SELLERS: PREPARE FOR QUICK SALE

Want to make a quick sale? Here's some advice on getting ready.Clean. The tidier the house, the better it shows. Remove clutterfrom countertops, closets, bedrooms and even the home office. Prune.Remove extra furniture. Don't make your home look cramped. Spartandecor helps buyers visualize better. Paint. A fresh coat of paintcan work wonders. Use light colors. Prospective buyers may notshare your tastes, so make your interior as neutral as possible.Curb appeal. Fix broken gutters, pull weeds, paint the garage door.Make the exterior crisp. Fix. Have a leaky faucet? Fix it.Windowpane cracked? Fix it. Buyers who see minor flaws will assumebigger ones are lurking behind the walls. …

FIFA rejects Mohamed bin Hammam's appeal against life ban in bribery case

ZURICH (AP) — FIFA rejects Mohamed bin …

Sri Lanka 128-1 at lunch on day 1

Tillakaratne Dilshan has scored a brisk half-century to lead Sri Lanka's dominant start to the second cricket test against India.

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat Monday, and Dilshan took advantage of a placid pitch at the Sinhalese Sports Club to score 54 off just 42 balls as the hosts went to lunch on the …

Extracting Kinetics from Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy: Nanopore Unzipping of DNA Hairpins

ABSTRACT

Single-molecule force experiments provide powerful new tools to explore biomolecular interactions. Here, we describe a systematic procedure for extracting kinetic information from force-spectroscopy experiments, and apply it to nanopore unzipping of individual DNA hairpins. Two types of measurements are considered: unzipping at constant voltage, and unzipping at constant voltage-ramp speeds. We perform a global maximum-likelihood analysis of the experimental data at low-to-intermediate ramp speeds. To validate the theoretical models, we compare their predictions with two independent sets of data, collected at high ramp speeds and at constant voltage, by using a …

Colombian Rebel Group Frees 2 Hostages

BOGOTA, Colombia - Colombia's largest rebel group has released two police officers taken hostage nine days earlier, the Red Cross said Friday.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, released Edwin Perez and Carlos Jeferson Munoz on Friday to a Red Cross mission near the town of Toribio, about 190 miles southwest of Bogota.

…

Eduardo sees return as 'best day of my life'

Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva described his return to club football in which he scored two goals against Cardiff City in the FA Cup as "the best day of my life."

Eduardo made his comeback Monday night, nearly a year after his leg was broken in a tackle. He scored the first goal in Arsenal's 4-0 win over Cardiff in a fourth-round replay and later converted a penalty after drawing a foul in the area.

"I couldn't imagine that I would play like that," Eduardo said. "For one year, I worked hard. (It was) the best day of my life. Now I know I can play again like before."

He scored in the 20th minute with a header after …

New hotel woe: `The door locks ate my key card'

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Because they don't credit their guests with enoughintelligence to look after a room key, an increasing number of hotels(particularly in the United States) are issuing cards to guests withwhich to open their room doors - if they're lucky.

Each new guest gets a new card perforated with a differentseries of holes to activate an electronic door lock. The numberprinted on the key-card does not correspond with the number of yourroom. That number is written on the envelope containing the card.The guest is expected to memorize the room number, and then destroythe envelope. Or write the room number down somewhere else, and thenmisplace whatever the number was …

Israel Frees Ohio Professor It Detained

WADSWORTH, Ohio - Israel has released an Ohio college professor it had accused of spying, his wife said Sunday.

Ghazi Falah, a geography professor at the University of Akron, had been jailed since July 8, when he was arrested after taking photos of Israeli installations along the northern border. Falah is known in academic circles for his writings on the borders of Israel and a future Palestinian state.

Israeli authorities in the United States have said they suspected him of spying for hostile forces, but they had not specified the enemy. Falah's lawyer in Israel said Falah was accused of spying for Hezbollah and Iran.

An Israeli court ordered Falah released …

Man held in 1968 hijacking faces NYC arraignment

More than four decades after he hijacked a jetliner from Kennedy International to Cuba, Luis Armando Pena Soltren was arrested at the same airport upon his return from exile, authorities said.

Pena Soltren, who was arrested Sunday after arriving on a flight from Havana, was expected to be arraigned Tuesday in Manhattan on a 1968 indictment. He was in custody Monday.

Pena Soltren and two accomplices used weapons hidden in a diaper bag to hijack the Pan Am flight on Nov. 24, 1968, authorities said.

"As the 1968 charges allege, he terrorized dozens of passengers when he and his cohorts wielded pistols and knives to hijack Pan American Flight …

Wide Receivers

C THE GRADE

With the advent of free agency, NFL teams are relying on rookiesmore than ever, especially at skill positions such as receiver andrunning back. It's a middle-of-the-road year for wide receivers.Three players - UCLA's J.J. Stokes, Colorado's Michael Westbrook andOhio State's Joey Galloway - are regarded as sure first-round picks.

Westbrook and Galloway recently have moved ahead of Stokesafter good showings in offseason workouts, including excellent timesin the 40-yard dash. Stokes, at almost 6-5, played better in 1993than '94, when he struggled at times with a leg injury. He hasarguably the best hands among receivers and is a huge target who isespecially …

Napolitano stands firm on airline security needs

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the procedure for airline security screenings isn't likely to change anytime soon.

Napolitano said Monday at the Trenton train station in New Jersey that few passengers receive pat-down searches and that minimally invasive searches must be weighed against …

Middle Tennessee St. tops Arkansas St. 69-62

Kevin Kanaskie had 13 points to help Middle Tennessee State hold off Arkansas State 69-62 Wednesday night in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference tournament.

Middle Tennessee (18-13), the No. 5 seed, led 34-25 with 18:04 left, but the No. 12-seeded Red Wolves used a 15-5 run to pull ahead 40-39 with 11:32 left. The Blue Raiders quickly regained the lead on a Kanaskie layup and never trailed again, making 7 of 8 free throws …

JACKSON, ANDREW

(b. March 15, 1767; d. June 8, 1845) Victor of the Battle of New Orleans; general of the War of 1812; Seventh U.S. president (1829–1837).

Andrew Jackson was born to Scottish-Irish immigrant parents and grew up on the Carolina frontier. As a boy, he fought in the Revolution with patriot irregulars and was captured. By his own later account, a British officer slashed him with a sword for refusing to clean his boots, leaving a permanent scar.

After the war, Jackson read law in North Carolina and in 1788 moved west to Nashville. In the new state of Tennessee, he won quick political promotion, and in 1802 was elected major general of the state militia. Jackson thirsted for the field, offering his men for service against every possible foe, including the Burr conspirators, the Spanish, the British, and the border American Indian tribes.

Congress declared war against Britain in June 1812, and in November Jackson's Tennessee troops were ordered to New Orleans. Jackson led two thousand men as far as Natchez, where he received an abrupt order dismissing them without pay or provisions. On his own responsibility, Jackson held the command together for the return home. His willingness to share his men's privations on this march earned him the name "Old Hickory."

In 1813 Jackson was ordered to suppress a group of hostile Creek in Mississippi Territory (later the state of Alabama). Commanding Tennessee troops and allied Indians, Jackson penetrated into the heart of Creek territory and fought a series of engagements. At Horseshoe Bend in March 1814, he destroyed the main Creek force. His victories paved the way for later treaties—some negotiated by Jackson himself—in which the Creek and other southern tribes (including those who had fought alongside Jackson) relinquished millions of acres to the United States.

Jackson's success against the Creek won him a commission as U.S. Major General in charge of defending the Gulf Coast. Jackson beat off a British strike at Mobile and drove the British from their post in Spanish (and ostensibly neutral) Pensacola, Florida. The main encounter came in January 1815 at New Orleans, where Jackson's motley force of regulars, militia, free blacks, and pirates repulsed an invading army of British veterans. In the main action, a frontal assault on Jackson's lines astride the Mississippi on January 8, the British lost two thousand men; the Americans, only a few dozen.

With its astounding casualty ratio and stirring (though apocryphal) image of American backwoods riflemen picking off British regulars, the Battle of New Orleans passed instantly into patriotic myth. Unbeknownst to both sides, the battle was fought two weeks after the Treaty of Ghent and did not affect the war's outcome. Still, for Americans it put a crown of glory on what had been a frustrating and humiliating military effort. Jackson himself became a hallowed hero, a living symbol of republican martial prowess.

Jackson remained in the postwar army as one of its two major generals. In 1818, in pursuit of a raiding band of Seminole, he led a force into Spanish Florida, captured Spanish bastions at St. Marks and Pensacola, and arrested and executed two British nationals. Jackson's unauthorized invasion sparked a diplomatic furor and a congressional investigation. But it served American ends by nudging Spain to cede Florida in an 1819 treaty.

In 1821 Jackson resigned his commission. He served briefly as Florida governor and in 1824 stood for the presidency. Jackson's military background furnished both his prime qualification for the presidency and his main handicap, for virulent controversy had accompanied battlefield successes throughout his army career. Jackson's stern sense of discipline, his obsession with personal honor, and his explosive temper had embroiled him in endless quarrels with both superiors and subordinates. As a commander he had sometimes defied civil authority. Outside the army he had fought duels and street brawls. To some Americans, he seemed a paragon of martial purity and forthrightness, a simple soldier called from retirement to rescue his country from devious and corrupt politicians. But to others he was a mere warrior chieftain, bloodthirsty and capricious, a tyrant and bully in the mold of Caesar or Napoleon.

Jackson led the vote in the multicandidate election of 1824, but lost to John Quincy Adams in the House of Representatives. In 1828 Jackson defeated Adams. Jackson's two-term presidency, like his generalship, was bold and steeped in controversy. His conduct in office was hailed as decisive and denounced as high-handed, furnishing evidence for both sides in the enduring argument over the fitness of military characters for the presidency.

bibliography

Heidler, David S., and Heidler, Jeanne T. Old Hickory's War: Andrew Jackson and the Quest for Empire. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1996.

Owsley, Frank Lawrence, Jr. Struggle for the Gulf Borderlands: The Creek War and the Battle of New Orleans. Gainesville, FL: University Presses of Florida, 1981.

Remini, Robert V. Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Empire, 1767–1821. New York: Harper and Row, 1977.

Remini, Robert V. The Battle of New Orleans. New York: Viking, 1999.

Remini, Robert V. Andrew Jackson and His Indian Wars. New York: Viking, 2001.

Daniel Feller

See also:Battle of New Orleans; Lafayette's Tour; Monroe, James; Republicanism and War; War of 1812.

Suggestive Card Ruffles Farmer Feathers

SALEM, Va. - A suggestive birthday card featuring a photo of a poultryman holding a goose has really ruffled the farmer's feathers and prompted him to file a $7.5 million lawsuit against the photographers and companies who used his image.

Andrew Marsinko claims he never signed a release allowing his photo to be used for commercial purposes, as required by Virginia law. Now he's suing for a variety of reasons, including defamation and reckless infliction of emotional distress.

The front of the card features Marsinko holding a goose on one knee, under the words, "Since it's your birthday, you decide - Would you rather get spanked ..." and then, inside: "Or goosed? Happy birthday!"

The Botetourt County farmer claims he didn't even know about the card until he attended an animal auction in Mount Hope, Ohio, where people began teasing him. According to the lawsuit, one person asked him, "When did you give up women to hug a goose?"

"That's not something you want to wake up and find out's been done," said Roanoke lawyer David Harrison, who represents Marsinko.

The portrait was taken at the 1996 State Fair of Virginia by Washington, D.C., photographer John Burwell, who had been hired to take promotional photos for the fair.

The card was sold throughout the United States and Canada last year. During that time, Marsinko - a member of the American Poultry Association's Exhibitor's Hall of Fame - says he was the object of ridicule at auctions and livestock shows across the country.

The complaint accuses Burwell and his wife of selling Marsinko's image to Jupitermedia Corp., a stock image provider, without his permission. The image was used on a card sold by Boulder, Colo., company Leanin' Tree Inc., according to the complaint.

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Information from: The Roanoke Times, http://www.roanoketimes.com

Company wants part of Minn. bridge suits dismissed

An engineering firm that analyzed the Interstate 35W bridge before it collapsed is asking a judge to dismiss parts of four lawsuits from victims.

URS Corp. of San Francisco is accused of negligence and of breaching contracts with the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

URS says the victims don't have standing to sue for breach of contract, and only the negligence claim should proceed.

URS says it is not responsible for the Aug. 1, 2007, bridge collapse that killed 13 and injured 145.

The paperwork filed in Hennepin County District Court addresses lawsuits filed on behalf of four bridge victims _ three who suffered injuries and the family of a truck driver who was killed.

WHO, other agencies launch US$28 million plan for health care of Myanmar cyclone victims

The World Health Organization and other agencies on Thursday launched a US$28 million (euro18 million) plan to curb disease outbreaks and improve medical care in cyclone-ravaged Myanmar over the next six months.

"We must help repair and revitalize Myanmar's health services and replace the damaged medical equipment in affected facilities," said Eric Laroche, WHO assistant director-general who is heading the coalition of more than 40 organizations.

The May 2-3 cyclone destroyed about 50 percent of health facilities in Myanmar, Laroche said. The joint plan intends to replace the destroyed facilities and "build a health care system that can withstand any future natural disasters," he said.

It still has to be determined what equipment and buildings need to be replaced or repaired first, but it is clear that a top priority is to resume immunization of children against polio and measles, he said.

The cyclone left an estimated 2.4 million people in desperate need of food, shelter and medical care. Myanmar's government says the storm killed 78,000 people and left 56,000 missing.

Health workers also are on the lookout for an outbreak of cholera or other infectious diseases.

"The main fear of everyone is any start of an epidemic, be it cholera or dengue fever or whatever," Laroche told reporters.

Although some non-governmental organizations have reported cases of cholera, the government has told WHO there are no confirmed cases. Laroche said isolated cases of cholera were less significant.

"For us what is important is to have antennas everywhere to see if there is any beginning of a small outbreak," Laroche said, adding that health officials would respond with a containment action to keep the virus from spreading.

Malaria infections are expected to increase in coming weeks because of mosquitoes breeding in standing water left by rains, and there is a need for bed nets to prevent that disease, he said.

Another fear following floods in Myanmar is snakebite, Laroche said. "So two weeks ago we sent 2,000 vials for vipers, the main variety."

He said it is "much easier" for relief workers to obtain visas since the early days after the storm and that he had been assured they will have access to the field so that they can work where needed.

"It's likely that we will get hundreds of medical teams" from Myanmar's Southeast Asian neighbors who will be deployed in the effort, Laroche said.

Already some 500 tons of medical supplies have been sent into the country, Laroche said.

An appeal for donations to pay for the new joint plan will be made later, said Laroche.

BIODIESEL COMPANY BUILDS DISTRIBUTION THROUGHOUT NORTHWEST

Eugene, Oregon

SeQuential Biofuels, LLC is a biodiesel marketing and distribution company that supplies blends for heat, power and transport to businesses, government and individuals throughout western Oregon and western Washington. In partnership with regional fuel distributors, SeQuential provides pure biodiesel (BlOO) directed to customers through its mobile retail pump, also offering a 20 percent biodiesel blend at its locations in Eugene, Portland and elsewhere. Founded by Josh Endicott, Tomas Endicott and Ian Hill in 2002, the company is working to expand the fleet and retail markets throughout the Pacific Northwest. SeQuential also continues to research the feasibility of other biofuels and biobased products from feedstocks collected or produced in the region. For details, visit the website: sqbiofuels.com.

Camry campaign on way Toyota commits big bucks to ads for redesigned car

A redesigned Camry, long Toyota's best-selling make of car, is thefocus of a huge ad campaign from Saatchi & Saatchi/Los Angeles, theagency of record for Toyota for the past quarter century. The $160-million campaign, the largest in Toyota's history, plays off a newsexiness in the Camry design for 2002. The campaign tagline--"YouWant It"--underscores the car's sexier look.

"We have taken the Camry from sensible to sensual without losingthe core values that made the car so popular," explained Toyota vicepresident of marketing Steve Sturm. The Toyota executive describedthe Camry's new appearance as dramatically different. "This Camry iswider, longer and larger," explained Sturm, who said the Camry waslast redesigned five years ago.

The average age of the typical Camry buyer is around 53, accordingto Sturm, but the goal of the redesigned car and the new campaign isto lower that average age to at least the mid-40's.

The full-blown "You Want It" campaign won't launch until earlySeptember, but Toyota is trying to build interest via unusualtelevision teaser spots popping up between the regular flow of spotson NBC, Fox and a number of cable channels, as well as inflightprogramming on United and Delta airlines. To pique consumer interest,the teasers show just a brief shot of the car and the tagline.

The main television campaign is comprised of six 30-second and 60-second spots.

Saatchi & Saatchi chose actor Jeff Goldblum to do voiceovers forthe new commercials because he has a theatrically trained voice thatconvincingly conveys the sensual motif in the new campaign.

"Launch" is the introductory spot in the series, and it traversesthe globe showing people in many countries admiring the retooledCamry. Another spot called "Magnets" is a bizarre story about tworefrigerator magnets that are irresistibly drawn to the Camry.

Yet another, "Rhythmic Drive," intriguingly captures a sort ofroad ballet in progress as drivers in their cars try to pull up nextto the new Camry to find out what make car it is.

The "You Want It" campaign also includes a massive printcomponent. A total of seven Conde Nast magazines and 10 Time Inc.publications will carry multipage Toyota inserts in their Octoberissues featuring the 2002 Camry interspersed with shots of musicalperformers, such as Lyle Lovett; Earth, Wind and Fire, and the Go-Go's will be heard on a new compact disc Toyota is producing to raisemoney for charity.

Available starting Sept. 25 at Wherehouse Music and Macy'sdepartment stores for a suggested donation of $1, the CD is expectedto generate about $500,000 for the Camry Music Education Fund toassist in-school music programs.

Lipinski picking videos

On the Road to Fox Valley Update: Intersport vice president ofproduction Mike Klatt met last week with Tom Dickson, who willoversee choreography for the television special starring TaraLipinski skating to music videos of Top 10 hits. The Lipinski show,which Intersport is producing and selling to advertisers, isscheduled to air on CBS on Nov. 24.

According to Klatt, the music videos still under consideration forthe show have been narrowed to around 15 songs from an original listof 50. "Let me Blow Ya Mind" and "Hit 'em Up Style" are among theprospects. Lipinski will decide which video she uses for her soloroutine.

Dickson will begin setting the choreography on the eight-personchorus of skaters who will share the stage with Lipinski a couple ofweeks before the show is taped on Nov. 3, at the Fox Valley IceArena. Klatt also has decided on Lipinski's co-stars: Rory FlackBurkhart and Scott Williams, whom the producer described as a "bit ofa hunk."

After meeting with Dickson last week, Klatt travelled to the rinkto make preliminary decisions about camera placements. Klatt saidseven camera will be used.

A camera placed in a skybox will be used for wide shots trackingthe skaters on the ice.

E-mail: llazare@suntimes.com

With economy, no campaign, TV news challenged

The inauguration of Barack Obama is a reminder of how the story that dominated airwaves during 2008 is over, leaving television news organizations to contemplate life without it in the midst of a brutal economy.

The campaign gave TV news heaps of stories and advertising revenue. If Tuesday's inauguration is a closing act, broadcast and cable networks are taking advantage with hours and hours of coverage.

CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC now face the inevitable audience erosion that comes when any big story goes away. Obama has tough problems and there won't be a shortage of news as he attacks them, but campaigning is a better TV story than governing.

"There will be a continued pressure on the news networks to sustain audience interest," said Aaron Cohen, chief media negotiator for the advertising firm Horizon Media. "The things going on at CNN (a weekly show by comic D.L. Hughley, comedian Kathy Griffin's New Year's Eve gig) are an indication that people are looking to do different things in order to broaden their audience."

Executives hope that their networks became habit-forming during the campaign, and there are some early positive signs that they did.

As might be expected, the prime-time audience at each network slipped between November and December (43 percent for CNN, 42 percent for MSNBC and 28 percent for Fox, according to Nielsen Media Research).

The picture changes with a wider view. MSNBC's prime-time average of 1 million viewers in December was nearly double what it was in December 2007, Nielsen said. Fox's December audience was up 35 percent from a year earlier, and CNN was up 33 percent.

Fox remains dominant, its loyal audience in December double that of CNN or MSNBC. Stable for a long time, Fox has made some changes _ bringing in Glenn Beck from CNN Headline News for an evening show, replacing Brit Hume with Brett Baier and having Sean Hannity now go it alone.

With Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow, MSNBC established a clear identity as a prime-time home for liberals. Even facing a potential advertising downturn, CNN has projected optimism by continuing to spend on overseas bureaus and technology such as the Election Night hologram.

CNN's ability to get a bigger audience than CBS and NBC on Election Night may well be remembered as a real turning point in television news history: The days of ABC, CBS and NBC as the default places to follow big news stories are over.

Each of the broadcast networks have been actively trimming costs with the economic downturn. NBC News' parent company, NBC Universal, cut jobs by 5 percent over the past year, and the news division generally followed that blueprint. ABC News has entered an overseas relationship with the BBC where, for example, the British broadcaster provides day-to-day coverage in Iraq so ABC doesn't have to keep a full-time correspondent there. The network is also expected to scale back its political team.

One good thing for the broadcasters is that their flagship news programs were remarkably resistant to big swings in viewership. The evening newscasts didn't gain much from the campaign and haven't lost anything with its end; viewership was up in December compared to December 2007, according to Nielsen.

The networks all see overseas coverage as a way to cut costs, stocking ranks with people who can quickly produce, shoot and write while eliminating the need for bureaus with large staffs. It enabled CBS, for example, to cut jobs in Moscow, Tokyo and Tel Aviv, Israel.

That strategy, coupled with the rise of video services, has network executives convinced they can provide the same coverage by spending less. Porter Bibb, managing partner at Mediatech Capital Partners, a financier of media businesses, wonders if something is lost by having fewer people on the ground all over the world.

"The news departments are shadows of what they were 10 years ago at all the major networks," Bibb said. "But it's the same thing at the programming departments."

Years of cutbacks have the TV news departments in better shape than other struggling media sectors, like newspapers and local TV news operations. The latter has been severely hit by a loss in advertising. The fact that network news divisions are relatively small parts of much bigger companies may help them weather storms, said Michael Nathanson, an analyst with Bernstein Research.

"I think we've taken all the steps that we need to take," said Sean McManus, CBS News president. "I have absolutely zero doubt in my mind that we have enough resources that we need, both nationally and internationally, to cover the news as well as we ever have."

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On the Net:

http://www.abcnews.com

http://www.cbsnews.com

http://www.msnbc.com

http://www.cnn.com

http://www.foxnews.com

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EDITOR'S NOTE _ David Bauder can be reached at dbauder(at)ap.org

UK manufacturers' outlook brightens in November

U.K. manufacturers reported a slight improvement in conditions in November though employment fell for the 19th consecutive month, an industry group said Tuesday.

The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply said its purchasing managers' index stood at 51.8 in November, down from 53.4 in October. Any figure above 50 indicates a net expansion in activity in the sector.

The index, prepared in partnership with financial information company Markit UK, is calculated using data collected on new orders, production, employment, supplier performance and stocks of purchases.

In recent months, the index has been more optimistic than official data on manufacturing output.

"Even if the CIPS surveys remain a bit more upbeat than the official data, it is looking like the U.K. economy should have pulled out of recession this quarter," said economist Vicky Redwood at Capital Economics. "But the recovery is clearly struggling to maintain momentum, suggesting that growth next year will be pretty modest."

David Noble, the Institute's chief executive, said the manufacturing sector "has slowly but surely started to grow again and conditions are looking decidedly less sickly than at the start of the year."

However, he noted a slowdown in new orders since October. "There are already signs that the rebound in growth may be nearing its peak, leaving question marks over the longer term outlook and the possibility of a double-dip recession," Noble added.

Information technology

Eastman Goes Wireless

Eastman Chemical Co. (Kingsport, TN; www.eastman.com) is adding wireless capabilities to its warehouse inventory management system in Kingsport by implementing Symbol Technologies' (Holtsville, NY; www.symbol.com) Intrinsically Safe (I-Safe) mobile computing solution. I-Safe offers an alternative to the traditional paper-based model of gathering data by linking warehouse bar code scanners directly to Eastman's enterprise resource planning system. Additional Eastman plants in the U.S., U.K., Asia Pacific and Latin America are expected to come on line next year.

Shell Seeks Planalytics

Shell Chemical LP (Houston, TX; www.shellchemicals.com) has li- censed Planalytics GasBuyer, a web-- delivered risk-management tool, developed by Planalytics Inc. (Wayne, PA; www.planalytics.com) to help weather the volatile natural gas market. GasBuyer uses long-range climate forecasts and inventory change projections, weekly storage data, real-- time contract pricing, and advanced neural network technologies to evaluate gas prices for the coming months.

BOC Edwards Launches A B2B Marketplace

BOC Edwards (West Sussex, U.K.) has launched a marketplace (clearance.bocedwards.com) where customers can purchase refurbished or inventory-clearance equipment for the semiconductor-processing and industrial-vacuum markets. Built upon FairMarket, Inc.'s (Woburn, MA; www.fairmarket.com) business-to-- business (B2B) e-commerce platform, the site allows customers to purchase products through online auctions and fixed-price listings.

Prankster suicide bomber arrested in Jordan

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — A man who walked into the headquarters of Jordan's largest opposition group on Monday claiming to have an explosive belt and threatening to blow himself up turned out to be a prankster, a senior police official said.

The man had entered the Amman offices of the Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, where he showed off his purported explosives belt. As IAF officials tried to calm him down, police arrived and arrested the man.

Bomb experts who examined the belt later found it to be "fake," said the police official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with standing police regulations.

The official declined to speculate on the motive but said the man was being questioned for "inciting fear of an attempted attack."

The incident came as IAF and the Muslim Brotherhood have been taking to the streets across Jordan, pressing demands for change. The demonstrations have been inspired by uprisings across the Arab world.

Islamic Action Front leader Ali Abu Sukar said the man awoke suspicion of IAF officials as soon as he walked into the building. "They called the police, who immediately came and overpowered him," Abu Sukar added.

He said no one in the IAF had previously seen the man.

Jordan's government loyalists denounce the IAF, accusing it of refusing to give Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit enough time to introduce demanded reforms and of inciting protests.

Another Front leader, Jaafar Sabti, said he witnessed the incident.

"As we finished our noon prayers, a man walked into the building warning us that he was wearing an explosive belt and would blow himself up and tear our heads off," he said.

Sabti said the man opened his long Arabic robe to display the alleged explosive belt. He said the man spoke in a Jordanian accent, appeared to be middle-aged and was "possibly drunk because he smelled of alcohol."

"We tried to calm him down," Sabti said but the attacker accused the Front of "being against reforms and hating King Abdullah II."

The Islamic Action Front has refused to take part in a national dialogue on reform initiated by Abdullah. It wants the parliament — Jordan's only elected body, which is widely seen as docile — dissolved. It also seeks to reduce Abdullah's absolute powers, specifically in appointing prime ministers, and wants the premier to be elected by popular vote.

Suicide bombings are not commonplace in Jordan but in November 2005 a triple hotel suicide bombing later claimed by al-Qaida in Iraq killed 60 people — all Jordanian Muslims. It was the deadliest attack in the modern history of this key U.S. ally with diplomatic relations with Israel under a peace treaty signed in 1994.

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Sameer N. Yacoub contributed to this report.

Israeli PM's teen son maligns Muslims on Facebook

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli prime minister's 19-year-old son — a military spokesman — posted derisive comments about Arabs and Muslims on his Facebook page, drawing a slap on the wrist from his superiors and focusing new attention on the controversial first family.

Earlier this year, Yair Netanyahu posted that Muslims "celebrate hate and death," the Haaretz daily newspaper reported Friday. In the same post, written after Palestinian assailants entered a West Bank settlement and stabbed five members of an Israeli family to death, he wrote that "terror has a religion and it is Islam."

The defamatory comments drew an immediate condemnation from the Palestinians, who are skeptical of his father Benjamin Netanyahu's declared willingness to make the painful concessions necessary to give them a state.

Yair Netanyahu also wrote that he hoped "there would never be" a Palestinian state, and two years prior, he ran a Facebook group of 23 people that had called for a boycott of Arab businesses and products.

Haaretz said the comments in question were removed from the Facebook page within two hours of the paper's request for a response from the prime minister's aides.

The prime minister's office wouldn't comment on the Facebook reports, referring questions to a lawyer for the Netanyahu family.

Attorney David Shimron said the comments were taken out of context, calling them "the cynical use of the words of a teenager, said in anger."

"Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife believe in moderation and tolerance, and they respect all people without regard for their religion, origin or nationality and that is how they raise their children," Shimron said in a statement.

Palestinian spokesman Husam Zomlot interpreted things differently.

"That's the teaching of his father," Zomlot said. "That's what Netanyahu produced in terms of a family and that's what Netanyahu produced in terms of a society."

A military statement said commanders had spoken to Yair Netanyahu "to clarify to the soldier the military commands, outlining his mistakes, as would be done with any soldier in a similar situation."

Some of the comments on Facebook predated his military service, the military said, adding that he had been ordered to remove political statements posted after he was drafted.

The newspaper did not say how it obtained access to the Facebook account, though profiles can be viewed publicly unless users modify their security settings.

The younger Netanyahu's Facebook page also included comments on the Israeli version of the TV show Big Brother and a "like" directed at Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli, alongside photos of himself with international dignitaries like ex-U.S. president Bill Clinton and Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, according to the report.

Benjamin Netanyahu served as premier from 1996 to 1999, then returned to power more than a decade later. While he has publicly accepted the principle of a Palestinian state, he argues that the essence of the remaining conflict is the Palestinians' refusal to accept Israel as the state of the Jewish people. Under his watch, peace efforts have stalled.

His son Yair was inducted into the military nearly two years ago, serving in a desirable non-combat position despite his family's history of combat service. Israeli media have reported that unspecified health issues have kept Yair Netanyahu out of combat.

The prime minister's revered older brother Yonatan was a hero of Israel's fabled 1976 rescue of Jewish Air France passengers hostages held in Uganda — a raid in which he was killed.

Benjamin Netanyahu's children largely have been kept out of the limelight during his current term, save on major occasions like Yair Netanyahu's induction into the military and his brother Avner's victory in the national Bible quiz.

Their mother, however — a former flight attendant turned child psychologist who is the prime minister's third wife — has been a lightning rod for criticism. She has called the accusations against her "evil gossip," and the Netanyahus have filed libel suits in connection with those reports.

Veteran Israeli commentator Nahum Barnea thinks despite the media attention on the Netanyahu family foibles, the Israeli public judges the prime minister "according to what he is and not according to what his family is."

The younger Netanyahu "transgressed as a soldier, but that isn't something that justifies sending him to jail," Barnea said. "He's a small-time official in the military spokesman's office."

Israel's military has suffered a series of online embarrassments.

Soldiers have posted pictures on Facebook of themselves mistreating detained Palestinians and dancing on patrol. In one case, the military had to cancel an operation after a soldier revealed plans on his Facebook page.

In blending Microsoft, Apple shines brighter

For mainstream computer users doing typical tasks, AppleComputer's Macintosh models have huge advantages over the prevalentWindows computers from companies such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard.The Macs have sleeker hardware designs, a superior operating system,much better built-in software and virtually no exposure to virusesand spyware. Apple's flagship model, the iMac, is the best consumerdesktop on the market.

But, there's a big barrier for Windows users tempted to switch tothe Mac: software. While there are thousands of programs for theMac's operating system, called OS X, potential Mac buyers often findthey have one or two Windows programs they must use that have no Macequivalent. These range from custom software required by theiremployers, to niche programs for specific industries or hobbies, togames.

On Wednesday, Apple took a historic, and potentially huge, step toremove that obstacle to switching. It introduced free software thatmakes it easy to install and run Windows on the latest Mac models asa complement to the Mac operating system. With this new software,called Boot Camp, you can turn your Mac into a fast, full-fledgedWindows computer for those occasions when you must run a Windowsprogram. That makes the iMac, the Mac Mini and the MacBook Pro laptopthe only computers in the world that allow mainstream users to runboth operating systems at full speed.

I've been testing Windows on a new iMac for several days andexcept for a couple of trifling annoyances, it runs perfectly, justlike a stand-alone Windows PC. I was able to install Boot Camp andWindows XP Pro on the Mac in under an hour. After that, I installed15 Windows programs, most unavailable in Mac versions, and all ranproperly.

In Windows mode, the iMac was blazingly fast -- far faster than mytwo-year-old HP Windows computer. And every function of Windows Itested, including Web browsing, e-mail and music playback, ranflawlessly.

In fact, I wrote this column in Windows on the iMac, using theWindows version of Microsoft Word. And I e-mailed it to my editorsusing Outlook Express, the built-in e-mail program in Windows. When Iwas done using Windows, I just restarted the Mac and the machineturned back into a regular Macintosh, running the Mac operatingsystem and Mac software.

Boot Camp (downloadable at www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp) allowsyou to start the Mac in either operating system. You can designatewhich one gets loaded when the machine boots up. Or, by simplyholding down the Option (or Alt) key while starting or restarting thecomputer, you get a screen showing icons for the two operatingsystems. Click on the Mac icon and the machine runs the Mac OS. Clickon the Windows icon and it runs Windows.

Split screens

Each operating system gets its own dedicated portion, or"partition," of the Mac's hard disk, so they don't interfere with oneanother. Programs you install in each operating system, and files youcreate with them, are stored in the part of the hard disk devoted tothat operating system.

All of this is possible because the latest Macs use the same Intelchips as Windows machines. Boot Camp runs only on these new Intel-based Macs, which have been available since January.

Older Macs can also run Windows, in a fashion, but only via aclumsy Microsoft program that creates a painfully slow "virtual"Windows computer that can't handle some demanding programs, likegames. By contrast, with Boot Camp, the new Intel-based Macs canbecome true, fast, full-fledged Windows computers that areessentially identical to standard Windows computers, yet still retainthe ability to operate as normal Macs.

Apple says it won't sell, preinstall, or support Windows. In fact,while Boot Camp is free Apple software, anyone using it must supplyhis own copy of Windows to install. Boot Camp is technically beta, ortest, software. But in my tests, it operated exactly as advertised.It will be built into the next version of the Mac operating system,called Leopard, due early next year.

You must buy your own copy of Windows to install -- a fullversion, not an upgrade, of Windows XP, Home or Pro, with "SP2"included. The Home version costs around $199, the Pro version $299.

You can't run both operating systems at the same time. Switchingbetween the two requires you to restart the Mac; the operating systemyou're not using is shut down. That makes switching a little slow,but it also means that each operating system runs like a separatecomputer, with full control of the hardware. This allows Windows torun at full speed and protects your Mac files from the effects ofWindows viruses.

With Boot Camp, you could choose to run a Mac solely as a Windowsmachine, with good results. But Apple doesn't expect many people todo this. Instead, it assumes Boot Camp users will still use the Macoperating system and Mac software 90 percent of the time, switchinginto Windows mode only to run a few Windows programs.

MORE TO COME

Apple's move is only the first in what probably will be a seriesof new programs that allow the Intel Macs to run Windows. Today, asmall Virginia company called Parallels plans to release a betaversion of its own software to run Windows on an Intel Mac. It'scalled Parallels Workstation for OS X and will cost $49, plus thecost of Windows itself. Unlike Boot Camp, Parallels creates a"virtual machine" that simulates a Windows computer inside the MacOS. I haven't had a chance to test this product, but might do so incoming months.

Last month, two hackers caused a stir by posting online their ownmethod for running Windows on the Intel Macs. But, unlike Boot Camp,it requires technical skills far beyond those of the average user.

Until now, subtle hardware differences between Mac and Windowsmade it impossible to simply buy a copy of Windows and install it ina Mac, even the new models using Intel chips. Apple's Boot Campallows Windows to overcome these hardware differences, and alsoincludes "drivers" -- hardware-enabling programs -- so that Windowscan work smoothly with Apple keyboards, video systems and networkinghardware.

Because the Mac becomes a true Windows computer when in Windowsmode, it is susceptible to all of the viruses and spyware that plagueregular Windows machines, but not Macs running the Mac operatingsystem. While these viruses can't infect the Mac side of the machine,you do have to install antivirus and antispyware programs on theWindows side.

THE DRAWBACKS

So what are the annoyances and caveats about running Windows on aMac with Boot Camp?

You have to reset the clock every time you start Windows. Windowsalso kept asking me to install my printer every time it started, eventhough it was already installed. Apple says it is working on theseissues.

In addition, you must use a wired keyboard and mouse duringinstallation. And the Windows side doesn't work with Apple's iSightcameras and some other peripherals. You also have to adjust to somedifferences in keyboard layout.

Finally, there's one dangerous step in installing Windows. In oneof the screens of the installation disk, where you are asked whichhard-drive partition will be used for Windows, you must select "C."If you choose wrong, you could obliterate your Mac operating system.I recommend downloading and printing out Apple's Boot CampInstallation Guide, which has a picture of this screen.

McCain Makes 2 Stops in Philadelphia

Republican presidential candidate John McCain used an anecdote about the time he spent as a prisoner of war to explain his reconciliation with the Rev. Jerry Falwell, whom he once described as among the "agents of intolerance."

McCain, a former Navy pilot, said Monday night that when he was held captive in North Vietnam, he heard a speech by a member of Students for a Democratic Society over a loudspeaker. He said the man giving the speech had traveled to Vietnam to sign a mock peace treaty with the North Vietnamese government. Many years later, McCain said, the man came to his office and apologized. McCain said the man wanted to work with him to promote human rights. McCain said he agreed.

When Falwell later came to his office and sat in the same chair, asking for reconciliation, McCain said he thought it was important to make peace with the televangelist.

"When reconciliation is called for, I've tried to reconcile with my enemies, my adversaries, and I have always benefited by it," McCain said.

As a candidate for president in 2000, McCain gave a speech during the Republican primaries in which he described the conservative Falwell and the Rev. Pat Robertson as "agents of intolerance."

McCain commented at the University of Pennsylvania, where the campus College Republicans group held a forum during which students questioned the Arizona senator. The man asking the question said he had volunteered for McCain in the 2000 New Hampshire primary and was disappointed that McCain had since embraced Falwell.

McCain also spoke about fighting climate change, the lack of public confidence in government and the Iraq war.

Earlier Monday, a campaign adviser said McCain will make his seventh trip to Iraq during the Thanksgiving holiday.

McCain will be part of a congressional delegation making the trip, including Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who has been among the strongest Iraq war supporters in Congress. Further details have not been released for security reasons, the adviser said.

McCain has made his support of the Iraq troop increase by the U.S. a central theme of his presidential campaign. He had long called for sending in more troops, an idea President Bush embraced earlier this year.

___

Associated Press writer JoAnn Loviglio contributed to this report.

Early data shows strong Black Friday shopping

The holiday shopping season got off to a surprisingly solid start, according to data released Saturday by a research firm. But the sales boost during the post-Thanksgiving shopathon came at the expense of profits as the nation's retailers had to slash prices to attract the crowds in a season that is expected to be the weakest in decades.

Sales during the day after Thanksgiving rose 3 percent to $10.6 billion, according to preliminary figures released Saturday by ShopperTrak RCT Corp., a Chicago-based research firm that tracks sales at more than 50,000 retail outlets. Last year, shoppers spent about $10.3 billion on the day after Thanksgiving, dubbed Black Friday because it was historically the sales-packed day when retailers would become profitable for the year.

But this year, many observers were expecting consumers to spend more time browsing than buying, amid contractions in consumer spending and growing fears about economic uncertainty and trouble in the global financial markets.

"Under these circumstances, it's truly amazing when you think about all the news that led into the holiday season, it certainly appears that consumers are willing to spend more than most expected," said ShopperTrak co-founder Bill Martin. "Everybody wants value for their dollar, so we saw a tremendous response to the discounts."

While it isn't a predictor of overall holiday season sales, Black Friday is an important barometer of people's willingness to spend during the holidays. Last year, it was the biggest sales generator of the season while the Thanksgiving shopping weekend of Friday through Sunday accounted for about 10 percent of overall holiday sales.

Still, experts, who predict this year's overall holiday shopping period will be the weakest in decades thanks to an overall contraction in spending, caution that this year's sales growth may be hard to sustain.

Also complicating matters is a shorter buying season _ 27 days between Black Friday and Christmas _ instead of 32 last year.

Across the country, sales in the South were up 3.4 percent from last year while they climbed 2.6 percent in the Northeast as shoppers began scouring store aisles at midnight hoping to snag the best selection on early morning specials, some as much as 70 percent off. Elsewhere, sales rose 3 percent in the Midwest and 2.7 percent in the West.

Patty Saal, 60, of Mogadore, Ohio, began her Black Friday shopping at 5 a.m. when she and her daughters went to a Sam's Club to purchase iPods.

"We're doing fine," she said.

Fifth-grade teacher Daphna Stepen, 42, spent Black Friday hunting for deals inside Macy's and at the Limited Too clothing store and headed out again Saturday. The Chicago resident said she was surprised by the discounts as well as how many coupons she'd received from stores, which helped her save even more money on already marked-down items.

"You can get almost 40 percent off stuff if you work the coupons," she said.

Separately on Saturday, J.C. Penney Co. Inc. said business was strong in its sites across the country as customers responded to sales. Some of the department store's best sellers were smaller electronic gadgets and practical gifts, such as sweaters, boots, coats and luggage.

But the chain said it wouldn't provide specific sales figures.

"In light of the challenging and volatile economic climate, and shifts in this year's retail calendar, we don't believe that reporting sales data for any one day (or weekend), including Black Friday, would provide a meaningful barometer of our business," the Plano, Texas company said in a statement released Saturday afternoon.

___

AP Retail Writers Anne D'Innocenzio in New York and Emily Fredrix in Aurora, Ohio contributed to this report.

Hawks Ready To Rumble // Anticipate Physical Series With Leafs

TORONTO While they were busy packing bags to check throughCanadian customs, the Blackhawks decided to carry the collective chipon their shoulder on the way to Maple Leaf Gardens for the first gameof the opening round of the NHL playoffs tonight against Toronto.

In a word, it was a "surly" group of Hawks practicing over theweekend. Fans can only hope the team's Stanley Cup run is longerthan many of the players' answers to the media before tonight's firstfaceoff (6:38 p.m., SportsChannel, 1000-AM) in what looks to be aphysical series.

"Every team, once the playoffs start, has to tighten up," coachDarryl Sutter said of team defense, although he just as easily couldhave been referring to game faces.

Obviously, one of the faces the Hawks will need to "keep an eyeon," as goalie Ed Belfour said, is Maple Leafs center Doug Gilmour,who finished the season fourth in the league scoring race with 111points (27 goals) and assisted on 34 of Dave Andreychuk's 53 goals.

"Gilmour's great," Belfour said. "He's such a great playmakerbecause he sees the ice so well. I can't say enough about him."

Even with Andreychuk's 53 goals, the Hawks had best keep theirother eye on Wendel Clark, whose two goals in Thursday night's seasonfinale with the Hawks gave the Leafs left winger 46 for the season.

"He's a force out there," Hawks winger Joe Murphy said. "Hetakes the puck to the net and can dominate a game physically. Weneed to keep his chances limited because he likes to shoot a lot."

Not taking shots, those of the cheap variety, is also a key forthe Hawks. The Leafs converted four of seven power-playopportunities Thursday night after Toronto was again successful atgoading the Hawks - the second-most penalized team in the league -into confrontations.

"You're just going to have to suck it up," Randy Cunneyworthsaid of Toronto's taunting. "Obviously the ref isn't going to beable to see everything. But there's lots of time for payback - andit can be done cleanly and hard. It's going to be as physical as anymeeting."

Strangely, the fact that the first two meetings of thisbest-of-seven series are being held in Toronto's building doesn'tbother the Hawks.

"Usually it's the other way around, but we seem to play a littlemore comfortably on the road," Belfour said. "And both teams arereal close in styles - real competitive, hard-forechecking. Plus,their ice surface is real similar in size (to the Stadium). It'sevenly matched and should be a real close series."

All the more reason to practice what Sutter has always preached:Most games are won in the first 10 minutes.

"Everything is more magnified in the playoffs - good starts, badstarts," Sutter said. "Especially on the road, you want to take thecrowd out of it and show you're prepared for the next challenge. Thefact remains more games are won in the first period than the thirdperiod."

Especially in the Hawks' case, as they had a 25-5-7 record thisseason when they led after the opening period and a 2-20-1 mark whenthey trailed. Moreover, the Hawks were 31-12-6 when they scoredfirst and 8-24-3 when their opponent did.

"The key is to get on the board and spot Eddie a goal or two,"Murphy said. "Just look at Thursday night (a 6-4 loss) when they gota couple goals up. They put a blanket on us and shut us down.

"Eddie can stop the first shot, and as long as we clear therebounds or he can cover up, he can take charge back there."

Which is almost a prerequisite if these surly (under)dogs wantto have their day.

"We know we're an underdog," Murphy said. "Especially afterlast year, when we were expected to do everything. But after thisup-and-down season, we don't have anything to lose."

Spurs Win Season-High Ninth Straight

LOS ANGELES - The San Antonio Spurs extended their season-high winning streak to nine games when Manu Ginobili scored 16 points and Tim Duncan had 12 rebounds in an 88-74 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.

Ginobili had eight rebounds and Duncan scored nine points, just two after the first quarter. But Beno Udrih added 16 points and eight rebounds for the Spurs, whose reserves outscored their starters 49-39.

Michael Finley had 10 points for the Spurs, who led all the way in their third one-sided win over the Clippers in as many meetings this season.

San Antonio's defense, the key to its victory string, again was stifling. The Clippers' 74 …

Bush defends marriage.(EDITORIALS)

Byline: THE WASHINGTON TIMES

President Bush announced yesterday that he supports a constitutional amendment banning same-sex "marriage," and urged Congress to "promptly pass" such an amendment and send it to the states for ratification. In recent months, the assault on traditional marriage has intensified, most egregiously with the Massachusetts Supreme Court's May ruling that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage, and San Francisco officials have issued marriage licenses to hundreds of homosexual couples over the past two weeks. An amendment to the Constitution is needed to stop the lawlessness over marriage.

Mr. Bush noted that federal law already defines marriage as "the legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife." The Defense of Marriage Act, which became law eight years ago, was enacted overwhelmingly by Congress, with margins of 342-67 in the House and 85-14 in the Senate. Public opinion polls show similarly high support among Americans for defending marriage. In poll after poll, Americans oppose legalizing same-sex "marriage" by a margin of two to one. According to polls by the Associated Press, a majority opposes civil unions as well; the public is split over whether homosexual relations should be legal at all. Americans are never enthusiastic about amending the Constitution.

An amendment is needed now because aggressive judges and bureaucrats are making new law out of thin air. Laws defining marriage as between a man and woman, enacted in 38 states, are being overturned by judges and ignored by city and county officials. These same judges could mandate that liberal same-sex allowances in some states must be recognized in all states. A constitutional amendment would prevent this and make clear that same-sex unions could not be called marriages in any state. It wouldn't stop much else. States could still pass laws recognizing all of the legal benefits of marriage in same-sex civil unions or domestic partnerships.

Politics play a role in this debate, which is, of course, what our system is all about. As activists stepped up their offensive for same-sex "marriages," Mr. Bush's conservative base expected him to weigh in. And after a dispiriting few weeks of bad news for the president, for example, about excessive government spending and an increase in funding for the National Endowment of the Arts, it became important for the president to reassure his most loyal friends that he was listening to them.

The push for a constitutional amendment defending traditional marriage is likely to help Republicans this fall. With the amendment in the public eye, the Democratic nominee will be forced to take one of two positions. He could oppose the amendment and go against the wishes of the majority of Americans and risk losing swing voters, or by taking Mr. Bush's position risk alienating elements of his leftist base. Either decision could make the difference in a close election. If John Kerry is the Democratic nominee, he could be hurt by his origins in liberal Massachusetts, which is friendly to the homosexual agenda.

Mr. Bush's decision to back the constitutional amendment defending marriage is good for the moral standing of the country - and smart politics. There is nothing cynical about the president's endorsement of this amendment. Both his Christian faith and personal judgment long ago led him to the commonsensical conclusion that marriage can only be between a man and a woman.

Bush defends marriage.(EDITORIALS)

Byline: THE WASHINGTON TIMES

President Bush announced yesterday that he supports a constitutional amendment banning same-sex "marriage," and urged Congress to "promptly pass" such an amendment and send it to the states for ratification. In recent months, the assault on traditional marriage has intensified, most egregiously with the Massachusetts Supreme Court's May ruling that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage, and San Francisco officials have issued marriage licenses to hundreds of homosexual couples over the past two weeks. An amendment to the Constitution is needed to stop the lawlessness over marriage.

Mr. Bush noted that federal law already defines marriage as "the legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife." The Defense of Marriage Act, which became law eight years ago, was enacted overwhelmingly by Congress, with margins of 342-67 in the House and 85-14 in the Senate. Public opinion polls show similarly high support among Americans for defending marriage. In poll after poll, Americans oppose legalizing same-sex "marriage" by a margin of two to one. According to polls by the Associated Press, a majority opposes civil unions as well; the public is split over whether homosexual relations should be legal at all. Americans are never enthusiastic about amending the Constitution.

An amendment is needed now because aggressive judges and bureaucrats are making new law out of thin air. Laws defining marriage as between a man and woman, enacted in 38 states, are being overturned by judges and ignored by city and county officials. These same judges could mandate that liberal same-sex allowances in some states must be recognized in all states. A constitutional amendment would prevent this and make clear that same-sex unions could not be called marriages in any state. It wouldn't stop much else. States could still pass laws recognizing all of the legal benefits of marriage in same-sex civil unions or domestic partnerships.

Politics play a role in this debate, which is, of course, what our system is all about. As activists stepped up their offensive for same-sex "marriages," Mr. Bush's conservative base expected him to weigh in. And after a dispiriting few weeks of bad news for the president, for example, about excessive government spending and an increase in funding for the National Endowment of the Arts, it became important for the president to reassure his most loyal friends that he was listening to them.

The push for a constitutional amendment defending traditional marriage is likely to help Republicans this fall. With the amendment in the public eye, the Democratic nominee will be forced to take one of two positions. He could oppose the amendment and go against the wishes of the majority of Americans and risk losing swing voters, or by taking Mr. Bush's position risk alienating elements of his leftist base. Either decision could make the difference in a close election. If John Kerry is the Democratic nominee, he could be hurt by his origins in liberal Massachusetts, which is friendly to the homosexual agenda.

Mr. Bush's decision to back the constitutional amendment defending marriage is good for the moral standing of the country - and smart politics. There is nothing cynical about the president's endorsement of this amendment. Both his Christian faith and personal judgment long ago led him to the commonsensical conclusion that marriage can only be between a man and a woman.

The Department of Defense Financial Management Modernization Program the DoD Blueprint--an Enterprise Architecture. (Workshop Report).

What a great opportunity! One of the most exciting and interactive workshops I participated in at this year's Professional Development Institute!

What a team--Ron Brooks and Catherine Santana certainly motivated us with stories of their personal meetings and conversations with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) Dov Zakheim. It is always more satisfying to have the support for your program, project, or task come from top management. Success always seems more possible, and going the extra distance is a given when you know what the boss wants.

Ron and Catherine told us that the vision of the Financial Management Modernization Program (FMMP) is to provide reliable, timely, and accurate information to the decision …

Gunmen kill man at Malvern home.

MALVERN - A Malvern man was shot to death at his grandmother's home Monday after he arrived to find a group of armed intruders waiting for him, police said. …

170 HOUSES HEADED FOR HILTON ROAD THE DEVELOPER SAYS THE 2,000-SQUARE-FOOT HOMES WILL START AT $180,000.(BUSINESS)

Byline: JAMES DENN Business writer

NEW SCOTLAND Real estate developer Robert Iovinella of SchenectadyWednesday announced plans to build a 170-unit residential subdivision on Hilton Road that would be worth more than $30 million at its planned completion within four years.

Iovinella is confident that the 183-acre subdivision will be a financial success. Demand for the houses, which will start at $180,000 with 2,000 square feet of space, will be strong, he said. In addition, the Hilton Road property, a former golf course, offers a good view of the Albany skyline and the Helderberg escarpment.

``We think it's a class area,'' he said. ``We think …

Train runs on time for 3-year Olympic countdown

With three years to go until the opening ceremony, organizers of the 2012 London Olympics passed an important test Monday: The train ran on time.

The weather was less cooperative: It rained.

The high-speed "Javelin" train carried organizers, athletes and media from St. Pancras International station in central London to the Olympic Park in 6 minutes, 45 seconds _ even faster than the 7-minute target.

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said the three-mile journey "bodes very well indeed" for 2012, when the train service is expected to transport up to 25,000 visitors per hour to and from the Olympic complex in the Stratford area of east London.

"Ninety-seven percent of …

Vineyard black film festival scores big

For four days, filmgoers joined members of the motion picture industry on Martha's Vineyard to watch, discuss, and judge screen projects covering a wide range of topics, including science fiction, abortion, abusive parenting, genocide in Darfur and dating white women.

The Fifth Annual Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) showcased first-time filmmakers and industry veterans alike, and featured special events like a conversation with famed actor Delroy Lindo and a screening with Tony Award-winning actress and 'The Cosby Show" star Phylicia Rashad.

Co-founder Floyd Ranee, who organized the festival with his wife Stephanie, described the atmosphere at the …

Dillard's Inc.(spending $25 million to expand and remodel its anchor store at Four Seasons Town Centre, Greensboro, NC)(Brief Article)

GREENSBORO -- Little Rock, Ark.-based Dillard's Inc. is spending $25 million to expand and remodel its anchor store at Four Seasons Town Centre. The expansion, scheduled to open in …

CREATIVE CAPITAL.(Unwind)

A recent post on Creative Capital, the Times Union's local arts blog, generated some chatter in response to New York Gov. David Paterson's proposal for two venerable area arts institutions.

NYSTI and The Egg merger plan

State Editor Casey Seiler (and former entertainment editor) has written about Gov. David Paterson's proposal to put the New York State Theater Institute in Troy under the management of The Egg at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. The heads of both organizations decline to comment in the article, but Assemblyman Ron Canestrari said he didn't approve.

Blog reader's responded:

up front, i am a longtime member of the NYSTI company and its Union president. This proposal is an insult to the …

AREA ACES.(SPORTS)

Recent holes-in-one at Capital Region courses: AIRWAY MEADOWS Corey Jones, 173-yard 9th hole (7-iron). Witnessed by Kathy Jones, Shane McCarty. AMSTERDAM MUNICIPAL David Brown, 150-yard 16th hole (6-iron). BALLSTON SPA Taryn Wayne, 120-yard 9th hole (9-iron). Witnessed by Dan Walsh. EVERGREEN Bob Keens, 133-yard 18th hole (sand wedge). Witnessed by Martha Keens. MOHAWK RIVER Jimmy Smith, 195-yard 15th hole (4-iron). Witnessed by Jim Smith Sr., Bill Mehleisen Jr., Dave Kvam. ORCHARD CREEK Joe Kabrehl, 150-yard 11th hole. PIONEER HILLS Gary Dudka, …

PHOTOGRAPHER HELD AFTER SOCCER PICTURES FAIL TO ARRIVE.(Local)

Byline: Donna Liquori Staff writer

A photographer is in Saratoga County Jail after being charged with bilking parents who paid for soccer team photos they never saw, State Police said Wednesday night.

Donna Marie Almay, 40, was charged with first-degree scheming to defraud, a felony, after troopers said she charged about 200 parents a total of about $2,500 for photographs of their children in the Ballston Spa Junior Soccer League, State Police Investigator Jerry Holland said.

Holland said Almay ran Sport's Illusions Photography in Round Lake and had taken pictures before for local sports teams.

Almay, who was arrested Sunday, promised to …

Indians beat Rays 3-1 in rain-shortened game

Fausto Carmona allowed one hit _ an infield single _ in five dominant innings as the Cleveland Indians extended their home winning streak over Tampa Bay to 18 straight, beating the Rays 3-1 on a rain-soaked Friday night in a game called in the bottom of the seventh.

The Rays haven't won in Cleveland since Sept. 28, 2005, when Lou Piniella was their manager and they still had a devilish nickname.

Tampa Bay's losing streak in Progressive Field is the longest current one in the majors, and the lengthiest since Milwaukee won 22 in a row over Pittsburgh at Miller Park from 2007-10.

Carmona (10-7) was lifted following a 1-hour, 30-minute rain delay between …

Strauss-Kahn accuser wants to confront him

PARIS (AP) — A French writer who says Dominique Strauss-Kahn tried to rape her wants to confront the former International Monetary Fund chief face to face.

Tristane Banon says that Strauss-Kahn attacked her during a 2003 interview. Strauss-Kahn calls the claim imaginary and has sued her for slander.

Banon said on RTL radio Thursday that she told police, "I would want him to face me and tell me ... …

Get low shear in this rotary lobe pump. (Show Preview).

For pharmaceutical food and diary applications, the SX is a four-lobe rotary. positive-displacement pump. Available in 14 sizes, it …

Agency releases list of chemicals of concern.(REACH)

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has released its first list of 15 chemicals that are considered to be Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC).

The list includes the phthalates; DEHP, DBP and BBP, along with brominated flame retardant hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD). All 15 substances will now be included on the REACH 'Candidate List', set to be published by the ECHA in October.

Geert Dancet, executive director of the ECHA said: 'These 15 are only the first substances of very high concern identified through the formal process. The EU member states and ECHA are preparing new proposals and the Candidate List will thus be updated.'

Chemicals …

HIDDEN HAZARDS LIE BENEATH WATERLOGGED FIELD.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: MIKE FRICANO Staff writer

The half-acre field past Farley Drive as one travels east along Washington Avenue resembles a meadow, but the peaceful setting belies a hazardous reality.

Water has been accumulating in the ravine for months and its grassy appearance is masking a potential drowning hazard.

``It's hard to tell how much water is in there,'' said Public Works Commissioner Pete Mancini. He also said Monday's snow postponed pumping out the water. ``But I'm hoping it to get pumped out in a couple of days maximum.''

Mancini added that the snowfall would probably add to his task.

Following building inspector Louis …