Texas man cleared in shooting of possible burglars

A Texas man who shot and killed two men he suspected of burglarizing his neighbor's home cleared in the shootings Monday by a grand jury.

Joe Horn, 61, shot the two men in November after he saw them crawling out the windows of a neighbor's house in the Houston suburb of Pasadena.

Horn called 911 and told the dispatcher he had a shotgun and was going to kill the men. The dispatcher pleaded with him not to go outside, but Horn confronted the men with a 12-gauge shotgun and shot both in the back.

"The message we're trying to send today is the criminal justice system works," Harris County District Attorney Kenneth Magidson said.

…

On the Pulse

57% of Americans think the United States will not win the war inIraq; …

TRUE CRIME

This is the place, Boise, Idaho

We live here ... we're Boiseans.

The stories you are about to read are true.

US MARSHALS FUGITIVE

The US Marshalls are seeking assistance in locating a federal fugitive. Jeremy Earl Jay, 23, is wanted for violation of his pretrial release conditions in connection with a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in the Boise area. He is five feet, 10 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds and decorates his brown hair with a generous an apparently greasy pile of blond streaks. Jay is possibly driving a black 1996 Honda Civic, Idaho license 1B1896 or a dark blue or black Ford Tempo with unknown plates. He is known to frequent the following …

Obamas, Bidens at White House

The incoming residents of the White House are sitting down for coffee with the couple who have lived there for the past eight years.

Barack and Michelle Obama are there for a pre-inauguration coffee with President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura. They are joined by Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill.

The Bushes warmly greeted the Obamas outside, posed for photos and then ushered their guests …

Cooking school planned for S. Shore center $5 mil. would pay for state-of-art kitchen, but some aren't sold

A state-of-the art cooking school would be installed at the SouthShore Cultural Center under a plan advanced by a Chicago ParkDistrict committee on Wednesday.

"The plan is to make culinary arts part of culture," said WilliamReynolds, provost of Washburne Culinary Institute.

Under the deal, endorsed by the Administration Committee, theCulinary Institute would contribute $5 million to build a fancykitchen and for structural repairs, in return for a 20-year leasewith two five-year renewal options, Reynolds said.

The school would operate a first-floor restaurant that would beopen to the public and offer classes to the community even after itmoves to its new home on …

ESPN's Limbaugh should stick to the facts

Associated Press

If Rush Limbaugh and his enablers over at ESPN were really keen tosmash NFL stereotypes, there's no better place to begin than bymaking sure "Playmakers" gets canceled before the next episode hitsthe airwaves.

That would make Limbaugh a hero to football fans across thepolitical spectrum. Unfortunately, it also would require work,something Limbaugh has been loath to do, judging by his "Sunday Rush"segments so far for the all-sports network.

It's one thing to make the kind of mistake he did two weeks ago,incorrectly saying the Rams have never been to a Super Bowl undercoach Mike Martz. It's another, though, for Limbaugh to slam …

Kenyans Executed in 5-Year Crackdown

As many as 8,040 young Kenyans have been executed or tortured to death since 2002 in a police crackdown on an outlawed sect, according to a new report by a group of Kenyan lawyers.

Another 4,070 young men have gone missing between August 2002 and August 2007 after being held in police custody, said the report by the Oscar Foundation Free Legal Aid Clinic-Kenya released Saturday.

The report does not offer evidence on who was responsible for the deaths and disappearances but said most of the missing were last seen in police custody.

Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe dismissed the report as "a document not worth responding to."

…

The Renaissance Theater in Italy

Humanism.

In Italy humanism was the dominant intellectual movement of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and its methods affected most areas of cultural life. The early humanists Francesco Petrarch (1304–1374) and Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375) had been fascinated by the genres and literary style of Latin Antiquity. They envisioned a revival of culture based upon ancient literary models. As the humanist movement developed, it acquired a new sophistication about the role and uses of language. This sophistication gave birth in the fifteenth century to philology, a new discipline that studied the historical and contextual uses of languages in ancient documents. Philology developed rigorously scientific methods that by the second half of the fifteenth century allowed scholars to establish the authenticity of ancient texts. At about the same time, humanism also supported a revival of the study of ancient rhetoric as well as the Greek language. As this snapshot suggests, humanism was from its first a literary, rather than a philosophical, movement. There was no humanist manifesto or creed, but a general conviction that the development of men and women who were critical readers and thinkers as well as elegant writers might ennoble society. This same conviction prompted the humanists to study ancient forms of drama. Their efforts produced a classical revival of the masterpieces of Antiquity, even as they eventually inspired Renaissance playwrights to imitate the ancient genres. In tragedy, however, Italian dramatists long remained slaves to ancient models. Although many Renaissance Italians wrote Greek and Roman styled tragedies, no masterpiece in this genre appeared until the eighteenth century. Italian scholarship of the ancient classics gave rise to works that today are only of historical interest. At the same time Italian humanist scholarship traveled to the rest of Europe, and in Renaissance England, France, and Spain, great tragic dramas did appear. In comedy, by contrast, Renaissance Italians evidenced greater success, producing a long string of learned or erudite comedies that also inspired playwrights throughout Europe.

Revival of Antiquity.

The rediscovery of the comedies and tragedies of the ancient world gave birth to new editions of the works of Sophocles, Euripides, and the Roman playwrights Seneca, Terence, and Plautus. Seneca, the ancient author of Rome's greatest tragedies, was the first ancient playwright to attract the humanists' attentions. Already in the fourteenth century scholars had turned to study his tragedies. The comic playwright Plautus was the next great classical figure to undergo a revival. In 1429, the humanist Nicholas of Cusa rediscovered twelve plays by Plautus, and in the years that followed, Italy's growing ranks of literary scholars pored over these documents. By the second half of the fifteenth century, the printing press permitted scholars to print editions of the classical plays. A collected edition of the surviving works of Terence appeared in 1470, followed two years later by the works of Plautus. These printed editions allowed hundreds of identical texts to circulate among scholars and authors simultaneously, thus inspiring readers to try their own hand at imitating the ancient forms. The new editions also prompted Italy's wealthy patrons and nobility to commission translations of the works into Italian and to undertake productions of the plays. By contrast, the study of Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes proceeded more slowly since, in the fifteenth century, Greek dramas could only be read by the most erudite of scholars. By 1525, this situation had begun to change when three of the most famous Greek tragedies, Euripides' Iphigenia in Tauris and his Cyclops as well as Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, had translations in Italian. Translations of major Greek dramas appeared throughout the sixteenth century, producing calls for the revival of Greek theater, as well as a more general interest in classical dramatic conventions.

Tragedy.

Humanist interest in ancient tragedy developed early, as Italian scholars examined the ancient tragedies of Seneca. Around 1300, the early humanists Lovati Lovato and Nicholas di Trevet producedcommentaries on Seneca's tragedies. The critical interest in Seneca was not accidental. Seneca was a Stoic, a member of the ancient philosophical sect that taught that the human passions were the source of evil. Stoicism embraced a world-renouncing creed that was not dissimilar to the Christian philosophy of many medieval figures, nor was it unattractive to the early humanists. Petrarch saw in Stoicism's teachings an effective way to manage one's relations with the world. On balance, the renewed popularity of Senecan tragedy, however, had a dampening effect on the revival of the form as a theatrical drama. Seneca treated tragedy largely as a literary genre, and today most scholars believe that he was, even in Antiquity, a writer of "closet dramas," that is of plays intended to be read rather than performed. In their attempts to understand this writer's works, the early Renaissance humanists also relied on medieval theorists such as the sixth-century philosopher Isidore of Seville or the thirteenth-century poet Dante Alighieri—both of whom had treated ancient tragedy largely as a kind of poetry that dealt with the vile deeds and justified downfall of immoral rulers. Isidore and Dante's attitudes toward the form thus downplayed the richly variegated philosophical, psychological, and visual …

Eyes on the ball

TOP 100

Midstate businesses hit big numbers in '07

Veteran, all-star readers of the CentraJ Penn Business Journai's annuaJ Jist of the top 100 privately held companies in Central Pennsylvania will see a curveball this year. After ranking first on the list the past six years, The High Cos. finished second this year to a rookie to the list with more than tripie Highs revenue: D&H Distributing Company Inc.

D&H reported 2007 revenue-the ranking criteria - of $1.9 billion, compared with Highs $601.2 million. D&H had not previously completed the survey for the list.

Despite the rocky economy, 69 companies on the list increased their revenue between 2006 …

Australian prime minister says salute to US president was a joke

Australia's prime minister came under fire at home Friday over a playful salute he gave U.S. President George W. Bush at a NATO summit, which critics said seemed to suggest Australian subservience to Washington.

Australian television repeatedly broadcast videos of the gesture Thursday on the sidelines of the Bucharest summit and speculated about what it meant, while opposition lawmakers said it belittled Australia.

"We are not the 51st state of the United States of America and Mr. Rudd's salute carried a subservient connotation many Australians won't like," said Bob Brown, leader of the minor opposition Greens pary.

The salute revived …

Life can change in a heartbeat

'You are having a heart attack." Precise. To the point. Like apunch in the nose. You can't imagine the impact those words can haveuntil someone looks into your eyes and tells you that your life haschanged forever.

I will be 63 in September. After retiring from the Chicago Sun-Times in June 2001, after 33 years as a high school sports reporter,I thought I was doing nearly everything necessary to stay healthy andfit. I wasn't Jack LaRue, but I wasn't John Candy, either.

I don't smoke or drink. I lost 30 pounds in the past six months. Iregularly spent at least one hour and 20 minutes in my condominium'sexercise room, on the treadmill for four miles, on the bicycle …

Hitting a high note in Nashville

You don't have to love the twang of steel guitars to enjoy this sophisticated southern city that has plenty to offer in the way of history, culture, and just plain fun. But if country music is your thing, you're going to be in heaven.

Say your old man was a no-account drifter named Sue who got run over by a train. You've just spent your last dime in a honky tonk and now your baby's gone off with your best friend. Well, good buddy, Nashville, the site of this year's annual conference, is your kind of place. In fact, it's a great city to visit, even if the achy-breaky lyrics of country entertainers like Vince Gill and Faith Hill don't exactly thrill you. Though best known for its …

Britain's New Leader to Name Cabinet

LONDON - Britain's new leader Gordon Brown was appointing his senior circle of ministers Thursday after he ended a decade-long wait to become prime minister, stepping from Tony Blair's shadow determined to repair divisions over the unpopular Iraq war.

Brown, a 56-year-old Scot, planned a host of changes from Blair's final team, bringing a crop of young legislators into his government.

He also was looking beyond his Labour ranks - much like French President Nicolas Sarkozy - to offer roles to opposition legislators and leading business figures.

"I will build a government that uses all the talents," Brown told reporters outside his Downing Street office. "I will invite men and women of good will to contribute their energies in a new spirit of public service."

Advances to ex-opposition Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown and former London police chief John Stevens were rebuffed, but officials said Brown would spring surprises with his new team.

Several senior ministers close to Blair - including law and order chief John Reid and Attorney General Lord Peter Goldsmith - already have tendered their resignations.

Britain changed its leadership for the first time in a decade with Queen Elizabeth II's formal confirmation of Brown as leader on Wednesday.

Britain also will have a new Treasury chief for the first time since 1997. Another Scot is widely tipped for the role - Alistair Darling, the current trade and industry secretary.

Current Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett was widely expected to be moved from her post as chief diplomat. A leading contender to replace Beckett is David Miliband, the current environment chief.

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt also resigned, but there was little speculation about a likely choice for her job.

Brown's spokesman Michael Ellam declined to comment in advance of a full announcement.

Blair departed Wednesday to rousing applause and tears from lawmakers. He said he was sorry for the perils faced by British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, but gave no apology for his decisions to back the United States in taking military action.

"I wish everyone - friend or foe - well," Blair said before departing the chamber to cheers. "And that is that. The end."

Blair later took a train to northern England - carrying his own luggage - where he told officials in the town he represented in Parliament he would resign as a British legislator.

He takes on a daunting role as envoy to the Quartet of Mideast peace mediators after presiding over a decade of rapid social change - and rancor at the Iraq invasion.

Having departed the Treasury for Buckingham Palace in a modest sedan with wife Sarah, Brown swept back to Downing Street in a sleek prime ministerial limousine.

"I remember words that have stayed with me since my childhood and which matter a great deal today - my school motto - 'I will try my utmost'," Brown told reporters.

President Bush was the first world leader to offer his congratulations in a phone call soon after Brown's appointment, Downing Street said.

Their 10-minute talk was "cordial and constructive," Ellam said, declining to specify if the leaders discussed Iraq.

Brown also held brief telephone chats with Sarkozy, Irish leader Bertie Ahern, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian chief Roman Prodi.

In London, Brown continued discussions map out his legislative agenda seeking to head off the challenge from a revived opposition Conservative party. Polls already point to a "Brown bounce," with one survey putting his Labour party ahead of its rivals for the first time since October.

Most closely watched will be Brown's policy toward Iraq. British troop numbers there have rapidly fallen during 2007.

Blair left his successor an option to call back more of the remaining 5,500 personnel by 2008 - an opportunity likely to be grasped by a leader with a national election to call before June 2010. Brown confirmed Wednesday the number soon will fall to 5,000.

The succession of Brown ended a partnership at the pinnacle of British politics that began when he and Blair were elected to Parliament in 1983 - sharing an office and a vision to transform their party's fortunes.

Tony Bennett is playing it `Cool'

Tony Bennett with the Ralph Sharon Quartet 8 p.m. SaturdayRavinia, Green Bay and Lake-Cook, Highland Park Tickets, $10; onlylawn seats remain (847) 266-5100 Tony Bennett just laughs when areporter makes a lame attempt at an "I Left My Heart in SanFrancisco" joke at the expense of the music legend.

"I think, by this time, there isn't a one-liner about that songand me that I haven't heard," chuckles Bennett, phoning from his NewYork home.

"Remember, they even made fun of it recently in that (credit card)commercial."

Bennett may be eternally tied to the city by the bay in northernCalifornia, but he also has a big place in his heart for the Chicagoarea - always a regular stop on the singer's touring schedule. Inparticular, Bennett is fond of Ravinia, where once again he'll croonthose American songbook classics Saturday night.

"The reason I love playing Ravinia so much is because the peoplelove to go there. They really enjoy sitting under the trees, sittingback so the music just floats out to them. . . . I like going to aplace where everyone's comfortable and enjoying themselves."

While Tony Bennett is about to release his 99th album - "BennettSings Ellington: Hot & Cool" - the famous song stylist continues tobe energized by performing in front of live audiences. "For the past51 years I've done 200 dates a year - all over the world. I enjoy itbecause I find it interesting that I never fail to learn things aboutperforming . . . even at this stage."

Bennett unabashedly says, "This is the greatest time of my life,"a comment that might surprise some, realizing the singer is now inhis 70s.

"The thing that is phenomenal . . . here I am facing a situationthat I think has never happened before in show business.

"Usually, when someone reaches my age and has had the kind ofcareer I've had and have sustained for that long - they are veryrespected. But then they go into a sort of semi-retirement. You'restill well-loved, but you're not on the scene as a `now' kind ofartist.

"The young people changed all that for me. Once I won the Albumof the Year on MTV, it opened up something that had never happenedbefore: someone my age communicating (musically) with a far youngerdemographic group."

With Frank Sinatra and Mel Torme gone, many consider Bennett thelast of his generation's great singers. Is he worried about "thekind of music I love" dying out after he moves on to that big soundstage in the sky?

"No. Not at all. There are plenty of young artists who areactually doing a great job today. . . . Harry Connick (Jr.) is oneand, even though he's not a singer, so is Wynton Marsalis. . . . Notonly is he a great musician, but more importantly he's a greatteacher. Through all those programs he does around the country, hemakes young people learn about the kind of music I really believe in.So many kids think the whole jazz thing started with John Coltrane.Period. (Marsalis) reminds them that there was also a Roy Eldridge,Ella Fitzgerald, Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker."

Bennett is such a fan of Marsalis, he even features himprominently in his upcoming Ellington album. Due out Sept. 28 on theRPM/Columbia label, "Hot & Cool" includes Bennett's longtime backupgroup the Ralph Sharon Quartet, trombonist Al Grey and JuilliardString Quartet first violinist Joel Smirnoff playing such Ellingtonclassics as "Sophisticated Lady," "Prelude to a Kiss," "Mood Indigo"and "She's Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)."

Bennett's bond with Ellington - who would have celebrated hiscentennial this year - goes back decades. "I always had a specialfondness for the Duke. Our families were close to one another. Inever knew anyone more adjusted to life. He was completely energeticto the day he died . . . every moment counted for him. He was alwayscreating, always making people feel good."

Bennett is clearly in a nostalgic mood. Talk of Ellington quicklysegues to memories of Bennett's biggest fan: Frank Sinatra. "Hereally was a best friend. He always was in my corner. Alwaysplugged me, supported me and encouraged me."

The singer says, "That hits the bull's-eye," when asked if loyaltywas the one quality he felt Sinatra most treasured. "No questionabout it, he was loyal and he expected it in return. . . . His wholephilosophy of life was centered on it . . . and conversely, oncesomeone crossed him, that was it. They were off the list. Youcouldn't even bring their names up in his presence," Bennett saidwith a rueful laugh.

While Bennett has had one of the most successful careers in 20thcentury show business, he readily acknowledges that times were toughin the early 1960s, when the British invasion of the Beatles and theRolling Stones changed musical tastes for an entire generation ortwo.

"I went to talk to Count Basie, because we were friends - I wasthe first white guy to sing with his band. I asked him what hethought I should do. . . . All these rock 'n' roll guys were playingstadium concerts. The whole concept of doing music in a stadium wastotally new then.

"Without missing a beat, the Count looked up at me and said,`Tony, why change an apple? Just keep doing what you're doing - whatyou know how to do so well - and everything will be fine.' "

Bennett is such a fan of such a wide range of the Americansongbook - Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, the Gershwins, Irving Berlin,Harold Arlen, Rogers and Hart - one might think he would have a hardtime picking one tune that represented the quintessential TonyBennett song.

"Sure I love them all, but as far as I'm concerned Jerome Kern's`All the Things You Are' is the best song ever written," Bennettsaid.

And the secret to why so many Italians and Italian Americans havefound success in show business? "Well, after all, in a sense theyinvented it . . . the commedia dell'arte opera and the rest . . .most of the great art in Europe can be found in Italy."

So. It's in the blood?

"More like, it's in the tomato sauce," said Tony Bennett, signingoff with that warm, wonderful, soft-gravelly chuckle.

BMW: Fine Performance, a Range of Prices

The top-selling European car in America last year was notVolkswagen, Volvo or Saab.

Nor was it Audi, Alfa-Romeo, Jaguar, Porsche or Mercedes-Benz.

The sales winner was BMW. That's right - the prime yuppie carof the 1980s.

I'll bet few of this column's readers would have guessed thatBMW was No. 1 - if it weren't for the photographs and headline onthis page.

BMW's 1993 U.S. sales totaled 78,010 cars, compared withrunner-up Volvo, which sold 72,955 autos.

Volkswagen? It finished fourth, behind Mercedes, with sales of43,902 cars. Last was Alfa-Romeo, which found only 1,325 buyers.

"BMW, whose 1994 January-to-March sales are significantly aheadof last year, feels it has pretty much put its 1980s yuppie imagebehind it. It did well in 1993 mainly because it offers good valuefor the money in the value-conscious 1990s," says BMW nationalspokesman Robert Mitchell.

"But I agree that many consumers wouldn't have guessed BMW wasthe top-selling European car in the States because lots of peoplethink our cars cost more than (top-line) Japanese autos, such asLexus," Mitchell adds.

BMWs are aggressively priced lower than Lexus and other premierJapanese models. In fact, BMW recently knocked $3,525 off the listprice of its 525i sedan and lowered the price of its 525i Touringstation wagon by $3,300, without downgrading their equipment levelsmuch.

But that doesn't mean BMWs are inexpensive; their highperformance and excellent quality don't come cheap.

Base BMW prices range from $24,675 for its 318i four-cylindersedan to $85,500 for its limited-production 850Ci V-12 coupe, whichis essentially for jet setters.

However, for $68,100, you can get BMW's new 840Ci, which is an850Ci with a V-8 instead of a V-12. The 840Ci has the sameperformance and equipment level as the 850Ci - except for thelatter's fuel-thirsty 12-cylinder engine.

BMW's most popular model is the $30,850 325i six-cylinder sedan.

Besides value, major reasons for BMW's success include itsrevitalization of some models by replacing six-cylinder engines withlow-maintenance, high-performance V-8s and giving some modelsadvanced five-speed automatic transmissions that no U.S. or Japaneseautomaker provides.

BMW also offers comprehensive, long-term maintenance programs,which are a smart deal because BMW parts and labor get very costly ifsomething goes wrong.

"BMW advertising emphasizes the `fun driving experience' withits cars," Mitchell says. "Fully half our 325i models are orderedwith a five-speed manual transmission, instead of the availableautomatic."

Indeed, current BMW television commercials feature theautomaker's legendary, race-winning 1930s 328 roadster and rakish1950s 507 sports car, which Elvis Presley drove while stationed withthe U.S. Army in Germany.

BMW, whose cars are affectionately called "Bimmers," alsoemphasizes its cars' safety features "because auto safety is veryhot, and many car shoppers won't know about our safety items unlesswe advertise them," Mitchell says.

How good are BMWs, which are rear-wheel-drive autos? To findout, I recently tested four Bimmers. They were the $30,850 325isedan, the larger $34,900 525i sedan, the $37,300 525i Touringstation wagon and the spiffy $68,100 840Ci sports coupe.

The 525i previously cost $38,425 and the 525i Touring stickeredat $40,600. The 282-horsepower 840Ci has only 14 less horsepower than the 850Ciflagship coupe, and - as noted above - is a whopping $17,400 cheaperthan the 850Ci.

All the BMWs I tested had superb assembly quality, inside andout, and exceptionally nice paint. Here's what else I found witheach model:

325i: This sleek, compact, 189-horsepower six-cylinder model hasan excellent driving position, decent - but far from exceptional -room for four adults, roomy trunk, precise steering, excellenthandling, supple suspension, good brakes and strong acceleration.Moreover, fuel economy is pretty good, at an EPA-estimated 19 m.p.g.in the city and 28 on the highway with the manual and 20 and 28 withthe automatic.

No wonder the well-equipped 325i is BMW's top seller.

The interior is purposeful, but not as plush as in a Lexus.Drawbacks include a slightly notchy shifter with the manualtransmission, and a clutch with a long throw. The 325i is more funwith the manual, but performs well with the automatic transmission.That's good news for those who drive a lot in congested traffic.

Safety items include standard dual air bags and anti-lockbrakes. An optional ($995) all-season traction-control system isnewly available for those who are nervous about piloting a rear-drivecar on slippery pavement.

525i: This mid-size car also has dual air bags and anti-lockbrakes - besides the 325i's smooth, 189-horsepower six. But it'sslower than the 325i because it is larger and nearly 400 poundsheavier. Still, my test 525i, which had a nice-shifting, four-speedautomatic transmission, provided good performance - even during 65-75m.p.h. passing maneuvers.

The fairly economical 525i is roomier than the 325i, and hasmore trunk space. However, if a driver pushes his seat all the wayback, a tall passenger behind him won't have comfortable legroom.

The 525i is quiet, attractive and well-mannered, with a niceride. And its steering, braking and handling makes even averagedrivers look good. Get the car with the manual for the bestperformance, fun and economy. It's rather boring with the automatic,although it still is a superior driving machine.

525i Touring: It performs almost exactly like the 525i sedan,from which it's derived, although its cargo area is much larger. Theautomatic is standard on this station wagon, but it's 199 poundsheavier than the 525i automatic-transmission sedan. So it takes 9.7seconds to do 0-60 m.p.h., compared with 9.1 seconds for the sedan(and 7.8 seconds for the manual-transmission 325i).

Still, the 525i Touring is fast enough, and is an outstandinglong-distance touring car, with a quiet interior, excellent seats andsuperb highway directional stability. Trips to the mall also arepainless with this easy-to-park vehicle. But it delivers only 16-18m.p.g. in the city, compared with 25-27 on highways.

As with all BMWs, the 525i Touring has easily readinstrumentation and nicely located controls. The dual-openingtailgate is handy, and split fold-down rear seats appreciably enlargethe cargo area. Both the 525i sedan and wagon version are offeredwith the $995 all season traction-control system.

840Ci: This is a 155-m.p.h. elegantly rakish pistol, motivatedby the new four-liter aluminum V-8 found in BMW's mid-size 540 andlarge 740 sedans. The four-camshaft, 32-valve, 282-horsepower engineis hooked to a five-speed automatic and whisks the 840Ci to 60 m.p.h.in just 7.1 seconds - despite its hefty 4,123-pound weight.

The 840Ci is exceptionally comfortable and safe, withoutstanding road ability and standard dual air bags, anti-lock brakesand traction control. But rear-seat room is suited only for kids orpets. Highway fuel economy is in the low 20s, and you'll be lucky toget 15 m.p.g. in the city.

Take heart if you can't afford a new BMW 840Ci - or any new BMW.For years, the automaker has had a used-BMW program that offersdealer-reconditioned, used models with warranties. However, it'sstill best for average wage earners to opt for lower-maintenance,used BMW models, such as the 325i.

Meyer wins stage 4 of Tour Down Under

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Multiple world champion Cameron Meyer of Australia seized the overall lead in the Tour Down Under cycle race after winning Friday's fourth of six stages in an audacious breakaway.

Meyer of the U.S.-based Garmin-Cervelo team, was among a group of six riders, later dwindling to four, which attacked about 33 kilometers (20 miles) into the 124-kilometer (76-mile) stage from Norwood to Strathalbyn, and stayed away from the peleton.

The four remaining riders still led by 33 seconds with 2 kilometers remaining, and Meyer sprinted strongly to win the stage from Belgian riders Thomas De Gendt and Laurens Ten Dam of the Netherlands.

His win broke the stranglehold on the race held by the sprinters, providing its fourth overall leader in as many stages.

Meyer was credited with an accumulated time for four stages of 12 hours, 54 minutes, 30 seconds to lead on general classification by 10 seconds from Ten Dam with a further two seconds back to the overnight leader, Australian Matthew Goss of U.S. team HTC-Highroad.

Meyer began the stage in 46th place and 21second behinds Goss, but transformed the race's overall standings with bold tactical riding and effective co-operation among the breakaway group, which included his compatriot and Garmin teammate Matthew Wilson.

Goss came in fifth on the stage and at the head of a peleton that was 24 seconds behind Meyer, who won gold medals in the madison, points race and team pursuit at last year's world championships.

Ten Dam of the Rabobank team improved from 40th place overnight on general classification, pushing back Goss to third, Robbie McEwen of Lance Armstrong's Radio Shack team to fourth and German defending champion Andre Greipel to fifth, 16 seconds behind the overall leader.

Armstrong came in 85th of 131 riders, 41 seconds behind Meyer and was officially 81st overall after four stages, 3 minutes, 56 seconds down on the race leader in his last professional race outside the United States.

British sprint star Mark Cavendish, a winner of 15 stages on the Tour de France, lost a further minute to the race lead in finishing 98th Friday and lies 130th overall — 17 minutes, 20 seconds off the lead.

Meyer praised the hard work and co-operation of the leading group for his first stage victory in the Tour Down Under, the first event of the 2011 WorldTour season.

The group went to the lead about a third of the way into the stage, after riders have snaked their way out of Adelaide up the steep and heavily-wooded Gorges road into rolling hills southeast of the city.

The race route wound through the townships of Kersbrook and Forreston, Gumeracha and Lobethal, Oakbank, Balhanna and Hahndorf through a series of steady climbs and steep descents. In small towns where sandstone cottages, stores and balconied pubs pressed close to the roadway, fans lined main streets and waited hours for the peleton to pass.

McEwen won the first intermediate sprint to secure time bonuses which lifted him into second place overall behind Goss and ahead of Greipel, but the breakaway went on to change the complexion of the stage and race.

"It's a little bit of a shock I guess to pull off a stage in the Tour, it's obviously renowned for the sprinters and they've had control of the race so far," Meyer said. "But I went out there to give it a go and our plan today was to put a couple in the break. We had the strength to hold it off"

The group never led by more than 2-1/2 minutes, but kept a reasonable margin over the chasing peleton until the final 2 kilometers when the bunch, at full pace, couldn't close the gap.

McEwen was among the sprinters who expected the peleton to work together to reel in the breakaway and set up the finish down the long main street of Strathalbyn for himself, Goss, Greipel and the race's other sprint stars. He said a lack of organization and co-operation among the bunch meant the breakaway could not be caught.

"Normally we can bring back a break easily, but here with the short stages, it isn't so easy" McEwen said. "We're all in the same situation, all the teams of the sprinters wanted to win the race today but that's what we failed to do as a group.

We didn't have it under control, but my motivation isn't gone ... That was a hard ride today and everyone is in the same situation."

LARRY CLARK

LARRY CLARK

INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY, NEW YORK

Certain plaintiffs in the Michael Jackson trial look like kids in Larry Clark pictures, particularly his 1996 set of photos Sketches for Tulsa Movie Coming Soon-like the Jordie Chandler twin that curator Brian Wallis eyes as one of Clark's "most compelling": "a shirtless young man pulling back his long hair in a feminized pose for the camera." Wallis fails to account for why the pose is "feminized" or for how some Tulsa kid might have learned to do it. Is any display of any body necessarily feminized? What makes a boy posed like that so compelling? Is it just youth's juice, or is it a peek at something, objet petit adolescence, bared in him and yet more than him, making as many want to fuck him as fuck him up?

What's billed as a Clark retrospective at the ICP stumbles around a programmatic, chronological curation of what were (at least until his landmark show at Luhring Augustine in 1992.) not printed but rather published projects, spotlighting a more tractable and less radical artist than Clark's ever really been. He ain't Robert Capa, much less Robert Mapplethorpe, yet he's presented as if he should be. Framed, his portraits of nonbeing are made to fit a narrative of the "perfect moment" they rarely perpetrated when originally produced. Pinning tearsheets to the wall might have made for a more challenging, not to mention authentic, presentation, but Wallis instead quarantines six of Clark's books-covers shut tight; not even a glimpse of what constitutes Entitled (1994), known as "the River Pheonix book," for example-inside a single dinky case, which certainly is one way to italicize their "unreadability" and pictoral anacoluthon.

Clark's never been a "pure" photographer: He's more a writer, though less Dennis Cooper and more Hunter S. Thompson with a Nikon. In Cooper, when a dwarf fists some has-been kiddie-porn star he finds hidden treasure; that shit's been transfigured. But in Clark? Nothing's transfigured, but neither is it raw documentary, fear and loathing. Drugs, mirrors, and the space of the page mediate and fracture everything, leaving behind a confounding, self-reflexive eroticism. Textuality-call it "bookness"-complicates Clark's work, preventing its being taken for fetishy indices of fact, Dorian Gray-like self-portraits in reverse, or jack-off material, since it most bares all when throttling meaning repeatedly.

What operates as the centerfold of the writer's revolutionary first book, Tulsa (1971), pits, verso, a text-"death is more perfect than life"-against, recto, Clark's first "star," Billy Mann, shirtless on tousled sheets, gun raised and wristwatch ticking, captioned "dead 1970"-"dead" as in deceased and absolutely. Taking and giving shots, the camera appears in Tulsa as both gun and hypodermic needle (by extension, pen and penis)-and thus the book becomes as much a portrait manqu� of Clark as an autoerotically asphyxiated implication of its own production. Tulsa's tale of photography climaxes in the image of a hip, questioning hustler being helped by someone out of frame to hold open a double-page photo spread displaying not a mob orgy at Altamont but a concentration-camp body dump, overflowing the printed matter's gutter, everyone holding responsibility for what is seen.

Some break or breakdown occurs between Teenage Lust (1983) and 1992 (1992,), and the difference is like downand-out romance versus Cialis with Tina. Clark's work is the closest thing to a psychic map of not just "normal Oklahoma shit" but the history of thinking with your dick. Displaying most of the images from Teenage Lust but none from 1992, Wallis lassoes Clark into a pedigreed, Winograndesque corral rather than allowing his sexy, self-archiving tendencies free reign. 1992, like the engrossing trajectory of Clark's career as a whole, isn't about editing things down to the singular image (although he has produced many); it's about every fuckin' thing on the roll obsessively repeating.

Filmstrips already punctuate the pages of Tulsa, which makes even more bizarre Wallis's decision to screen only three of dark's films. However remarkably filmic, the artist's collages and videos were never meant to fill this gap. Perhaps more than anything else, the collages sodomize any easy moralizing about Clark by insisting how the libidinal barebacks any supposedly neutral readymade. Superstar teen Jay Ferguson had been already sexualized through popular media before Clark stuck a poster of him near newspaper shots of Pamela Smart and her student-lover William Flynn-which isn't to say Clark's use of such material doesn't burn with the gasoline of his own complex erotics, but he is everywhere acknowledging that sexualization's inherence is what he's grappling with rather than denying or repressing it. (Complicated sexual transference is denied in the media coverage of Jackson, without even getting into the nonreading of Neverland and what boys lose or lost there and the man in the mirror shuffling late to court in hospital-blue pajama bottoms. How many ways does somebody need to sign he needs help?)

Clark shoots the limits of life's darker drives, inexplicable but hypnotic. He observes the basic immorality of human relations, while seeking something else. Take the video featuring Snappy, pooch of dark's former girlfriend (and star of his films) Tiffany Limos. Waiting for Limos to return from a trip, Clark goads the dog into a yapping frenzy-but he's just as excited, anticipating. Limos returns and once back in Clark's loft holds an eager Snappy up to the camera while in the background Tom Brokaw intones: "NBC News Tonight. 'When does aggressive questioning become torture?'" I think you'd call this ars poetica: It's heartbreaking, funny, and doggedly Sadean-leaving the self alone, questioning.

Screening Teenage Caveman (zooi) might have thrown a little night-light on the solitude and torture: Among the "important relics of the past that we've rescued," a cute teenage mutant tells even cuter mutant-tobe Andrew Keegan as he ogles something Koons-y, is "art from an especially fertile period in human creativity known as the '8os." Of that period, the artist Clark most resembles is Cindy Sherman, using masculinities (mostly boy flesh) instead of makeup and costumes, cruising culture's rough trade for identificatory material to figure out the self and its mutations. By the end of the flick, art's trashed.

[Sidebar]

Textuality complicates dark's work, preventing its being taken for fetishy indices of fact, Dorian Gray-like self-portraits in reverse, or jack-off material.

[Author Affiliation]

Bruce Hainlcy is a contributing editor of Artforum.

Manning rallies Colts after Patriots' late gamble

With his team trailing by six points and approaching the 2-minute warning, Peyton Manning was on the sideline getting ready to lead the Indianapolis Colts' offense back onto the field.

Expecting to need a long drive to win the game, Manning's task was made easier when the New England Patriots fell short on Bill Belichick's stunning gamble on fourth-and-2 from their own 28.

Manning took advantage by throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne with 13 seconds left to rally unbeaten Indianapolis to a 35-34 victory over the Patriots for the Colts' 18th straight regular-season victory.

"We were preparing to go 60, 70 yards," Manning said. "It was a great play by the defense, shortened our field."

Indianapolis (9-0), which trailed by 17 in the second quarter and 34-21 with 4 minutes left, got its most improbable win during the streak, which tied the Patriots for the second-longest in league history.

When Belichick decided to go for it instead of punting with 2:08 to go, Tom Brady threw to Kevin Faulk, who made a juggling catch but was pushed backward and came up just short.

"We tried to win the game on that play," Belichick explained. "I thought we could make the yard. We had a good play, we completed it. I don't know how we couldn't get a yard."

Manning needed just four plays before hooking up with Wayne for the winning score. Manning finished with four touchdown passes and Brady had three in the matchup of AFC division leaders.

While it was another magical comeback for Manning, this one was set up by Belichick's bungled play-calling. Belichick called two timeouts on that key series, the second to set up the fourth-down play.

The Patriots (6-3) have now lost five of the last six in this series.

"It's a bummer," Brady said.

Bengals 18, Steelers 12

At Pittsburgh, Bernard Scott had a 96-yard kickoff return in the first quarter and Shayne Graham kicked four field goals in the second half to put Cincinnati in control of the AFC North.

The Bengals (7-2) smothered Ben Roethlisberger and the defending Super Bowl champions, holding them to four field goals.

Despite playing the second half without running back Cedric Benson and failing to convert on the extra point after Scott's score, Cincinnati swept the season series against Pittsburgh (6-3) for the first time since 1998.

Dolphins 25, Bucs 23

At Miami, Chad Henne directed a 77-yard scoring drive in the final 1:10, and Dan Carpenter kicked a 25-yard field goal with 10 seconds left to lift the Dolphins.

Henne spoiled Tampa Bay's comeback bid led by Josh Freeman, who rallied his team in the fourth quarter for the second time in two NFL starts. The rookie shook off an awful first half and led his team to a pair of late touchdowns.

The Dolphins (4-5) won despite losing running back Ronnie Brown to a right ankle injury in the third quarter. The Bucs (1-8) were unable to build momentum after beating Green Bay a week earlier.

Henne's ill-advised pass late in the fourth was intercepted to set up the Bucs' go-ahead score with 1:14 left. The second-year pro finished 17 for 31 for 175 yards and improved to 4-2 as a starter.

Saints 28, Rams 23

At St. Louis, Reggie Bush scored twice for the first time in more than a year, Drew Brees compensated for two interceptions with two TD passes and New Orleans overcame another bundle of mistakes to remain unbeaten.

Courtney Roby opened the second half with a 97-yard kickoff return and Robert Meachem's 27-yard grab early in the fourth quarter gave the Saints (9-0) just enough breathing room to tie the franchise record with nine straight wins.

Marc Bulger's 19-yard pass to Donnie Avery shaved the deficit to five with 2:44 to go and the Rams (1-8) made it to the New Orleans 32 before Bulger threw incomplete into the end zone on the final play.

Panthers 28, Falcons 19

At Charlotte, N.C., Jake Delhomme went turnover-free for the third straight game, finding Steve Smith for two touchdowns to lift Carolina.

The Panthers (4-5) built a 21-10 halftime lead, but the win wasn't sealed until Richard Marshall picked off Matt Ryan, setting up Jonathan Stewart's 45-yard touchdown run with 2:07 left. Earlier, Jason Elam missed a 34-yard field goal that would have given Atlanta (5-4) the lead.

Vikings 27, Lions 10

At Minneapolis, Brett Favre passed for a season-high 344 yards, 201 to Sidney Rice, and Minnesota handed Detroit its 31st loss in 33 games.

Adrian Peterson lost a fumble but turned 18 carries into 133 yards and two touchdowns for Minnesota (8-1).

The Lions (1-8) joined the Houston Oilers, from Nov. 21, 1982, through Nov. 4, 1984, as the only teams to lose 31 of 33 games, according to STATS LLC.

Redskins 27, Broncos 17

At Landover, Md., LaDell Betts ran for 144 yards and a touchdown, Jason Campbell completed 17 of 26 passes for 193 yards and Washington topped 17 points for the first time this season.

Betts, making his first start since 2006 in place of the injured Clinton Portis, scored on a 1-yard run with 2:44 to play to help the Redskins (3-6) end a four-game losing streak.

The Broncos (6-3) lost their third straight and had to play the second half with Chris Simms at quarterback after Kyle Orton left with an ankle injury.

Titans 41, Bills 17

At Nashville, Tenn., Chris Johnson ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught nine passes for 100 more to help the Titans to their third straight win.

The Titans (3-6) are on a roll since opening the season 0-6, and they can thank Johnson, the NFL's leading rusher and the league's first back to top 1,000 yards this season.

Vince Young also threw for a touchdown and finished with 210 yards passing in winning his seventh straight start. He also ran five times for 29 yards.

Buffalo (3-6) lost its second straight.

Jaguars 24, Jets 22

At East Rutherford, N.J., Josh Scobee kicked a 21-yard field goal as time expired after the Jaguars passed up a touchdown in order to drain the clock.

With the Jaguars facing second-and-6 from the 10, Maurice Jones-Drew took a handoff up the middle and went to a knee at the 1 to give Jacksonville first and goal with just over a minute left. New York had no timeouts left.

David Garrard knelt the ball twice, giving Scobee the opportunity to kick the game winner for the Jaguars (5-4).

The Jets (4-5) lost for the fifth time in six games.

Chargers 31, Eagles 23

At San Diego, LaDainian Tomlinson scored twice to continue his climb up the career rushing and scoring lists, and San Diego (6-3) pulled into a tie with Denver atop the AFC West.

Tomlinson gained a season-high 96 yards on 24 carries to pass Thurman Thomas and Franco Harris and move into 12th place all-time with 12,145 yards. His two touchdowns gave him 146 and moved him past Marcus Allen and into third place on the all-time list.

Donovan McNabb threw for a season-high 450 yards, completing 35 of 55 passes, and two late touchdowns for Philadelphia (4-5).

Chiefs 16, Raiders 10

At Oakland, Calif., Jamaal Charles scored on a 44-yard run for Kansas City's first rushing touchdown of the season and the Chiefs used a late interception to win their seventh straight game in Oakland.

The Chiefs (2-7) have managed to win just five of their past 35 games. But three of those wins have come at the Oakland Coliseum, where Kansas City has the longest winning streak ever by a visiting team.

Ryan Succop kicked three field goals and Kansas City once again pulled out a close one against the Raiders (2-7) in the Chiefs' first game since releasing running back Larry Johnson.

Cardinals 31, Seahawks 20

At Glendale, Ariz., rookie Beanie Wells had second-half touchdown runs of 10 and 13 yards and Arizona rallied from an early two-touchdown deficit for its second home win in five tries.

Kurt Warner completed 29 of 38 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns as the Cardinals (6-3) stayed two games up on San Francisco in the NFC West. Warner also became the 29th player in NFL history to throw 200 touchdown passes, and had his 51st 300-yard passing game, tying Dan Fouts for fourth on the NFL career list.

Justin Forsett rushed for a career-high 123 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown run, for the Seahawks (3-6).

Packers 17, Cowboys 7

At Green Bay, Wis., Charles Woodson helped Green Bay's defense finally play up to its potential against a big-time opponent, forcing two fumbles and picking off a pass by Tony Romo on the goal line.

The Packers (5-4) sacked Romo five times and held him to 251 yards passing in a momentum- killer for the Cowboys (6-3), who had won four straight. Dallas also lost starting right tackle Marc Colombo to a broken left leg.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers scored on a sneak and threw a touchdown pass to tight end Spencer Havner.

Brazil keeps key interest rate at all-time low

Brazil's Central Bank has kept a key interest rate unchanged at 8.75 percent. The benchmark Selic rate has stood at that record low since July.

Analysts are split on the bank's action Wednesday.

Some argue the rate needs to be raised because Brazil's economy is heating up enough that inflation is becoming a concern. Others say it is more important to spur growth by keeping the rate low.

The latest inflation figures show prices rose 4.83 percent over the 12-month period that ended with February. That was above the Central Bank's target of 4.5 percent.

Brazil's economy contracted 0.2 percent last year. But the government forecasts it will grow 5 percent this year.

Shas party rejects joining new Israeli government

An ultra-Orthodox party announced Friday it will not join a new coalition government being formed by prime minister-designate Tzipi Livni, making it more likely Israel will soon hold national elections.

Eli Yishai, leader of the Shas Party, said Livni did not agree to his party's demands for the allocation of more funds to poor Israelis and for a commitment that parts of Jerusalem will not be ceded to the Palestinians.

"Our decision is not to join because our demands were not met," he said.

A Shas statement said the rabbis who control the party, known as the Council of Torah Sages, decided that Shas "will not be able to join the government under these conditions."

Elections would throw Israel's political system into disarray and likely freeze the peace talks Israel is holding with the Palestinians and with Syria.

Current polls show that the likely winner would be the hardline Likud Party, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu.

Livni replaced the outgoing prime minister, Ehud Olmert, as head of Israel's ruling party last month and is trying to cobble together a new government. Shas, with 12 seats in Israel's 120-seat legislature, would be a key acquisition and give her a majority in parliament alongside her other coalition partners.

If Shas sticks to its refusal, Livni will be left with two options: trying to form a slim coalition with the help of smaller ultra-Orthodox and dovish parties or calling early elections this spring.

Livni said Thursday that if she did not have a new coalition government by Sunday she would call elections. In response to the Shas announcement, Livni spokesman Gil Messing said Friday only that her ultimatum "remained true today."

Shas has opposed any talks on the future of Jerusalem as part of Israel's negotiations with the Palestinians, who want the eastern part of the city as the capital of their future state.

Livni serves as the chief negotiator with the Palestinians, and Yishai, the Shas leader, said her representatives insisted that Jerusalem would be on the table in the peace talks.

"On Jerusalem, there was no possibility on their part to move in our direction, to make a decision that we will not negotiate on Jerusalem and that we will not talk about Jerusalem," he told AP Television News.

With two days to go before Livni's deadline, the possibility of a deal remained open. The Shas statement _ like Livni's ultimatum _ might be mainly a bargaining tactic.

Yishai hinted the party could still change its mind, telling Israel Radio that Shas had not decided that new elections should be held.

The decision was in Kadima's hands, he said, and "if they don't meet our demands, we won't be able to join."

"Nothing happened. I suggest everyone wait patiently," said lawmaker Otniel Schneller of Livni's Kadima Party.

Interest rates little changed after jobs report

Interest rates are trading in a narrow range in the bond market after investors received more news of tepid job growth.

The government says private employers added 83,000 jobs last month, which was below economists' forecast for 112,000 jobs, but more than double the amount added in May.

Job creation might be slower than economists had forecast, but it does indicate the economy is still expanding slightly. That has helped interest rates avoid any big movements Friday after touching their lowest levels since April 2009 earlier this week.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, a benchmark for mortgages and other kinds of loans, rose to 2.97 percent in afternoon trading from 2.95 percent late Thursday.

Will teens soon need parents' OK to get abortions in Illinois?

While in high school, Elacsha Madison, now 20, was fully supportive of her friend's choice to have an abortion, until she saw the clinic.

The dank, dilapidated building seemed dark, even in the beaming morning sun, she said.

"I was so scared that if she died on the table, her mother would be so upset with me, because she didn't even know [my friend] was going to get an abortion," she said.

But Madison said, risky or not, it's a teen's right to choose what happens to her own body, and current state regulations agree. A law passed in 1995 to require parental notification has an injunction against it and cannot be enforced. Now, a pregnant minor can have an abortion without informing her parents or obtaining their permission.

Teenagers who choose not to involve their parents can consult clinic staff, a family member, clergy or another trusted adult. Recent legal attempts to lift the injunction on the Illinois Parental Notice Abortion Act of 1995, which required a physician to give 24-hour notice to both parents of a minor, may mean young women will soon have no choice but to tell their parents about abortion decisions.

"We've got this draconian parental notice requirement, [and] we're at risk for it going into effect, although we're hoping to keep it in litigation," said Lorie Chaiten, director of the Reproductive Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.

If the injunction is lifted, it would be illegal to perform abortions without the consent of a parent.

However, a girl fearing retribution could go before a judge and ask for a legal waiver of consent. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has asked the federal district court to lift the permanent injunction and allow the Parental Notice of Abortion Act to take effect as soon as the Illinois courts are administratively prepared to handle judicial waivers.

'Any pregnant girl can walk into a Planned Parenthood and get an abortion and no one would be notified, and no one could stop it," said William Beckman, executive director to the Illinois Right to Life Committee.

[Author Affiliation]

Hilary Powell is a reporter for the Medili News Service.

Leonard looks to Japanese porcelaine

Classic French fashion house Leonard gave a shout-out to its Japanese customer base on Monday with a spring-summer 2010 ready-to-wear collection inspired by 17th-century ceramics from Kyoto.

Ankle-length dresses in featherweight chiffon were printed with koi fish, flowers and artful curlicues in navy, peacock and sky blues _ frequent motifs in Imari porcelain _ with artful metallic finishings at the neckline.

Imari "is the most luxury porcelain in the world, all hand-painted, and usually it's only found in museums ... (though) I eat off of my own collection," said CEO Daniel Tribouillard, who has long played a role in the label's design. "I wanted to take these calm, peaceful designs off of plates and give them to our clients."

The rest of the collection was classic Leonard, flowing jersey with oversized flowers in pastels and Art Deco styles. Some of the knee-skimming sundresses were cinched at the waist with red skinny belts, while others had wide Japanese obi belts slung low around the models' hips.

The house also served up jumpers, among the hottest looks on Paris runways this season. The generously cut coveralls, in strapless and tank cuts, were the perfect summer getaway wear, easy to slip into and even easier to pack.

England elects to bowl, Steyn out for Sth Africa

Uncapped fast bowler Friedel de Wet replaced Dale Steyn in South Africa's team for the first test against England starting Wednesday, after the Proteas chief paceman was ruled out with a hamstring strain.

England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and decided to bowl first, despite England selecting only four specialist bowlers, choosing a sixth batsman in Ian Bell, who is playing in his 50th Test.

Strauss' decision to send the hosts in was prompted by the sight of a Supersport Park pitch with a bit of grass on it.

"We think it might do a little bit this morning, so a good opportunity to get stuck in and put some pressure on the South Africans," said Strauss at the toss.

South Africa's only defeat at the ground _ formerly known as Centurion Park _ in 14 Tests was when they lost by two wickets against England in 2000. In that match each side forfeited an innings to create the possibility of a result. Later it was revealed that then Proteas captain Hansie Cronje had pushed these tactics after discussions with bookmakers.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith said: "It's disappointing to lose someone of Dale's calibre, but it's a massive opportunity for Friedel."

South Africa fast bowler Makhaya Ntini is playing his 100th Test, becoming the fifth South African to reach that milestone.

___

Teams:

South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), Ashwell Prince, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, A.B. de Villiers, J.P. Duminy, Mark Boucher, Paul Harris, Morne Morkel, Friedel de Wet, Makhaya Ntini.

England: Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Matt Prior, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Graham Onions.

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Steve Davis (Australia)

TV umpire: Amiesh Saheba (India)

Match referee: (Roshan Mahanama (Sri Lanka)

READY SET SHOP: NEW FOOD

You'll go nuts for Turtle Mountain SO DELICIOUS COCONUT MILK CREAMER. It's the perfect nondairy alternative for folks who avoid soy. With a slightly sweet taste and creamy mouthfeel, you'd never guess that it's free of cholesterol, gluten, dairy, and high-fructose corn syrup. In fact, this creamer is actually good for you: coconut milk contains medium-chain fatty acids, which have antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Choose from three great flavors- Original, French Vanilla, and Hazelnut.

Talk about sweet dreams.1 Hain has just introduced RICE DREAM BITES, a decadenttasting rice-based nondairy frozen dessert. These rich, chocolate-coated, bite-sized nuggets of sweet, creamy frozen vanilla rice dessert are free of lactose, cholesterol, gluten, trans fat, and refined sugar.

Lighten your carbon footprint with Zhena's Gypsy Tea BIODYNAMIC GREEN TEAS. Made with natural, nourishing leaves, fruit, and botanicals, these teas are grown and processed according to biodynamic agriculture, a nonchemical process that preserves and maintains the soil and encourages environmental healing. Try a steaming cup of this delectable brew in Kiwi Peach, Blueberry Vanilla, or Caramelized Pear.

When your little ones have a snack attack, give them Annie's Homegrown Cheddar-flavor ORGANIC SNACK MIX BUNNIES. Children love these kid-sized snacks because they're shaped like bunny rabbits, are supercrunchy, and have a savory, cheesy flavor. You love them because they're made with wholesome ingrethents, including organic wheat flour and real organic Cheddar cheese. They're also low in saturated fat, and are free of trans fat, cholesterol, and added sugar.

Spruce up your salads with Foods Alive ORGANIC GOURMET HEMP OIL and FLAX OIL DRESSINGS. Made with only the cleanest, purest, highest quality golden flaxseed oil and raw, cold-pressed hemp oil, these dressings have a smooth, nutty flavor that is perfect for salads as well as potatoes, rice, and pasta. Choose from Mike's Special, made with garlic and paprika; Sweet Mustard, made with agave; or Sweet & Sassy Flax or Sweet & Sassy Hemp, both made with tangy apple cider vinegar and celery seed.

Nationals shut down operations as deal begins to fall apart

NEW YORK -- Washington's new baseball team shut down business andpromotional operations indefinitely Wednesday as its move to thenation's capital teetered on the brink of collapse.

The decision followed the District of Columbia Council's decisionTuesday night to require private financing for at least half the costof building a new stadium. The September agreement to move theMontreal Expos to Washington called for a ballpark fully financed bygovernment money.

"Yes, I think baseball is now in jeopardy," Mayor Anthony A.Williams said.

A previously scheduled news conference to unveil new uniforms wascalled off and fans who bought tickets to watch the renamed Nationalsnext season at RFK Stadium can get refunds, said Bob DuPuy,baseball's chief operating officer.

Baseball will not resume talks with other cities until afterDec.31, the deadline in the agreement for Washington to put aballpark financing law in place.

"In the meantime, the club's baseball operations will proceed, butits business and promotional activities will cease until furthernotice," DuPuy said.

He did not address where the team would play its 2005 homeschedule if the deal with Washington falls through. It remainsunclear whether baseball would move the franchise to RFK Stadium on atemporary basis, remain at Montreal's Olympic Stadium or go toanother city.

Williams had signed the deal nearly three months ago, and publiclycelebrated the return of major league baseball to Washington, whichhasn't had a team since 1971.

"We had a deal. I believe the deal was broken, and the dream of 33years is now once again close to dying," Williams said Wednesday.

Council Chair Linda W. Cropp proposed the deal-threateningamendment.

"I am not trying to kill the deal," Cropp said. "I'm putting someteeth in it because I'm really disappointed with what I got fromMajor League Baseball."

AP

Giants take 10-7 lead over Eagles after 1 quarter

Eli Manning threw a 17-yard TD pass to Plaxico Burress and John Carney kicked a field goal to give the NFC East-leading New York Giants a 10-7 lead over the Philadelphia Eagles after one quarter on Sunday night.

The defending Super Bowl champions have opened some daylight with a two-game lead in the division over the Eagles (5-3) and 1 1/2 games over the Redskins.

Manning entered with a 3-0 career regular-season record in Philadelphia. He threw an early interception that Philadelphia converted into a touchdown, but came right back to throw the tying TD to Burress.

New York's special teams came up with a huge turnover to set up the go-ahead score.

Philadelphia's Quintin Demps had the ball stripped away by Ahmad Bradshaw on a kickoff return and New York's Chase Blackburn recovered at the 25. That helped Carney kick a 27-yard field goal (19-for-20 on the season) for a 10-7 lead.

Manning threw for more than 100 yards in the quarter and looked sharp after his early interception.

Manning was under pressure when he dropped back on the third play of the game and his pass was intercepted by tackle Mike Patterson. The ball went straight into the 292-pound Patterson's hands, bounced off his helmet and back into his hands for his first career interception and a 21-yard return to the 9.

Then the Eagles, who had a guard catch a TD last week, went for some more trickery on second down. Quarterback Donovan McNabb split to the far left side and the ball was snapped directly to DeSean Jackson in a shotgun formation. Jackson, Philadelphia's leading receiver, ran to his right and extended his arms as he dove into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

Left guard Todd Herremans was surprisingly not in the starting lineup one week after he scored his first career TD. Nick Cole started in his place. The move was a "coaching decision," said an Eagles spokesman.

Phillies left fielder Pat Burrell and World Series MVP Cole Hamels served as the honorary captains and walked out with Philadelphia's captains for the pregame coin toss. Burrell wore McNabb's No. 5 jersey and Hamels wore the backup QB A.J. Feeley's No. 14.

The Eagles later congratulated the Phillies on the big screen for their World Series championship.

Pa. man accused of MySpace kidnapping of girl, 14

A Pittsburgh-area man has surrendered to state police on charges of kidnapping a 14-year-old girl for about two days after meeting her on MySpace.

Police say 26-year-old Richard Sabatasse (sah-bah-TAH-see), of Mount Lebanon, communicated with the girl for weeks before picking her up in Connellsville on May 13.

The girl says Sabatasse refused to let her make phone calls or give her food while they traveled in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia before he dropped her at home Sunday morning.

Sabatasse is jailed but had been free while awaiting sentencing for corruption of minors and indecent assault in a 2006 case involving a 15-year-old girl.

Sabatasse told a WPXI-TV reporter he hopes the media follow his case to the very end.

New Orleans' world-famous restaurants are starved for help

MARY FOSTER, Associated Press Writer
AP Worldstream
01-24-2006
Dateline: NEW ORLEANS
Ralph Brennan can get the oysters, crawfish and other seafood he needs for The Redfish Grill and his other French Quarter restaurants. What he can't find are enough busboys, waiters, dishwashers and other kitchen help.

Restaurateurs in this storm-battered city known the world over for its zesty food have raised wages, lined up trailers for workers, even put them up in their own homes.

Still, many restaurants have had to scale back for lack of workers. Some places are open for lunch and not dinner, or vice versa.

"We're paying more, we're offering great benefits, we're doing everything we can think of, but it's hard getting people to come back," Brennan said. "I think a lot of people just aren't interested in returning right now."

Only about one-third of New Orleans' half-million residents have returned since Katrina struck Aug. 29, and many parts of the city still lack electricity and other vital services.

Maggie Trenary, 27, a waitress at the Brennan family's Palace Cafe on Canal Street, said she put in 15-hour shifts soon after returning to the city in October.

"It's been very stressful," she said. "Every day you never know who's coming in work, who's not going to show up. At first the customers were very understanding, but not so much now. They think things should be back to normal."

Trenary has other worries too, like trying to pay rent on an apartment in suburban New Orleans while trying to keep the mortgage on her wrecked home paid.

Eric Offray, the 39-year-old kitchen manager at Palace Cafe, finds himself sweeping, mopping and handling other chores around the restaurant these days.

"I can hardly wait to see some of those guys walk through that door," he said. "If a dishwasher came in now, I'd probably cry."

Before the storm, metropolitan New Orleans had 3,414 restaurants that generated $2.1 billion (euro1.71 billion) in annual sales, according to the Louisiana Restaurant Association. They employed 53,500 directly and an additional 23,000 in support industries.

Since Katrina, 34 percent of those restaurants have reopened, and about 15,000 employees have returned, the association said this week.

"If we had 10,000 more people available, we could put them to work immediately," said Jim Funk, the organization's chief executive.

The restaurant association has established a relief fund to help pay expenses for displaced workers who return to the city. So far the group has given 74 restaurant workers about $200 (euro163) each.

Glen Armantrout has five of his six Acme Oyster House restaurants open but is struggling to keep them staffed. To help, Armantrout has worked out a deal with a Kmart behind one of the restaurants to put 10 FEMA trailers for his staff in its parking lot.

"I'm letting people live at my house while they look for a place," Armantrout said. "Right now, I have an oyster shucker and a cook living with me."

He had an employee-referral program even before Katrina, but has increased the payout from $250 (euro204) to $500 (euro407). Customers as well as employees are eligible to collect.

Barbara Krieger, restaurateur Dickie Brennan's assistant, has become an almost full-time housing coordinator for his restaurants. She tries to track down affordable apartment buildings and has become proficient in FEMA's housing regulations.

"Just after the hurricane it was almost impossible to find affordable apartments," she said. "Now a few more are opening, but some are too far for people to commute if they don't have cars."

Restaurateurs also are working to establish a Hospitality Village just across the Mississippi River from the French Quarter. It would accommodate 300 trailers and provide easy access to the Quarter by ferry, said Ralph Brennan's cousin Dickie, the owner of three French Quarter restaurants.

In the meantime, he said, the shortage of help is making it difficult for his business and his employees alike.

"People are working some long hours because of it, and it's a strain," he said.

Copyright 2006, AP News All Rights Reserved
New Orleans' world-famous restaurants are starved for helpMARY FOSTER, Associated Press Writer
AP Worldstream
01-24-2006
Dateline: NEW ORLEANS
Ralph Brennan can get the oysters, crawfish and other seafood he needs for The Redfish Grill and his other French Quarter restaurants. What he can't find are enough busboys, waiters, dishwashers and other kitchen help.

Restaurateurs in this storm-battered city known the world over for its zesty food have raised wages, lined up trailers for workers, even put them up in their own homes.

Still, many restaurants have had to scale back for lack of workers. Some places are open for lunch and not dinner, or vice versa.

"We're paying more, we're offering great benefits, we're doing everything we can think of, but it's hard getting people to come back," Brennan said. "I think a lot of people just aren't interested in returning right now."

Only about one-third of New Orleans' half-million residents have returned since Katrina struck Aug. 29, and many parts of the city still lack electricity and other vital services.

Maggie Trenary, 27, a waitress at the Brennan family's Palace Cafe on Canal Street, said she put in 15-hour shifts soon after returning to the city in October.

"It's been very stressful," she said. "Every day you never know who's coming in work, who's not going to show up. At first the customers were very understanding, but not so much now. They think things should be back to normal."

Trenary has other worries too, like trying to pay rent on an apartment in suburban New Orleans while trying to keep the mortgage on her wrecked home paid.

Eric Offray, the 39-year-old kitchen manager at Palace Cafe, finds himself sweeping, mopping and handling other chores around the restaurant these days.

"I can hardly wait to see some of those guys walk through that door," he said. "If a dishwasher came in now, I'd probably cry."

Before the storm, metropolitan New Orleans had 3,414 restaurants that generated $2.1 billion (euro1.71 billion) in annual sales, according to the Louisiana Restaurant Association. They employed 53,500 directly and an additional 23,000 in support industries.

Since Katrina, 34 percent of those restaurants have reopened, and about 15,000 employees have returned, the association said this week.

"If we had 10,000 more people available, we could put them to work immediately," said Jim Funk, the organization's chief executive.

The restaurant association has established a relief fund to help pay expenses for displaced workers who return to the city. So far the group has given 74 restaurant workers about $200 (euro163) each.

Glen Armantrout has five of his six Acme Oyster House restaurants open but is struggling to keep them staffed. To help, Armantrout has worked out a deal with a Kmart behind one of the restaurants to put 10 FEMA trailers for his staff in its parking lot.

"I'm letting people live at my house while they look for a place," Armantrout said. "Right now, I have an oyster shucker and a cook living with me."

He had an employee-referral program even before Katrina, but has increased the payout from $250 (euro204) to $500 (euro407). Customers as well as employees are eligible to collect.

Barbara Krieger, restaurateur Dickie Brennan's assistant, has become an almost full-time housing coordinator for his restaurants. She tries to track down affordable apartment buildings and has become proficient in FEMA's housing regulations.

"Just after the hurricane it was almost impossible to find affordable apartments," she said. "Now a few more are opening, but some are too far for people to commute if they don't have cars."

Restaurateurs also are working to establish a Hospitality Village just across the Mississippi River from the French Quarter. It would accommodate 300 trailers and provide easy access to the Quarter by ferry, said Ralph Brennan's cousin Dickie, the owner of three French Quarter restaurants.

In the meantime, he said, the shortage of help is making it difficult for his business and his employees alike.

"People are working some long hours because of it, and it's a strain," he said.

Copyright 2006, AP News All Rights Reserved

Cubs may try 4:30 start // Time shift to lure after-work crowds

The Cubs are considering starting some games at Wrigley Fieldnext season as late as 4:30 p.m.

That starting time might attract a larger after-work crowd butraises more pointedly the controversial question of lights at theballpark. The latest time on the current home schedule it 3:05 p.m.

Cub president Dallas Green acknowledged the club had discussedlater starting times, including 4:30 p.m. But he referred furtherques tions to Don Grenesko, executive vice president of businessoperations.

Grenesko was out of town and unavailable for comment.

The Cubs have had internal dis cussions on later starting times but have not submitted a final timeschedule …

Books received.(Bibliography)

Bird, Michael F. Introducing Paul: The Man, His Mission, and His Message. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2008. Pp. 192. Paper, $20.00.

Budin, Stephanie. The Myth of Sacred Prostitution in Antiquity. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2008. Pp. xiv + 366. Cloth, $100.95.

Burge, Gary M., Lynn H. Cohick, & Gene L. Green. The New Testament in Antiquity: A Survey of the New Testament within Its Cultural Context. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009. Pp. 479. Cloth, $49.99.

Dunn, James D. G. Christianity in the Making: Volume 2. Beginning From Jerusalem. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2009. Pp. xv + 1347. Cloth, $80.00.

Firth, David G. and Jamie …

TALK CAN BE REALLY CHEAP.(SPORTS)

Byline: STEVE CAMPBELL

``Hello everyone, I'm Al Michaels. Welcome to the 31st season of Monday Night Football. ABC Sports -- in an effort to recapture the glory days when Howard Cosell, Don Meredith and Frank Gifford sat in the booth -- has assembled an All-Star lineup of announcers.

``Do not adjust your television sets, fans. If our award-winning camera crew can give us a wide-angle shot, you'll see that the man on my right is Rush Limbaugh. Joining me on my left is my other sidekick, Dr. Laura Schlessinger. Welcome, both of you, to the ABC team.''

DR. LAURA: ``I'm my kid's mom, Al. Are you your kids' dad?''

AL: ``Whatever. Tonight, we have quite a matchup for our regular-season opener. On one side -- ''

RUSH: ``I think it bears …

BCP Bank's Building Blocks Of Success.

Like many growing community banks, bcpbank is grappling with the headaches of compliance, customer service and client retention. But unlike other community banks, this upstart's nimble customization of its leased Fiserv platform has been so internally successful the bank is breaking out to sell its upgrade on the open market.

After using Fiserv's basic platform for nearly two years, bcpbank officials found themselves constantly yearning to tweak the platform for better performance. The result: The five-module Compta collection, developed over 15 months, which the bank is now marketing to other Fiserv customers.

Unconventional? You'd better believe it. "We saw that enhancements were needed, even though [Fiserv's] an excellent transactional machine," says Luis Folhadela, svp of marketing and self-banking at bcpbank, the Newark, NJ-based unit of Lisbon's Banco Comerical Portugues. "Fiserv built the highway and we put the cars on it. ...We realized we were always asking for upgrades, so we decided to build it ourselves. We didn't want to change our core solution." The five modules were a multi-million-dollar investment for the bank, which is negotiating with Fiserv to jointly market and sell the Compta modules. No deal has been inked, and Fiserv officials didn't return calls seeking comment. …