Abandoned horses have nowhere to go

It's been a hard year for Steve Kreft.

The Cary welder lost his job in April, then worked another job for three or four months before he lost that one, too. At his current job, Kreft is making half as much as he did last year, and his hours will be cut next month.

He's worried how that will affect his family and Mack, his American quarter horse.

"I consider him a friend," Kreft said. "We've had him since he was 14 months old, and he's 9 years old. We can't afford to keep our horses." Horse owners are struggling with the cost of care for their animals. The recession has forced many people to cut back on "luxury items" like horses, and grain and hay costs are up, …

Household Gods: The British and Their Possessions

Household Gods: The British and Their Possessions. By Deborah Cohen. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006. xvii + 294 pp. Illustrations, bibliography, notes, index. Cloth, $40.00. ISBN: 0-300-11213-0.

Reviewed by Lara Kriegel

Strikingly original, impressively researched, and beautifully illustrated, Household Gods offers a nuanced appraisal of the changing material world of the British middle-class home between 1830 and 1930. Deborah Cohen has plumbed unpublished diaries, photo albums, and the periodical press, as well as the archives of manufacturers, designers, and provincial retailers, to delineate a rich account of "the British loveaffair with the domestic interior" …

Red Bull's Mark Weber sets pace at Turkish GP practice

Red Bull's Mark Webber had the fastest time Saturday at the final practice session for the Turkish Grand Prix.

Weber rebounded from a crash that destroyed the front wing of his car on Friday to time a lap of 1 minute, 27.030 seconds _ the fastest across the Formula One race's three practice sessions.

Renault's Fernando Alonso trailed the Australian pilot by 0.142 seconds in second while Weber's Red Bull teammate David Coulthard was third in 1:27.193.

Nico Rosberg of Williams was fourth and Ferrari's Felipe Massa, the two-time defending champion in Turkey …

Some think average investors will get shot at Google stock

So, bunkie, you missed the boat on the Netscape, Amazon, eBay andYahoo! IPOs, and this time you figure you're going to strike it richon the pending initial public offering for Google, the wildly popularsearch engine that built a better computer mousetrap.

Well, some theorize that this time it just might be possible foryou to actually get in on the gravy train, and turn a quick profit bybuying Google shares at the opening price.

But some party poopers suggest that a Google IPO will only resultin the rich getting richer.

At this point, Mountain View, Calif.-based Google is mum. Ithasn't filed the papers necessary to go public, though the WallStreet Journal has …

When subletting reapirs, the buck stops... where?

Subletting repairs can be an efficient way of getting the job done without investing in equipment and staff. But what happens when things go wrong?.

Reprinted with permission from the California Autobody Association (CAA) Leaders' Letter.

Note: While the following was written specifically for California collision repairers, the general premise applies to repairers across the country. For specific regulations in a particular state, consult the state's motor vehicle agency.

Repair shops often get business by their reputations, but a shop may have to sublet some specialized repairs. By subletting, you are relying on the expertise of another shop. If you've done your …

Black Hawks boost Ct.'s Sikorsky in post-9/11 wars

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — America's wars since the Sept. 11 attacks have been a boon for Connecticut's Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., the maker of Black Hawk helicopters.

The U.S. military has relied heavily on the workhorse helicopters to strike targets and ferry troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sikorsky's global sales more than doubled in five years — to $6.7 billion in 2010 — largely because of military business that includes the …

Baker leads Iditarod at halfway point

Satellite tracking shows three mushers have left Cripple, the halfway point in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

John Baker of Kotzebue has the early lead Thursday, followed by four-time champion Martin Buser of Big Lake and Bruce Linton of Kasilof.

The next checkpoint is at Ruby, and the next 150 miles will be on the Yukon River.

Six of the 71 teams that left Willow on Sunday have …

Blair Underwood

A few good men didn't train Blair Underwood in military maneuversfor his new movie, "Rules of Engagement," opening Friday. As an Armybrat growing up all over the country, his drill sergeant was namedDad.

Q. So is your father lined up already to see this movie?

A. (Laughing.) My dad spent 27 years in the Army. Let's just saythat the thought of his son becoming an actor, well, that was theultimate rebellion on my part. But when I was young, I promised him,"Dad, I might do a movie someday and play a military officer." Whew!At least I got to be a man of my word.

Q. Capt. Dale Dye, who trains all you actor grunts for films, hasbeen described as the ultimate …

Jair Jurrjens, Braves beat Phillies, 5-3

ATLANTA (AP) — Martin Prado homered and drove in three runs, Jair Jurrjens took a perfect game into the sixth and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 on Saturday.

Jurrjens (5-0) beat the Phillies for the second time in a week, following a 5-2 win in Philadelphia on Sunday. He gave up three hits and three runs, two earned, in 7 1-3 innings.

Jurrjens, who opened the season on the disabled list with a right oblique strain, has not allowed more than two earned runs in six starts.

Prado and Nate McLouth hit back-to-back homers in the first inning for the only runs allowed by Joe Blanton (1-2) in five innings.

Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth for his …

17 killed after bus plunges into gorge in Kashmir

A minibus veered off a mountain road under construction and plunged into a river in Indian Kashmir, killing at least 17 people, a police officer said Saturday.

Rescue workers were searching the fast-flowing waters of the Chenab River for any survivors, said Hemant Lohia.

The accident occurred late Friday in the Kishtwar region, 120 miles (190 kilometers) southeast of Srinagar, the main city in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir.

It was not immediately clear how many passengers were traveling on the …

Weak Self-Association in a Carbohydrate System

ABSTRACT

The physiological importance of weak interactions between biological macromolecules (molar dissociation constants >10 �M) is now well recognized, particularly with regard to cell adhesion and immunological phenomena, and many weak interactions have been measured for proteins. The concomitant importance of carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions has also been identified, although no weak interaction between pure carbohydrate systems has ever been measured. We now demonstrate for the first time to our knowledge using a powerful probe for weak interactions-sedimentation velocity in the analytical ultracentrifuge-that at least some carbohydrates (from the class of …

Nordic paper maker Stora Enso swings to a loss in the fourth quarter

Forest products group Stora Enso Oyj swung to a loss in the fourth-quarter, stung by one-time charges, higher costs and a competitive market.

The net loss for the October through December period was euro50.8 million (US$73.8 million), compared with a profit of euro302 million a year earlier, the Finnish-Swedish paper maker said Wednesday. Revenue grew slightly to euro3.37 billion (US$4.9 billion), up from euro3.32 billion in the same period in 2006.

Chief Executive Jouko Karvinen described the quarter as "one of the most challenging in the recent history" of the company.

"The fourth quarter's profit deterioration, which was mainly …

Sandra H. Royster raised universality in culture

Sandra H. Royster raised universality in culture

For several decades, Sandra H. Royster, senior director for program development at the Chicago Cultural Center, utilized every aspect of maintaining the artistic perspective of all phases of art as she projected the very essence of universality in ethnic culture. The vision she projected was phenomenal and her energy tremendous.

Her dynamic involvement came suddenly to an end when Mrs. Royster, 57 died of a heart attack in Brazil while on business for the City of Chicago. She was attending a cultural affairs conference in Salvador Bahia, Brazil when she passed away Saturday, Dec. 11.

Requiem Mass will be offered for Ms. Royster Saturday, Dec. 18 at 1 p.m. at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church 690 W. Belmont Ave., Father Thomas Healy, officiating. Burial follows at Lincoln Cemetery.

Visitation is from 12:30 to 1 p.m. Her body will lie in state Friday, Dec. 17, from noon until 9 p.m.

Ms. Royster's colleagues were devastated as a result of her death and Lois Weisberg, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, on the passing of Sandra Royster said "Sandy was a rare and remarkable person. Her passing is being felt throughout the arts community, which has lost a dear friend and a respected professional. She was a pioneer in her field and her legacy as an advocate, administrator, poet and teacher will live on in the hearts of all those who were touched by her inspiration and example."

For more than three decades, Sandra Royster brought a range of diverse experience to the city of Chicago. Her chief function was to develop positive programs in the arts for the Cultural Center, was involved in the performing arts and culture as proposed by outside organizations, other city departments and communities throughout the city. She was also a professor in the graduate program, Arts Management Department for Columbia College Chicago.

Ms. Royster was a former dancer and published writer and has participated on numerous panels, workshops and mentoring projects. She gave time and support to persons living with AIDS since 1985.

A sincere supporter of Dance Africa Chicago, she served as a chief elder of the Council of Elders, a member of the national board of directors of the Center for Black Music Research, the board of directors for Bonaventure, a residence for individuals living with AIDS, and was a member of the advisory board for the House of Blues Foundation.

She was also a literary advisor for Gallery 37 and a former board member of the Association of Performing arts Presenters among numerous other affiliations.

As a writer, she contributed to "Nommo Anthology," "Woman Talk," "A Rock In The Wind Anthology" and "The Broadside Annual Anthology".

A graduate of Hyde Park High School, her professional education was secured from University of Illinois, Navy Pier/Chicago Circle; University of Illinois, Champaign Extension; Trevecca Nazarene College, Nashville, Tenn.; Columbia College, Chicago, Arts Management; Chicago Music College and Chicago Conservatory of Music in Classical Ballet, Drama, Piano and Music Theory; University of Illinois, Orchesis Member; Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. modern and jazz dance.

Survivors include two daughters, Rebecca Royster-Pates and Francesca; her parents James and Gwendolyn Harvey; two sisters, Toya Harvey and Beth Womack; five brothers, Walter Lewis, Kevin Lewis, Christopher Harvey, Jonathan McClure and Gordon McClure, two grandchildren and a host of relatives and friends.

Article Copyright Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.

Photo (Sandra H. Royster)

Cancun mayor charged with ties to drug cartels

The mayor of Cancun was charged with drug trafficking ties Tuesday, forcing him to end his campaign for governor in a scandal that has shaken Mexico's upcoming state elections.

A federal judge indicted Gregorio Sanchez on charges of organized crime and money laundering a week after he was arrested in Mexico's most important tourist resort. Prosecutors say he protected two of Mexico's most brutal drug gangs and lived beyond his means.

The formal charges bar Sanchez from participating in politics, ending his run for governor of the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo.

Officials have said they cannot remember another Mexican candidate ever being charged with drug ties in the middle of a campaign, and leaders of Sanchez's leftist party say the allegations are politically motivated.

Jesus Ortega, president of the Democratic Revolution Party, called the charges "an aberration" and said the party would use every legal resource available to help Sanchez.

The July 4 elections in 10 Mexican states have already been marred by attacks and threats against candidates, fueling fears drug cartels are increasingly infiltrating politics through bribes and intimidation. One candidate for mayor of a northern town near the border with Texas was shot dead inside his business after ignoring warnings to drop out of the race.

In Sanchez's case, Judge Carlos Elorza said prosecutors had submitted testimony and documents indicating the mayor was using illegally obtained funds and had ties to the Beltran Leyva and Zetas cartels.

The federal Attorney General's Office has said the evidence includes several protected witnesses and documents from the Finance Department showing Sanchez made bank withdrawals amounting to more than $2 million, a sum that does not correspond to his declared income.

The Democratic Revolutionary Party says the mayor has a real estate business that explains his wealth. It has compared the case to last year's arrest of 12 mayors in the western state of Michoacan on drug charges just two months before state and congressional elections.

All but two of those officials have since been released for lack of evidence, feeding allegations their arrests were a political maneuver to bolster the government's tough image ahead of elections, though none of those mayors was a candidate.

Corruption scandals are nothing new in Cancun, whose white-sand beaches and raucous nightclubs make it a popular spring break destination for U.S. teenagers.

Former Quintana Roo Gov. Mario Villanueva was extradited last month to the U.S. to face charges of conspiring to import hundreds of tons of cocaine through Cancun.

Last year, Sanchez's police chief and other close collaborators were arrested for allegedly protecting cartels. The police chief was also questioned in the slaying of an army general hired to root out police corruption in the city, although he was never charged with that crime.

On Tuesday, President Felipe Calderon said his government won't relent in its fight against drug trafficking.

Calderon has deployed tens of thousands of soldiers and federal police across the country to fight drug traffickers since taking office in late 2006. Drug gang violence has surged since the deployment, claiming more than 22,700 lives.

In the Pacific coast of Guerrero, gunmen barged into a hospital Tuesday in the resort city of Acapulco and killed a police commander who was waiting to see a doctor, the state's public safety department said.

Also Tuesday, a 3-year-old girl was killed together with her father by gunmen who opened fire on their car in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, authorities said.

Arturo Sandoval, a spokesman for the Chihuahua state prosecutors' office, said the girl was shot once in the neck.

Wordsmiths wanted for bard competition

The Bards of Glastonbury were out in force last week as theyannounced the theme for this year's Bardic competition.

In medieval Gaelic and British culture, a bard was a professionalpoet, employed by a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron'sancestors and to praise their activities.

Tony Atkinson, fifth Chaired Bard of Glastonbury, stood on thesteps of the Market Cross in the centre of town and announced thatthe theme for this year's competition is to be Twelve Giants: TheGlastonbury Zodiac.

Tony said: "We're after wordsmiths - be they poets, singers orstorytellers.

"If you live in the area and think that you've got what it takesthen you're more than welcome to have a go. All you have to do iswrite an original piece on the theme and perform it before our panelof judges."

The 6th Bardic Trial of Glastonbury will take place in May at theAssembly Rooms.

The preliminary heats will be on May 10 and the finals will takeplace on St Dunstan's day, May 19.

Application forms can be downloaded from www.bardic.org orcollected from The Library Of Avalon in the Glastonbury Experience,2-4 High Street.

AMS/Industry: Minority Scholarships 2003-2004

The American Meteorological Society is pleased to announce that 10 candidates have been selected to receive 2003/2004 AMS/Industry Minority Scholarships. The AMS/Industry Minority Scholarship is intended to encourage minority students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the sciences, especially Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Black/African American students, to pursue careers in the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences. Three scholarships have been made possible through the generous contributions of AMS members to the AMS 21st Century Campaign and seven scholarships are funded by industry: The Weather Channel(R), Northrop Grumman Information Technology, ClimaData, Inc., IBM, Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing, RS Information Systems, and Science Systems & Applications, Inc. (SSAI). The award is $3000 for a nine-month period in the freshman year and an additional $3000 for a nine-month period in the sophomore year, based on performance in the first year.

The Weather Channel(R)

Northrop Grumman Information Technology

ClimaData, Inc.

IBM

Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing

RS Information Systems

Science Systems & Applications, Inc. (SSAI)

AMS 21st Century Campaign

THE WEATHER CHANNEL(R)

The Weather Channel, Inc., based in Atlanta, is the nation's premier provider of weather information and reaches more than 85 million TV households in the United States. The Weather Channel Latin America reaches almost 10 million households in Latin America. The Weather Channel is owned by Landmark Communications, Inc., a Norfolk, Virginia-based and privately held media company with global interests. In addition to presenting weather information through The Weather Channel Radio Network and The Weather Channel Newspaper Service, The Weather Channel is the leading provider of weather information for emerging technologies with services for broadband and interactive TV (ITV) applications. The Weather Channel is also aligned with industry leaders in ITV. Partners include DIRECTV, AOLTV, WorldGate, Liberate Technologies, Source Swuite, WINK, and MSNTV. The Web site of The Weather Channel, weather.com, is the world's leading source of weather on the Web, averaging more than 350 million page views per month and is consistently ranked among the top TV-related Web sites by Nielsen/NetRatings. Other language-specific Web sites include: weather.co.uk, wetter123.com, meteo123.com, canaldotempo.com, and weather.com/espanol. The Weather Channel is the leading provider of broadband and wireless weather products accessible through high-speed internet services, digital cell phones, pagers, Palm Pilots, and other personal digital assistants.

MICHAEL L. DIAZ

Michael L. Diaz is a graduate of Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia. He will major in meteorology at North Carolina State University.

THE LARRY R. JOHNSON MEMORIAL MINORITY SCHOLARSHIP

Larry Richard Johnson was born in Klemme, Iowa, on 6 May 1944. His contributions to meteorology spanned over 30 years and careers with the U.S. Air Force and PRC [now known as Northrop Grumman Information Technology (IT)]. Larry served 10 years with PRC in a variety of assignments on the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) program, the integrating element of the $4.5 billion National Weather Service Modernization. He served during the definition, development, and deployment phases as principal applications scientist department manager, executive manager, and deputy program manager. Known as "Mr. AWIPS," Larry's tenure on AWIPS was longer than any other person, and his contributions to the success of AWIPS stand out among all others. Larry earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in meteorology in 1969 and 1979, respectively, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He earned M.S.-equivalent degrees in 1983 from Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama; in 1986 from Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama; and in 1987 from National Defense University, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Ft. Leslie McNair, Washington, D.C. Larry served 23 years in the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Air Weather Service. Larry was active in the American Meteorological Society as a member for 29 years in numerous positions, and he was a founding member of the National Weather Association. He received numerous awards and published several articles and papers throughout his career. Larry Johnson's efforts were key to Northrop Grumman IT's early and continued support for the AMS Scholarship/Fellowship program.

Northrop Grumman IT provides scientific- and technology-based systems and services to government and commercial clients worldwide. Northrop Grumman IT is recognized for innovative methods of applying technology and science to solve customer's problems. One of Northrop Grumman IT's leading initiatives is its role as prime contractor for the National Weather Services' (NWS) AWIPS contract, the integrating element for the modernization of the NWS. With AWIPS, NWS forecasters produce more accurate and timely weather forecasts and warnings by combining and applying real-time satellite imagery, digital Doppler radar products, and ground system data, along with AWIPS-produced graphics of supercomputer-generated model output within a single, integrated system. Technologies developed by Northrop Grumman IT that are employed in AWIPS are now being reapplied in other commercial, governmental, and international weather programs. Northrop Grumman IT also operates and maintains the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) Data Receipt and Distribution Facility for NWS. At Northrop Grumman IT, the intellectual capacity and vision of its people are among the company's most valued assets. In support of education in earth sciences and in memory of Larry R. Johnson, Northrop Grumman IT proudly supports the Larry R. Johnson Memorial Minority Scholarship.

AMANDA C. CORDOVA

Amanda C. Cordova is a graduate of Loretto High School in Sacramento, California. She will major in environmental science at Northwestern University.

CLIMADATA, INC.

Founded in 1991, ClimaData is the nation's leading commercial weather firm for clients that serve the growing Hispanic population of the United States. ClimaData's weather forecasts reach millions of Latinos across the country on nearly 60 Spanish language radio stations. The presence of ClimaData is well known in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Dominican Republic as well, where residents can tune in for the company's weather forecasts on some of those islands' top-ranked radio and television stations, or even read the ClimaData Forecast in local newspapers. ClimaData also serves the industrial sector, with daily faxed forecasts and severe weather outlooks to multinational corporations with operations in the Caribbean. President and Chief Meteorologist John Toohey-Morales, CCM, said, "We are very proud to sponsor our fourth Hispanic student heading into a career in meteorology. Our scholarship winners set a high standard for all to follow."

BRAULIO E. SOSA

Braulio E. Sosa is a graduate of Winter Springs High School in Winter Springs, Florida. He will major in meteorology at The Florida State University.

IBM

At IBM, we lead in the creation, development, and manufacture of the industry's most advanced information technologies, including high performance computer (HPC) systems, data handling solutions, software, networking systems, storage devices, and microelectronics. IBM is the world's leading supplier of technology solutions for weather forecasting, climate and ocean research, and environmental simulations. IBM Research, with eight laboratories in six countries, plays a key role in advancing basic science and in creating innovative products and solutions for our weather and environmental customers. Check us out at www.ibm.com/servers/solutions/stc/

LINDA RUO-HUI FANG

Linda Ruo-Hui Fang is a graduate of Leland High School in San Jose, California. She will major in electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

RAYTHEON SANTA BARBARA REMOTE SENSING

Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing (SBRS) is the world's leading manufacturer of precision, high reliability, remote sensing instruments for climate, planetary, environmental, and land research science use. Raytheon SBRS has a successful history of more than 35 years in the manufacture of space remote sensing instruments. It was a Raytheon SBRS Multicolor SpinScan Cloud Camera (MSSCC), the precursor to the GOES VISSR and VAS imager and sounder, aboard NASA's ATS-3 satellite that brought the world its first color image of the full Earth disk. Raytheon SBRS has built more than 78 sensors for planetary, meteorological, and Earth remote sensing use. We are proud of our record for 100% successful operation at turn on in orbit. SBRS' sensors operational lifetime on orbit have averaged more than 3 times the program requirements, making these sensors the most reliable space-qualified sensors worldwide thereby delivering exceptional value to our customers.

Raytheon SBRS plays an important part in NASA's Earth Science Enterprise having built the SeaWiFS, MODIS, ETM+, and the TRMM VIRS instruments and in the Space Science Enterprise with the TES II and THEMIS instruments presently orbiting Mars. These instruments are operating in space collecting data daily for NASA and the science community worldwide. The two Mars Exploration Rovers; MER A (Spirit) & MER B (Opportunity) each contain a Mini-TES instrument built by Raytheon SBRS. Integrated onto the twin rovers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and launched from the Kennedy Space Center in June 2003, the two MiniTES instruments will arrive on Mars in January 2004 to begin exploration of the Martian surface.

Raytheon SBRS continues our long heritage in meteorological sensors with the design and manufacture of the Japanese Advanced Meteorological Imager (JAMI) for Japan's MTSAT-1R mission. Integrated onto Space Systems Loral's spacecraft, JAMI is scheduled for launch in 2004. The JAMI will provide timely, high-quality, full-disk, multispectral imagery for operational weather needs over Japan, East Asia, and Australia. JAMI data supports weather forecasting in the Asia-Pacific region by measuring Earth radiation in four infrared bands and one visible band mapping cloud distribution, Earth surface temperature, cloudtop temperature, water vapor distribution, and the wind field.

Raytheon SBRS, under contract to Northrop-Grumman Space Systems, is designing, developing and manufacturing the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and the Aerosol Polarimeter Sensor (APS) for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS). VIIRS and APS are the next generation of advanced meteorological imaging and climate monitoring instruments. NPOESS converges the DMSP and POES systems that now serve the operational military and research science communities. The first VIIRS instrument suite will launch in 2005 as part of NASA's NPP mission. The first APS instrument is presently planned for launch in 2006.

VANESSA L. ALONSO

Vanessa L. Alonso is a graduate of G. Holmes Braddock Sr. High School in Miami, Florida. She will major in marine affairs and meteorology at The University of Miami.

RS INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INC. (RSIS)

RSIS provides advanced technical and business solutions in information technology, science, engineering, and management consulting.

Based in McLean, Virginia, RSIS is a minority-owned firm that has climbed into the ranks of the largest federal information technology contractors. Its president and CEO is Rodney P. Hunt, the company's cofounder.

With 1400 staff professionals nationwide, RSIS serves a wide range of federal agencies, both civilian and defense. It is this year's recipient of NASA's George M. Low Award, the agency's premier award for contractor quality. It was codeveloper of NASA's Software of the Year in 2001 and was named NASA's Minority Contractor of the Year in 2000.

The company supports key elements of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's environmental observation infrastructure: operations and engineering support of the National Weather Services' next-generation weather radar; software and systems engineering for the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System, and the data processing and distribution of satellite imagery. RSIS also provides systems development, science support, climate analysis and prediction, and system administration across NOAA's five line offices.

More information is available at www.rsis.com.

JOSHUA T. WALKER

Joshua T. Walker is a graduate of Oxon Hill High School in Oxon Hill, Maryland. He will major in meteorology at The Pennsylvania State University.

SCIENCE SYSTEMS & APPLICATIONS, INC. (SSAI)

Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI), a woman-owned small business, has been performing scientific and technological applications services and has steadily grown since its incorporation in April 1977. SSAI has received numerous commendations for within-budget and ontime quality support services. SSai's areas of expertise are earth and space sciences, advanced computing, scientific analysis, instruments engineering, Systems development, and information technology. SSAI employs a staff of highly qualified and experienced scientists, engineers, and information technologists. They strive for customer satisfaction by empowering their staff to achieve performance excellence. SSAI's customer- and employee- oriented polices have enabled them to maintain high staff loyalty and retention as an employer of choice for science, engineering, and IT professionals. SSAI is also a proud sponsor of the AMS/Om and Saraswati Bahithi Scholarship, which is named after the founders of SSAI, and is awarded to students entering their final year of undergraduate study.

OWEN H. SHIEH

Owen H. Shieh is a graduate of Melbourne Central Catholic High School in Melbourne, Florida. He will major in atmospheric science at Cornell University.

AMS 21ST CENTURY CAMPAIGN

The AMS 21st Century Campaign provides a focused institutional mechanism for AMS members, and organizations involved in the atmospheric and related sciences and services, to make meaningful contributions to the advancement of their science and to societal betterment. This campaign theme parallels and supports the goals of the AMS 10-Year Vision-which is to employ the remarkable advances in the atmospheric and related sciences and services for the benefit of society as a whole. The campaign is centered around four program areas:

* Public Awareness-focusing on increasing the visibility of AMS in both the atmospheric sciences community and in areas outside of our own field.

* Education of Our Future Scientists-supporting both collegiate studies with scholarships and fellowships and precollege education to assist students in becoming scientifically literate by providing training for K-13 teachers, and producing instructional resource materials.

* History of the Atmospheric and Related Sciences-supporting projects that are aimed at gathering, preserving, and providing access to historical documentation in science and technology.

* Atmospheric Policy Program-providing support to conduct studies of policy issues and providing education on policies that are affected by advances in atmospheric understanding and the provision of meteorological services by both the public and private sectors.

Through the support of member contributions to the AMS 21st Century Campaign, AMS is able to award minority scholarships and graduate fellowships to outstanding individuals pursing degrees in the atmospheric and related sciences.

ALBERTO A. GONZALEZ

Alberto A. Gonzalez is a graduate of El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, California. He will major in the sciences at The University of California-Berkeley.

YOLANDA L. ROBERTS

Yolanda L. Roberts is a graduate of Clover Hill High School in Midlothian, Virginia. She will major in atmospheric science at Cornell University.

CORYNA M. SANDOVAL

Coryna M. Sandoval is a graduate of Angleton High School in Angelton, Texas. She will major in ocean and coastal resources at Texas A&M University.

UN experts complete inspection, seal containers of Russian nuclear fuel intended for Iran

U.N. atomic watchdog agency experts on Friday ended their inspection and sealed containers of Russian uranium fuel that is intended for Iran's first nuclear power plant, Russian officials said.

The completion of the International Atomic Energy Agency's work at Russia's main manufacturer of nuclear power plant fuel moves the delivery of the fuel for the Bushehr plant one step closer _ a step likely to further stoke concerns among Western nations deeply suspicious of Iran's intentions.

"The IAEA team together with representatives of the Federal Agency for Atomic Agency, the Iranian customer and the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrate Plant examined the nuclear fuel and sealed the containers," state-run nuclear fuel manufacturer TVEL said in the statement.

Konstantin Grabelnikov, deputy head of the Novosibirsk plant, said delivery "will be made when there is a technological need at the plant and when a corresponding order is made," according to the statement.

During his trip to Iran last month, President Vladimir Putin promised that Russia would complete Bushehr, first planned more than a decade ago, but refused to say when it could begin operations.

He said a decision on shipping fuel would be made once Russian and Iranian experts agree on revisions to the contract.

Russia has said that the fuel dispute warned that Iran has been slow in making payments. Iranian officials have angrily denied they are in arrears and accused the Kremlin of caving in to pressure from Western countries.

The United States and other Western nations allege Tehran is using its nuclear program as a cover for efforts to develop atomic weapons. Tehran says its nuclear intentions are solely for generating electricity.

Putin's careful stance suggests he is seeking to preserve ties with Tehran without angering the West. Putin said he does not see evidence that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, as the United States and its allies contend.

Moscow has said it does not want a nuclear-armed Iran, and has urged Tehran to freeze uranium enrichment and answer international inspectors' questions.

Russia and China, another important ally of Iran, grudgingly approved two sets of limited United Nations sanctions against Iran over its refusal to suspend enrichment. But the Kremlin has bristled at the U.S. push for tougher measures, saying they would only escalate the rift.

Sizzling sound

Sunday evening at the Arc Bar, Broad Street, is officially SausageTime this weekend. That's not to say that the staff will be servingbratwursts over the bar, though.

In fact, Sausage Time is specifically "an extraordinary evening oflive alternative performance - from new music to scratch poetry, liveart to radical film - all of this and more." Sausage Time will, ineffect, provide a platform for artists who normally fall outside thetraditional concert format, as well as those who eager to trysomething very different from the nor m.

Local musicians Hugh Spiller and Nick Williams were inspired toinvent such a project by their collective experiences in variouscreative and performing arts in the past.

For more information visit www.sausagetime.com

Screech! ; Delays in production will upset Tata Motors' plans to earn money out of the low-cost car.

By the time this magazine is in your hands, there would be moreclarity on whether conditions have turned conducive for resumingwork at Singur, or whether Ratan Tata has decided to take the Rs1,500-crore project out of West Bengal to a more investmentfriendlystate. Whatever happens from hereon, it's increasingly clear thatTata Motors and its shareholders are going to feel the pinch of aproject that's delayed. Expectations of the first Nano rolling outof Singur by October or even in the October-December quarter appearoverly optimistic. That, coupled with Tata Motors' capital-raisingcompulsions for the acquisitions of Ford's Jaguar and Land Rover,have resulted in the stock having a torrid time on Dalal Street ithas slipped 24.4 per cent over the last three months, even as theBSE Sensex shed only 10.7 per cent.A delay in rolling out the Nanoisn't good for a few reasons: for one, it's a project whoseviability hangs on waferthin margins (estimated at barely 2 percent); for another, every day lost pushes back breakeven, whichanalysts expect in two years. A key to the Nano's costcompetitiveness is the integration of the adjoining vendor facility.Surinder Kapur, Managing Director, Sona Group, which is providingthe steering column to the Nano, told BT: Work on our facility iscomplete; we have moved the machinery in, and are awaiting word fromTata Motors. The burning Rs 1-lakh question, however, is whether theTatas will be in a position to position the Nano at around thatprice. It looks difficult because a delay will only compoundproblems of rising raw material costs. A quick ramp-up is animperative to break even. The initial plan for the plant calls forproduction of 150,000 units a year.Production in the six monthsbetween October and March 2009 will also be crucial to determine howlong Tata Motors takes to make profits. In a recent report, analystsat HDFC Securities were expecting only 25,000 units to roll out in2008-09. With the work having stopped, even that figure now looksoptimistic.

Rev. John V. Mentag, Former Loyola Prof

Rev. John V. Mentag, 78, a Jesuit priest and former assistanthistory professor at Loyola University, died Saturday in theColombiere Jesuit Community, Clarkston, Mich.

Father Mentag was on the Loyola faculty from 1960 to 1991, whenhe moved to Michigan.

During his tenure, he was a university trustee for five yearsand was acting manager for the historical journal Mid-America for 10years.

Father Mentag attended St. Mary's High School in his nativeMichigan City. In 1934, he entered the Jesuit order in Milford,Ohio. Ordained in 1947, he earned a doctorate in history fromLoyola.

Before teaching at Loyola, he was a history instructor at St.Xavier High School in Cincinnati and at nearby Xavier University.

He leaves three sisters, Barbara Meyers, Mary and Grace, and twobrothers, Robert and Dr. Paul.