Power tools worth more than pounds3,000 were stolen from ajoiner's van.
The Renault van was parked in Aberdeen's Rosemount area when thetheft took place.
A number of hand and power tools were taken from the vehiclewhich was in a car park in Richmond Walk.
The owner …
As you read the words on this page, you may not be thinking about how easy it is for you to do it. Your eyes are probably handling the job pretty well, and the act of seeing seems automatic. Taking our eyes for granted is an easy thing to do.
Consider, though, the fact that over 80 percent of what you learn comes in through your eyes. That says a lot about the importance of vision in learning. Those of us with sight are visually driven creatures, and our eyes are our most important connection with the world.
You may be one of the 42 percent of Americans who doesn't need to wear corrective lenses. If so, congratulations! That doesn't mean, though, that you do not have a …
EU Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet and officials from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg huddled in intense, closed-door talks Sunday night, trying to prevent Fortis NV from going insolvent.
In addition to Trichet, EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, the Dutch and Belgian finance ministers as well as national bank presidents were meeting with the full Belgian Cabinet to find a way out of the financial group's troubles before markets reopen on Monday.
"I hope we can move forward in the name of all the bank's" account holders, Dutch Finance Minister Wouter Bos said as he arrived at the Belgian parliament.
"We don't …
As a teacher, John Salecki used his classroom as a theater.
"He never sat in one space or taught from a podium," St. BarbaraSchool Principal Dorene Hurckes said. "He was always moving aroundthe classroom. He really engaged the students. The kids loved him."
A social studies and homeroom teacher at St. Barbara inBridgeport for 24 years, Mr. Salecki died Tuesday at McNeal Hospitalin Berwyn. He was 56 years old.
Mr. Salecki retired as a teacher two years ago.
Hurckes described him as the "perfect social studies teacher,"citing the lengths he would go to to grab his students' attention --such as developing dialects to make the topics of ancient …
WASHINGTON - Lawmakers promised a quick response and sought an independent commission as they expressed outrage Sunday over the poor conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I'm worried about if it's this bad at the outpatient facilities at Walter Reed, how is it in the rest of the country? Because Walter Reed is our crown jewel," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
In a letter Sunday to Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Sunday, Schumer asked for an independent commission, possibly headed by former Secretary of State Colin Powell, to investigate all post-combat medical facilities and recommend changes.
"To think …
ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AP) — After two days of protracted wrangling, the high-profile OSCE summit fizzled out acrimoniously in the early hours Friday morning, leaving the trans-Atlantic rights and security organization adrift without a clear mandate for the future.
Inability by the delegates at the 56-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe summit to reach a clear consensus on a future agenda for the group could doom it to irrelevance.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev nonetheless praised what little consensus had been reached, calling the summit "a historic event for the entire OSCE community" that would forge new ties between Asia and the West.
In …
Asian stock markets lost ground Tuesday as a strong yen pummeled Japanese shares and after Wall Street fell amid pessimism about the U.S. economy.
Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average lost 217.94, or 2.4 percent, to 8,930.20. Dragging on sentiment was the yen's advance and disappointment over the central bank's decision to ease monetary policy by expanding a low-interest low program. Markets had been hoping for stronger action.
Elsewhere, South Korea's Kospi shed 0.8 percent to 1,745.03 and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.4 percent to 4,433.80. Singapore's benchmark was off 0.5 percent at 2,941.26.
In New York, the Dow fell 140.92, or 1.4 percent, to …
Un juez de Nueva Jersey program� una audiencia para considerar si debe excluir a uno de los albaceas testamentarios del patrimonio de Celia Cruz.
La audiencia se har� en respuesta a las denuncias de un testamentario seg�n el cual Luis Falc�n ha gastado dinero dejado al viudo de la Reina de la Salsa, el trompetista Pedro Knight.
Adem�s de programar la audiencia para el 9 de febrero, el juez del Tribunal Superior Peter E. Doyne design� esta semana a un abogado de Nueva York como defensor de los intereses de Knight.
Falc�n ha retirado fondos de cuentas de Knight, hecho "gastos extravagantes" y no ha dado cuenta de transferencias por m�s de un mill�n de d�lares del …
An emboldened John McCain declared "I will win," and Republican rival Mitt Romney scrambled to prevent a second big race to slip away in the frenzied final hours before the New Hampshire primary.
Said Romney on Sunday: "I'm planning on winning in New Hampshire." But he added, "It may not happen," reflecting new polls.
Mike Huckabee, who took first place in the Iowa caucuses but trails in the nation's first primary, downplayed his own prospects but said: "We're going to do better than expected."
Wide open and intense, the race for the Republican nomination has gotten ever tighter. A pair of fresh polls showed …
A few years ago, a skate park was built under the overpass at Logan Boulevard, and so the bridge-dwellers were evicted. Three years later, people are camping up in the weeds banking the highway along Logan. They fill their water bottles at the skate park water fountain. They check the Dumpsters behind nearby restaurants for cast-off food.
At the Fullerton westbound off-ramp, you may have …
Observing a Happy New Year conjures images of great celebration and reflection. For Experior Corporation, it is especially meaningful this year as 2003 marks its 25th anniversary as one of the nation's oldest and most trusted health care companies.
Founded in 1978 by its current President and CEO, J. Richard Presser, Experior's achievement of this milestone is unusually significant in health care, "There are actually just a handful of companies that we competed with in the late 1980s and early 1990s that exist today," says Presser. "Acquisitions, mergers, MSCS, HMOs all completely changed the landscape of both the supplier side and health care provider markets. Today, nothing is …
With hundreds of wildfires raging across remote, rugged parts of California for a second week, fire officials have been forced to strategically choose which to fight and which to leave to burn for weeks or even months.
The number of fires burning in central and Northern California _ more than 1,000 according to state fire officials _ means authorities can't send firefighters to battle every blaze, Jason Kirchner, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, said Monday.
"It's like eating an elephant _ you've got to eat it one bite at a time," he said.
It's also impossible to attack wildfires in some rugged, remote areas because the risk to …
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' former Gaza security boss says he supports reconciliation with the territory's Hamas rulers.
But one year after the violent Islamic group wrested control of Gaza from Abbas loyalists he sees little hope that such efforts will bear fruit.
Deposed Gaza strongman Mohammed Dahlan told The Associated Press he saw no indication that Hamas was willing to give up its hold on Gaza. But he said Abbas' Western-backed government must make visible efforts to heal the schism between the rivals.
Dahlan said Sunday that "there is a necessity to create the chances for national reconciliation."
Since Hamas set up its Gaza government, Abbas has refused to negotiate with the group. But last week he called for talks and Hamas welcomed the overture.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican marines arrest 7 alleged gunmen in massacre of 72 migrants.
| 20Blue Jays 8, Orioles 7 | |||
| BALTIMORE @ TORONTO @ | |||
| ab r h bi @ab r h bi | |||
| BRbrts 2b 5 2 3 0 Inglett 2b 5 1 2 1 | |||
| Mrkkis rf 4 1 2 1 Scutaro ss 5 1 1 1 | |||
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| Huff 1b 5 1 2 2 VWells cf 4 0 1 0 | |||
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| Snider dh 3 0 2 2 | |||
| Totals @ 40 7 14 6 Totals @35 8 14 8 | |||
| Baltimore 100 050 010_7 | |||
| Toronto 000 051 11x_8 | |||
| E_AJones (3). DP_Baltimore 1, Toronto 1. LOB_Baltimore 7, Toronto 6. 2B_BRoberts (49), Markakis (47), AJones (20), Salazar (2), Rios (46), Rolen 2 (28). 3B_Rolen (3). HR_Huff (32), Rios (15). S_Thigpen. SF_Snider. | |||
| IP H R ER BB SO | |||
| Baltimore @ | |||
| Bass 4 1-3 7 5 5 0 2 | |||
| Cormier 1 2-3 4 1 1 0 1 | |||
| Cherry 1-3 1 1 1 0 0 | |||
| JWalker 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 | |||
| Mickolio L,0-1 1 2 1 1 0 0 | |||
| Toronto @ | |||
| Purcey 5 11 6 6 1 5 | |||
| Tallet 1 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 | |||
| League 1 3 1 1 0 2 | |||
| Carlson W,7-1 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 | |||
| BJRyan S,30 1 0 0 0 0 1 | |||
| HBP_by Bass (Zaun). WP_Bass. | |||
| Umpires_Home, Brian Gorman | First, Bruce Dreckman | Second, Gerry Davis | Third, Rob Drake. |
| T_2:41. A_24,546 (49,539). |
The Tigers, Barnes noticed, were ''big and long and athletic and quick. But when I saw [Rose] up close, he was the one player I was impressed with physically. I was really impressed with his size.''
When Rose, a lithe 6-3, was taking it to Texas on Sunday in Houston, Barnes saw another side of Rose's impact in the eyes of his players.
''We wanted to take charges,'' Barnes said. ''And early in the game, we could have picked up a couple. But I could tell by looking at our players' faces when I said that, he was just slippery. He's so evasive. He slips around and comes at you so hard. And he can just elevate around the rim.''
The Longhorns saw what opponents have seen throughout this NCAA tournament, in which Rose is averaging 20.5 points, six rebounds and six assists, with a 4.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Kansas State power forward Michael Beasley, the only player projected to go ahead of Rose in the next NBA draft, is a dazzling scorer. UCLA center Kevin Love, whose team faces Memphis in the Final Four on Saturday, has a top-notch all-around game. Indiana guard Eric Gordon has exceptional offensive skills.
Because Rose is so understated and unselfish, he doesn't readily stand out in this year's remarkable freshman crop. But this natural point guard, who can dish or create his own scoring opportunity, who has all the leadership intangibles, is unmistakably a standout.
'A unique basketball player'
When Robert Smith, then an elementary school coach, first saw Rose in sixth grade, he had his eye on another player who was scoring more. By the time Smith had moved on to Simeon High School, ''I knew Derrick was a player this program had to have.''
''Derrick is a unique basketball player,'' Smith said. ''Since he's been in the sixth grade, he's always been to the championship game. Elementary school, high school, and now he has a chance to do it in college. He's not flashy. He doesn't care about the attention. He just wants to win.''
That was apparent in the early stages of Memphis' 85-67 win over Texas when Rose grabbed a rebound and glided up the court for a layup with a seemingly effortless burst, igniting an early 20-5 run that put the Longhorns on their heels.
He wasn't trying to make a statement, he insisted afterward.
''No. Coach [John Calipari] was yelling at me, telling me to pull it out,'' he said. ''So I was just waiting for somebody to come toward me so I could dish it off. But nobody came, so I just made the layup.''
Rose's upside astounds Calipari, who compares him to Marcus Camby, the dominant center who led Calipari's first Final Four team at Massachusetts in 1996.
''Marcus was the most unselfish player on the court, which meant you could not be selfish,'' Calipari said. ''They are similar in that way. This kid would rather have 22 assists than 22 points. He just wants his players to be happy on the court. So did Marcus.''
The unassuming game Rose plays has its roots in the South Side playgrounds, especially Murray Park on West 73rd between Ashland and Damen. When Rose was 13, he used to compete with his brother Allan and his friends, who were six or seven years older.
''When you're with older kids, you don't want to shoot all the time,'' Rose said.
Derrick borrowed something from each of his three older brothers, said Reggie Rose, an All-State guard at Hubbard in 1993.
''I was the shooting guard when our older brother [Dwayne] was the point guard on our Hubbard team,'' Reggie said. ''Allan was kind of jumping and athletic. Derrick was small, so he'd come to the park and Allan would be dunking on Derrick. So it seemed like Derrick took all three of the things his brothers could do and put it in one.''
And what a package that is.
When it came time to choose a college, Rose didn't lack for suitors. Illinois, with a tradition of landing Simeon stars, was one contender. Indiana was another, partly because Rose and Gordon were friendly.
But in Memphis, Derrick and Reggie -- Derrick's AAU coach with the Chicago Express for three years -- saw an irresistible combination of an accomplished veteran team that had been to two straight Elite Eights and the dribble-drive offensive scheme that suited Derrick's creative skills.
''Those were the main reasons, the veteran guys and the style of play,'' Reggie said. ''From the AAU, I saw what he could do in the open floor compared to when he played at Simeon, which was a lot of sets. That helped him out because he can play both ways -- a slow-type game, or he can speed it up.''
Unselfish environment
The other thing that made Memphis a good fit, the Roses said, was the connection they felt with Calipari and his players. Even though Rose would be taking the starting point-guard job Willie Kemp had held last season, Kemp encouraged him to come on down.
''I talked to Derrick a lot, but not that much about basketball,'' said Kemp, a 6-2 sophomore. ''I just talked to him about life in general. For Derrick to come here was great. I wasn't thinking about him coming in and taking away my minutes. I just thought he was a great player who was going to help out our team a lot. I'd rather be 35-1 than playing 40 minutes and losing the game.''
Kemp, a strong shooter, still gets his chances. When Michigan State cut Memphis' lead to 16-13 in the first half of their regional semifinal Friday, Kemp hit back-to-back three-pointers to start a 34-7 blitz that put the Tigers on top 50-20 at halftime of their 92-74 victory.
''Willie is one of the nicest teammates I've ever been with,'' Rose said. ''For him to [welcome me] and know his minutes will be cut short shows a lot. He's shown me the plays after practice, helped me with my jump shot. He'll do anything for you.''
The Tigers feel the same way about Rose, who was named third-team All-America by the Associated Press this week.
''He's so unselfish. He's a true point guard,'' said junior guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, a first-team All-America selection. ''He wants his teammates involved and wants to be a teammate. He doesn't have the attitude that 'I want to be the guy.'''
He can't help it if that happens to be true.
Comment at suntimes.com.
FINAL FOUR
At the Alamodome, San Antonio
Semifinals -- Saturday
- Memphis (37-1) vs. UCLA (35-3), 5:07 p.m., Ch. 2
- North Carolina (36-2) vs. Kansas (35-3), 7:47 p.m., Ch. 2
Championship -- 8 p.m. Monday, Ch. 2
Photo: David J. Phillip, AP / Ex-Simeon standout Derrick Rose is projected to be picked second in the NBA draft this summer. ;
ROME (AP) — Overwhelming pick for another Six Nations wooden spoon, Italy wants to at least keep showing signs of improvement when it welcomes Ireland to Stadio Flaminio on Saturday.
Progress is the minimum demand of coach Nick Mallett, who goes into his fourth Six Nations campaign with only two wins in the tournament, both at home against Scotland.
A third victory is expected to be hard to come by, especially in the opener against Ireland.
The Irish have won 14 straight tests against Italy since 1999. None of the Italian side featured in the last win in 1997, before the team joined the Six Nations, and none of the Irish side have lost to the Italians, or even felt they were close to losing to the Azzurri on Italian soil.
It adds up to another challenging campaign for Italy, but one in which it still wants to make life difficult for allcomers.
That much is guaranteed with one of the world's most intimidating scrums, anchored by tighthead prop Martin Castrogiovanni.
However, while the scrum is an Ireland weakness, it shouldn't be enough to cause an upset.
"Ireland has a very strong backline and a very good lineout," Castrogiovanni said. "We have to try and maximize our advantages and put pressure on them and not let them have quick ball.
"But it won't be easy. We have to pressure in defense and not give their backs space because they can be very, very dangerous."
The match will determine how much Italy advanced during a reasonable autumn series when it lost narrowly to Argentina and Australia and beat Fiji, and how much more it needs to do before it plays Ireland again in the World Cup in New Zealand, where their clash in Dunedin on Oct. 2 will end the group stage.
Italy has been boosted by the return of influential captain Sergio Parisse, arguably the world's best No. 8. A knee injury forced him during last year's Six Nations to watch Italy lose four of five matches.
Australian-born flyhalf Kristopher Burton comes in for his first cap since 2009 in place of Craig Gower, and he'll team with Treviso teammate Edoardo Gori, who earns his third cap at scrumhalf. Gower was out of the tournament with a knee injury, as was flanker Mauro Bergamasco, who had a shoulder complaint.
Ireland's Mike Ross will make his Six Nations debut, packing down in the front row after John Hayes was ruled out with a groin injury.
Ross has gradually worked his way into Declan Kidney's squad since signing for Leinster in 2009, and is well aware of Italy's power in the forwards.
"I know enough about the front row," Ross said. "I know Castrogiovanni from my time in England and I know (Andrea) Lo Cicero from playing against him in the Heineken Cup."
He isn't the only Ireland player to be given his chance after injuries to a dozen test players. No. 8 Sean O'Brien replaces Jamie Heaslip, who has an ankle injury, while winger Fergus McFadden comes in for 2010 player of the tournament Tommy Bowe, who is out with a knee injury.
"I don't think the number of injuries is a worry," says hooker Rory Best. "The strength of the squad says a lot for the way we've evolved over the last six years."
Propped up by the relatively inexperienced Cian Healy and Ross, Best expects a severe grilling from the Italy pack.
"Leinster lost in Treviso at the start of the Magners League and that shows (Italian sides) have the ability to beat teams," Ross said. "They're now a very different animal. We have to give them respect."
___
Lineups:
Italy: Luke McLean, Andrea Masi, Gonzalo Canale, Alberto Sgarbi, Mirco Bergamasco, Kristopher Burton, Eduardo Gori; Salvatore Perugini, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Martin Castrogiovanni, Santiago Dellape, Quintin Geldenhuys, Josh Sole, Alessandro Zanni, Sergio Parisse (captain). Replacements: Fabio Ongaro, Andrea Lo Cicero, Carlo Antonio Del Fava, Valerio Bernabo, Pablo Canavosio, Luciano Orquera, Gonzalo Garcia.
Ireland: Luke Fitzgerald, Fergus McFadden, Brian O'Driscoll (captain), Gordan D'Arcy, Keith Earls, Jonathan Sexton, Tomas O'Leary; Cian Healy, Rory Best, Mike Ross, Donncha O'Callaghan, Paul O'Connell, Denis Leamy, David Wallace, Sean O'Brien. Replacements: Sean Cronin, Tom Court, Leo Cullen, Shane Jennings, Eoin Reddan, Ronan O'Gara, Paddy Wallace.
Scores Sunday in the Fed Cup Final between Spain and Russia on outdoor clay at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid:
Spain 0, Russia 3
Sunday
Reverse Singles
Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia, def. Anabel Medina Garrigues, Spain, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.
WASHINGTON -- Some rank-and-file potential donors to a Septemberfund-raiser hosted by Oprah Winfrey for Democratic White Househopeful Sen. Barack Obama at her California estate are being toldthe event is sold out.
Meanwhile, in other California 2008 presidential contest news, aforum on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues will beattended by seven of the eight Democratic contenders on Aug. 9 inLos Angeles. Singer Melissa Etheridge will be among the questionersat the forum sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign and LOGO, thenew channel with programming aimed at a gay and lesbian audience.
Some members of the Illinois senator's national finance committeehave been given a quota of only seven tickets (minus one forthemselves) for the $2,300-per-person Sept. 8 bash-for-cash atWinfrey's home in Santa Barbara.
There's a waiting list, but since there probably will be few no-shows at the glitzy Winfrey party, contributors are being steered toother, smaller Obama events. Before Winfrey's reception, Obama willvisit a Winfrey neighbor in Santa Barbara, Nancy Koppelman, aDemocratic and human rights activist, for a lunch for about 100donors.
The gay and lesbian forum will be the third time in one week mostof the Democratic contenders are on stage together. The major rivalsmeet in Chicago on Aug. 4 for the YearlyKos convention and return onAug. 7 for the AFL-CIO forum in Soldier Field before meeting in LosAngeles to discuss gay issues.
lsweet@suntimes.com
The following recall has been announced:
_ About 13,000 camouflage eggs and spinning egg top toys, imported by Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. and made in China, because the paint on the toys contains high levels of lead, which is toxic if ingested by children. No injuries or incidents have been reported. The recalled products include the Camouflage Easter Egg Treat Containers, with the item No. 1031, and the Easter Spinning Egg Tops, with the item No. 1054. They were sold at Hobby Lobby Stores nationwide from January 2008 through this month. For more information, visit http://www.HobbyLobby.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.
Westinghouse basketball coach Roy Condotti is calling forDePaul's Joey Meyer to put on the gloves and come out fighting.
Condotti, Marshall's Luther Bedford and a delegation of morethan a dozen Public League and community coaches organized byKennedy-King coach Willie Little will meet Tuesday with Meyer to"give him a chance to meet the coaches, to re-establish hisconnections with the public schools and dispel rumors there is awidespread anti-DePaul sentiment in the city's basketballcommunity."
They want to know: What is Meyer's coaching philosophy? Is he committed to recruiting Public League players? Why aren't there any Public League players on the roster? Who speaks for the program, Meyer or athletic director BillBradshaw? Is the university committed to building a Top 20 program? What does the school do to help athletes? Does Meyer plan to hire a full-time African-American assistant?
There are perceptions and misconceptions about DePaul'sbasketball program that have no basis in fact. And there are genuineproblems and concerns that DePaul has failed to address.
"A lot of things that have been printed are false," Meyer said."This will give me an opportunity to discuss the situation and showwhat DePaul is doing, not what the media says we are doing."
"It won't be a love fest," said Little, who coached Manley tothe 1980 state championship. "Some city coaches have legitimateconcerns about DePaul. The perception is DePaul isn't active inrecruiting in the city and some coaches are convinced that isreality."
Condotti and Bedford, president of the Public League BasketballCoaches Association, agree DePaul isn't doing enough recruiting inthe city.
Condotti was Frank Lollino's assistant at Westinghouse whenDePaul recruited Mark Aguirre, Bernard Randolph and Skip Dillard inthe late 1970s. DePaul also got Terry Cummings (Carver) and CurtisWatkins (Du Sable). From 1979 through 1983, DePaul ranked in the top10 for five successive years.
But the only Public Leaguers on DePaul's roster in recent yearswere Melvon Foster (Harper) and Joe Daughrity (Crane). There werenone on last season's roster. Coincidentally, DePaul hasn't been a top 10 team since 1987.
"If he (Meyer) doesn't want to recruit here, I won't send kidsthere," Bedford said. "They put themselves on the map with citykids. After they left, DePaul abandoned the idea of gettingtop-flight kids from the city. That's one of the reasons the programhas gone down.
"I suggest that DePaul should look more closely at what there isto offer in the city, to get back to where they were at one time. Ordo they have a different philosophy?"
Condotti traces DePaul's decline to the day it signed a contractwith WGN-TV, began telecasting its games coast-to-coast, became anational recruiter and stopped attracting local players.
"Maybe they discovered it is easier to recruit a kid fromCalifornia, who doesn't have to deal with the internal pressures thatlocal kids must face, who isn't stroked by his parents and friendsevery day," Condotti said.
But Condotti, Bedford, Little and others are more interested inwhat Meyer has to say in his own defense. They also want to knowabout Meyer's philosophy, DePaul's tutoring system, study halls andacademic support program and how the school works withstudent-athletes.
"My concern is personal," Little said. "I feel the news mediahas gotten too personal with Joey. It's all right to criticize andsecond-guess a person (for his coaching strategy and philosophy) butwhen you make personal attacks, that is going too far."
"That's why I'm going to the meeting, to hear Joey's story,"Condotti said. "When you constantly hear that a coach is in hotwater or not helping his kids, you want to hear Joey's defense. Hehasn't defended himself.
"There are plenty of positives. If it was me, I would behollering from the highest mountain. You can find negativesituations in all college programs. I wish (Meyer) would point outthe positive things that have happened at DePaul. I wish he'd fightback.
"If the graduation rates are where they belong, let's see them.Let's see what the school has done for kids after they graduate.They got Skip Dillard back into school without any publicity. Butthat isn't Joey's style.
"It is a shame if Public League coaches don't take advantage ofan opportunity to find out everything about DePaul's program. Whathappened 10-15 years ago is history. Let's find out what ishappening now."
After making TV a priority, director Greg Berlanti is moving back into movies with "Life as We Know It," the new Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel romantic-comedy. It's the out creator's first turn as director since gay favorite "The BrokenHearts Club," released 10 years ago. But Berlanti, who also executive produces ABC's drama "Brothers & Sisters," won't stop there; he's continuing his film streak as writer/producer of the Ryan Reynoldsstarring comic book flick "Green Lantern," releasing next year. "If the last 10 years were about running TV shows," he says, "I would very much like the next 10 years to be about making movies."
Berlanti, 38, also spoke with Between The Lines about getting Duhamel down to his skivvies for "Life as We Know It," casting a gay couple for the movie, and why he finally moved back to films.
What was it about the screenplay for "Life as We Know It" that made you want to direct the movie?
First of all, I got to page 20, 25 of it and the parents died. I thought, Wow! So many times these days romantic comedies don't go to these places. I really loved, right off the bat, that it wasn't afraid to go to all these different places. It wasn't afraid to blend tones, and that was really appealing to me.
It's been 10 years since "The Broken Hearts Club," your film directorial debut. Since then, you've been very busy with various television projects, like "Brothers & Sisters" and the new series, "No Ordinary Family." No one would ever accuse you of slacking off, but did you miss working in the cinematic realm?
Definitely. I finished with "Broken Hearts," and in addition to taking over the duties for "Dawson's (Creek)," I created my first show with "Everwood," and that really filled me up. For me, the primary thing that I enjoy the most about this business is creating an emotional experience for the audience. I was able to do that every week.
About three years ago I started to get rundown by the pace of television and said, "OK, I want to make my way back into features where I know it's crazy in a whole different way. But you have more time to do something great. More time to cast it, more time to shoot it, more time to edit it." That's what was appealing about that to me.
The movie begins when Holly (Heigl) and Messer (Duhamel) meet on a blind date that goes wrong. Have you had any luck when it comes to blind dates?
I've been on a few blind dates. They're almost always bad (laughs).
There is a famous quote attributed to comedian/writerW.C. Fields about never working with children or animals.
Yes! He was a smart man. There was actually a lost part of that quote that goes, "especially triplets." That's what I tell everybody.
Right, because the Clagett triplets play baby Sophie.
It was crazy, but it was a lot of fun. It was a logistical nightmare in terms of planning their eating and sleeping schedules and how to shoot them in and out of a scene. Having to drop shots all the time and figure out a way to pick them back up.
Obviously, they alter the mood of everyone on the set. I say it was a lot like having a drunk lead actor wandering around, because you never know what mood they're going to be in. They're happy all of a sudden and then everybody else is happy - and then they're screaming. It was a little nuts.
GLBT audiences will probably like the inclusion of gay neighbors Ted (Rob Huebel) and Gary (Bill Brochtrup) in "Life As We Know It."
They were not in the original script. But then none of the neighbors were in the original script. I wanted to add a group of neighbors who acted as a Greek chorus, watching these people.
For me, I didn't just want six straight, white people. We've got to change this up somehow and make it more normal for someone like me, (and represent) the way I think families and neighborhoods are changing. We included this couple and they're not there for any more comic relief than any of the other couples, but they just happen to be gay.
Also, as we can see on the poster, gay viewers will also appreciate...
Josh's physique (laughs). He's very unassuming about his looks and very dedicated to acting. I always like when the characters make the jokes that you know the audience is thinking. There were shots of him running with his shirt off and things like that and he said, "That's gratuitous. I don't want to do that. I only want to do stuff that feels like what Messer would be doing in the moment." I said, "Fine."
So the day came when we were doing shots of the baby walking around the house in her diaper and one of my friends was there and said, "Why don't you see if Josh will imitate the baby and be in his sneakers and underwear, walking around with the bottle (of beer)?" I went over to him and said, "You're never going to want to do this, because you didn't want to run without your shirt on, but will you walk like the baby?" He was so game. He goes, "That's really funny. I'm going to do it." While he was doing it, I said there's a chance that this will be on the poster and it will be marketed this way and it will be in the trailer, and sure enough it was.
It will bring in the gays.
We hope!
[Sidebar]
Editor's Note: Additional reporting by Chris Azzopardi.
The Walt Disney Co. on Monday began warning Cablevision subscribers in New York that the local ABC television station signal may go dark this weekend in a dispute over how much it is paid by the cable operator.
If the fee fight isn't resolved, the station could go dark after midnight Saturday, meaning Cablevision's 3.1 million customers could lose the ability to watch the Academy Awards on Sunday on ABC.
The signal, however, can still be pulled from the air for free with an antenna and a new TV or digital converter box.
Disney is seeking an additional $40 million a year in new fees, Cablevision Systems Corp. spokesman Charles Schueler said in a statement. Cablevision pays more than $200 million a year to Disney.
"It is not fair for ABC Disney to hold Cablevision customers hostage by forcing them to pay what amounts to a new TV tax," Schueler said.
Disney said Cablevision charges customers $18 per month for basic broadcast signals, but does not pass on any payment for ABC to Disney.
The dispute involving WABC-TV is similar to the standoff at the end of last year between News Corp. and Time Warner Cable over how much Fox television station signals were worth. That tussle, which threatened the college football bowl season and new episodes of "The Simpsons," was resolved without a signal interruption.
Disney said it began alerting Cablevision watchers of the impasse in on-air spot advertisements Monday night.
It plans on taking out ads in local newspapers, radio stations and online to inform viewers of the situation, and set up a Web site, http://www.saveabc7.com, to plead its case. Cablevision, meanwhile, has also set up a Web site http://cablevision.com/abc/ and a page on Facebook.
The company's previous contract with Cablevision expired more than two years ago, but the companies extended it month by month as talks continued.
Under previous arrangements, Disney was paid for cable channels such as ESPN and Disney Channel, but gave its ABC broadcast signal away for free, a situation that most broadcasters are now trying to change.
"We can no longer sit back and allow Cablevision to use our shows for free while they continue to charge their customers for them," said Rebecca Campbell, the president and general manager of WABC-TV in a statement.
Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger foreshadowed recently that a fight was coming after News Corp. succeeded in its campaign to be paid in cash for its stations' broadcast signals.
WABC-TV is the most watched TV station in the country, said Disney, which is based in Burbank.
"It's time to recognize the value that they provide to distributors, and their importance to local communities," Iger said on a conference call with analysts last month.
BAGHDAD - The Iraqi Cabinet signed off Tuesday on a revised bill to regulate the country's oil industry and sent it to parliament - a major step in reaching a long-delayed benchmark sought by the U.S. to promote reconciliation between Iraq's Sunnis and Shiites.
Within hours of the announcement, however, the legislation hit a snag - the Kurds said they had neither seen nor approved the final text and might oppose it.
American officials are hoping that passage of the oil bill and companion legislation to distribute oil revenues will help rally Sunni support for the government and reduce backing for the insurgents.
In the latest violence, a car bomb exploded late Tuesday at an outdoor market in the Shaab area of northeast Baghdad, killing 18 people and wounding 35, a police officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to release the information.
The market is in a Shiite neighborhood frequently target by Sunni bombers.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told reporters his Cabinet had unanimously approved the oil draft and that the parliament would begin discussing it the following day. He called the bill "the most important law in Iraq."
The Cabinet endorsed one version of the legislation last February. But the Kurds protested that that measure was unconstitutional because it gave too much power to a yet-to-be-established national oil company in managing the country's oil fields.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh did not release the bill's final version.
In a statement posted on its Web site, the Kurdistan Regional Government said it would reject the latest text if it made "material and substantive changes" to the outline agreed upon during weeks of protracted negotiations.
"We have not seen the final text of the law that the Iraqi Cabinet says it will put to parliament," the statement said. "We hope that the Cabinet is not approving a text with which the (Kurdish administration) disagrees because this would violate the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan region."
The Kurds control 53 of the 275 seats - not enough to defeat the measure on its own but enough to stall approval.
Only 24 of the Cabinet's 37 members were present for the vote because of boycotts by ministers from the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front and the Shiite bloc local to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Both groups have separate political disputes with al-Maliki.
Nevertheless, government officials expressed confidence that parliament would approve the measure.
Al-Dabbagh said Cabinet approval came after amendments prompted by the Accordance Front, but he gave no details.
The bill is part of a package of legislation that would establish rules for exploiting Iraq's vast oil wealth and provide a formula for distributing revenues among the 18 provinces. Iraq's proven oil reserves have been estimated at 115 billion barrels - second largest in OPEC after Saudi Arabia.
Some petroleum experts believe the real figure is even higher because Iraq lagged behind other countries in using modern surveying technology during the years of international sanctions under Saddam Hussein.
Production has fallen from 3.5 million barrels a day to 2 million since the U.S. invasion because of security problems, especially in the northern fields. The bill is aimed at encouraging international investments to modernize the fields.
The issue of oil distribution is a top concern of Iraq's Sunni Arab minority, which is centered in regions of the country with little proven reserves. The 2005 constitution gave regional administrations considerable powers in managing oil resources in their areas.
Most of Iraq's known reserves lie in the Kurdish north and the Shiite south. Sunnis feared the Shiites and Kurds - who now dominate the government - would monopolize profits from the industry.
U.S. officials are hoping that passage of an oil bill will help rally Sunni support for the government and the political process and reduce backing for insurgents.
Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish officials agreed last month on the distribution of revenues, with the northern Kurdish autonomous region getting 17 percent of the net revenues each month, after deducting federal government expenditures.
Kurds make up about 20 percent of the population nationwide. The rest of the revenues will be divided among the other provinces according to population.
If parliament approves the bill, it would be the first of a series of benchmark legislation to be enacted. The Iraqis pledged to meet the benchmarks by the end of last year but failed due to political haggling and the security crisis.
President Bush has pressed al-Maliki to take a series of other political steps aimed at bringing Sunni Arabs into the political process. Such measures include opening jobs to Sunnis who supported Saddam, amending the constitution to satisfy Sunni aspirations and holding local elections.
Al-Dabbagh said the Cabinet could take up the draft bill on restoring government jobs to many former Saddam loyalists on Thursday.
With support for the war at an all-time low in the United States, those measures would also help convince the U.S. public and Congress that Iraqi leaders are doing what is needed to halt the violence.
Bush ordered 28,000 more U.S. troops to Iraq this year to try to reduce the violence and encourage the Iraqis to reach political agreements among Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds.
The offensive in Baghdad and areas to the north and south has boosted American casualties, although the number of bombings and shootings has fallen in the capital in recent days.
In June, Iraqi civilian deaths dropped to their lowest monthly level since the start of the Baghdad security operation, according to the Interior Ministry. Iraqi officials attribute the decline to the offensive, which has put pressure on insurgents.
Nevertheless, violence continued.
The U.S. command said American troops fought a large battle with gunmen near the western Sunni city of Ramadi over the weekend, in fighting that left 23 insurgents dead. The insurgents had massed on Donkey Island, a patch of land in a canal outside the city, and opened fire on U.S. troops, prompting the gunbattle Saturday.
Troops found caches of weapons, explosives and suicide vests, the military said.
Also Tuesday, the command said insurgents forced down a U.S. military Kiowa helicopter south of Baghdad the day before. An Apache helicopter rescued the two pilots, who were slightly hurt, it said.
In Baghdad, an Iraqi army lieutenant colonel and an Interior Ministry intelligence officer were killed in separate drive-by shootings Tuesday, police said. A car bomb hit the convoy of an Iraqi police colonel in the northern city of Kirkuk, killing two passers-by and wounding 17, though the colonel survived, police in the city said. Police in both cities spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not supposed to release such information.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Friday urged China to release quickly Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo. Obama called the jailed dissident an "eloquent and courageous" supporter of human rights and democracy.
The comments are likely to rattle China further at a time that the United States is stepping up pressure on Beijing for a currency policy that Washington blames for American job losses.
Obama's statement, released hours after Liu was awarded the prize by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, reflected the sensitivity of U.S.-Chinese relations. Obama praised China's "dramatic progress in economic reform and improving the lives of its people, lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty."
But, he added, "this award reminds us that political reform has not kept pace, and that the basic human rights of every man, woman and child must be respected."
U.S. officials try to strike a balance with China, pressing it on economic and human rights issues, while trying to win crucial Chinese support on Iranian and North Korean nuclear standoffs, climate change and other difficult issues.
Obama, in his statement, also brought up his own Nobel Peace award last year, repeating his belief that other laureates had done more. "That list now includes Mr. Liu, who has sacrificed his freedom for his beliefs," Obama said.
There was no immediate reaction from Beijing on Obama's warm words for Liu, who was sentenced last year to 11 years in prison on subversion charges after he co-authored a document calling for greater freedom, among other activism.
The award, however, has infuriated Chinese officials. Beijing quickly warned that the decision would harm relations with Norway, which is the home of the independent peace prize committee.
A recent U.S.-China agreement to end an eight-month freeze on military exchanges led to cautious hope that U.S. ties were improving with China, which boasts the world's second-largest economy after the United States.
But Liu's prize and rising U.S.-China economic friction this week complicates the Obama administration's efforts to win Chinese trust and cooperation. The award also is set against the backdrop of harsh criticism by U.S. lawmakers, faced with make-or-break congressional elections next month, that Beijing's currency policies are responsible for the loss of thousands of American jobs.
U.S. critics contend that the Chinese yuan is undervalued by as much as 40 percent, giving Chinese companies a significant competitive advantage over American businesses.
Ahead of this week's global financial meetings in Washington, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner ratcheted up pressure on China to make more progress in moving toward flexible exchange rates.
Political Career: Federal: First elected to the H. of C. g.e. 1997. Re-elected g.e. 2000 and 2004. Parl. Sec. to the Min. of Labour, 1999-2001. Chair: Human Resources, Skills Development, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Diabilities, 2001-2004; Named Chair of the Permanent Joint Board on Defence, Apr. 2004; Appt'd Parliamentary Sec. to Min. of Labour and Housing, July 2004. Municipal: Councillor, Town of Whitby, 1991-1997. Chair: Finance Dept.; Parks and Recreation Dept. and Fire Dept. Private Career: Exec. Ass't to Liberal MPPs. Mem., Bd. of Governors, Trafalgar Castle School for Girls. Vice-Chair, Senors' Advisory Ctee. Mem., Whitby Library Bd. Party: Lib. Address: Leg. Office: Rm. 804, Justice Bldg., House of Commons, Ottawa, Ont., K1A 0A6, (613)992-6344, Fax: (613)992-8320 Riding Office: 965 Dundas St. West, Whitby, Ont., L1P 1G8, (905)665-8182, Fax: (905)665-8124; Email: longfield.j@parl.gc.ca.
LONGFIELD, HON.JUDI, C.P. (Whitby-Oshawa) Carri�re politique: F�d�rale: �lue pour la premi�re fois � la C. des c. �.g. 1997. R��lue �.g. 2000 et 2004. Sec. parl. au min. du Travail, 1999-2001. Pr�s., Ct� permanent des ressources humaines, du d�veloppement des aptitudes, du d�veloppement social et de la situation des personnes handicap�es, 2001-2004. Nomm�e: pr�s., Conseil mixte permanent de la d�fense en avr. 2004 et Sec. parl. au min. du Travail et du Logement en juill. 2004. Municipale: Conseill�re de Whitby en 1991 et 1994. Pr�s: D�pt. des Finances; D�pt. des parcs et des loisirs et D�pt. du service des pompiers. Carri�re priv�e: Adj. de direction de d�put�s prov. lib. Mem., conseil des gouverneurs, Trafalgar Castle School for Girls. Vice-pr�s., conseil consultatif de l'�ge d'or. Mem., Conseil de la biblioth�que de Whitby. Parti pol.: Lib. Adresse: Bureau L�g.: Pi�ce 804, �difice de la Justice, Chambre des communes, Ottawa, Ont., K1A 0A6, (613)992-6344, Fax: (613)992-8320 Bureau Circonscription: 965, rue Dundas Ouest, Whitby, Ont., L1P 1G8, (905)665-8182, Fax: (905)665-8124; Courriel: longfield.j@parl.gc.ca.
Drugstore operator Rite Aid Corp. said Thursday that its total revenue and a key revenue indicator both fell in June compared with a year earlier, when consumers' worries about the swine flu outbreak boosted sales of flu shots and treatments.
At stores open at least a year, Rite Aid said, revenue fell 2.5 percent in the four weeks that ended June 26. Pharmacy revenue from those stores dropped 3.1 percent, and prescriptions decreased by 3.7 percent. Sales of food, cosmetics, magazines, and other products fell 1.1 percent.
Revenue at stores open at least a year is a key measure of a retailer's performance because it isn't skewed by results from stores that opened or closed over the year.
The company said total sales for the four-week period fell 3.3 percent to $1.91 billion from $1.97 billion in 2009.
Rite Aid ran 4,759 stores as of June 26, 63 fewer than at the end of June 2009.
In morning trading, Rite Aid shares lost a penny to 97 cents. Earlier shares traded at a 52-week low of 94 cents.
We hate to be quick to judge, but we have no choice this season.The first big Saturday of the college-football season - we'll call itSuper-Duper Saturday - is Sept. 5.
Perhaps never before has an early-season weekend featured as manybig games that figure to play a huge role in shaping the nationaltitle picture.
With schools' won-lost records even more important under therequirements of the Bowl Championship Series, one loss can bedevastating. At least the 10 Sporting News preseason Top 25 schoolsinvolved in Sept. 5 games will earn bonus points under the BCS systemfor schedule strength.
The best matchup of the first full Saturday will take place inMorgantown, W.Va., where Ohio State (Sporting News' No. 3) will faceWest Virginia (No. 9).
The Buckeyes' hopes are buoyed by the presence of a bevy oftalented skill-position players and a favorable schedule that hasPenn State, Michigan State and Michigan visiting the Shoe. But thistrip is the biggest hurdle in OSU's quest to win its first nationaltitle since 1968.
The key will be the Ohio State lines. How will a Buckeyeoffensive front that allowed 53 sacks last season hold up against aveteran Mountaineer line and pass-rushing specialist Gary Stills?And a developing Ohio State defensive wall needs to pressure WVUquarterback Marc Bulger and stop tailback Amos Zereoue.
If you can't be at Mountaineer Field, your next best option isSouth Bend, Ind., where Michigan (No. 6) opens defense of itsnational championship against Notre Dame (No. 16).
Although Brian Griese and Charles Woodson are gone, the Wolverinesremain loaded. Plus, they haven't lost at South Bend since 1990.
The Irish's shaky defensive line could get overrun by a veteranMichigan offensive line that will escort big back Anthony Thomas.Conversely, Jarious Jackson will make his first start at quarterbackfor the Irish and will be facing the best defense he'll see allseason.
Your next-best bet on Super-Duper Saturday will be going toSyracuse, where the Orangemen (No. 18) host Tennessee (No. 11).
This will be a battle of two of the most dynamic offenses in thenation. Yes, Peyton Manning is gone, but new Vol quarterback TeeMartin has a big arm and plenty of weapons to test a shaky Syracusesecondary and line. He can count on the 'Cuse trying to disrupt himwith blitzes.
But Tennessee has to watch for Syracuse quarterback DonovanMcNabb, who has great targets in Kevin Johnson and Quinton Spotwoodalong with terrific runners in Rob Konrad and Kyle McIntosh. Giventhat the Vols' linebacking corps is shaky, McNabb could have a bigday.
The next best Super-Duper Saturday game is such a big deal that itwas moved to an NFL venue.
Denver's Mile High Stadium will be the site of the Colorado State(No. 19)-Colorado (No. 23) game.
The emergence of CSU has made CU fans squirm, especiallyconsidering the Rams are coming off an 11-2 season and the Buffaloes'5-6 mark was their first losing record since 1984. A loss for CUwill intensify the scrutiny on Rick Neuheisel.
Colorado State hasn't beaten its neighbor to the south since 1986.If the Rams win their opener at Michigan State and beat the Buffs,they have a good chance to go unbeaten.
Finally, it's fitting Arizona State (No. 5) is hosting a big-timegame on Super-Duper Saturday, as the Sun Devils' home field is thesite of the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 4, the BCS title game.
ASU plays Washington (No. 25).
The matchup between a great ASU offense and formidable Huskydefense will be fun. But the contest will hinge on the battlebetween a Sun Devil defense with three junior-college linemen and aHusky offense that has questions at receiver and running back.
There are several other intriguing matchups that weekend.
One is Sept. 3, as Virginia (No. 15) travels to Auburn (No. 36) inwhat looks like a must-win game for the Tigers.
On the fifth, there's also BYU at Alabama, which needs a goodstart after a 4-7 debut under Mike DuBose, and Central Florida atLouisiana Tech, which will pit two of the nation's best quarterbacksin Daunte Culpepper and Tim Rattay.
FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
Owners of small businesses face many tough challenges in a troubled economy, including managing a staff. Whether it's keeping anxious employees focused on their work or making hard decisions about layoffs, company owners often find themselves wondering what the best steps may be.
Be realistic
If the business is experiencing financial troubles, the news probably will have spread through the company grapevine. Don't try to pretend that everything is rosy. Instead, be upbeat but realistic in your dealings with employees. You might acknowledge that the company has lost a big client, for example, but point to the other steps you are taking to adapt to changing times and to find opportunities. This will reassure employees that company leadership is dealing with the problems, making it easier for them to concentrate on their jobs rather than worry about survival of the business.
Focus on opportunities
Employees are well aware of all the problems a downturn can bring. That's why it's a good idea to remind them that a recession also provides potential for opportunities. Salespeople might be able to pick up new clients when competitors cut back operations or shut down, for example. Employees who manage vendor relationships may find it easier to cut better deals on contracts, too. Consider brainstorming with your staff to identify all the opportunities open to your company and develop ideas on how to make the most of them.
Find the upside
If overtime and long hours are a normal part of doing business at your company, a slow economy can provide some needed downtime for hard-working staff members. Instead of allowing employees to become anxious about the downturn, encourage top people to take the vacation time they have accumulated or to use slow periods to catch up on projects that often get pushed to the back burner during busier times. Once again, you're taking a consequence of the bad economy and finding a way to turn it into a benefit.
Consider layoff alternatives
Cutting staff when business is slow can be a wrenching decision for company owners, especially when you know that employees will have a rough time finding new jobs. Dropping to a smaller workforce level also may leave you at a disadvantage when the economy does turn around. Instead, examine all your alternatives. Freezing salaries, hiring or benefits, for example, can prevent further increases in expenses. Salary cutbacks can make it possible to hold on to the same number of people for a smaller outlay, as do furloughs, in which employees are given days off without pay during slow periods.
These steps can help you maintain your experienced workforce and keep staff off the unemployment line.
For more information about Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), visit www.ineedacpa.org.
[Sidebar]
Cutting staff when business is slow can be a wrenching decision for company owners, especially when you know that employees will have a rough time finding new jobs.
WEST VALLEY CITY -- Basketball pundits have raved all seasonabout the overall quality of basketball in Class 5A.
Yes, two-time defending champion Lone Peak is still the teameveryone is gunning for, but unlike last year when Davis was theonly team with a realistic hope of beating the Knights, this yearthere appears to be seven or eight teams capable of knocking off thechamps.
Pegging down who the top contenders are among that group isvirtually impossible. Beginning back in late November, they've alltaken turns looking like the top challenger at various points thisseason, each enduring hot and cold spells.
Lone Peak would just assume everyone stay cold in its quest tomake history this week. The Knights are looking to claim theirfourth state title in the past five years, a feat that hasn't beendone since Jordan won four of five from 1951 to 1955.
Now a senior, Tyler Haws led Lone Peak to titles in 2007 and2008, whereas it was Jackson Emery that led the school to a title in2005.
Ironically enough, Jordan is Lone Peak's first-round opponenttoday at 5:50 p.m. in the opening round of the 5A boys basketballstate tournament at the E Center. Lone Peak coach Quincy Lewisbelieves there's circumstances are much different for his team thisyear.
"There's a much different feel than there was last year. Lastyear it felt the only thing we could do was lose. There was justsuch a high expectation last year, but this year we really don'tfeel like we've been in the spotlight that much this year," saidLewis. "We've had our own roller coaster for the first month and ahalf of the season."
The festivities begin at 9:30 a.m. with Skyline taking onPleasant Grove in the first of eight first-round games. Skyline andPleasant Grove are each in the discussion of potential Lone Peakslayers along with Davis, West Jordan, Riverton, Alta and Bingham,but one of the two won't even make out of the first round.
With most of the first round games including at least one teamhovering around .500, Skyline and Pleasant Grove probably feel a bitunfortunate to be meeting in the first round with a combined 33-9record.
There are several uncertainties for both teams. Pleasant Grovesenior C.J. Wilcox is one of the best players in the state, but hiscareer first round record with the Vikings is 0-2 -- and his careerrecord against Lone Peak is 0-6. Skyline, meanwhile, has big injuryconcerns to over half its starting line-up.
The good news for the winner, it wouldn't meet Lone Peak untilthe championship game assuming both parties are fortunate enough towin their first three games.
Skyline vs. Pleasant Grove, Copper Hills vs. Davis, Viewmont vs.West Jordan and Lehi vs. Brighton are all upper bracket games today.The bottom bracket features Riverton vs. Clearfield, Jordan vs. LonePeak, Weber vs. Alta and Northridge vs. Bingham.
With Skyline's injury concerns, Pleasant Grove's poor tourneytrack record and Davis playing in such a weak region, West Jordan isa slight favorite to emerge from the upper bracket. The talentedJaguars are playing their best basketball of the season with recentwins over Bingham and Riverton, and they'll surely get huge crowdssupporting them at the E Center.
In the bottom bracket, the most interesting match-up isClearfield-Riverton at 4:10 p.m. Clearfield leads the state inscoring defense and has won several games despite only scoring inthe 30s. Riverton is another team that likes it low scoring, eventhough the 'Wolves have a much more potent offense than Clearfield.Every possession figures to be a battle in this game, and theoutcome might come down to the final possession.
The last time the 5A state tournament was at the E Center back in2006, Riverton advanced to the championship game and lost at thebuzzer to rival Bingham. Both teams are hoping for a similar runthis year, but Lone Peak is a daunting obstacle for both.
Assuming Riverton even beats Clearfield, it would likely faceLone Peak in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Bingham would face LonePeak in Friday's semifinals if it's fortunate enough to get there,but actually beating the Knights is a major mental hurdle. Lone Peakhas eliminated Bingham in each of the past two state tournaments.
Lone Peak's coach is really trying to grill into his players notto look past today.
"I do feel like there's more depth in 5A this year. I told mykids there's 16 teams in the tournament and each of the 16 arecapable of winning one game," said Lewis. "For a No. 1 seed we havean awfully tough draw."
Perhaps the team flying under the radar more than anyone else isRegion 2 champion Alta. Back in mid-December Alta lost at Lone Peak53-48, a game that with better free throw shooting the Hawksprobably would've won. While most teams might be intimidated to playLone Peak, Alta already knows it matches up favorably.
E-MAIL: jedward@desnews.com
Lone Peak is team to beatWEST VALLEY CITY -- Basketball pundits have raved all seasonabout the overall quality of basketball in Class 5A.
Yes, two-time defending champion Lone Peak is still the teameveryone is gunning for, but unlike last year when Davis was theonly team with a realistic hope of beating the Knights, this yearthere appears to be seven or eight teams capable of knocking off thechamps.
Pegging down who the top contenders are among that group isvirtually impossible. Beginning back in late November, they've alltaken turns looking like the top challenger at various points thisseason, each enduring hot and cold spells.
Lone Peak would just assume everyone stay cold in its quest tomake history this week. The Knights are looking to claim theirfourth state title in the past five years, a feat that hasn't beendone since Jordan won four of five from 1951 to 1955.
Now a senior, Tyler Haws led Lone Peak to titles in 2007 and2008, whereas it was Jackson Emery that led the school to a title in2005.
Ironically enough, Jordan is Lone Peak's first-round opponenttoday at 5:50 p.m. in the opening round of the 5A boys basketballstate tournament at the E Center. Lone Peak coach Quincy Lewisbelieves there's circumstances are much different for his team thisyear.
"There's a much different feel than there was last year. Lastyear it felt the only thing we could do was lose. There was justsuch a high expectation last year, but this year we really don'tfeel like we've been in the spotlight that much this year," saidLewis. "We've had our own roller coaster for the first month and ahalf of the season."
The festivities begin at 9:30 a.m. with Skyline taking onPleasant Grove in the first of eight first-round games. Skyline andPleasant Grove are each in the discussion of potential Lone Peakslayers along with Davis, West Jordan, Riverton, Alta and Bingham,but one of the two won't even make out of the first round.
With most of the first round games including at least one teamhovering around .500, Skyline and Pleasant Grove probably feel a bitunfortunate to be meeting in the first round with a combined 33-9record.
There are several uncertainties for both teams. Pleasant Grovesenior C.J. Wilcox is one of the best players in the state, but hiscareer first round record with the Vikings is 0-2 -- and his careerrecord against Lone Peak is 0-6. Skyline, meanwhile, has big injuryconcerns to over half its starting line-up.
The good news for the winner, it wouldn't meet Lone Peak untilthe championship game assuming both parties are fortunate enough towin their first three games.
Skyline vs. Pleasant Grove, Copper Hills vs. Davis, Viewmont vs.West Jordan and Lehi vs. Brighton are all upper bracket games today.The bottom bracket features Riverton vs. Clearfield, Jordan vs. LonePeak, Weber vs. Alta and Northridge vs. Bingham.
With Skyline's injury concerns, Pleasant Grove's poor tourneytrack record and Davis playing in such a weak region, West Jordan isa slight favorite to emerge from the upper bracket. The talentedJaguars are playing their best basketball of the season with recentwins over Bingham and Riverton, and they'll surely get huge crowdssupporting them at the E Center.
In the bottom bracket, the most interesting match-up isClearfield-Riverton at 4:10 p.m. Clearfield leads the state inscoring defense and has won several games despite only scoring inthe 30s. Riverton is another team that likes it low scoring, eventhough the 'Wolves have a much more potent offense than Clearfield.Every possession figures to be a battle in this game, and theoutcome might come down to the final possession.
The last time the 5A state tournament was at the E Center back in2006, Riverton advanced to the championship game and lost at thebuzzer to rival Bingham. Both teams are hoping for a similar runthis year, but Lone Peak is a daunting obstacle for both.
Assuming Riverton even beats Clearfield, it would likely faceLone Peak in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Bingham would face LonePeak in Friday's semifinals if it's fortunate enough to get there,but actually beating the Knights is a major mental hurdle. Lone Peakhas eliminated Bingham in each of the past two state tournaments.
Lone Peak's coach is really trying to grill into his players notto look past today.
"I do feel like there's more depth in 5A this year. I told mykids there's 16 teams in the tournament and each of the 16 arecapable of winning one game," said Lewis. "For a No. 1 seed we havean awfully tough draw."
Perhaps the team flying under the radar more than anyone else isRegion 2 champion Alta. Back in mid-December Alta lost at Lone Peak53-48, a game that with better free throw shooting the Hawksprobably would've won. While most teams might be intimidated to playLone Peak, Alta already knows it matches up favorably.
E-MAIL: jedward@desnews.com
Bill Tobin made his second major investment in Jim HarbaughThursday in the form of a two-year, $1.65 million contract.
Harbaugh agreed to terms with Tobin's Indianapolis Colts insteadof signing with the Los Angeles Raiders, who also were interested.The Raiders weren't as generous in their offer, however.
The Kansas City Chiefs, another suitor, preferred Matt Blundin.
Harbaugh, who was cut by the Bears this offseason, will receive$200,000 to sign and a $700,000 salary this season. In 1995, hiscontract calls for him to earn $850,000. There is a chance he willbe cut before then, however.
"The essence of the contract is its shortness," said Harbaugh'sagent, Leigh Steinberg.
The contract also includes incentives for starting and winning.
The Colts appealed to Harbaugh because of their location in theMidwest and the connection with Tobin, who made Harbaugh afirst-round pick in 1987 when Tobin was Bears player personneldirector.
"This is a chance to compete for a starting job, it's a team witha chance to win and it's a chance to play in a wide-open offense andshow what I can do," Harbaugh said.
The Colts waived Jack Trudeau, leaving Don Majkowski as the onlyother quarterback on their roster. Tobin hasn't ruled out taking aquarterback with the second pick in the draft.
MINUTES of the meeting held on June 8 were confirmed as correct.Issues were raised for the attention of the county councillor IeuanJones, still awaiting work to be carried out at Forge HouseLlandyfan, Gwynfe Road, opposite entrance to Bryngwynne, has beeninspected, will be carried out when money pending, CouncillorPhillip Carpenter requested a timescale for the job in hand. BrynantBridge, crossing stile has broken, landlord responsible formaintaining through Tir Cymen scheme, forwarded to Jason Lawday.Timber post broken, railway responsible, forwarded to Frank Slatter.
New issues raised were train station at Ffairfach, need toupgrade the appearance of the car park area etc, and new schooldevelopment, councillors wanted to now the situation and time scaleof the development. In the finance section, bills were forwarded andresolved that they were paid.
Items of correspondence were received, a letter from Manordeiloand Salem CC raising concerns over the closure of the day centre inLlandeilo, arranged to meet. Agreement received from BT about adopta kiosk, equipment to be removed in near future. Received email fromMenter Bro Dinefwr regarding Inheritance Grants Carmarthenshire, tobe invited to next meeting. Linda Durgan was put forward for thevacancy in the Ffairfach ward, will await a reply.
The makers of Firestone tires will today order a recall of tiresfor light trucks and sport utility vehicles that have been implicatedin scores of fatal accidents, according to a company source.
About 15 million to 20 million tires-mostly on the Ford Explorer-will be recalled, a source indicated to the Washington Post.
The company has been in round-the-clock discussions with Ford andis expected to provide details today.
Since the Chicago Sun-Times spotlighted dangerous tires in Aprilwith "Tire tread blowouts killing without notice," federal highwaysafety officials have started a probe of 46 traffic deaths linked totread separation on all-terrain …
(ADPnews) - Jul 30, 2010 - Deutsche Bank, S&P Equity Research and Credit Suisse have reviewed their stance on Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca (LON:AZN, STO:AZN) after the pharma major yesterday posted better-than-expected results for the second quarter of 2010.
Deutsche Bank has upgraded its share price target on AstraZeneca to GBP 33 from GBP 30 and S&P -- to GBP 28.50 from GBP 27.50. The brokers have maintained their ratings at "hold" and "sell", respectively.
Credit Suisse has reaffirmed its "neutral" recommendation with a price target of GBP 31 on AstraZeneca. The broker has made minor changes in its estimates for the company and now expects core earnings per …
Byline: HOWARD ULMAN Associated Press
FOXBORO, Mass. -- When Adam Vinatieri lined up for two Super Bowl-winning field goals, he had plenty to think about -- his footwork, his kick and his follow-through.
If he did all that right, step by step, the New England Patriots would win the championship. He didn't look beyond those plays to their place in NFL history. The difference between the pain of disappointment and talk of a dynasty hung on the flight of a football.
``Dynasty is a funny word,'' Vinatieri said. ``You've got to be so dominant for so long. We've been a pretty good team for a while now but we've got a long way to go and a lot of things to …
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Technology may be driving much of the decision making in lending but it would serve credit unions well if lenders got back to an old- fashioned strategy: a conversation with the member.
"Many lenders are becoming computerized order takers and they need to rediscover the art of conversation," observed Dave Schurman, CUNA Mutual Group vice president, Lending Solutions Group national sales. Schurman was part of a panel discussion during CUNA Mutual's Discovery Conference. "You don't do a diagnosis without a complete conversation. You have to talk with the member to uncover their needs."
Panel members said credit unions spend a lot of money …
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities say an earthquake with preliminary 5.3-magnitude has shaken the southern Aegean Sea islands, but no injuries or damage have been reported.
The Athens Geodynamic Institute says the undersea earthquake occurred Thursday between the popular tourist resort islands of …
WASHINGTON - Six months after President Bush unleashed a charmoffensive on Capitol Hill, his velvet glove has turned into aclenched fist.
When Bush late Thursday eked out one of the most hard-wonpolitical victories of his presidency - House approval of apatients' rights bill he can support - it wasn't because of givinglawmakers nicknames, horsing around or other hallmarks of his much-vaunted personal charm. He got his way by browbeating a keyRepublican while sticking resolutely with his threat to veto theDemocrat-backed version of the bill.
And when Bush triumphed Wednesday night in persuading the Houseto pass key elements of his energy plan, including his …
