вторник, 3 июля 2012 г.
четверг, 15 марта 2012 г.
Photronics expects $85.2M from stock and note sale
Electronic imaging technology supplier Photronics Inc. said on Friday it has priced a convertible note and stock offering, and expects to raise $85.2 million.
Photronics said it will sell 9.6 million shares for $4.15 each in a public offering. Underwriters have an option to buy another 1.4 million shares.
Photronics also said it has priced an offering of $50 million in unsecured …
Man With Knife Shot by Cops
Police shot and critically wounded a 36-year-old man on theNorthwest Side Tuesday night after he stabbed one officer andthreatened another.
The man, who was not immediately identified, was in criticalcondition at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge after being shotseveral times in the lower torso, according to a nursing supervisor.
The injured officer, who was not identified, was treated andreleased from Swedish Covenant Hospital for a superficial cut to thenose, according to a nursing supervisor there.
Police said the incident occurred around 8 p.m. in the 4600block of North Knox.
The …
Quepasa buying Pa.-based myYearbook.com
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Quepasa Corp., which owns the social networking website Quepasa.com, will acquire Insider Guides Inc., which runs www.myyearbook.com , in a $100 million cash and stock deal that is expected to double its number of their users and increase page views.
Quepasa, based in West Palm Beach, Fla., announced the acquisition Tuesday, and said it would help double its own base of users in buying the New Hope-based site that was founded by then-teenage siblings Catherine and David Cook in 2005 while still in high school in New Jersey.
The myYearbook site is popular among high school-aged users, who use it to chat, play games and buy and sell items with virtual …
Recalls This Week: laptop batteries, vacuums
Hewlett-Packard notebook computer batteries that can overheat, Hoover upright vacuums with faulty cords, and generators that may leak fuel are among the products recalled this week.
Also on the list are a magnet game that has an inappropriate age-designation label, tea glasses that could expose users to lead contamination and basketball-shaped chair sets that may have lead paint.
Here are the recalled items this week:
_________
HP NOTEBOOK BATTERIES
DETAILS: Hewlett-Packard has expanded a recall of the lithium-ion batteries used in HP and Compaq notebook computers from last May. New model numbers have been added.
The …
среда, 14 марта 2012 г.
PITTER PAT
Mountain Memories
Mountain Memories
A wave of new books from scholars shed light on the Appalachian past shared by many African Americans. By Angela P, Dodson
By its very nature, Appalachia is a hidden culture. The mountains keep its people, language and customs in a kind of time bubble, barring easy access to prying eyes of outsiders and the pressures for changes.
The region stretches along mountain ridges from New York to Mississippi with the core snaking through Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina. The face of its people most often seen by others is overwhelmingly white and poor. Yet these mountains have given the world accomplished black leaders, too- among them …
Aruba police pursue new evidence in Holloway case
A new witness has come forward in the 2005 disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway in Aruba, and prosecutors said Tuesday they are seeking more evidence against the only remaining suspect.
A woman told Dutch police this month that Joran van der Sloot confessed to her years ago that he was involved in Holloway's disappearance, according to Ann Angela, a spokeswoman for the Aruba Prosecutors' Office.
But the Dutch Caribbean island's chief prosecutor said authorities still lack proof they need to convict Van der Sloot, who has been arrested twice and released for lack of evidence.
"After three years of investigating, it is very, very …
Moody is the man to lead England into battle - Back
World Cup winner Neil Back believes there is nobody better thanLewis Moody to lead England into the heat of battle in New Zealandthis autumn.
Moody, 33, is set to skipper his country for the first time thisyear in Saturday's Investec international against Wales atTwickenham (2.30pm).
He was originally handed the captaincy in England's final 2010Six Nations clash and held it for a further five matches - includingvictory in Australia last June - before a knee injury in Januarystopped him in his tracks.
The Bath flanker, who spent 14 years at Leicester Tigers,including eight with Back, missed the 2011 Six Nations in itsentirety as the captain's …
GOP Rivals Split on Immigration Measure
WASHINGTON - The immigration fight in Congress has spilled over onto the presidential campaign trail. John McCain is trying to sell the skeptical GOP base on contentious Senate legislation while Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and other Republican rivals oppose it.
"This immigration reform is an issue of national security," McCain, an Arizona senator, said Wednesday, stressing more secure borders and what he called an urgent need for the United States to know the identities and whereabouts of millions of illegal immigrants.
In White River Junction, Vt., Giuliani derided the legislation as an inadequate "hodgepodge" that "kind of goes in 10 different directions without any …
Toshiba to cut 3,900 Japan contract jobs
Japan's top chipmaker Toshiba says it will cut 3,900 contract workers in Japan by March 2010.
The company says the cuts are in addition to the 4,500 contract worker job cuts it announced in January.
The announcement came Friday after Toshiba said its net loss for the fiscal year that ended in March will be bigger …
Cubs win season opener
General Motors sends Mr. Goodwrench to sidelines
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is asking Mr. Goodwrench to pack up his toolbox.
The mechanic who served as the symbol of GM's dealer service brand for 37 years will be scrapped as of Feb. 1 in favor of "certified service" brands for each of GM's remaining four remaining nameplates, the company said Tuesday.
GM dumped four brands as it went through bankruptcy protection last year and now sells only Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac.
The company said in a statement that it is making the move to better …
Hospitals restructure to manage expenses
Hospitals, caught in an increasingly competitive market, are re-examining their business practices and shoring up strategic alliances.
"Mergers, affiliations and layoffs started to become prevalent a few years ago when talk began about national health reform in Washington," said Lou Gable, director of media relations for the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania. "Not a week goes by that I don't see a news story on a proposed merger or affiliation of a health-care entity," he said.
Gable noted that as talks about health-care reform became more intense, the pace of mergers, affiliations and layoffs increased; this was a sign of uncertainly about the future of the health-care industry. However, as the talk about reform died down, managed care took over as the driving force behind cost cutting within the industry.
Additionally, Gable noted that there's been a continuing decrease in government reimbursements to health-care facilities for procedures performed on patients covered by Medicare and Medicaid. In terms of the budget, Medicare and Medicaid are the two largest government programs. Medicaid is funded jointly through federal and state programs, but both federal and state governments have decreased program funding. Medicaid funding is also linked to proposed cuts in welfare packages.
Area hospital administrators also see a continued trend toward managed care.
"We think that as health care heads toward managed care, the typical patient will have less choices. By having less choices, patients will demand and expect better coordination of care," explained Mark Brazitis, CEO of Lancaster General Hospital. He noted that overall, the hospital is having a decent year both financially and in terms of patient activity. "The Health Pavilion (which opened in 1995) has been a site at which we've realized new patients. It was an expense but has provided new revenues," he said.
Lancaster cuts costs
Brazitis noted that Lancaster General has worked on various levels to ensure it meets budgets. The facility is increasing cost-savings by entering into a group purchasing agreement for medical and surgical supplies that uses a selected group of vendors throughout the Lancaster General system.
Daily operations of skilled personnel have been examined.
"We initially brought in patient-focus care in our cardiology section," he said. Through patient-focus care, more skilled employees such as registered nurses are used to provide care and treatments; lower paid personnel are utilized to file records or provide extra pillows or blankets for patients. "This lowers our overall salary cost and does not hurt the quality of care. We put our valuable skilled resources into the essential responsibilities," he explained.
Lancaster General has also started increasing its use of home care. To do this, the hospital has worked with its own medical staff, the Visiting Nurse Association and local nursing homes. "Everything we've done in the recent past has been designed to provide less costly care, but still at a high level of quality," Brazitis said.
Hospitals are affiliating or merging with home health agencies, nursing homes and doctors' groups to provide higher quality at a lower cost.
In the case of Lancaster General Hospital, that affiliation is with the Lancaster Health Alliance. The hospital is the alliance's flagship hospital, according to Brazitis. Other entities under the corporate structure of the alliance include Lancaster General Health Pavilion, Visiting Nurse Association (which has its own board and management structure), Lancaster General Susquehanna Division (formerly the Columbia Hospital), Lancaster General Medical Group (a physician corporation formed by doctors practicing at Lancaster General) and Lancaster General Services. Lancaster General Hospital and the Lancaster General Health Pavilion are the predominate care-giving sites.
"In the future, as we move to a capitation rate, we (as a hospital) will need to manage care much more efficiently and effectively. The Health Alliance enhances convenience for patients and efficiency of information flow at the care sites; there's less redundancy and less rework," Brazitis said. Part of that efficiency will be better computer information systems. These systems will enable sharing of information between Alliance members in a more convenient manner. Being under one umbrella also promotes better coordination of care.
"We feel that in the future, the hospital and health system will be challenged to keep people well. Hospitals will be a place to o not just when one is sick," Brazitis said. To this end, Lancaster General and the Lancaster Health Alliance are getting involved in wellness programs.
York Hospital tackles revenue pressures
The York Hospital, like Lancaster General, is going through a similar examination of costs and improvements. Chrysta Stine, vice president of finance for the York Health System, explained that Medicare's average patient reimbursement is 90 cents per $1 of cost. "We've had this situation for some time; our average reimbursement has not been able to cover the cost," she said. She expects that state and federal budget cuts in Medicare and Medicaid will continue and this situation will not improve.
Additionally, the hospital's revenues have been adversely impacted by the influence of managed care. "We have a lot of pressures on our revenue stream, so we need to look at what we can do to improve our cost structure," Stine said.
York Health System is re-engineering its processes. In clinical settings, it is looking at clinical pathways or guidelines; it is taking a particular situation and getting doctors, nurses and clinical staff to look at the work that is needed and how that can be improved. "This doesn't reduce quality, but can increase it," she said.
As an example of the clinical process at work, Stine noted that the situation with pneumonia patients was examined, and the outcome was a reduction in time in which antibiotics were initially administered. This improves the outcome, according to Stine; the patient has an opportunity to recover more quickly, and this reduces cost and days in the hospital.
The admissions process was also investigated and improved, making it more convenient for the patients and their families. In addition, Stine indicated that the hospital will be investing in improved information systems.
"Patient-care information and care-giving information can be automated. This provides quicker and more efficient access to the information," she explained.
Like Lancaster General, York Hospital is also becoming involved in community health; it is part of the Health in York County Coalition.
"A few years ago, we joined with other organizations and did a health assessment. This information has been instrumental in developing our seminars on community wellness. We're in the process of working with other coalition members to develop programs to deliver needed services," she said. One such program involving York Hospital is an immunization program dubbed "All the Shots for All the Tots."
It has also developed its own managed-care products. "In this way, we're able to have a little more influence over our own destiny. We also allow a local influence and local businesses have more direct input than they would in larger managed-care organizations that are based outside of the area. In a lot of instances, we can provide services at a lower cost to employers; we eliminate the middle man," she said.
The York Health System has several managed-care products for employers. The York Health Plan, a PPO for self-insured employers based in York County, is awaiting state approval. South Central Preferred is a three county PPO for employers with 25 or more employees. Health Central is a regional HMO.
Harrisburg limits duplication In the Harrisburg area, the scenario is somewhat different. At the end of December 1995, three Harrisburg area hospitals merged under the same management. At that time Capital Health System, owner of Harrisburg Hospital and Seidle Memorial Hospital, merged with Polyclinic Hospital. The new company name for this entity is Pinnacle Health System, and there is a study under way for potential renaming of the hospitals.
Frederick Fetters, vice president of corporate finance and CFO of Pinnacle Health System, explained that the merger was prompted by the declining utilization of the hospitals and over-capacity at these facilities. He said that initially Harrisburg Hospital and Polyclinic independently started the process about two years ago, when each hospital board prepared financial and patient projections for about five years. Fetters explained that the boards realized that the hospitals would be adversely affected by increased managed care and reduced hospital use. This led to discussions of what the future could be like in a joint venture.
Initially, Fetter said there were some layoffs when the hospitals merged because of duplication in departments and related positions. There were some additional layoffs at Polyclinic as a result of lower utilization of that facility. A limited number of employees were transferred among the three facilities.
Other cost savings will be realized when clinical departments are relocated, so that all of a department's services will be at one of the three campuses, not spread through the three hospital locations. Fetters also noted that Pinnacle is considering job re-engineering; looking at job functions and the most cost-efficient way to perform those functions without sacrificing quality.
Hospital services were also merged. Previously, each hospital had its own fund-raising foundation, home-health agency, physician practices and physicians hospital organization. He said that any duplicated services will be consolidated at one site.
Chinese companies plan to invest $933 mln in Saab
STOCKHOLM (AP) — A Swedish court ruled Monday that Saab can continue its reconstruction after reviewing two Chinese companies' plans to invest €660 million ($933 million) in the struggling brand and cut 500 jobs.
Vanersborg District Court made its ruling after reviewing the plans by Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co. and Pang Da Automobile Trade Co. and hearing comments by creditors, said court spokesman Peter Rosen.
The two Chinese companies said they can provide €50 million ($71 million) in immediate bridge-financing to the car maker while it is being reorganized. They also plan to inject €610 million ($863 million) to restart production, settle the company's debts and fund operations between 2012 and 2013.
The companies reached a tentative deal on Friday to buy Saab from Swedish Automobile, the Dutch company previously known as Spyker Cars, for €100 million ($141 million) — the latest rescue attempt for the company, which has been fighting for survival since it was sold by General Motors Co. in 2010.
If the deal is completed and approved by regulators it would mean that both of Sweden's car makers end up in Chinese hands. Last year, China's Geely Holding Group bought Volvo Cars from Ford Motor Co. for $1.5 billion.
IHS Automotive analyst Ian Fletcher doubted the viability of Youngman and Pang Da's business plan and whether the investments would be sufficient.
"They are taking the Geely-Volvo blueprint and looking to develop Saab in the same way, but Saab's situation at the moment is very different to what Volvo's situation was like," Fletcher said. "It could take a long time to bring Saab into the same position as Volvo."
Fletcher also pointed out that it was unclear if the deal would receive the necessary Chinese regulatory approvals.
"There's a lot of nice, blue sky thinking," he said. "But the question is if they have the ability, the general capability to achieve this?"
Production at Saab's manufacturing plant has been suspended for most of the year while the company has struggled to pay suppliers and staff. In September it entered a reorganization process similar to Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States.
The Chinese companies' financing plan was presented to creditors at the Vanersborg District Court Monday by Guy Lofalk, who is in charge of the reorganization.
Part of the plan would be to use a €63 million ($89 million) credit from the European Investment Bank and to cut Saab's costs by around 1 billion kronor ($157 million), including laying off 500 of its 3,700 workers.
The two companies set a sales target for Saab for 2012 of 35,000-55,000 cars and 75,000-85,000 cars for 2013.
In the long term, the new owners hope to increase sales to 185,000-205,000 cars and become profitable by 2014. They said key factors driving growth would be a broadened product portfolio in fast growing market segments, capitalization on access to the Chinese market and a strong focus on profitability.
The companies said they will continue to make cars at Saab's main plant in Trollhattan, southwest Sweden, and also begin more cost-efficient production in China for Chinese and international markets.
The program also includes plans to accelerate access to the Chinese market and enter into new distribution agreements in other emerging markets, such as Russia.
____
Malin Rising can be reached at http://twitter.com/malinrising
вторник, 13 марта 2012 г.
New Zealand lead by 179 runs after England collapses in second test
New Zealand seized control of the second test Sunday with a 179-run lead after England was dismissed in its first innings for 202.
Captain Daniel Vettori took his second straight five-wicket haul as England lost six batsmen for only 50 runs on the third day _ with a trio of catches by Ross Taylor _ and narrowly avoided the follow-on.
Taylor first caught Pietersen at slip for 26 and ended Bell's innings for eight after spilling the catch at first. Paul Collingwood scored only two runs before being given out lbw after being struck on his back leg, while Taylor caught wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose at slip for three.
As wild winds swirled around Old Trafford, Brendon McCullum dived at full stretch at first slip to spectacularly catch Monty Panesar for one after only three minutes at the crease.
Stuart Broad then snatched the two runs that avoided the follow-on and ended with 30 in 47 balls, caught at extra cover by substitute Jeetan Patel.
New Zealand lost no second-innings wickets in the three overs before lunch but it remained unclear whether batsman Daniel Flynn would be able to return as he recovers from losing two teeth Friday.
The visitors scored 381 in their first innings.
The first test was drawn.
Auto Workers Set Wed. Strike Deadline
DETROIT - If there was a script that automakers were supposed to follow for UAW contract talks, Chrysler seems to have overlooked it.
As negotiations continued Monday at Chrysler LLC's Auburn Hills headquarters, the United Auto Workers set a deadline of Wednesday morning to agree on a new contract, or else workers could strike.
The deadline may be a tactic the union is using to squeeze some more concessions from the company. But it also may be that Chrysler isn't just going to agree to the same terms that General Motors Corp. did last week just because that's how it's traditionally done.
Chrysler's needs are different from GM's requirements, analysts said, so a deal requires cost cuts in different places.
The union may have set the strike deadline for its 49,000 hourly workers because of how far Chrysler bargainers want to go in demanding cost cuts.
"We think that they may be holding out for something more than GM got," said Aaron Bragman, an industry analyst for the consulting firm Global Insight.
The UAW went on strike for nearly two days last month before coming to a tentative agreement with GM on Sept. 26. Workers with the nation's largest automaker are expected to wrap up voting on the agreement by Wednesday.
The union normally settles with one U.S. automaker and then uses that deal as a pattern for an agreement with the other two.
Among the differences this time, analysts say, are health care givebacks granted to GM and Ford Motor Co. in 2005 that Chrysler didn't get, worth approximately $340 million a year.
A person briefed on the negotiations said the two sides have not agreed on giving the same deal to Chrysler. The person requested anonymity because the talks are private.
Higher health care costs are one big reason why Chrysler pays its workers an average of $75.86 per hour in wages, pension and health care costs, the highest among the Detroit automakers.
Several analysts also said the company and union likely are apart on setting up a Chrysler-funded union-run trust that would take on the company's roughly $18 billion in retiree health care costs. Unlike GM, Chrysler also may be against giving specific job security promises by guaranteeing new cars and trucks will be built at U.S. factories, and it wants to hire out parts transportation rather than pay full UAW wages for it, the analysts said.
Job security could be a tough issue because Chrysler and its new owner, Cerberus Capital Management LP, would be reluctant to commit to huge investments when the company is looking at potentially cutting some models, said David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor.
As a bargaining chip, Chrysler could back off from new factory investments that it has announced and make them contingent on a new agreement, Cole said.
UAW President Ron Gettelfinger traded job security to GM for taking on the retiree health care costs and for a limited lower pay scale for new hires.
Chrysler has to be able to outsource its parts transportation because its competitors do for much lower costs, Cole said.
"They just can't sustain that, so there will have to be buyouts and things to compensate for that," he said.
Cerberus, a private equity firm, probably doesn't want to put too much cash into the trust fund because it wants to turn Chrysler around and sell it, Bragman said.
"They don't necessarily want to contribute a large amount of money to a long-term solution when Cerberus is more than likely a short-term owner," Bragman said.
Chrysler spokeswoman Michele Tinson would not comment on specifics of the talks other than to say that they are progressing. UAW spokesman Roger Kerson also would not comment.
All three U.S.-based automakers have said they want to significantly close or eliminate a roughly $25-per-hour cost gap with Japanese automakers that have U.S. factories.
Cole said the strike talk could be drama to help get the pact ratified later by the membership. If there is a strike, he expected it to be short.
At the company's Newark, Del., assembly plant, workers were taking the possibility seriously Monday by starting to staple together picket signs, said Richard McDonaugh Jr., president of Local 1183.
"No one wants to strike, but sometimes it's the cost of doing business," said McDonaugh, whose sport utility vehicle plant is scheduled to be idled in December 2009 if it doesn't get a new product.
The last time the UAW struck two companies during the same set of negotiations was in 1976, according to Chrysler's fact book on the bargaining. The union walked out of Ford plants for 28 days in September and October, and for 12 hours at 16 key GM locations.
A short strike might not hurt Chrysler much. Five U.S. plants were scheduled to be shut down during the next two weeks due to lower market demand for their products. The shutdowns were expected to last one or two weeks.
A short-term strike of up to three weeks would have little effect on the company, which has sufficient inventory to continue selling most of its vehicles, said Jesse Toprak, chief economist for the auto research site Edmunds.com.
"They might actually even benefit from it," Toprak said.
In addition to the 49,000 active workers, Chrysler also has about 78,000 hourly retirees and surviving spouses.
The UAW's contracts with Chrysler, Ford and GM were originally set to expire Sept. 14.
In the Land of Words: New and Selected Poems
In the Land of Words: New and Selected Poems by Eloise Greenfield, Illustrations by Jan Spivey Gilchrist Amistad/HarperCollins, January 2004 $16.99, ISBN 0-060-28993-7 Ages 4-8
"A minute ago, Mama tried to tease;/'John, come look! A dancing cheese!/I didn't laugh, I didn't look./My head is buried in my book."
In a poem called "I Don't Care," awardwinning poet and children's author Eloise Greenfield describes the wonderment of children who, having learned to read, have found a fabulous new world to explore: the "land of words."
This vibrantly illustrated sampler is Greenfield's answer to children who ask her where her words come from, and she prefaces many poems with just such explanations. This valuable information about the creative process will enhance the enjoyment of "The New Baby Poem," "Nathaniel's Rap," "Making Friends," and "Way Down in the Music."
The collection provides an excellent introduction to poetry for young people who are just beginning to read on their own with, perhaps, just a bit of help with the explanations. Jan Spivey Gilchrist's artwork is a delight.
-E.V.W.
WTA-Istanbul Cup Results
Results Friday from the US$200,000 (euro130,000) Istanbul Cup on outdoor clay (seedings in parentheses):
Singles
Semifinals
Agnieszka Radwanska (2), Poland, def. Tsvetana Pironkova (8), Bulgaria, 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-1.
Elena Dementieva (1), Russia, def. Akgul Amanmuradova (6), Uzbekistan, 6-2, 6-4.
`Amistad' captures history of slave revolt
`Amistad' captures history of slave revolt
Dr. S. Allen Counter
There are rare moments in the world of motion pictures when cinematic brilliance and historical reality converge to produce a profoundly moving and culturally enhancing film. This is achieved in the recently released film, "Amistad," which is based on the true story of an early 19th century uprising by captured Africans on board a Spanish slave ship. After failing to sail the ship back to Africa with the aid of only two captors kept alive, the fifty-three Africans were recaptured by the U.S. Navy in American waters and taken to prison in Connecticut. Their celebrated case was taken up by abolitionists, and their freedom and right to return to Africa were successfully defended in court by none other than former U.S. President, John Quincy Adams.
From the first moments of the opening scene, one feels the power and intensity of director Steven Spielberg's masterful craftsmanship. With the meticulousness of a neurosurgeon, he carefully exposes the sinew of the subject matter, and abrades the psychic sensibilities of the audience as he takes us into the viscera of an American past too horrific for us to imagine, and too long denied by American society. Few people in the world today could have so brilliantly handled the filmic subject matter of American slavery as Spielberg, and the producer of Amistad, Debbie Allen, who conceived and developed the project.
The careful adherence to historical fact in this film is impressive, and the casting is nothing short of brilliant. Djimon Hounsou is the reincarnation of Cinque, the valiant African who led both the slave ship insurrection that destroyed most of the crew, and later the intelligent courtroom struggle for his and fellow Africans' freedom. Anthony Hopkins, in a curmudgeon-like fashion characteristic of John Quincy Adams in his later years, gives a commanding performance. Matthew McConaughey credibly portrays the inexperienced young abolitionist, whose dedication to higher principles exceeds his abilities as a defense lawyer. The enormously talented Morgan Freeman, in a typically superb performance, lends great weight to the character of the freed slave who is confronted with the precariousness of his own status, vis-a-vis, the African in chains.
The scenes are magnificently choreographed to the script in a manner that reflects Debbie Allen's acclaimed credentials in dance and theater. For example, in a scene in which a Southern Senator is attempting to persuade the President of the United States that freeing the African captives from slavery would send the wrong message to slaveowning voters in the South, the invisible black servants project their presence through majestically delicate movements, synchronized with each harsh word while they serve food to the President and the irate Senator.
The two controversial issues raised about this film are absolutely without merit. Those who have argued publicly that Spielberg should not have directed this film are consummately wrong. It is highly improbable that any director of our time could have directed this important piece of American filmic history in a manner that both enlightens and entertains as capably as did Steven Spielberg. He deserves both credit and our gratitude for taking on and lending his name to this important film. It should be remembered, however, that this film was brought to Spielberg by producer Debbie Allen. Ms. Allen has nurtured this project for over a decade, presenting it in academic and intellectual circles as well as to movie studios. She, more than anyone, deserves special credit and the appreciation of a grateful nation for bringing this classical story of American slavery to the screen in such a poignant and compelling manner. One small detail that may go unnoticed by many, but which is representative of Ms. Allen's integrity and commitment to principle, is that throughout this entire film on racial conflicts, not a single racial epithet is used. This fact alone speaks volumes for Allen's and Spielberg's desire to produce a transcendent film with enduring qualities.
The second and most publicized controversy regarding the originality of the Amistad script and accusations of plagiarism is an unfortunate distraction from this magnificent film. Th public should be made aware of the fact that the story of the Amistad is a true story and part of American history, and in the public domain. No one can lay artistic claim to history, and there is only a finite number of combinations and permutations of this story available to any writer. A number of writers, both scholarly and artistic, have presented their versions of the Amistad story to the public. A similar controversy arose over the story "Roots," and more than a dozen opportunistic and meritless legal claims were unfairly made against author Alex Haley.
"Amistad" deals in a straightforward and honest manner with the most neglected subject of the American past, namely unrequited chattel slavery. More importantly, it informs the subject and demonstrates better than any other film on American slavery how much good can be achieved when persons of different racial and religious backgrounds work together for what is right.
Perhaps the greatest achievement of this film is that it engenders not a sense of black victory over white or vice versa, but thanks to Debbie Allen and Steven Spielberg, we leave the theater with the uplifting experience of the triumph of good over evil. This film should be seen by every person who wishes to grasp the cultural essence of America past and present.
Photo (Scene from Amistad)
Customers yawn at fraud charges
There's no need to pay much attention to allegations of fraud inthe futures markets, because the people who matter most, thecustomers, don't seem to care.
Wishful thinking? Perhaps. But Barry J. Lind, president of thefutures discount trading firm Lind-Waldock & Co., says a survey hisfirm recently conducted indicates that the futures scandal has hadlittle effect on public customers of the futures markets.
Only 1 percent of the nearly 1,100 people who responded to theLind-Waldock poll said they have quit trading because of the allegedimproprieties. And 78 percent said they have been "well-served bythe current open-outcry system" of trading.
"There's no question that the survey shows that although openoutcry is not perfect, the public believes in the system," Lind said.
Public investors may believe in the markets, but they don't haveas much confidence in the way the exchanges manage their business. Afull 63 percent of those responding said they do not think theexchanges do a satisfactory job of policing themselves.
Customers may not be satisifed with the exchanges'self-policing, but they don't want the government to play market cop,either. Only 38 percent of those polled called for more governmentregulation.
Despite the generally upbeat response, a residue of ill willcontinues to pervade the markets. Nearly one-third of thoseresponding answered "no" when asked if they believe "the trading pitsat the exchanges generally operate with honesty and efficiency."
Lind thinks the high negative response to that answer may be anaberration. "The way we asked the question brought out a lot of otherconcerns," such as customer dissatisfaction with getting tradeconfirmation quickly when the markets are active, he said.
The survey did not ask customers what they think about dualtrading, the controversial practice that is at the heart of theallegations of wrongdoing by traders who handle customer orders whilealso doing their own business.
"I didn't know whether the public has a real understanding ofwhat dual trading is," Lind said.
Dual trading is on its way out at the Merc, anyway, Lind notes,referring to recommendations of a special Merc panel. "On aphilosophical basis, I believe in dual trading, because I think itbrings liquidity . . . but if you ban dual trading in the most liquidcontracts, I think the loss of liquidity will be slight enough thatmost people won't notice."
NOT ABOARD: Richard Foley will go back to work later this weekas a brakeman for the Southern Pacific RR working out of Tucson,Ariz.
He will not be a member of the Santa Fe Pacific Corp. board ofdirectors. Not by a long shot.
Foley, who owns 131 shares of Santa Fe he obtained through anold Southern Pacific savings plan, garnered only 1 percent of thevote at Tuesday's annual meeting in his quixotic quest to get a seaton the board. And the shareholder rights program he sponsored againat the company's annual meeting did even worse than it did last year.
Just as well. The way Foley ran his campaign for a board seatand for his shareholder proposals was no way to run a railroad.
He didn't even ask the company for a list of shareholders untilApril 3, little more than three weeks before the annual meeting.Because of time constraints, he was able to mail proxy materials toonly about 600 of the company's nearly 100,000 shareholders.
Foley turned out to be the little caboose that couldn't. Hisproposal for secret balloting fetched only 7 percent of the vote,down from 29 percent last year; for cumulative voting, 5 percent,down from 28 percent. A new proposal to elect the entire board forone-year terms each year drew only a 7 percent vote.
"I guess I haven't hit a home run the first time I got up tobat," Foley said, accurately.
At Santa Fe, company managers think Foley has fouled out. "Mr.Foley's whole agenda in life is ego gratification and he gets a kickout of seeing his name in the paper," said Bob Gehrt, a companyspokesman.
FACE EAST: People who attend the panel on "The Influence ofIslamic Law on Commercial Relations with the Arab World" tonightreally will get religion.
On the agenda, the time 7:43 p.m., known as Maghreb, is setaside. Dinner will be served precisely at that time, sunset, becausethe faithful are fasting during the daytime hours during this Islamicholy month of Ramadan.
"Dinner will be served right on the spot, but they'll continuethe discussion after the main course," promised Grazie Fiji,spokewoman for the MidAmerica-Arab Chamber of Commerce, a sponsor ofthe event along with the Chicago Bar Association. Prayer ceremonieswill take place after the panel discussion ceases.
French religious leaders protest debate on Islam
PARIS (AP) — France's chief religions are protesting plans by President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative party to hold a debate next week on Islam's role in the country, joining a growing chorus of voices who fear it could stigmatize Muslims and worsen social tensions.
The top representatives of France's Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists published a joint statement Wednesday saying the debate could add "to the confusion in the troubled period we are traversing."
Muslim leaders in France have said the debate will further stigmatize western Europe's largest Islamic population, estimated to number at least 5 million people.
The April 5 debate has divided Sarkozy's UMP party, with some seeing it as pandering to the resurgent far right National Front party. The National Front made electoral gains in local elections Sunday, while the UMP fared poorly.
The debate's backers say it's aimed at discussing France's secular traditions, and how to accommodate Islamic customs. Amid the criticism, the UMP's plans have been repeatedly scaled back and the idea now is for a limited roundtable instead of a full-day debate.
"Do we need, in the current context, a debate on secularism?" the religious leaders' statement asks. "Is a political party, even if it is in the majority, the right entity to lead such a debate alone?"
France has formally separated church and state since a 1905 law that the religious leaders praise as a "precious achievement" and "one of the pillars" of national accord.
"The acceleration of political agendas risks, on the eve of an electoral rendezvous that is important for the future of our country, fogging this perspective and provoking confusion that can only produce prejudice," the letter said.
The main champion of the debate, UMP leader Jean-Francois Cope, issued an open letter to Muslims this week saying he wants a new "Code of Secularity" that would spell out rules about how to keep public schools, streets and businesses secular.
"The practice of Islam in a secular nation is not the burqa, not prayers in the street, nor the rejection of diversity," he wrote in the letter, published on the website of the weekly L'Express.
The debate would come the week before a law goes into effect banning face-covering Islamic veils such as the burqa or niqab anywhere in the streets of France.
понедельник, 12 марта 2012 г.
Don't be afraid of calling the guy: ; Splitting the bill might be right, but may hurt feelings
DEAR CAROLYN: I was at a local drinking establishment enjoyingthe company of a newly acquainted friend of a friend (FOF). We werehaving a great time and also a few drinks, which helps with myHUUUGE fear of strangers. Eventually, he headed off to the littleboys' room. In the two seconds he was gone, in walks anotheracquaintance (guy), who cozies up for a chat. FOF returns and looksless than amused.
Since I am new to this "talk to boys in bars" thing, I had noidea how to play it. I think I botched it, because shortlythereafter FOF went home - no exchange of cards/numbers/nuthin.
What now? I don't want to look like a floozie by calling FOF orlike a teenager by having the mutual friend intercede on my behalf.
Hopeless!
What's the copyright on your dating playbook, 1959?
If you call a man, all you'll "look like" is someone who knowshow to use a phone. It's what you say that matters. Likewise,mistakes are our birthright; it's how you face them that matters. Socall him. Say, "I didn't handle things well last night. May I buyyou dinner to celebrate my fatheadedness?" He'll find that disarmingor he won't, but a good guy will notice you tried.
Another thing that matters is your HUUUGE alcohol crutch. Watchthis. It's a short walk from loosening up to screwing up-and 12 hardsteps back.
Dear Carolyn:
Here's the deal: A group of friends goes to dinner. Most peopleorder expensive meals and alcohol, while some of us order a Coke anda moderately priced meal. Yet, when the bill comes, one of the folkswho ordered all the expensive stuff grabs it, divides it evenly andannounces that each person owes $X.
I went with the flow the first time; the second time, I said,"Guys, I only owe $20, so that's what I'm putting toward the bill."If looks could've killed, I wouldn't be writing to you now. Thethird time, one of them said under her breath, "Here she goesagain."
I don't see that I did anything wrong. I've got the dough;however, it's the principle. What's your take?
Frustrated
That you're absolutely right, and that being absolutely right canlose its charm quickly if it has a righteous, crusadey smell.
When you threw in your share, period, you drew a line in thetablecloth and put up your dukes. But aren't these people yourfriends? The bill-splitting was unfair, but so was your assumptionthat it was done with selfish intent.
In a big party like yours, people have no clue what anyone elseis ordering, and unless there's a high grad-student/nonprofit-employee presence, even splits are common. In fact, the light eatersare often the only ones alert to check inequity.
So, what now? In a fictional world that allows social do-overs,you go back and protest nicely. Humorously. As if you're all friendshere? "Nice try, Orson, but I had chicken and a Coke." You don'tgive them the repeat-offenders treatment on your first complaint.
In this world, you lighten up. Still, right trumps rude no matterhow abruptly you execute it. The big spenders know the deal now; iftheir solution is to continue spending your money but with an addedhostility charge, then you might want to order new friends.
Dear Carolyn:
OK so, I'm eating dinner at a nice Thai restaurant with friends.At another table is a woman (with her female friend) who is almostexactly the woman I picture when I write poetry. I think she islooking my way, too. The place was small, so everybody notices ifyou make a fool out of yourself. She left before we did, andafterwards I ditched my friends and walked around to see if I"bumped" into her, to no avail. I have not stopped thinking, "Whatif?"
I guess my question is, can you suggest how to approach a randomstranger in a smallish restaurant without coming off like a boob?
Aimlessly and
Hopelessly Romantic
And you call yourself a poet - you should have been all overthis.
There are as many ways to woo as there are women, but the bestways are a natural extension of your strengths (word-friendliness,melodrama) and weaknesses (your squidly reluctance to dash out afterher to introduce yourself). A you-esque one springs to mind: Picturethe scene in grainy black-and-white. You look. She looks. She hascilantro on her chin.
Sorry.
She leaves, you follow her out, "Excuse me ..." You hand her acocktail napkin on which you've scribbled ... you've scribbled ...oh oh: haiku. Last line, "Sorry for staring." Yeah. And your numberor e-mail address.
Even if you don't scare her there's a large chance she'll neverrespond, but imagine your aw-shucks poet-meets-muse moment if shedoes. Best part either way? Look Ma - no what-ifs.
Write to "Tell Me About It," c/o The Washington Post, Style Plus,1150 15th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20071 or e-mail:tellme@washpost.com. Chat online with Carolyn each Friday at noonand Monday at 3 p.m., both Eastern time, at www.washingtonpost.com.
1 more try for Sox GM // Schueler says this is probably last season
This probably is Ron Schueler's last year as White Sox generalmanager.
The former pitcher, coach and scout for six teams indicatedMonday he will step down after next season.
The job is taking its toll, causing him to reevaluate hispriorities."Two years ago, I was still having fun at this," he said. "Ican't say that today."I'm going to see how this year plays out. We have a greatchance and I'm excited about things. I just want to win. It bothersme when we don't."This isn't final. We'll see where we are later. Who knows?Maybe we'll all be having so much fun none of us will want to quit."It's Schueler's call on his future. He certainly won't bereplaced by chairman Jerry Reinsdorf."Ron said long ago that when it stops being fun, he'll get out,"Reinsdorf said."We all know his love lies in scouting and evaluating, thatsomeday he'll get back to that. He'll tell me when that time hascome, whether it's one year from now or two years or five years. Sofar, he hasn't told me."I love Ron Schueler and respect Ron Schueler. I don't thinkthere's anyone better in the game at what he does."I just hope that at some point when he does decide to give upthe administrative side of it that he'll stay with us for evaluating."He may not like living in Chicago by then, who knows? But we'dstill want him wherever he puts down. There's always a place for aRon Schueler."Reinsdorf listed possible replacements for when Schueler doesdecide to retire:Dan Evans. The director of baseball operations, Evans is Schueler'sright-hand man with responsibility for most of the contract signingsand assistance on player evalations.Larry Monroe. Vice president of free-agent and major-leaguescouting, and a former No. 1 draft choice as a pitcher (1974), Monroehas touched all the bases in administrative work.Ken Williams. Another former White Sox player, Williams is directorof minor-league operations and special assistant to Reinsdorf. He'sresponsible for establishing relationships with and scouting talentin Japan and Mexico."They're all good, outstanding young men," Reinsdorf said.Schueler's teams are 487-418 in his six years, with a divisionchampionship in 1993 and a first-place standing late in 1994 beforethe players' strike.He was despondent enough over criticism of the team's play inthe 1993 American League playoffs, a six-game elimination by theToronto Blue Jays, to consider leaving."You would have thought we hadn't accomplished anything," hesaid at the time.Schueler decided to remain after three months of deliberations."I got a lot of advice from friends, people I respect in thegame and even a few writers," he said with a chuckle.His biggest challenge came after the 1995 season, the teamhaving fallen from a game ahead of Cleveland in the Central Divisionin 1994 to 32 behind the Indians.He cut the deficit to 14 1/2 last summer but was disappointed ina combined 27-28 record the last two moinths.Schueler's biggest personnel challenge has been in right field,where in consecutive years he followed Ellis Burks in 1993 withDarrin Jackson, Mike Devereaux and Danny Tartabull.Schueler takes another gamble next season with rookie MikeCameron, letting Tartabull go after he hit 27 home runs with 101 runsbatted in."The kid's got to play some time," Schueler said of 23-year-oldCameron.Some time, Schueler, 48, will play out his general manager'srole. The White Sox hope it's a long time coming.ALVAREZ MAY EXIT, TOO; PAGE 85
NATO says 4 troops die in Afghan copter crash
NATO says 4 international troops have been killed in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan.
Australian Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said three were Australian soldiers and that seven other Australian soldiers were wounded, two of them badly.
A NATO statement says there is no indication of "enemy involvement" in Monday's crash.
Australia has some 1,500 troops in Afghanistan alongside NATO forces. Monday's deaths take Australia's military death toll in Afghanistan to 16.
Poverty was supposed to be temporary - remember?
On our block in Brooklyn in the 1940s, there was a sprinkling offamilies receiving something called "Home Relief." Everyone knew whothese families were and why they might need help temporarily. Thatwas the key word. Temporary.
Someplace between then and now, a vast new population andattendant bureaucracy have been spawned on the idea of permanentpoverty. Across the urban landsape, the towers of the housingprojects and the low-rise slums speak a different language than theirforebears. The first public housing projects in the 1930s wereQuonset huts borrowed from the military. Temporary.
The image of poverty of those days was shaped by the experienceof the Depression in the '30s. A lot of good, decent and hardworkingpeople had been thrown out of work through no fault of their own.They were down on their luck and needed some help to tide them overuntil times got better. And surely they would.
How then came we to this pretty pass of permanent pools of poorat the core of our cities? It is one of the largest ironies ofmodern American history. It began as a search for prosperity. Thatand patriotism.
Before World War II, most black Americans lived in the ruralSouth. The legatees of slavery stayed close to the land after theCivil War. A few drifted toward the cities in the '20s and '30s, butthey were pioneers.
When the war began, the defense industries were desperate fornew sources of labor. They turned to the South and recruitedthousands of workers, black and white, to migrate to Chicago, NewYork and Oakland to work on assembly lines and in shipyards in amassive defense effort that was unparalleled in history.
The money was good during the war, but when it ended, disasterstruck the new urban dwellers. The shift of postwar Americanprosperity was to the suburbs. The black defense workers were notable to migrate and soon became forgotten people in an alien land.Those were the grandparents and great-grandparents of the citizens wenow call the urban underclass. The majority of welfare recipientsremain white Americans. The majority of the permanent poor are blackAmericans.
Over the ensuing years, cities sagged beneath the weight of thisnew population that did not make it to the mainstream, only to thesidelines. The infrastructure of the cities, especially the schools,all but collapsed. For a time, it was chic to argue a new socialtheory that our society did not need cities at all.
Now it is clear we need cities and we must create ways to makethem work by finding ways to help the people within them work. Thatrequires a combination of public and private effort. Remarkably, wehave heard virtually no discussion of how to stimulate that effortfrom the presidential candidates of either party.
You would think the exciting possibilities and challenges of theurban renaissance would be high on the agenda of candidates in searchof new ideas. Yet not much seems to come out of their mouths.
In a society in which the top fifth of the population earns 46percent of the income and the bottom fifth earns 3.8 percent of theincome, you might see room for improvement if you sought to bepresident. Just think of the new consumption potential and thereforetax consequences of getting those citizens into gainful activity.
Ignoring that problem reminds me of a neighbor we had, an automechanic who constantly tossed his soiled and oily rags in the cornerof a dark closet. One night we learned the meaning of the termspontaneous combustion as we watched his house burn to the ground.
Permitting a culture of permanent poverty to take root in ourcities would be no wiser than my neighbor was.
Robert Maynard is editor, publisher and president of the Tribuneof Oakland, Calif. His column is distributed by Universal PressSyndicate.
100 in Tibet protest outside EU urge Europeans to "Wake Up'
About 100 people, shouting "Wake up! Wake up!", protested outside the EU head office Wednesday to urge European governments to take action against China for human rights abuses in Tibet.
Youtsa Tamdin, a protest organizer, said there has been "no good news from Europe" since the Chinese crackdown began in his native Tibet last month.
Tamdin said it was crucial for the international community to pressure China into letting journalists into Tibet.
The turmoil in Tibet is casting a shadow over preparations of the Summer Olympics in Beijing. Bma Delma, a student who moved to Belgium recently, wondered how "China, without human rights, can host the Olympics?"
Peaceful demonstrations in Tibet marking the March 10 anniversary of a 1959 uprising against Chinese rule erupted into violence four days later. Chinese officials have put the death toll at 22, while Tibetan exiles say nearly 140 people were killed.
Chinese Nuclear Forces and U.S. Nuclear War Planning
Federation of American Scientists and the Natural Resources Defense Council, November 2006
Researchers Hans Kristensen and Stan Noms assess China's nuclear arsenal and review U.S. intelligence community's predictions of a Chinese nuclear buildup.These predictions have led the United States to increase its nuclear targeting of China. Based on unclassified and declassified U.S. government documents as well as commercial satellite images, the 250-page report estimates that China has a stockpile of approximately 200 nuclear warheads, of which some 140 are deployed. About 100 of the warheads are for delivery by ballistic missiles while 40 warheads are part of bombs for delivery by aircraft.
The estimates dispute a core prediction made by the US. intelligence community that the number of Chinese warheads primarily targeted against the continental United States will increase from 20 warheads today to between 75 and 100 warheads by 2015. In particular, the report challenges assumptions that 40-55 new DF31A missiles will be deployed over the next nine years, pointing out that the DF31A has yet even to be flight-tested.
The report also provides lower estimates for China's arsenal of nuclear submarines. It asserts that the Chinese submarine fleet will level out to a total of 40 submarines in the next decade, a steep decline from 120 submarines in the mid-1980s, and that China's lone ballistic missile submarine has never sailed on a nuclear deterrent patrol.
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