Thursday, March 15, 2012
PLUS ENTERTAINMENT
American League
| East Division | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | Pct | GB | ||
| New York | 88 | 57 | .607 | — | |
| Boston | 85 | 61 | .582 | 3½ | |
| Tampa Bay | 81 | 64 | .559 | 7 | |
| Toronto | 74 | 73 | .503 | 15 | …
Intel raising its dividend 12.5 percent
Intel Corp., the world's biggest chip company, says it will raise its dividend by 12.5 percent starting next year.
That brings its quarterly payment to 15.75 cents per share, up from 14 cents.
The announcement comes despite heavy legal costs for Intel, which provides the …
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Bulls set to Air it out // Jordan, Reinsdorf ready to talk dollars
Finally, it's Michael Jordan's turn.
Vacations and other concerns have put the Bulls on hold inthe month since the re-signing of coach Phil Jackson. But accordingto a source close to the situation, Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorfwill meet with Jordan on Tuesday or Wednesday in Las Vegas to begincontract talks.
Reinsdorf is hoping to conduct the discussions in a mannersimilar to those of last year, when the sides reached an agreement ona one-year, $30.14 million deal in less than two days.First, Reinsdorf will hold separate preliminary talks withJordan and Jordan's agent, David Falk, to discuss matters other thanmoney. Then all three will get together …
Researchers hope to no longer be "snowed" when predicting future avalanches
Some scientists believe that revealing the properties and behavior of snow could lead to better predictions of potential avalanches in the western United States as well as in other alpine regions of the world. In a new study funded by the National Science Foundation, Montana State University Professor of Geography Kathy Hansen is focusing on snow stability over space and time. Karl Birkeland, an adjunct professor at Montana State and an avalanche scientist for the U.S. Forest Service National Avalanche Center, is co-principal investigator for the two-year study. He says that even in the eastern United States, where mountains are not as high but where concentrations of recreational skiers …
Twins 6, Tigers 4
| 99Twins 6, Tigers 4 |
| DETROIT @ MINNESOTA @ |
| ab r h bi @ab r h bi |
| Grndrs cf 5 0 0 0 CaGmz cf 3 1 2 0 |
| Planco 2b 4 0 0 0 ACslla 2b 4 1 3 1 |
| CGuilln 3b 4 3 3 0 Rdmnd c 4 1 2 2 |
| Thmes 1b 4 1 2 2 Mrneau 1b 4 1 3 0 |
| Joyce rf 4 0 0 0 Monroe dh 3 1 2 3 |
| Shffield dh 4 0 2 1 DYong lf 3 0 0 0 |
| CThms lf … |
Hundreds bid farewell to rugby legend Robbie
Hundreds of mourners packed St Mary's Church in Bathwick today topay their last respects to one of Bath's sporting heroes.
Former Bath Rugby captain Robbie Lye died last month at the ageof 62 after being taken ill whilst eating a piece of steak at home.
And this afternoon family, friends and well-wishers gathered tosay goodbye to the man described by fellow Bath veteran GarethChilcott as someone who summed up rugby.
Speaking at the service, Mr Chilcott said of the self-employedbuilder: "A piece of rugby folklore has gone in the passing ofRobbie.
"Its nice to be important but it's more important to be nice andRobbie was both."
The Bristol-born …
A MATTER OF DEGREE
WORKPLACE
AMERICA'S ENTIRE science and engineering workforce totals 4.7 million, according to statistics recently released by the National Science Foundation. But surprisingly, more than a fifth of those workers do not have at least a four-year degree: 811,000 have associates' degrees, and 225,200 have just high school diplomas.The majority of the workforce, 48 percent, have bachelor's degrees. Twenty-two percent have master's, 7 percent have earned doctorates, and 2 percent professional degrees. Most of those without a four-year degree-492,900-work in engineering, although …
US-China talks will include currency issues
Administration officials say they will urge the Chinese to continue allowing their currency to rise in value against the dollar and to avoid raising protectionist trade barriers amid the global economic crisis.
Treasury Undersecretary David McCormick told reporters the Bush administration believes need for …
Haas ties for top at Houston
Jay Haas survived his "worst swing of the week" on the 17th holeto shoot a sizzling 67 yesterday in the third round of the $500,000Houston Open to move into a three-way tie with Calvin Peete and TomWatson for the lead at 11-under-par.
The leaders are at 205 heading into today's final round.
Watson birdied five of his first six holes. It appeared hewould run away from the field early, but his play cooled on the backnine, and he bogeyed the last two holes to settle for a 4-under-par68.
"It was an exciting round today," Watson said. "It's nice to bewhere I am. I've not been there enough recently."
Two strokes behind the leaders were Wayne Grady and …
Jury Rules for Ex-Officers in Lawsuit
DETROIT - Two former police officers were awarded $6.5 million on Tuesday in a whistle-blower lawsuit that alleged extramarital affairs by the mayor and other misdeeds by his security unit.
The Wayne County Circuit Court jury agreed that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and the city unlawfully dismissed the officers and violated the state's Whistleblower Protection Act.
Kilpatrick, 36, denied the allegations against him and said the city would appeal the verdict.
"I'm absolutely blown away at this decision. I know Detroiters are, too," he said, adding that it wouldn't affect his mayoral duties. "I'll be here tomorrow at work carrying my laptop, ready to do my job as …
French fishermen skirmish with police while farmers block oil terminals in fuel price protests
Farmers have blockaded oil terminals across France and police have skirmished with fishermen protesting soaring fuel prices.
The farmers' protest builds on more than two weeks of demonstrations and port disruptions by French fishermen demanding that the government guarantee an affordable fixed fuel rate.
Hundreds of farmers used tractors to bar the entrance to oil …
Arizona town opens time capsule, can't find brandy
A town in Arizona is missing a 25-year-old bottle of brandy.
When officials in Somerton opened a time capsule Saturday, they discovered mementos from 1985 _ but didn't find a bottle of Mexican brandy that was supposed to be in the capsule.
Somerton street and solid waste supervisor Pancho Soto was part of the crew that buried the time capsule.
He says he was surprised when it was opened and there was no bottle of brandy. Soto says it was there when the crew buried the capsule in concrete along Main Street.
The time capsule did contain letters from Somerton residents, photographs, a VHS tape and a 1981 Time magazine with a picture of President Ronald Reagan on the cover.
___
Information from: The Sun, http://www.yumasun.com
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Abandoned gold mine may shelter lab experiments from cosmic rays
DEADWOOD, S.D.--The company that owns the old Homestake gold minetemporarily has backed off plans to turn off pumps and let the 8,000-foot-deep shafts and tunnels flood, an official said Thursday.
Scientists want to turn the mine into the world's deepestunderground laboratory for a variety of experiments that need to beshielded from cosmic rays by dense layers of rock. A proposal beingreviewed for consideration by the National Science Foundation wouldestablish a series of laboratories in mine tunnels.
Opponents of the company's plan say the water that naturally seepsinto the mine will endanger the hoists, pumps, power station andother essential maintenance equipment, said Tom Nelson, mayor ofLead, where the mine is located.
The mayor obtained a preliminary court order Monday that preventedthe Canadian firm Barrick Gold Corp. from turning off the pumps.
A hearing on a permanent order was scheduled for Thursday, butJudge Warren G. Johnson dismissed the case after learning thatBarrick would meet with Lead officials.
Nelson said he would talk privately with Barrick officials nextweek. A message left with the company Thursday evening was notimmediately returned.
Before it shut down in 2001, the mine had operated almostcontinuously since 1876, producing 10 percent of all the gold everfound in this country.
Barrick has said it no longer wants to maintain the mine becauseit costs $300,000 a month. Although Congress has provided $10 millionfor that purpose, a Barrick official has said the company is notinterested in federal assistance.
Alfred Mann, a University of Pennsylvania physicist who traveledto Lead on Tuesday to protest Barrick's decision to turn off pumps inthe mine, was pleased that the firm has changed its mind. MichellePercy, Lead city attorney, said court action could be resumed if nextweek's talks do not go well.
AP
Wanted man breaks brother out of jail
ATHENS, Greece - One of the most wanted men in Greece pulled off adaring jail break, landing a helicopter in a prison yard to pick uphis brother and another inmate before fleeing in a fog of smoke,police said.
Police said Nikos Palaiokostas and another man forced the pilot ofa private helicopter to fly from a southern Greek resort to Athens'maximum security Korydallos prison, where they threw smoke flaresinto the yard as they landed, causing confusion.
They then bundled Palaiokostas' brother Vassilis and anotherinmate aboard and flew away.
After landing in a nearby cemetery, the two men sped off onmotorcycles with the escaped convicts, leaving the pilot behind,police said. The pilot was later detained.
Vassilis Palaiokostas, 40, was serving a 25-year sentence for thekidnapping of a Greek businessman. The other escaped prisoner,Albanian Alket Rizai, 32, was serving a life sentence formanslaughter.
Nikos Palaiokostas, 46, is one of Greece's most wanted men whoescaped from prison himself in 1990. He had been imprisoned for hisrole in a series of bank robberies, and was charged in absentia forthe same kidnapping as his brother.
Police did not identify the fourth man suspected in the escape.
Agassi, Hingis top seeds for U.S. Open
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. Defending men's champion Andre Agassi and 1997winner Martina Hingis were seeded No. 1 today for next week's U.S.Open tennis championships.
Agassi, who edged Todd Martin in a five-set final last year, wasseeded No. 1 at America's premier tennis tournament for only thesecond time in his career. He was the top seed in 1995 when he lostthe title match to Pete Sampras, and he was unseeded when he won theU.S. Open in 1994.
Agassi being seeded No. 1 makes it the ninth consecutive year anAmerican has been top-seeded in the men's singles.
Brazil's Gustavo Kuerten, the reigning French Open champion,received the No. 2 seeding, joining Marcelo Rios of Chile (1998) andGuillermo Vilas of Argentina (1975) as the only South Americans to beseeded as high as No. 2 in U.S. Open history.
Hingis, who has played in the last three women's singles finals,is seeded No. 1 for a fourth consecutive year. Lindsay Davenport, the1998 winner, is seeded No. 2 for a third consecutive year, whileWimbledon champion Venus Williams is seeded No. 3 for a secondstraight year.
Reigning French Open champion Mary Pierce of France is seededfourth, followed by defending women's champion Serena Williams.
Jennifer Capriati is seeded No. 15, her first U.S. Open seedingsince 1993.
The seedings were made directly from the Aug. 21 Sanex WTA Tourrankings and ATP Tour Entry System.
Following Agassi and Kuerten in the men's rankings are: Norman,Sampras, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Marat Safin, Thomas Enqvist, AlexCorretja, Lleyton Hewitt, Cedric Pioline, Tim Henman, Juan CarlosFerrero, Franco Squillari, Nicolas Kiefer, Mark Philippoussis andNicolas Lapentti.
Monica Seles is seeded sixth in the women's singles, followed byConchita Martinez, Nathalie Tauziat, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, AnkeHuber, Sandrine Testud, Anna Kournikova, Amanda Coetzer, DominiqueVan Roost, Capriati and Julie Halard-Decugis.
Associated Press
Verplank, Mayfair take early PGA lead (2-under)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Former U.S. Amateur champions Scott Verplankand Billy Mayfair shot 2-under-par 70s today to share the lead amongthe early finishers in the 72nd PGA Championship.
Verplank, who once had a 5-under total in the round, fell backwith a bogey-5 on the 15th hole and a double bogey-7 on No. 17 whenhis tee shot strayed into some woods,
Mayfair had four birdies and two bogeys in his trip around the7,145-yard Shoal Creek golf club course.
Verplank was the national amateur champion in 1984 and Mayfairwon the title three years ago.
Chip Beck of Chicago was 3-under with three holes to play.
England's Nick Faldo, seeking a third major title this year, anddefending champion Payne Stewart opened with 71s.
Faldo, winner of the Masters and British Open, was trying tobecome the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three majortitles in one season.
U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin, playing in the same threesomewith Faldo and Stewart, struggled to a 5-over-par 77.
Curtis Strange was 7-over for 16 holes and Jack Nicklaus was6-over through 14.
Woman in Iran stoning case denies flogging
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An Iranian woman facing death by stoning after being convicted for adultery appeared on state TV to say she has not been whipped or tortured.
Sakineh Mohammad Ashtiani, whose stoning sentence was suspended in July, was allegedly given 99 lashes on Sept. 2 after a British newspaper ran a picture of an unveiled woman mistakenly identified as Ashtiani, her lawyer said at the time.
"I have not been tortured, at all. All these words are my own words. Nobody has forced me to appear before camera and whatever I say is my own words," said a blurry image of a woman identified as Ashtiani in brief video footage broadcast Wednesday.
She said reports that she had been lashed for the photograph were "false and rumors."
The case has caused an international uproar with several countries condemning the sentence and treatment of the woman.
This is the second time Ashtiani has appeared on television to counter some of the outrage over the case. The first time was in August when she appeared on TV and confessed to being an accomplice to her husband's murder.
Her lawyer, Javid Houtan Kian, said he suspected she was tortured into the televised confession.
Human Rights Watch says the 43-year-old Ashtiani, who is a mother of two, was first convicted in May 2006 of having an "illicit relationship" with two men following the death of her husband and was sentenced by a court to 99 lashes.
Later that year she was also convicted of adultery and sentenced to be stoned, even though she retracted a confession which she claims was made under duress.
Her lawyer said there has been no change in her case and the stoning sentence was suspended in July but not officially canceled. He has said Ashtiani was never formally put on trial on the charge of being an accomplice to murder and was not allowed to mount a defense.
The plight of Ashtiani has caused a global outcry and widespread criticism of Iran's justice system, which still includes stoning.
Night raider sneaks into primary
A Primary school was the target of a break-in.
Kinellar Primary School, in Blackburn, was broken into in theearly hours of Sunday morning.
The raider sneaked in through a skylight between 1am and 2.15am,but left empty-handed.
BUSINESSWOMEN in the city are to get networking tips from theexperts.
Aberdeen Businesswomen's Network (ABN) is giving women the chanceto learn from Grannie Crawford from life coaching company WellConnected Life.
She is to be the keynote speaker at ABN's annual barbecue atNorwood Hall Hotel today.
A FLOWER festival is to have a "fit like" theme this year. TheSummerhill Parish Church venue has given the festival the unusualname because it is to cover Aberdeen historical themes.
The festival will run from Friday until Sunday and open Friday andSaturday from 10am to 4pm, Sunday 2pm to 4pm.
A MAN who went missing from his Buckie home has been found safeand well.
Arshad Ali, 30, stayed with friends after he was reported missingin July.
Grampian Police thanked members of the public for help duringtheir inquiries.
THE University of Aberdeen is holding an open day today from8.45am until 3.30pm.
The University-wide pre-application open day is aimed mainly atthose interested in coming to study at the university next September though late applicants for 2007 can also attend.
Russian Expels 4 British Diplomats
MOSCOW - Russia said Thursday it will expel four British diplomats and suspend counterterrorism cooperation with London, the latest move in a mounting confrontation over the radiation poisoning death of former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko.
Britain had announced Monday the expulsion of four Russian diplomats and restrictions on visas issued to Russian government officials after Moscow refused to extradite Andrei Lugovoi, accused of killing Litvinenko in London last November.
The dispute marks a new low in relations between Moscow and London, which had already been troubled by Russia's opposition to the war in Iraq, Britain's refusal to extradite exiled tycoon Boris Berezovsky to face embezzlement charges, and by Kremlin allegations last year of spying by British diplomats.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin announced the expulsions after summoning British Ambassador Anthony Brenton to the ministry and informing him.
Kamynin described Russia's response as "targeted, balanced and the minimum necessary." He contended that Russia was forced to respond, saying Britain had made a "conscious choice of worsening relations with our country."
Foreign Secretary David Miliband expressed disappointment.
"We obviously believe that the decision to expel four embassy staff is completely unjustified and we will be doing everything to ensure that they and their families are properly looked after," he said.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on Moscow to heed British demands and extradite Lugovoi - the first time America's senior diplomat has weighed in on the dispute.
"This is an issue of rule of law to our minds, not an issue of politics," Rice said at a news conference in Portugal, where she was attending a conference on Middle East peace. "It is a matter of Russia cooperating fully in what is simply an effort to solve what was a very terrible crime committed on British soil."
Russia says such extraditions are prohibited by its constitution and characterized Britain's demand as an attempt to interfere in Moscow's internal affairs.
"We are disappointed that the Russian government should have signaled no new cooperation in the extradition of Mr. Andrei Lugovoi for the alleged murder of Alexander Litvinenko," Miliband said.
"We are, however, much heartened that over the last 36 hours across the international community, European countries, the EU as a whole and the United States should have put out such positive statements about the need to defend the integrity of the British judicial system, and that is something that we shall be taking forward with the international community over the next few days and weeks," Miliband said.
Litvinenko, a fierce Kremlin critic, died Nov. 23 after ingesting radioactive polonium-210. From his deathbed, he said Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind his poisoning.
A letter from Russia's ambassador in London denounced claims of Kremlin involvement in Litvinenko's murder.
"It is preposterous to assert that the killing of Alexander Litvinenko 'appears to have the clear backing, if not the active assistance, of the Russian government,'" Ambassador Yuri Fedotov wrote in a letter to The Times, responding to an editorial published Tuesday.
Fedotov said there is nothing sinister in Russia's refusal to hand over Lugovoi, and reaffirmed Russia's offer to put him on trial at home if British authorities provide enough evidence.
Fedotov, who has been uncharacteristically visible in British media this week, said that how far the standoff goes depends on the "political will" of the British government.
"The Russian government values its relations with the U.K. and respects its laws and constitutional arrangement," Fedotov wrote. "A close relationship, of course, requires that the British government does the same."
British police said Wednesday that it had apprehended and deported a suspected Russian assassin who was reportedly planning to murder Berezovsky in June. The tycoon accused the Kremlin of being behind that plot.
Kamynin also said Russia would stop issuing visas to British officials and seeking British visas for Russian officials until London provides more information on the restrictions it has imposed.
"Until the new procedure is explained, Russian officials will not request British visas. And analogous requests by British officials will not be considered," he said.
He also said Moscow would suspend cooperation against terror.
"To our regret, cooperation between Russia and Britain on issues of fighting terrorism becomes impossible," Kamynin said.
He did not elaborate, and the extent of current cooperation - with ties already damaged by Russian intelligence services' accusations of British spying - was unclear.
Natalia Leshchenko, an analyst at the Global Insight think tank, said on BBC TV that Britain and Russia do cooperate against terror, but suggested the suspension was mainly meant to tarnish the new government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown in the eyes of its own people.
"The cooperation itself is there and we can also say it can be exaggerated if needed to show that Gordon Brown acts against the British people. At least that's what they are saying to the Russian public at the moment," Leshchenko said.
Kamynin said the interests of tourists and businessmen would not be hurt. He said that on visa issues Russia would mirror Britain's actions from now on.
---
Associated Press writers Jim Heintz and Tariq Panja contributed to this report from London.
National League Leaders
| NATIONAL LEAGUE |
|---|
BATTING_JosReyes, New York, .335; Braun, Milwaukee, .329; Kemp, Los Angeles, .318; Votto, Cincinnati, .317; Morse, Washington, .312; Pence, Philadelphia, .309; Helton, Colorado, .306; ArRamirez, Chicago, .306.
RUNS_Braun, Milwaukee, 96; JUpton, Arizona, 96; Kemp, Los Angeles, 94; Votto, Cincinnati, 93; Pujols, St. Louis, 91; CGonzalez, Colorado, 89; Stubbs, Cincinnati, 88.
RBI_Fielder, Milwaukee, 108; Howard, Philadelphia, 108; Kemp, Los Angeles, 107; Tulowitzki, Colorado, 103; Braun, Milwaukee, 95; Votto, Cincinnati, 91; Bruce, Cincinnati, 89; CGonzalez, Colorado, 89.
HITS_SCastro, Chicago, 182; Bourn, Atlanta, 171; Kemp, Los Angeles, 167; Votto, Cincinnati, 166; Pence, Philadelphia, 165; Braun, Milwaukee, 164; BPhillips, Cincinnati, 162.
DOUBLES_JUpton, Arizona, 38; Tulowitzki, Colorado, 36; Braun, Milwaukee, 35; Beltran, San Francisco, 34; Holliday, St. Louis, 34; CaLee, Houston, 34; Pence, Philadelphia, 34; Votto, Cincinnati, 34.
TRIPLES_JosReyes, New York, 16; Fowler, Colorado, 15; Victorino, Philadelphia, 15; SCastro, Chicago, 9; SSmith, Colorado, 9; Bourn, Atlanta, 8; Maybin, San Diego, 7; Parra, Arizona, 7; Venable, San Diego, 7.
HOME RUNS_Pujols, St. Louis, 34; Uggla, Atlanta, 33; Kemp, Los Angeles, 32; Stanton, Florida, 32; Fielder, Milwaukee, 31; Howard, Philadelphia, 31; Berkman, St. Louis, 30; Tulowitzki, Colorado, 30.
STOLEN BASES_Bourn, Atlanta, 51; Kemp, Los Angeles, 37; Stubbs, Cincinnati, 37; Maybin, San Diego, 35; JosReyes, New York, 35; Bonifacio, Florida, 34; Braun, Milwaukee, 31.
PITCHING_IKennedy, Arizona, 19-4; Kershaw, Los Angeles, 17-5; Halladay, Philadelphia, 16-5; ClLee, Philadelphia, 16-7; DHudson, Arizona, 15-9; Gallardo, Milwaukee, 15-10; Greinke, Milwaukee, 14-6; Hamels, Philadelphia, 14-7; THudson, Atlanta, 14-9.
STRIKEOUTS_Kershaw, Los Angeles, 222; ClLee, Philadelphia, 204; Lincecum, San Francisco, 200; Halladay, Philadelphia, 195; IKennedy, Arizona, 178; AniSanchez, Florida, 173; Greinke, Milwaukee, 172.
SAVES_Kimbrel, Atlanta, 43; Axford, Milwaukee, 41; Putz, Arizona, 38; HBell, San Diego, 36; Hanrahan, Pittsburgh, 36; BrWilson, San Francisco, 35; Storen, Washington, 34.
Monday, March 12, 2012
MORNINGLINE
Sarkozy sets conditions for attending Olympic opening ceremony
President Nicolas Sarkozy could boycott the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics unless China releases political prisoners and opens a dialogue with the Dalai Lama, one of his Cabinet ministers was quoted as saying Saturday.
In an interview with Le Monde, Human Rights Minister Rama Yade raised concerns about China's human rights record and set out a list of conditions needed if Sarkozy is to take part in the Aug. 8 ceremony, the newspaper said.
"Without human rights, China will never be a true world power," Yade was quoted as saying. She said Sarkozy planned to consult his European Union partners and would make his decision based on how the situation evolves.
Violent protests in Tibet, the most serious challenge in almost two decades to China's rule in the region, have forced France, other governments and human rights campaigners to re-examine their approach to the Aug. 8-24 games.
Sarkozy spokesman Frank Louvrier declined to comment on Yade's interview. The president has said himself that he cannot rule out the possibility he might boycott the opening ceremony if China continues its crackdown in Tibet. Asked last month about his plans, Sarkozy said he could "not close the door to any possibility."
Outspoken Yade has sometimes taken positions that are tougher than those of the rest of Sarkozy's government. A spokeswoman for the minister said she had no information on whether Yade had cleared her comments with Sarkozy's office before speaking to Le Monde. Prime Minister Francois Fillon, traveling in the city of Le Mans, declined to comment, saying Le Monde had not reached the region he was visiting.
Yade was quoted as telling Le Monde: "We don't want to give lessons, but we are asking China to respect its commitments."
She listed conditions for Sarkozy to attend the opening ceremony: "an end to violence against the population and the liberation of political prisoners; light shed on the events in Tibet; and the opening of a dialogue with the Dalai Lama."
Yade was quoted as saying France was pressing for the immediate release of Chinese civil rights activist Hu Jia, sentenced Thursday to 3 1/2 years in prison on subversion charges. She called the conviction "a real disappointment" for France.
Protests in Tibet last month also spread to other parts of China. The Chinese government said 22 people died in the violence and crackdown, but Tibetan exiles claim about 140 people were killed. Beijing has accused Dalai Lama supporters of orchestrating the violence, a charge the spiritual leader has repeatedly denied.
The violence has cast a spotlight on China's human rights record in the Himalayan region, and shattered the Chinese government's hopes for a peaceful run-up to the Olympics.
On Friday, French athletes said they want to wear a badge marked "For a better world" at the Olympics, to show support for human rights in the wake of China's crackdown in Tibet. The athletes said they plan to lobby the International Olympic Committee for permission to wear the badge.
Woman Trapped in SUV Says She Called 911
SEATTLE - A woman who survived more than a week in the wreckage of her sport utility vehicle woke up in her hospital bed Monday and told her husband she remembers making a 911 call, he said.
"She was very coherent and she remembered being trapped, which is kind of devastating all by itself, and she believes she made a 911 call," Tom Rider told The Associated Press.
It was not clear if the call was made. Tom Rider he has asked authorities to review his wife's cell phone records.
Investigators believe his wife, Tanya Rider, ran off the road Sept. 20 while driving home after working an overnight shift at a department store. Search crews using cell phone technology found her Thursday in her mangled SUV in a ravine off a highway in Renton, southeast of Seattle.
Tom Rider has bitterly described his fight to get authorities to search for his wife. Last week, King County Sheriff Sue Rahr ordered a review of all 911 calls related to the case, saying that if any mistakes were made, they'll be addressed.
"The only reason I'm giving the governor and the sheriff the benefit of the doubt is that her mind could have played tricks on her being trapped for eight days," Tom Rider said.
A King County sheriff's spokesman did not return a call for comment Monday.
Rider said he has not reviewed the registry of outgoing calls on his wife's cell phone, but doesn't believe the call would show up because 911 calls he made recently on his cell phone don't show up among his outgoing calls.
The 33-year-old woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition suffering from kidney failure, dehydration, a badly injured left leg, a broken collar bone and a deep gash on her forehead. She was upgraded to serious condition on Sunday.
Tom Rider said Monday his wife was "doing much better than anyone could ever expect." He said she was undergoing surgery for damage to her forehead, and to close up skin on her injured left leg, which doctors have said they hope they will not have to amputate.
U.S. Army Pacific: Engaged Globally
The Pacific century is off to a running start. The future of the U.S. Army is intrinsically tied to the Pacific region, as our vision statement implies: One team-Combat ready, technologically advanced Theater Army forces with an expeditionary command-and-control headquarters advancing security, stability and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Today's U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) soldiers are leading the way-conducting exercises in support of the U.S. Pacific Command's (USPACOM) theater security cooperation program (TSCP) and providing trained and ready forces for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a member of the USPA-COM team, we provide well-trained and well-equipped forces, including Stryker-equipped units conditioned in environmental extremes-from Alaska's tundra to the Pacific tropics-and terrain from mountains to desert. We offer the right force for any type of operation.
The opportunities and challenges of the Pacific region are unique. Sheer size-41 countries, 16 time zones, 50 percent of the Earth's surface and 56 percent of the world's population-truly presents a tyranny of distance, as our area spans 9,000 miles from Anchorage to Madagascar. Although the Pacific is often viewed as a maritime theater, it is important to note that seven of the world's 10 largest armies are within our area of responsibility, as well as three of the four most populous countries. Five of the seven nations that have signed mutual defense treaties with the United States are in the Pacific; two of the three active operations plans are also within the region; and 38 percent of all U.S. trade-$1.1 trillion-traverses the Pacific. Simply viewing the Pacific region as a maritime theater undersells the importance of Army forces to this strategically vital area.
As Henry Kissinger recently opined, there is "a shift in the center of gravity of international affairs from the Atlantic to the Pacific and Indian Oceans. ... The major states of Asia ... view each other ... as inherent competitors, even when they occasionally participate in cooperative ventures. ... Economic and financial globalization, environmental and energy imperatives, and the destructive power of modern weapons all impose a major effort at global cooperation." Equally significant: Terrorism, weapons proliferation, illegal narcotics, illegal immigration and piracy pose major threats to the stability of the region.
Transformation continues to be a major focus for USARPAC in this diverse and dynamic theater. Our modular design facilitates a global focus and global availability of assigned operational forces. New modular formations add dramatic operational mobility and ready and relevant power to the Pacific and out-of-theater expeditionary forces. Four Stryker brigade combat teams (BCT), one Infantry BCT, an Airborne Infantry BCT and a combat aviation brigade have completed transformation. We have activated the 311th Signal Command (Theater), the 8th Theater Sustainment Command and the 94th Army Air Missile Defense Command; we have also relocated the 8th Military Police Brigade from Korea to Hawaii. These theater-enabling commands permit full spectrum response capability across the Pacific. We will complete this part of our transformation by also standing up the 18th Theater Medical Command over the next year.
An important development associated with transformation is the creation of several new d�ployable headquarters throughout the Pacific region. The Theater Army (TA) Operational Command Post (OCP) in Hawaii stood up in June 2007, with the Main Command Post (MCP) beginning its transformation in June 2008. The Early Entry Command Post (EECP) of our TA is located in Alaska and augments the U.S. Army Alaska Headquarters. When their transformation is complete, both EECP and OCP will provide the USPACOM commander added flexible command and control throughout the region.
Along with transformation, USAR-PAC is heavily engaged in support of USPACOM's Phase O operations and TSCP. We build capacity and capability, enhance interoperability and strengthen the bonds of friendship with our neighbors and allies-39 countries-through numerous exercises and exchanges in the region. These engagements reassure friends and allies of America's long-term commitment to peace and stability throughout the Pacific region. This year, we will participate in approximately 75 events, including Joint, bilateral and multilateral exercises in China, India, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, South Korea and Cambodia. Yama Sakura is the most important bilateral exercise the U.S. Army conducts with our closest ally in the Pacific, Japan. In the past, I Corps played the pivotal partner and training role, acting as an Army forces, Joint force land component command or Joint task force headquarters. During this year's exercise in December, we will test and train the transformed TA command-and-control structure, including the MCP, OCP and EECP, as well as four of our theater-enabling commands. When the TA assumes point from I Corps in Yama Sakura, we will also be further strengthening our ties to the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force and serving as full partners for its ongoing efforts to integrate its service components into Joint operations, while furthering our own transformation efforts.
As part of the war on terrorism, USARPAC operates a Joint task force and is the executive agent for homeland defense for the USPACOM commander. This very important mission executes land domain operations to deter terrorist threats to the United States, including responding to and recovering from natural and man-made disasters. The Joint Task Force-Homeland Defense (JTF-HD) Joint area of operations includes the United States, its territories, possessions and commonwealths, and the compact nations in the Pacific. As part of JTF-HD, we participate in numerous exchanges, exercises, drills and workshops. These multiagency, multiservice exercises increase interoperability and information exchange between local authorities, first responders and state offices. USARPAC enjoys a dynamic collaboration with a full complement of Joint-interagency partners in order to synchronize DoD response capability in anticipation of requirements pre- and postcrisis events. JTF-HD validates its mission readiness in "real-world" responses as evidenced by the recent satellite shoot-down and was fully prepared for "consequence management." The JTF-HD series of full-scale exercises includes the annual hurricane exercise Makani Pahili, the pandemic-response exercise Lightning Rescue and several other DoD-centric homeland-defense tier I and tier II exercises. USARPAC is well-postured and well-trained to support and respond to threats or disasters in the Pacific region.
USARPAC continues to support the war on terrorism; our current operations tempo and deployments are testament to that resolve and commitment. We currently have more than 7,000 soldiers and professional civilians deployed to 19 locations in support of 21 operations. US-ARPAC supports Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines by providing the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines QSOTF-P) personnel with support from within the USARPAC and its theater enabler brigades. USPACOM established JSOTF-P to combat the regional war on terrorism as part of the greater war on terrorism. USARPAC also provides a security force to the command to assist with the hardening of facilities and provides convoy security and escorts during operations outside the base camp. These operations are linked to Exercise Balikatan by way of humanitarian assistance and civil/military operations, thus employing all aspects of counterinsurgency operations.
While balancing demands and challenges of transformation, the war on terrorism and TSCP, we remain absolutely committed to the quality of service for our soldiers, families and professional civilian workforce. The Army is investing heavily in military construction projects to improve where nearly 50,000 soldiers and civilians and more than 70,000 family members work, live and play. In Hawaii and Alaska, there are planned multiyear projects-including new barracks, motorpools, child-development centers, family housing and fire stations-totaling more than $4 billion. USARPAC is committed to sustaining the all-volunteer force, taking care of Army families and fostering positive community relations. Army Community Covenant signings are scheduled this year at Forts Wainwright, Greely and Richardson, Alaska, as well as Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. These signings recognize the broad support for and commitment to Army soldiers and families on the part of civic and business leaders, educators, and state and local government officials. USARPAC takes pride in the effective relationships and partnerships with the states and local communities at large.
The environment continues to be a priority for our command. We are committed to environmental responsibility that protects threatened and endangered species. The Army is protecting our environment with programs such as renewable energy sources for more than 11,000 homes for Army families. These energy-efficient homes use solar-power heaters, photovoltaic cells and radiant barriers under shingles, as well as low-flow fixtures to conserve water. We are committed to preservation of the lands entrusted to us, protection of sites of cultural or historic importance, and "green" building initiatives.
USARPAC is globally engaged and ready to meet current and future challenges. We are committed to defending U.S. interests and are well-postured and committed to the Pacific region and our nation.
[Sidebar]
Battery B (Banditos), 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, was the first Army unit to fire the 155 mm M777A2 lightweight howitzer in Baghdad, Iraq.
[Sidebar]
Army personnel distribute hurricane preparedness information at the command post of Makani Pahili 2008, an annual U.S. Pacific Command-directed Joint task force exercise.
[Sidebar]
Soldiers from Company C, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash., receive last-minute instructions on the operation of the M4 carbine during an exercise in India.
A U.S. Army Special Forces soldier floats above the ground during a friendship jump between the U.S. Army Special Forces and Armed Forces of the Philippines special operations members as part of Exercise Balikatan 2008.
[Sidebar]
Army family housing at Schofield Barracks uses the latest in "green" technology, including solar panels that provide energy to heat water.
[Author Affiliation]
By Lt. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon
Commanding General, U.S. Army Pacific
[Author Affiliation]
LT. GEN. BENJAMIN R. MIXON is the commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific. He previously commanded the 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. From July 2006 to October 2007, he deployed the division serving as the commander of Task Force Lightning and Multi-National Division-North in Iraq. Gen. Mixon was commissioned as a secand lieutenant of Infantry upon graduation from North Georgia College. His first assignment was 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, where he served as a rifle platoon leader, scout platoon leader, company executive officer and company commander. He later commanded Company B, l-15th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), and Company C, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Later command experience includes the 3-325th Airborne Battalion Combat Team in Italy and 1st Brigade, 327th Infantry Regiment, Wist Airborne Division (Air Assault). He served as the chief of staff, 101st Airborne Division; director of Joint Training and Exercises for the U.S. Joint Forces Command; and the assistant division commander (Operations) for the 82nd Airborne Division. Gen. Mixon served as chief of staff, XVIH Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C., during which time he was forward deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan, where he participated in OEF as the director of the staff of the Combined Joint Task Force-180. Upon return, he served as the director of Operations, J-3, U.S. Southern Command. Gen. Mixon is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Combined Arms Service Staff School, Command and General Staff College, School of Advanced Military Studies and the U.S. Army War College. Gen. Mixon has an MPA from Western Kentucky University and a master's degree in military art and science, theater operations, from the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
North Idaho; cover artist profile; ART EXCAVATION; The singular geography of artist David Giese
Visiting artist David Giese a few days past Halloween this fall, his front garden was filled with green webbing strung among frost-dead plants and sculptures. Ferocious looking rubber rats and dressed skeletons peered out from behind curtained windows in the foyer, indicating that here was a man who housed a potentially dark sense of humor. The house even looked scary, the stereotype of every haunted house inside every creeped-out kid's mind. Giese's home overlooks a city park in the heart of Moscow, Idaho, but if not for the busy street, the view out the front windows of his home would transport one to the English countryside, or maybe a Northern Italian villa with a view of the forest--which is precisely where the inspiration for his art comes from.
I entered the house and heard opera music playing lightly in the background of Giese's living room, which was richly adorned with art and opulent artifacts. Baroque, oriental and Renaissance influenced furniture mixed with a hint of modern boudoir appeal and filling the room with the warmth of deep reds, golds and deep earthy tones. An orange tabby played at my feet, rolling around on an oriental carpet. Soon a second orange tabby overcame his shyness and made an appearance.
Named for the Italian and Armenian words for gold, the cats jumped on the delicate furniture, threatening to knock over ornate lamps but never doing so. Clocks throughout the house chimed at seemingly random times. Collectables from around the world adorned every wall, tucked in corners and around the room creating a cozy but not necessarily claustrophobic feeling. Although Giese said he's lived there just six years, it seemed like a house filled with a lifetime of memories.
Ancient frescos and architectural pieces adorned the walls of his home. But wait. These are his works, his creations, and further inspection reveals tiny details that they aren't ancient at all, but modern knockoffs of historical paintings. I recognized some of the figures in the paintings, some of the styles from Renaissance, Classical and other period painters. But I don't recall seeing them in these arrangements, ever. A building in one of the frescoes comes from a famous painting, I am sure of it. The figure standing in front of it from another, yet it baffles the mind to conceive of newly discovered works by these masters long since dead. Which is precisely what Giese is trying to do: baffle. Baffle and maybe generate a little interest in the masters by making their art live on in new works. He came across as a shy man, avoiding eye contact until I got to know him a little better. Reluctant to speak about some things, fidgeting with his hands, we took the time to chat, to get to know each other a little, before the intimacy of the interview began to loosen us both up.
Raised in Minnesota, Giese graduated from Minnesota State University Mankato, where he first attended to become biophysicist. He didn't take his first art class until he was a junior. But he said that class changed his life.
"I asked myself, 'Who do you want to spend your life around?'" he said over a beer at the local bar we had migrated to. "Biophysicists or artists?"
After changing majors mid-stream, he still managed to graduate in four years. Because he forgot to notify the draft board of his intentions to go to graduate school, he ended up getting drafted in to the army during the Vietnam War. Ironically, he said he was really glad that happened, because he ended up becoming an arts and crafts specialist--not a common army job he added--and got to travel the entire Pacific theater. While serving at a military base in Arizona, he applied to the University of Arizona, Tuscon, graduate school, where he received his MFAs, one in photography and one in ceramics. He got a job in Milwaukee for five years, then in 1977, a job opened up at the Univeristy of Idaho's College of Art and Architecture in Moscow where he ran the foundations program for 14 years.
In 1986, Giese received a seed grant from the university and had a one-person show at the Boise Art Museum (since then he has had over 19 one-man shows at various institutions). He was in the process of perfecting a laminating process at the time and was using expandable foam in a new sculptural technique. Central to the theme of the works, he created an imaginary place, a villa in Italy where his works, which resembled ancient, salvaged architectural pieces with partially peeling frescos supposedly came from. He created 54 pieces for the show between July 7 and September 10 of that year, including crates and mounting systems, an accomplishment for any artist. Sandy Harthorne, the Boise Art Museum curator loved the show and helped get it into other museums. It then traveled to 12 institutions for two-and-a-half years during 1988 to 1991.
During that time, Giese traveled to the show openings to lecture and hobnob with the artistic illuminati of those cities. While he still loves to travel, he finds that living in Moscow suits him. "Moscow is a great place to function out of," he said. "I can get so much more accomplished here. But it would be a horrible place to be if you felt trapped."
He has found distractions in Moscow other than traveling, teaching or creating his works of art. For 14 years, he and several others ran Moscow's version of Mardi Gras, which eventually got so big--with the balls, bus tours, parties and more parties--that the city changed parade rules to tone it down. Now they really don't have that anymore, he said. After turning 60 last year, Giese stays involved with the local arts community, as a member of the Moscow Arts Commission, to which he was appointed this past summer.
Giese's work centers around a central idea, which he calls "the rise and fall of tastes." He explained over dinner that an archeological record is like wallpaper. People keep putting new wallpaper up over the old in a house. Before wallpaper, however, Italians would do the same by plastering old decoration with new. As time wore on, earthquakes and disrepair would reveal what was underneath as pieces of the newer plaster fell off.
"I began to understand as an undergrad how people viewed art," he said. "I would go to a museum and would spend more time in the museum bookstore than in the galleries. But I also began to be interested in watching people go to museums. There seems to be two types of people, those who read everything--the signage accompanying the art--and those who didn't."
As a result of this insight, Giese began to conceive of works that were based in history, or as he put it, "Bridging the gaps between the explanation of the truth and the unknown." His postmodern works are a fantastical creation. Typical of other postmodern artists' appropriation of others' works and liberal use of parody, he has created a fictionalized place that he bases all his works upon. But despite the rich history and story behind every work he creates, "I do the work first and then come up with the story," he said. "I think the work is the primary."
While his works imitate ancient artifacts dug up from archeological sites, they are made from extremely high-tech and expensive materials, some of which are developed and used exclusively by Giese himself. While the finished works seem extremely heavy, as if made from three inch thick plaster or ancient concrete, they are in reality quite light, a large piece weighing a fraction of what it would be if made of natural or man-made stone. While his proprietary techniques have been developed through experimentation and with the precision of a scientist, they are not patented. But neither does he teach his students about the techniques in classes, since he said that the materials cost alone are usually out of the range of student's budgets. Besides, why would he want to reveal his secrets?
Beginning in what he thinks was "around 1992," Giese started experimenting with two-dimensional frescos. He scanned classical paintings into a computer, collaged them into new works, outputting them onto colored prints and imbedding them chemically into his unique concrete chemical mixtures. As a result of the chemical science he has developed, he has created a technique that may last as long or longer than original fresco technique. He was also very interested in carrying the two-dimensional elements of paintings, many of which depicted drapery on the edges, into the three-dimensional drapes of the surrounding sculptural works of his pieces.
While one may see recurring elements in some of his works, such as a cupid head or gargoyle face replicated within the same piece, Giese's array of molds have been collected over a lifetime. His art dealer in New York City gave him carte blanche to make molds of his private collection, which includes thousands of pieces, stretching back to the Greco-Roman era. Giese found some of his best samples this way.
While his works are rich, detailed and fascinating to look at for their beauty of mimicry, the backstory he creates for each piece makes one chuckle long after looking at the work. His works are even more enjoyable when one is aware of the inside jokes and satire that he sometimes puts in to the story. He has woven just about every key historical figure of the last thousand years into his backstories. They have all visited the villa and been infuenced in varying degrees by what they have seen. No historical figure is sacred. Giese even claims that Walt Disney was inspired by the degraded frescos and sculptures while visiting the villa. While there, Disney sketched the basis for many of the characters found in the cartoons he created and in turn, influenced an entire generation. By tapping in to what most people can relate to, the 20th century, Giese bridges the gap between the past and the present, even if the connection is false.
But some don't seem to get it. At the Boise Art Museum opening in 1988, Giese's works were shown alongside real drawings of Italian masters. Although clearly labeled as new works with modern dates, and with all the obvious show catalogues detailing that his works were new creations, people still proceeded to question the originality of the real (and ancient) master's drawings, preferring to believe that those were fake and that Giese's works were the real deal. He even overheard a woman telling her friends that she had visited the excavation site in Italy and what a tragedy it was that the Nazis destroyed most of it during WWII.
Confusion over what is real and what is not seems to surround his work, which is entirely what he is aiming for. When his Web site was up (it has been down for some time but plans to return it online are in the works) he received inquiries from archeology interns offering to work at the excavation site. At some shows he overhears people wondering, "How does he get these through customs?"
Institutions hosting his works seem to get in on the fun of the fiction as well. Wilamette University exhibited his show "Excavations at the Villa Bitricci" in the fall of 2001 and promoted it as real. The only clue in the exhibition description were a few carefully placed quotation marks to help attendees read between the lines: "In the early 1980s, while traveling in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, Professor David Giese discovered the remains of a fabulous country house/estate in the foothills of the Italian Alps. Based on archaeological, epigraphic, and literary evidence, Giese believes the house to be the longest continuously inhabited private residence in Europe, dating back to the 3rd century AD. The exhibition will feature a range of frescos and architectural fragments that the artist 'claims' to have excavated at the site."
Scouring the Internet for information about the Villa Bitricci, one can find references on study sites referring to his Web site, not as an artist's site, but as as an excavation worthy of study by students of archeology. They cite the fictional details as reality, which just makes the joke that much better.
One such site reads, "The structure that is the subject of this Web site was begun just after 200 C.E., and occupied as a private residence continually thereafter into the 20th century. First begun by Roman Emperor Caracalla as a last attempt to show the power and splendor of Rome, construction and renovation on the estate continued until it was stopped by the Fascists at the outbreak of World War II. It was owned through the centuries by powerful political and business leaders who each tried outdo the previous don in building and decoration. During the 13th to 18th centuries, many of Europe's foremost painters, sculptors, and architects were commissioned for projects at the villa. As a study site, this is a rich niche of history, art, and architecture. Students of archeaelogy may learn here from the exacting work of the those engaged in studying Villa Bitricci. They say that because so many people of intellectual prominence sojourned there, the art and architecture affected Western thinking in important ways, ranging from Thomas Jefferson's surveying theory to Max Wertheimer's gestalt psychology."
Like an urban myth, the "reality" of the Villa's made-up history seems to get replicated over and over across the Internet and may end up become a real place in historical textbooks and study materials. One just has to laugh at that.
Whereas the fake background stories can be humorous, Giese finds greater purpose in his works.
"What I like about my art is how it confronts your own basis of knowledge," he said. "There are layers of meaning. If that work is just a piece, can you imagine what the rest of the room in the villa looked like?"
The story Giese tells is that the villa has been visited by nearly every major artist and member intelligencia for the last 1,000 years. Each influenced the art and design of the villa in their own way while there. By imagining such a deep history over this period of time, Giese can tap into ancient Roman motifs to the Renaissance. But being fiction, he can also make it all up as he goes along. "When Jefferson visted the villa," Giese said with a storyteller's smirk, "he perceived the parts as making the whole. It inspired him to influence George Washington to conceive of separating the government and political areas into separate but equal parts."
After spending a year at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas as an artist in residence in 1992, Giese took a sabbatical from the University of Idaho. When he returned to Moscow, he became the chairman of the Department of Art and began teaching more upper division students. During that time he helped redesign the process of the curriculum. This allowed the art and graphics students to develop a stronger body of work. It also allowed the undergraduates to mature more quickly and have a larger portfolio, with practical experience, by the time they graduated. It was the gem of art programs in the state and the University of Idaho had a reputation for having one of the strongest art programs in the Northwest. Then came a shift in the wind. For reasons that some say were personal or political, but officially to deal with funding shortfalls, university administrators began cutting back on the art programs and in 2002, announced that they would eliminate the College of Art and Architecture at the University of Idaho. The classes and students would be merged with the College of Letters, Art and Social Sciences and would only address design, not fine art.
"You spend your whole life working with students, to be told to your face that what you do is not worth it," David said. "It's very insulting."
But the hammer didn't completely fall on all art programs. The debate came up again earlier this year when Dean Joe Zeller brought up the desire to cancel more art classes and send the art students to Washington State University in Pullman (allegedly without consulting WSU administration officials first). The dean's office sent out letters to prospective art students that there most likely would not be a four-year art program at the university. Listening to a call from faculty and current and former students of the college, on October 17, 2005, the state board of education voted to reinstate the College of Art and Architecture at the University of Idaho. Giese said when they voted it was like something out of a movie. Everyone at the meeting stood up and cheered.
But the controversy has had a lasting impact. The result, said Giese, is that art students for several years now, unsure as to the future of the fine art program at the university, have sought programs elsewhere. Conversely, with declining numbers of students taking art classes, they have reduced the number of art faculty and now have about eight full-time and two part time staff.
In his studio on campus, an old warehouse on top of one of the hills, he stores his work on floor-to-ceiling shelves housing the hundreds of molds. Usually he works on four to five works simultaneously. In the studio, Giese showed me some pet urns he was playing with at the time.
"I'm making up all these stories about these people who lived at the villa and their pets," he said while turning the work around and inspecting the underside.
Some of the materials he uses as inspiration come from unsuspecting places, like cheesy candlesticks from department stores. "But when you cast them they look great," he said with a grin. "I think of myself as a collagist. I make the flats and I start adding stuff."
Giese makes transfers from colored prints onto the flats, which he had light-tested for archival aging. With the preservative coating, they determined his works are five times more stable than a Kodak C-print, which has an estimated color-maintaining duration of about 80 years.
On the other side of the warehouse is the room containing all the storage crates, some filled with his older works and others being prepared to ship newer ones. While the works--selling for anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000, more for commissioned installations--may look fragile, Giese said they are quite sturdy.
What the future may bring for his historically based works, no one knows. Giese does not fear the future, nor has he any doubt about his works. He sees himself continuing the process. "I suppose I find there are so many various combinations of motifs that I'm not tired," he said. "I have no problem coming up with new pieces."
When one avenue of creations peter out, Giese simply fictionalizes another part of the archeological dig and "discovers" new works inside his own mind.
Article copyright Bar Bar Inc.
Photograph (Artist David Giese among his collections, antiques and works decorating his walls)
Jordan resumes talking to Hamas
A Jordanian Islamist says Jordan has renewed dialogue with the militant Hamas group after two years of icy relations.
Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Jamil Abu-Bakr says a "preliminary meeting" recently took place in Amman between the two sides, whose relations soured when Jordan in 2006 arrested three Hamas members for conspiracy to attack Israeli businessmen and Jordanian officials.
Abu-Bakr told The Associated Press that Jordan's intelligence chief Mohammed al-Dahabi and Syria-based exiled Hamas deputy Mohammed Nizar headed the delegations.
Senior Hamas leader, Moussa Abu Marzouk, confirmed the contacts, saying only that they were in "very early stages" and that he hoped they will be a "good start."
Jordanian officials did not comment.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
City offers reforms after E2/porch debacle
After the tragedies of the E2 nightclub and the Wrightwood porch collapse accidents, Mayor Richard M. Daley Thursday unveiled a series of building reforms he hopes will prevent these tragedies from happening again.
The safety and construction reforms, he said, will not only improve the way the city regulates, inspects, permits and licenses buildings but disobeying the law could bar contractors from doing business with the city.
While the mayor believes if building owners had obeyed the law these two incidents would not have occurred, he reminded landlords, owners and tenants that they too have a daily responsibility to keep their properties safe.
However, Daley …
British troops to withdraw from south Afghan area
An official says British troops are to withdraw from a tumultuous district in southern Afghanistan, turning over responsibility to U.S. forces.
The Sangin valley in Helmand province has been one of the deadliest for British forces, accounting for a large portion of the 312 soldiers killed since 2001.
Britain's defense ministry said Defense Secretary Liam Fox …
Monday, March 5, 2012
Public opinion of health care based on many factors; report suggests reasons for changes in concerns.(Brief Article)
Satisfaction about the health care system, services, and providers change frequently based on a number of forces, according to a report by Harris Interactive, a marketing research firm based in Rochester, NY.
The report suggests that all the forces sometimes have made a difference at one time or another in public priorities and support for legislation or new health care initiatives. But the magnitude of the effect varies …
Cuba likely to keep limits on religion; Christian groups that have worked in country expect few changes under new regime.(Religion)
Byline: RACHEL ZOLL - Associated Press
In his first week as Cuba's new president, Raul Castro met with the Vatican's No. 2 official, who said island leaders assured him they would allow some Roman Catholic broadcasts on state-controlled media.
But U.S. Christian groups that have worked for years in Cuba don't expect significant changes in the government's restrictions on religion now that the younger Castro has succeeded his ailing brother Fidel. Donald Hepburn of the Florida Baptist Convention, a Southern Baptist group that has worked for more than a decade with Baptist churches in western Cuba, said the convention's U.S. staff person just returned from a …
GOD WILL NOT CLEAN UP OUR MISTAKES.(RELIGION)
Byline: RABBI A. JAMES RUDIN Interreligious Affairs Director American Jewish Committee
It is a hot buzzword. Its mere mention usually forces people to choose sides and engage in bitter disputes. Some people righteously pronounce the word in reverent tones, while others utter it contemptuously with a sneer.
This buzzword has enormous political, economic and religious meaning and it is a Rorschach test revealing one's views about today's America.
The word is ecology.
Ecology raises troubling questions. What actions are needed to preserve our environment and habitat? And conversely, are there any limits to economic development when that …
Halladay earns fifth win as Blue Jays beat Orioles
Roy Halladay won his ninth straight decision against the Baltimore Orioles and Kevin Millar drove in three runs against his former team, leading the Toronto Blue Jays to an 8-4 win Friday night.
Adam Lind homered and Rod Barajas had three hits with two RBIs, giving Toronto a win in its first game against an AL East opponent.
Halladay (5-1) improved to 9-0 with an 2.71 ERA in his past 11 starts against Baltimore. He has not lost to the Orioles since May 4, 2005, and is 19-4 in 29 career games against Baltimore.
Halladay gave up four runs_three earned_and 10 hits in eight innings, raising his major league-leading total to 44. He walked one and struck …
Boosters and others with ties to Duke lacrosse hire top-dollar Washington lawyer
DURHAM, N.C. - A small group of boosters and others close to the Duke University lacrosse team have hired President Clinton's former lawyer as part of an aggressive public relations effort to argue that the players did not rape a woman at an offcampus party.
Bob Bennett, a former federal prosecutor and Washington attorney who represented Clinton in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case, is serving as a spokesman for a group calling itself the Committee for Fairness to Duke Families.
He is not expected to represent any players, but he has joined the chorus of those who fear for the reputation of the team and the university.
"It is unfortunate that members of the Duke …
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Backlog Brews.(Building permits)(Brief Article)
The recently released Army Corps of Engineers workload study has reinforced what the NAHB expected: Changes in permit law translate to more work and longer backlogs in the permitting process. The study reveals that the number of backlogged …
Jones, Jerry E.(B)
WYNANTSKILL Jerry E. Jones Sr., 60, of Snyder's Corners Road died on Thursday September 4, 2008. Funeral Tuesday 9:30 a.m. at St. Jude the Apostle Church, Brookside Ave., Wynantskill, N.Y. Calling hours at the Perry - …
OLD EUROPE REMEMBERS ITS HISTORY.(MAIN)
Byline: JUSTIN VAISSE
The Bush administration and ``Old Europe,'' as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld called France and Germany, disagree on Iraq because they use different historical analogies to account for the situation and have different views of the natural course of history and what they can do about it. That may be the key to the trans-Atlantic disagreement over going to war. Understanding this could open the way to a more peaceful, more permanent resolution of the crisis.
President Bush made clear in his State of the Union address that he compares a war in Iraq to the fight against Hitlerism and that he sees himself as a latter-day Winston Churchill, persevering against evil.
``If this is not evil,'' he said after listing Iraqi methods of torture, ``then evil has no meaning.'' Actually, he goes further than Churchill, pledging not just to react against an imminent threat or already committed aggression, but to prevent a future war, a future Munich or even a North Korea-type situation, from ever happening. (``America and the world will not be blackmailed,'' said the President.)
We know from the buildup of U.S. forces in the …
JUDGE READY TO RETIRE GAVEL AFTER CAREER ON BENCH.(Capital Region)
Byline: CAROL DEMARE Staff writer
When state Supreme Court Justice Daniel H. Prior Jr. was a schoolboy he remembers his father, a well-known Albany attorney, defended Prohibition-era gangster Legs Diamond.
But at that time the younger Prior wasn't considering a law career.
"I initially was going to be a teacher when I was a freshman and sophomore" at Vincentian Institute in Albany, Prior said Tuesday. "Then, somewhere along the way, I changed my mind, and I told my father I'd like to take up law, and it made him very happy."
On Dec. 31, Prior, a 74-year-old Democrat, retires after nearly 14 years on the bench. His friends are honoring him …
Bjorn shoots 68 to win Estoril Open
Thomas Bjorn emerged from a four-year run without a victory to win the Estoril Open by five shots on Sunday.
The 39-year-old Dane, who had led by three strokes overnight, shot a final round 4-under 68 at Penha Longa to reach a 23-under total of 265 and see off the challenge from Australian left-hander Richard Green, who closed with a 70.
Bjorn's winning total was only one stroke short of the 24-under Portuguese record set by Colin Montgomerie at Quinta do Lago in 1989.
It was Bjorn's 10th on the European Tour but his first since the Irish Open at Carton House in 2006 and he admitted: "It feels it has been a long time in coming. But I have to …
Romania needs to borrow $7.9 billion in 2011
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania needs to borrow almost €6 billions ($7.9 billion) next year to cover its budget deficit and plans to sign a new deal with the International Monetary Fund in 2011 to shore up the ailing economy, President Traian Basescu said.
On Wednesday, at least 10,000 protested in Bucharest against wage cuts and other austerity measures, authorities said. Angry protesters were demanding the government increases salaries to the 2009 level and stop layoffs of public workers.
They yelled "Down with Basescu!" and marched through downtown Bucharest, blocking traffic.
Marchers sang the national anthem, which urges Romanians to rise up against oppression, …
Automakers fight port security fee.(Cover Story)(Brief Article)
Byline: Harry Stoffer
The cost of homeland security is growing, and automakers are unhappy that businesses like theirs are being singled out to pick up the tab.
Car companies oppose a proposed fee on nearly every product imported to or exported from the United States. Revenue would pay for beefed-up port security. Since the purpose is a national interest, they say funds should come from taxes paid by all Americans.
The opponents include the Big 3, import-brand automakers and non-automotive companies. The fee for vehicles would be $3 per car or truck. Other fees would be charged for liquid cargo, such as oil, and for containers, such as those …
Market towns and the countryside in late Medieval England.(Special Issue: Essays on Medieval Economy in Memory of David Farmer)
David Farmer made his name as a historian of the most austere of subjects -- prices, wages, grain yields -- and his fellow workers will remain in his debt for many decades because of the thoroughness and accuracy with which he collected and presented the evidence. His achievements stand in comparison with those of Thorold Rogers and Beveridge, and confer on his name a measure of immortality. In the last years he was also gaining a reputation for his research into trade and transport.(2) For the chapter in the Agrarian History of England and Wales on marketing he gathered together a mass of information from manorial accounts for the destination of goods which were sold, and the places from which purchases were made. He could accordingly reconstruct patterns of trade in dozens of items, from lambs to millstones. His able analysis of these data reveal the complexity and flexibility of the marketing patterns, which varied with the commodities, with the remoteness and transport facilities of each manor, with the price of goods from year to year, and with the trading venues available, whether they were towns, village markets, fairs, or simply bargains struck at the farm gate. So, to take two contrasting examples, between 1296 and 1346 the grain from the Wiltshire manors of Longbridge Deverill and Monkton Deverill was usually sold within seventeen km (10.5 miles) in such local markets as the tiny town of Hindon or the more significant, but still small centres of Frome and Shaftesbury. But the reeve of Elham in Kent in 1326-27 sent an expedition to Winchcomb fair in Gloucestershire, a road journey of more than 300 km, to buy horses.
Farmer always emphasized the human side of the transactions. The people of the time had to make decisions about where, when, and how to trade, and historians must use their imaginations to reconstruct the thinking behind the decisions. Indeed, we are drawn to conclude that the Elham venture was probably a mistake, because the horses were sold at a loss. Farmer was not impressed by laws and rules. Just as medieval traders, supposedly hemmed in by restrictions, often failed to observe the trade regulations, so their behaviour also differed from that predicted by deterministic modern theories.
This article tackles the same questions that Farmer addressed about the organization of medieval buying and selling, but from the vantage point of the town rather than the manor. It presumes a general acceptance of a now well-established definition of a town -- as a place with a dense, permanent and relatively large population, in which the majority of the inhabitants follow a variety of non-agricultural occupations.(3)
This definition excludes market villages, where agricultural occupations predominated, and industrial villages, which lacked occupational diversity. But it certainly includes the category of market towns or small towns, because although they might provide a living for only a few hundred inhabitants, with a bottom limit as low as 300, they fulfil all of the other characteristics.(4) The definition deliberately avoids any reference to legal status or tenurial privileges, like those associated with boroughs, whereby the tenants owed a fixed cash rent and were given freedom to sell or subdivide their burgage holdings. Boroughs cannot be equated with towns because some boroughs failed to develop an urban economy, and some places succeeded as centres of commerce and manufacture although they lacked borough privileges. Market towns often possessed borough status, but many did not. Some of them enjoyed considerable autonomy in government, through a guild merchant which allowed the leading townsmen to regulate trade and to decide who could be admitted to the privileges of full membership of the trading community, while the great majority were governed by their lords through bailiffs and a seigniorial court, either a special borough court or a manorial court. There were about 600 market towns in England by the mid-fourteenth century, and for the majority of country people they provided their main point of contact with the world of commerce.
A theoretical framework for examining the market operations of medieval towns can be derived from work on modern urban systems.(5) According to central place theory each town has a "complementary region" or a "sphere of influence" which defines the rural area from which people travel to trade or use urban facilities. Towns are stratified into hierarchies, in which the larger and more important centres deal In the more expensive goods and services, provided by the more specialized and large-scale traders, often for wealthy or high-status customers. The cities which act as the capitals of regions or provinces, in addition to providing superior shops, will be equipped with hospitals, colleges and universities, financial institutions, and administrative offices, which will cater for large populations in more extended areas than those served by the smaller market towns. The different strata of the hierarchy interlock to form a whole urban system, in which the larger places, as well as serving their own immediate district, extend their supply of goods and services like an umbrella over the smaller towns. Small town retailers obtain their goods from big city wholesalers, while high class consumers who live near the small towns, or even ordinary customers making an unusual or specialized purchase, will make the longer journey necessary to go straight to the larger urban retailers. Many variables will affect the operation of the system, such as ease of communications and variations in the cost and speed of transport. Now these theories are much debated by those who see them as being too mechanical and static. Empirical investigations show that the ideal urban system is rarely found in the real world. And critics point out the need to take into account cultural factors or mentality, such as people's subjective perceptions of the relative merits of the nearby towns. The behaviour of consumers often varies from that predicted by the theories. For all of the adverse comment, these notions still inform our views of towns, of relations between one town and another, and of their dealings with the surrounding countryside.
I
If we are apply these ideas to our medieval market towns we must firstly seek to define their "sphere of influence," for which we can use two approaches. The first involves looking for evidence outside the town, notably references to the location of sales and purchases in manorial and household accounts, and lists of the debts of country dwellers.(6) This evidence shows patterns in the type of town or market used, but cannot define the influence of any single place because there are insufficient documents to provide enough observations. The other technique, which is the one to be used here, is to comb the records of borough courts (or manorial courts in the case of towns which were not accorded special status) for the place of residence of people involved in pleas of debt, detention of chattels, broken contract, and trespass. To indicate the nature of the evidence in detail, an entry in the portmote rolls of Westminster Abbey for its part of the town of Pershore (Worcestershire) tells us that in December 1329 Thomas de Crowle of Worcester was impleading Alexander de Stannford of Pershore for debt.(7) More circumstances are sometimes revealed, as in a case in the same series of records for October 1335, when John de Pendock of Pershore complained that five years earlier he had sold cloth to John Bynethetoun of Bricklehampton, a village four km outside the town, but that 16d. which should have been paid was …
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