD, professor of medicine at Louisiana State University Medical Center in Baton Rouge.

The AICR report recommends that Americans stay active, engaging in moderate exercise such as brisk walking for half an hour a day, and more challenging exercise such as jogging for one hour a week. According to the AICR, 11 moderate exercise" means walking a mile in about 15 minutes.

It's important advice, considering the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show 61 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese. Cancer claims more than 500,000 yearly, according to the American Cancer Society. The World Health Organization estimates that up to one-third of worldwide cancer cases are related to being overweight and inactive.

Dike Blair

Dike Blair

D'AMELIO TERRAS

Dike Blair's recent show was a mini survey of gouache still lifes made between 1988 and 1997. Presented in D'Amelio Terras's front room by arrangement with Blair's regular gallery, Feature, Inc., these works had not all been shown together before. The artist began last year to incorporate similar hyperrealist paintings on paper into his post-Minimal sculptures, which typically also involve light boxes, power cords, and industrial carpeting. But when not constituting conceptual devices within larger works, Blair's early stand-alone scenes from the life of mundane objects occupy an oddly indeterminate position.

The items depicted-stacked VHS tapes, for example-are immediately familiar, but one feels their creeping obsolescence. Like artifacts under glass, the works' subjects betray their age. At the same time, the sense of touchstone objects having been hermetically walled away behind transparent sheaths express a deeper, totally contemporary preoccupation.

The fifteen small, untitled paintings on view were arranged roughly chronologically. Karlier works depicted studio setups, composites of late twentieth-century consumerism with a faint masculine flavor: books by Philip K. Dick and J. d. Ballard, a Maxell cassette, a Mennen Speed Stick, a Marlboro soft-pack, open cans of Coca-Cola Classic. Blair is genuinely interested in the charge of pleasure and boredom attached to incidentals like ashtrays and comic books. But his real fascination is with the way in which reflective surfaces keep the handmade realist image strangely liquid, simultaneously opposed and indebted to the simulacral, instrumental reproduction. Blair arranged his name-brand totems on sheets of glass painted on their undersides, photographed the arrangements, and painted from the photographs. Occasionally, he spray-painted the paper before modeling the image in gouache and pencil. Through such simple technical procedures, the arrays appear to hover on richly lined, smoothly continuous, subtly mirrored grounds. A travel alarm clock (Braun) and a carton of cigarettes (Marlboro) ghost themselves in pools of reflection. Then, of course, the pictures are framed behind glass, adding random reflections of the gallery's interior or viewers' faces.

This lireral transparency registers most strongly in the second group of works. These derive not from studio contrivance but from accidental arrangements on restaurant tables-that is, scenes you might glimpse through windows-also photographed and exactingly copied. A diner coffee cup and a half-full plastic water glass, a napkin or sugar dispenser thus rest on, and are observed through, stainlessly reflective surfaces. It's a realm of airless totality, in which a flashbulb hot spot on the rim of a saltshaker threatens to swallow all adjacent existence, a bright black hole on a fast-food countertop.

Doubled and insubstantial, a hip dude's bedside or lunchtime detritus thus takes on the otherworldly sheen of a Dutch still life, which itself then collapses into light-boxed ads of the sort one might find in a convention center. Merging memento mori with hedonistic celebration, Blair's too-perfect, psychically invested possessions feel intentionally solipsistic, even quietly insane-the way half-eaten meals and small-town streets in Stephen Shore's photographs feel violent, exhausted, peculiarly American. Blair's more of a softie, though, than Shore. Enthusiasts of chrome and plate glass like Richard Estes and Audrey Flack come to mind, as do object-cathected diarists like Vija Celmins. There are hints of glam melancholia that recall Wolfgang Tillmans, and narrative spellbinding suggestive of Edward Hopper and Norman Rockwell. The fact that some of these Pop lyricists hail from generations well anterior to Blair's, while others follow him, only ratifies the tenacity of the problem that is the contemplative fine-art image of a disposable mass-produced thing. What is realism? Why is it useful? The answer is always a variation on the theme of normalizing, via conventionality, the radical low-grade psychedelia of experience.

Perhaps Blair himself explains it best when, in an interview, his friend Richard Prince asks about the best place to install his work. Blair admits that the paintings are domestic and look good in homes. But his favorite site, he says, would be "a meditation room at an airport."

-Frances Richard

Activist Chicago priest apologizes for mocking Clinton

An activist Chicago priest and supporter of presidential candidate Barack Obama says he's sorry for a sermon at Obama's church in which he mocked Hillary Rodham Clinton's tears before the New Hampshire primary.

The Reverend Michael Pfleger (FLAY'-ger) said at last Sunday's sermon that Clinton cried because she felt "entitled" and there's a "black man stealing my show."

Pfleger is pastor of Saint Sabina parish on the city's Southwest side. But he made the remarks at Obama's Trinity United Church of Christ.

Pfleger said Thursday that his sermon was "inconsistent with Senator Obama's life and message."

Obama said in a statement that he was "deeply disappointed" by Pfleger's "divisive, backward-looking rhetoric."

Spirit Born of the Infant Hope

The people who buried "Baby Hope" last Thursday represent thevery best of the human spirit and the most profound sentiment of theChristmas season.

The newborn girl was found Sept. 17 in a lot on Chicago's WestSide. She apparently was beaten to death.

Four women - strangers to each other - read the sad story in thenewspaper. Each called the Cook County medical examiner's office,determined to provide this child, in death, the dignity and regardshe had been denied in her fleeting life.

As they planned the funeral, they found an outpouring ofcompassion and generosity. Phil Dane of Burnett-Dane Funeral Home inLibertyville donated a casket. Lakeside Cemetery donated the plot.A local florist donated flowers. A monument company provided aheadstone. A woman brought a christening dress.

Dane's partner, Paul Chominski, went out with a shovel on asnowy day and dug the grave himself.

And last Thursday, 30 people gathered to lay the child to rest.The Rev. Guy Griffith of First Presbyterian Church of Libertyvilleconducted the service, which included a poem written by an anonymousparishioner.

This event resonates far beyond the small circle that gatheredat the baby's graveside. Because of four women - Lisa Schroeder ofRound Lake, Julie Wheeler of Vernon Hills, Fran Ford of Oak Lawn andKathy Sarmina of Lincoln Park - many others will forever carry Hopein their hearts.

Garlic and immunity

This culinary marvel and supplement mainstay gives our defenses a boost

Garlic and immune-boosting go back a waysfrom the workers who built the pyramids, to World War I medics who wrapped wounds in garlicsoaked bandages, to worldly-wise travelers who carry this noble bulb to ward off parasites. It's nice to know that there's solid research validating many of garlic's traditional uses, and some more recent applications.

Garlic vs. Cancer

An animal study by Eikai Kyo, and colleagues, found that garlic extract (aged) can he a powerful immune modulator versus cancer, specifically against sarcoma and carcinoma-boosting immunity where it needs to be yet keeping it inside the foul line so that the immune-charging effect doesn't lead to the over-production of inflammatory compounds, such as mast cells, certain prostaglandins, and thromboxane. Garlic extract (aged) stimulated the release of immune factors and held back the growth of tumors.

Kyo, E., cl at. `Immunomodulation and anti.tumor activities of aged garlic

extract," Phytomedicine li(4):259-267, 1998.

The anticancer effects of garlic, in food form, were evaluated by Geja Hageman in a 1997 study that appeared in Cancer Letters. Nine healthy, non-smoking men ate cucumber salad daily for 8 days. After a 7-day break ("wash-out period"), the participants ate the same salad-but with 3 gms of raw garlic added to it-also for 8 days. In 8 out of the 9 garlic-eating men, reduced indicators of pre-cancer (BP-DNA adduct levels) were shown. Reference

Hageman, Gea, et al. "Assessment of the anticarcinogenic potential of raw garlic in humans," Cancer Letters 114:161-162,1997.

Breast & Prostate Cancers

A group of researchers from North Carolina's East Carolina University School of Medicine (led by Manfred Steiner) decided to look at one of the stable sulfur compounds in garlic extract (aged): S-allylmercaptocysteine (SAMC) to figure out if it can block the spread (in the test tube) of human cancer, specifically erythroleukemia, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. The results? The authors found a strong anti-cancer-spread action in breast cancer and prostate cancer, especially. Reference

Sigounas, George. et al. "S-allylmercaptocysteine inhibits cell proliferation and reduces the viability of erythroleukemia, breast, and prostate cancer cell lines," Nutrition and Cancer 27(2):186-191, 1997.

Protect your immune system

At South Korea's Chosun University, H.G. Jeong and Y.W. Lee wanted to see what would happen if they gave a garlic compound, diallyl sulfide (DAS), to a group of rodents before exposing them to the cancer-causing chemical, NDMA. The researchers found that giving this garlic compound for 14 days straight prevented NDMA from holding back the system's normal immune (antibody) response. Translation? Garlic appears to protect the immune system.

Reference

Jeong, H.G., and Lee, Y.W. "Protective effects of diallyl sulfide on Nnitrodimethylamine-induced immunosuppression in mice," Cancer Letters 134(1):73-79, 1998.

Anti-allergic effects

A 1997 study by Eikai Kyo, and colleagues, attempted to dope out if there was an effect on certain allergy/immune cells and chemicals which are associated with allergic reactions: mast cells, basophils and activated T lymphocytes. In this rodent model, giving garlic extract (aged) reduced histamine release (anti-histamine effect) by 50-90 percent. Artificially broughton ear swelling was also reduced by 25-55 percent. The authors concluded that garlic extract (aged) could beneficially balance, or modify, the function of mast cells, basophils, and activated T lymphocytes-factors which all "play a leading role in allergic cascade reac tions, including inflammation.

Reference

Kyo, E., et al. "Antiallergic effects of aged garlic extract," Phytomedicine 4(4):335-340, 1997.

Iranian MP: Arab League made 'historic mistake'

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A prominent Iranian legislator has called an Arab League decision to suspend Syria's membership a "historic mistake."

Alaeddin Boroujerdi told reporters in the Turkish capital Friday that the League's decision will cause more chaos in Syria and could even lead to civil war that could spread to the region.

Boroujerdi, who heads foreign affairs in Iran's Parliament, said: "the best solution is the reforms that (Syrian President) Bashar Assad has started."

Iran is a strong backer of Syria, which provides it with a foothold on Israel's border and a conduit to Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestinian Hamas in Gaza.

Boroujerdi was in Ankara for talks with Turkish leaders.

S. Korea Says North Showing Flexibility

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea had been showing "flexibility" in meetings on its nuclear program, South Korea's foreign minister said Wednesday, the latest indication that progress may be made when international arms talks resume.

"South Korea and the United States have presented a proactive proposal aimed at implementing the Sept. 19 agreement and North Korea is showing flexibility on this," Song Min-soon told reporters, referring to a September 2005 agreement in which the North pledged to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for aid and security guarantees.

Song declined to elaborate on details of the proposal, saying negotiations were still under way.

His remarks come after a series of meetings between the countries involved in the nuclear talks - China, Japan, Russia, the U.S. and the two Koreas - aimed at setting a date for their resumption. The last round in December failed to yield any breakthroughs, and diplomats say the next session is expected before mid-February.

At the last six-nation talks, North Korea refused to address its disarmament and instead repeated demands for Washington to desist from a campaign to isolate Pyongyang from the international financial system for its alleged counterfeiting and money laundering.

However, even the North has sounded optimistic about future nuclear talks, with its main negotiator Kim Kye Gwan reportedly hinting in Beijing on Tuesday that Pyongyang could change its position.

Asked to describe his feelings about a meeting last week in Germany with American nuclear envoy U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, Kim said: "I am satisfied," South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. He also described a change in the U.S. attitude as "positive," but did not give details.

The North's Foreign Ministry has said without elaborating that the meeting in Germany produced an agreement.

North Korea tested its first-ever nuclear bomb in October, adding urgency to the six-nation talks that have been held since 2003 without yielding any progress on disarming the communist nation.

Barnsley beats Chelsea 1-0 in another FA Cup upset

League Championship club Barnsley has beaten Chelsea 1-0 to knock the defending champions out of the FA Cup.

Kayode Odejayi headed the only goal of the quarterfinal match in the 66th minute.

It's one of the biggest upsets in the 136-year history of soccer's oldest and most famous domestic cup competition.

Barnsley is only four points above the relegation zone in the League Championship. The Tykes also won 2-1 at Liverpool in the previous round to reach the quarterfinals.

Toivonen Stops 37 Shots

Brad Boyes scored the only goal in the shootout, and the St. Louis Blues won their third straight by beating the Nashville Predators 3-2 Saturday night.

St. Louis, which defeated Columbus 3-2 on Friday night, had been the only NHL team not to reach overtime this season.

Hannu Toivonen stopped 35 shots as Nashville outshot the Blues 37-20, then he smothered shots from J.P. Dumont, Martin Erat and Alexander Radulov in the shootout to win it.

Radulov and Jordin Tootoo each scored a goal for Nashville, 6-0-1 in its previous seven games.

Chris Mason stopped Blues rookie David Perron and ex-teammate Paul Kariya, playing in his first game back in Nashville since leaving as a free agent. But Boyes, who also had a goal in regulation, clinched the win by faking Mason to the goalie's right, then flipping the puck behind Mason's right skate.

Perron also had a goal for the Blues, who have won their first two against Nashville this season. The Blues will host the Predators on Monday night.

The Predators welcomed Kariya with a video montage midway through the first period, which Kariya watched while perched on the boards in front of the Blues bench. Fans gave Kariya a round of applause.

Kariya's ex-teammates didn't give him much room to operate.

This also marked the return of Nashville defenseman Shea Weber, who dislocated his kneecap in the season opener on Oct. 4. Weber quickly made his presence known, shooting from the right circle to set up the first goal.

Weber took a shot from the right circle, and Radulov flipped the rebound into the open net to Toivonen's right at 15:54 of the first for a 1-0 lead.

Nashville kept the puck in front of Toivonen most of the second period, outshooting the Blues 16-6. But Boyes tied it at 12:43 with a wrister off the rebound of his own miss during 4-on-4 play. Perron put St. Louis up 2-1 at 17:43 with a backhander over Mason's right leg as the goalie sprawled on the ice.

Tootoo tied the game 57 seconds later, tipping in a shot from Martin Gelinas.

Toivonen stopped a shot in front by Radulov during a power play midway through the third to keep the game tied. He stopped a shot from Jason Arnott within the final 20 seconds to force overtime, then made a pad save on Marek Zidlicky's shot and gloved another from Radek Bonk.

Notes:@ David Legwand tied Kimmo Timonen as the Predators' career leading scorer with his 301st point by assisting on Radulov's goal. ... Nashville is 2-for-25 with the man advantage over the past five games and has gone to overtime in four of five. ... The Blues improved to 7-2 when allowing two goals or fewer.

NHL Standings

All Times EDT
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
W L OT Pts GF GA
Pittsburgh 43 25 7 93 232 213
New Jersey 43 24 5 91 196 172
Philadelphia 37 32 6 80 216 209
N.Y. Rangers 33 32 9 75 195 200
N.Y. Islanders 30 34 10 70 192 229
Northeast Division
W L OT Pts GF GA
Buffalo 40 23 10 90 205 186
Ottawa 40 30 5 85 202 214
Montreal 37 30 8 82 202 204
Boston 34 28 12 80 188 186
Toronto 27 35 12 66 195 243
Southeast Division
W L OT Pts GF GA
Washington 49 14 11 109 289 209
Atlanta 32 30 12 76 219 236
Carolina 31 34 9 71 206 231
Florida 30 32 11 71 191 214
Tampa Bay 29 32 12 70 192 228
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division
W L OT Pts GF GA
Chicago 46 20 7 99 239 187
Nashville 43 27 5 91 211 209
Detroit 38 22 13 89 203 193
St. Louis 34 30 9 77 197 201
Columbus 30 32 12 72 198 238
Northwest Division
W L OT Pts GF GA
Vancouver 45 25 4 94 242 191
Colorado 41 25 7 89 220 197
Calgary 37 29 9 83 189 190
Minnesota 36 33 6 78 205 224
Edmonton 24 43 7 55 189 253
Pacific Division
W L OT Pts GF GA
San Jose 45 19 10 100 239 193
Phoenix 46 23 6 98 204 185
Los Angeles 42 25 6 90 215 195
Anaheim 35 31 8 78 208 226
Dallas 32 28 14 78 211 234
Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss or shootout loss.
___
Friday's Games
Ottawa 4, Buffalo 2
Detroit 6, Minnesota 2
Anaheim 3, Edmonton 2
Saturday's Games
Boston 5, Calgary 0
Pittsburgh 4, Philadelphia 1
Tampa Bay at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Florida at Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Atlanta at Carolina, 7 p.m.
New Jersey at Montreal, 7 p.m.
N.Y. Rangers at Toronto, 7 p.m.
N.Y. Islanders at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Colorado at Phoenix, 9 p.m.
Vancouver at San Jose, 10 p.m.
Dallas at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.
Sunday's Games
Calgary at Washington, 3 p.m.
Toronto at Pittsburgh, 5 p.m.
Edmonton at St. Louis, 6 p.m.
Columbus at Chicago, 7 p.m.
New Jersey at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Colorado at San Jose, 8 p.m.
Monday's Games
Buffalo at Boston, 7 p.m.
Carolina at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Nashville at Florida, 7:30 p.m.
Los Angeles at Minnesota, 9 p.m.
Dallas at Anaheim, 10 p.m.

Winslow misses cut in LPGA tournament

Amateur golfer Andia Winslow, left, of Orlando, Fla., gets advice from caddie Lanier Waters shot as she lines up her putt on the 12th green in the second round of the Ginn Open LPGA golf tournament in Reunion, Fla., on Friday. Winslow is the first Black player in an LPGA event in four years. She was 22 over and missed the cut of 4 over. AP/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Mexico detains South Africans trying to buy guns

Federal agents have detained two South African men on suspicion of trying to buy weapons and explosives from a Mexican drug cartel.

The attorney general's office says the suspects had a briefcase filled with 20 bundles of $100 bills. It did not give a total amount for the cash.

An anonymous tip received by police says the money allegedly comes from a source in France.

The two South Africans were captured at a Mexico City hotel on Tuesday after the tipster said the men were arranging to buy weapons from the violent Gulf drug cartel.

While Mexican cartels have long used powerful weapons smuggled from the United States, the bust suggests they also may be supplying other criminals with guns.

Mergers and acquisitions

Merger Creates Biotech Giant

In an all-stock deal worth $6.8 billion, IDEC Pharmaceutical Corp. (San Diego, CA; www.idecpharm.com) and Biogen, Inc. (Cambridge, MA; www.biogen. com) have signed a definitive agreement to merge, berthing a new company, Biogen IDEC, Inc. (Cambridge, MA). The transaction is expected to close late in the third quarter of 2003 or early 2004. The merger supports IDEC's growing focus on autoimmune diseases, one of Biogen's strengths, while enabling Biegen to develop its capabilities in cancer treatment, IDEC's forte. Biogen IDEC will bolster its product portfolios and revenue with two blockbuster drugs, AVONEX (for treatment of relapsing forms of multiple …

Rangers score 3 in 1st, down Maple Leafs 5-1

Erik Christensen scored two of New York's three first-period goals as the Rangers gave their tenuous playoff hopes a big boost with a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

Christensen gave New York the lead 21 seconds in, then combined with Vinny Prospal for goals 30 seconds apart that quickly put away the game.

Although the Rangers wouldn't have been eliminated with a loss to Toronto, their realistic prospects for the playoffs would have been all but dashed. But wins in their final two games would get them into the playoffs for the fifth straight season.

Olli Jokinen and Aaron Voros also scored and Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves …

Can't Afford Training? Come See Us, Says CEO.

Being a small credit union with a modicum of resources is no excuse to not invest in training, according to one CEO of a very large credit union.

Kent Herbert, CEO of the $1-billion Eastern Financial Credit Union, acknowledged before The Credit Union Journal's SEG and Business Development Conference here that EFCU has the resources to invest in training. But it also puts its money where its mouth is by not just suggesting a variety of low-cost or no-cost training options-Herbert said smaller credit unions are welcome to come to his credit union for a free training session.

Eastern Financial has a training department that puts on regular training sessions, and …

Rugby: Woody's last-gasp penalty.

Harwich & Dovercourt 2nd XV 10, Thurston 2nd XV 11

THE Thurston pack, bolstered by the returning Wilson, Allen and Ali, looked to dominate the set plays but it was only some big hits in the midfield from Channing and Hale that prevented the lively Harwich backs from making the most of the limited possession they secured.

It was against the run of play that the home side took the lead 10 minutes before half-time. Harwich's elusive full-back should have been stopped at source when he picked up the ball just outside the 22, but four missed tackles allowed him to score near the right corner. Crucially, the conversion was missed.

An immediate response was …

LEO R. GAGNON, 65.(CAPITAL REGION)

COHOES Leo R. Gagnon, 65, of Johnston Avenue died Wednesday in Leonard Hospital in Troy.

He was born in Cohoes and educated in LaSalle School in Troy.

Mr. Gagnon owned and operated City Creamery Inc. for 35 years. He was a truck driver for Freihofer Baking Co. for more than 20 years, retiring in 1992.

He was a communicant of St. Agnes/St. Patrick's Church, and a member of the Cohoes Knights of Columbus.

Survivors include his wife, Jeannine Blanchard …

Octopus gets inside lunchbox at Boston aquarium

What is 7 feet long, weighs 30 pounds, has eight arms and fits in a box slightly larger than a milk crate? Truman the octopus. Truman squeezed into a clear, acrylic box while trying to snag his lunch at the New England Aquarium in Boston.

Aquarium workers often place food inside locked boxes for the intelligent animals to crack open. It's what the aquarium calls an "enrichment activity," but it …

Forecasts

We didnt start the fire ... But hey, we'll …

Keurig partners with Diedrich.

KEURIG PREMIUM COFFEE SYSTEMS and Diedrich Coffee Inc. announced a partnership to package and sell Diedrich coffee products in K-Cups for the Keurig …

About People.

United Airlines has appointed James E. Keenan as senior VP of United Services. He will be responsible for overseeing the airline's global maintenance operation. Keenan previously worked for as senior VP of Pratt & Whitney's Global Services Partners network.

Renier Swart has joined Ontario, Calif.-based Certified Aviation Services (CAS) as general manager for its line maintenance facility at Anchorage Intl Airport in Alaska. Swart previously worked for ATA Airlines, where we was a supervisor and project manager of outsourced maintenance for both heavy and line maintenance.

StandardAero has appointed Scott Shiells as airframe program director for the …

LAWMAKERS PITCH BILLS ON CORPORATE `THIEVERY'.(BUSINESS)

Byline: MICHAEL GORMLEY Associated Press

ALBANY -- Using phrases like corporate ``thievery'' and ``bizarre'' state economic development deals, lawmakers introduced bills Thursday to require companies to make good on job promises in exchange for state tax breaks.

The package of bills would set ethical standards for corporations to operate in New York and require greater accountability for firms that get economic development funds and tax breaks to locate, expand or stay in New York.

Under the bills, government subsidies to firms could only total $35,000 per job promised in some cases, compared to many times that in breaks in sales, property and other …

HIGH SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR GETS LIFE GUILTY OF CONSPIRING TO MURDER HER HUSBAND, JURY FINDS.(Main)

Byline: Doina Chiacu Associated Press

A high school instructor was convicted Friday and sentenced to life in prison without parole following a sensational trial on charges that she manipulated a student, who was also her lover, into murdering her husband.

Pamela Smart, 23, stood motionless and displayed no emotion as the Superior Court jury foreman pronounced her guilty of murder conspiracy and being an accomplice to murder.

Judith Smart, who cried out as each verdict in her son's death was read, said afterward, "She got what she deserved."

Judith and William Smart left the court for the cemetery where their son is buried.

"We're going to tell Gregg," William Smart said. "We're going to tell him that, by God, she did do it."

Gregg Smart, a 24-year-old …

Poland's church attendance on decline

A survey shows church attendance on the decline in Poland, the homeland of the late Pope John Paul II.

Figures released Thursday by the Institute of Statistics of the Catholic Church show that 41.5 percent of Poland's Roman Catholics attended Sunday Mass on Oct. 11, when a detailed count was done in all of Poland's 10,000 parishes.

It was a decline from …

AP: Somalia famine aid stolen, UN investigating

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Sacks of grain, peanut butter snacks and other food staples meant for starving Somalis are being stolen and sold in markets, an Associated Press investigation has found, raising concerns that thieving businessmen are undermining international famine relief efforts in this nearly lawless country.

The U.N.'s World Food Program acknowledged for the first time that it has been investigating food theft in Somalia for two months. The WFP strongly condemned any diversion of "even the smallest amount of food from starving and vulnerable Somalis."

Underscoring the perilous security throughout the food distribution chain, donated food is not even safe once it …

SEA STAR BUYS NAVIERAS.(San Juan, shipper terminal sold for $32 mn)(International Pages)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Sea Star Line has reached agreement to acquire the assets of the maritime company Navieras/NPR Inc. and the operation of its San Juan terminal for US$32 million reports El Nuevo Dia (April 3, 2002. The deal is subject to approval of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and would be effective at the end of April. The news came a year after The Holt Group, parent company of Navieras, went Chapter 11 after being unable to pay (since Jan. 2001) interests on …

Speaking their language, young California bank reaches out to Latinos.(Pan American Bank F.S.B.)(Brief Article)

Pan American Bank hopes the rising tide of Spanish speaking immigrants to California will lift it to success.

The Northern California bank, resurrected after a troubled beginning, has opened its first Southern California office in a bid to serve the region's fast-growing immigrant population.

The San Mateo bank, with $160 million in assets, failed in its previous incarnation in 1992. A group of Hispanic businesspeople bought its remains from the Resolution Trust Corp.

Chief executive Lawrence J. Grill says demographics are on the bank's side. His new full-service office has bilingual materials, signs, and tellers. "In the past, for many Hispanics, going to …

YOU CAN'T REDUCE TAXES WITHOUT SPENDING CUTS.(MAIN)

Byline: ARMAND CHARRON CHESTERTOWN

Your June 5 editorial, ``Troy does the right thing,'' is wrong.

What government has to do is learn spending has to be curtailed. Every idea for a new construction project is supported by all politicians. There's a little loose money floating around. It usually ends up in their campaign fund and raises for everyone in government. It makes sense as now the politician also should get a raise.

The funds represent more money for all …

Quality lapses cause stir at Land Rover.(News)(Brief Article)

Byline: Bradford Wernle

Land Rover is putting pressure on its workers to help solve the company's growing quality problems.

Management has told employees that if they don't accept changes at the company's Solihull, England, plant, production of some models may be moved elsewhere.

In late April, Solihull workers voted to reject proposed changes that included not wearing pens in shirt pockets and not smoking on the assembly line.

Land Rover finished 35th of 36 brands in the recent J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study. Only Hummer fared worse.

Steve Coultate, Land Rover's factory director, sent a letter to employees on May …

Bailie new interim vice dean of UIC's College of Medicine

Bailie new interim vice dean of UIC's College of Medicine

Michael Bailie, former regional dean of UIC's College of Medicine, has been apointed interim vice dean of the college.

"Dr. Bailie brings decades of experience in administrative, educational and scholarly pursuits," said Geral Moss, dean of the College of Medicine. "His record of achievement as regional dean and his knowledge of today's complex health care environment will enhance the college's ability to remain competive as a medical school."

Bailie said one of his first efforts would be to let area residents know "what a jewel they have in the College of Medicine."

In addition to raising the college's …

-Mitsubishi Motor Corporation recalls 250,000 vehicles in Japan.

Auto Business News-November 12, 2010--Mitsubishi Motor Corporation recalls 250,000 vehicles in Japan(C)1994-2010 ENPublishing - http://www.enpublishing.co.uk

Auto Business News - 12 November 2010(c)2005 - Electronic News Publishing - http://www.enpublishing.co.uk

Mitsubishi Motor Corporation (TYO: 7211), a Japan-based automaker, is recalling around 250,000 vehicles in Japan.

The recall affects seven …

AIRPORT FETED, BACTERIA FED.(CAPITAL REGION)

The Albany County Airport Authority received one of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's highest awards Monday -- for feeding bacteria the fluid that melts ice off its plane's wings.

The Environmental Quality Award, presented for outstanding commitment to protecting and enhancing the environment, honors the airport for its $12 million Stormwater Treatment …

Romero: Argentina is preparing for penalties

Argentina is studying Germany's penalty techniques ahead of their World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday, goalkeeper Sergio Romero said.

Diego Maradona's side is hoping to avoid a repeat of the 2006 quarterfinals, when Germany beat Argentina 4-2 in a shootout.

Jens Lehmann stopped spot kicks from Roberto Ayala and Esteban Cambiasso that day after consulting a cheat sheet of the Argentine penalty takers and the direction they usually took their kicks.

Romero said Monday that was a "smart move" by the Germans, and said Argentina has copied that tactic by studying videos of how their opponents take penalties.

"This time we have to …

Potentially explosive atmosphere?(risk assessment and electrical equipment)(Brief Article)

Since 1977, when the European Economic Community implemented legislation covering the design and manufacture of electrical equipment intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres, there has been no European legislation covering how such areas were to be identified, so it can be argued that workers have been at risk. Perhaps this is an example of the old 'common market' approach that was more interested in the free movement of goods -- in this case equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres -- rather than a 'European Union' approach that also claims to be interested in improving conditions in the workplace.

The advent of a new directive created under article 137 of the European Treaty (ATEX Directive 1999/92/EC) marks a change. All employers who may have a potentially …

CLIFTON PARK AND THE LAW.(Main)(Editorial)

Despite a court restraining order, Clifton Park Supervisor Joe Riley ordered an unfinished house demolished. Why the need to flout the law? The official explanation is that the house poses safety hazards. Another explanation seems more likely: Clifton Park's shortsighted attitude toward establishing its own police force.

At issue is an unfinished home in the controversial Peacock Glen development, off Miller Road. A court order obtained by the developer, who ceased construction after financial problems, has prevented demolition since June. Yet Mr. Riley finds the house a health and safety risk, and the town's acting health officer agrees. Residents of the development …