12 Feb

Kuwait Times

February 12, 2010

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NO: 14638

INSIDE

The captivating aroma of Oud PAGES 6 & 7

Nabil bin Salama

Nabil bin Salama appointed as Zain Group CEO

Record blizzards shut down Washington and New York PAGE 16

TEHRAN: Tens of thousands of Iranians, many waving national flags and portraits of Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shout “Death to America” during a rally held in Tehran yesterday to mark the 31st anniversary of the revolution. Iranian opposition leaders Mohammad Khatami and Mehdi Karroubi came under attack and their supporters clashed with police as vast crowds massed in the Iranian capital to mark the 1979 revolution. — AFP

KUWAIT: The Board of Directors of Zain Group appointed yesterday, by a majority vote, Nabil bin Salama as the Group’s CEO. In a press release, Zain said that bin Salama would be taking up the helm of the Group as of Sunday, noting that he would be leading the Group during the upcoming phase that “requires a consolidation of efforts in order to achieve the Group’s strategic goals.” It expressed the Board of Directors’ best wishes for the success of bin Salama in his new post, while asserting the confidence it had in the new CEO’s capabilities and expertise.

The newly appointed CEO holds a bachelors degree in electrical engineering from Dayton University, Ohio. He is a former Minister of Electricity and Water and former Minister of Communication. Other than his career in the public sector, bin Salama was also chairman of one of the telecommunication companies. — KUNA

Clashes mar Revolution Day Ahmadinejad says Iran can enrich uranium to over 80 pct British school bans Valentine cards kids Page 56

Palop leads Sevilla to King’s Cup final Page 64

TEHRAN: Iranian security forces clashed with protesters and arrested dozens yesterday, opposition websites said, while vast crowds rallied in support of the government on the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

Official media made no mention of clashes or arrests and state television said “tens of millions of people” attended rallies in support of the revolution across the country of 70 million.

The Islamic state is facing its worst domestic crisis in three decades as opposition supporters have coalesced around the reformists who lost to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a disputed election last June.

Ahmadinejad told a vast, flag-waving crowd of government supporters in central Tehran’s Azadi (Freedom) Square that Iran was now able to enrich uranium to more than 80 percent purity, coming close to levels experts say would be needed for a nuclear bomb, although he again denied it had any such intention.

“The Iranian nation is brave enough that if one day we wanted to build nuclear bombs we would announce it publicly without being afraid of you,” Ahmadinejad said, addressing Iran’s Western enemies.

But he told the crowd: “When we say that we don’t build nuclear bombs, it means that we won’t do that because we don’t believe in having it.”

State television showed live footage of hundreds of thousands of people, some carrying Iranian flags and pictures of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, walking to the square.

An opposition website, Iran’s Green Voice, said security forces fired shots and teargas at supporters of opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi at a separate rally in central Tehran. Mousavi and his wife attended one of the rallies, it said.

Another opposition site, Norooz, said 30 people were arrested in one Tehran square.

A third, Jaras, said security forces attacked another opposition leader, Mehdi Karoubi, and moderate former president Mohammad Khatami. It said the windows of Karoubi’s car were smashed but he was not seriously hurt.

Jaras said at least 100 mainly young protesters were detained in the northeastern city of Mashhad, and there were some “limited” clashes with security forces. It said more than 20 people were detained in the southern city of Shiraz, as anti-riot police sought to prevent protesters from gathering.

The reports could not be verified independently because journalists working for foreign media were escorted to Azadi Square and are not at liberty to cover opposition rallies.

There were no reports of the kind of

violence that erupted in late December, when eight people were killed in clashes between security forces and opposition supporters.

Neither side has shown much appetite for compromise in the eight months since the presidential vote, which the opposition says was rigged to secure Ahmadinejad’s re-election. The authorities insist it was fair.

Since June, thousands of people protesting against the conduct of the vote have been arrested. Most have since been freed, though more than 80 people have been jailed for up to 15 years, including several senior ex-officials.

In January, Iran hanged two people sentenced to death in post-vote trials.

At least nine others are appealing such sentences.

The country faces growing Western calls for a new round of targeted United Nations sanctions against it after Ahmadinejad this week ordered a start to production of higher-grade uranium.

Iran says it moved to produce the 20 percent enriched uranium for a Tehran research reactor making medical isotopes out of frustration at failure to reach agreement on a uranium exchange with world powers.

“By God’s grace ... it was reported that the first consignment of 20 percent enriched uranium was produced and

was put at the disposal of the scientists,” Ahmadinejad said. “In the near future we will treble its production.”

Iran had previously purified the fuel to just 3.5 percent, the level required for a nuclear power plant.

Western experts say the jump to 20 percent is a major technical leap towards enriching uranium to the 90 percent-plus that would be needed for a nuclear bomb.

The West accuses Iran of covertly trying to build nuclear bombs. Iran, the world’s fifth-largest crude oil exporter, says its nuclear facilities are part of a peaceful energy program and it would retaliate for any attack on them.

Referring to comments by U.S. President Barack Obama this week that the international community was moving “fairly quickly” towards imposing broader sanctions on Iran, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said in the city of Qom: “If Mr Obama, who found the courage to threaten Iran yesterday, makes this maneuver again, Iran’s answer will be speeding up its nuclear technology.”

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told BBC television: “I believe the mood around the world is now increasingly one where, patience not being inexhaustible, people are turning to look at the specific sanctions we can plan on Iran.” —Reuters

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Page 2 FrIdaY SpoTlIghT

We want real art, not freak shows!

IN MY VIEW

The trail of the serpent

By Muna Al-Fuzai

By Soumya Sukrithan

fter receiving an invitation to attend a local play, you decide to be present at the performance, only to find out that it is nothing but a freak show. A few clowns parade as artists and use abusive language; the audience end up wasting their time! The same applies to an art gallery where different pictures are scattered across walls. These are also called works of art! These are not creative and the ideas and themes are repetitive. I wonder what kind of art this is!

I really wish I could visit an authentic art gallery where exhibitions, plays and operas are held- at least half of the fare what those in the West enjoy. Now, why no real art flourishes here is one issue and whether we have the possi-

he crime section is a staple of Kuwait’s local English dailies.

Few readers skip it while flipping through the newspaper’s pages.

From petty offenses to gruesome murders and felonies, the section serves as a reminder of human frailty and our eroded societal values. The country’s crime rate is soaring, distressingly so, given its small size and population.

Every day, bold headlines lure readers into the dark alleyways of vice runaway maids, assault, theft, abduction, drug peddling, prostitution, boot legging - the list is exhaustive. Many lap up the stories with a tad bit of disbelief. Do iniquitous acts of such magnitude actually happen in an otherwise peaceful country?

Some cases have been sensational in nature with culprits acquiring notoriety and cult status. The eponymous ‘Hawally Monster’ is still fresh in the memories of the public. Following on his heels is the latest ‘suspect;’ an Egyptian national who is believed to have raped and murdered an underage Pakistani girl, in addition to assaulting 14 other children.

Such recurring incidents have cre-

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I really wish I could visit an authentic art gallery where exhibitions, plays and operas are held- at least half of the fare what those in the West enjoy. bility is another.

What do artists need in order to thrive and showcase their originality to society? While the three main missing elements include creativity , freedom of thought and expression. This is because no art can ever find rightful place in the world if it has no soul. That is a fact. When art is controlled by politics, it is usually used as a means for image-building and supporting governments, even corrupted individuals. In the long run, all kinds of art are used to justify actions. That definitely is not ‘free art.’

The media is an important, influential tool. But when the media presents drama as an art form, it is greatly exaggerated. In many cases, very disturbing information and images are telecast. For example, the abuses suffered by wives, husbands, children are commonly recurring themes. Very rarely do you find a serialized drama that is empty of such lies.

Another subject that keeps recurring is the encouragement of cousin marriages! I don’t know who and how they have come up with this idea? Who said it is a wide spread practice in Kuwait? it is not the only grounds on which marriage in Kuwait is based. Simply because some families practice it, you cannot generalize about all Kuwaiti families.

The portrayal of violence against women and children on television is also called art! I can’t recall watching a series that does not contain explicit references to the same.

Verbal insults are used against expatriates and nonKuwaitis! Why is there a desperate need to make a joke about those who hardly speak Arabic or are poor and handicapped. All kind of insults are hurled against those who happen to be non-Kuwaiti!

Racist and discriminatory remarks are made against people of color! ‘That man is black, white, too tall, too short.’

Are these dialogues from a fictionalized drama series? The makers of these kinds of ‘art’ forms are even bestowed with honors!

I wish to see real art and its appreciation. Shows like Barney’s and Disney movies are timeless because the creators knew their target audience, apart from profiteering out of selling mass entertainment. That is art. We will never be able to enjoy a real opera ala Phantom of the Opera or value the creative genius of a painter like Da Vinci. We still think that what we watch on TV is called art! muna@kuwaittimes.net

Friday, February 12, 2010

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ated an ‘aura of fear’ among residents.

They apprehensively leave their loved ones unaccompanied, even while running errands like grocery shopping.

Unfortunately, feelings of paranoia interfere with the individual’s ability to perform everyday outdoor tasks.

In most developed countries, there is more crime in impoverished areas.

This is true of Kuwait as well. Places like Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh and Hassawi languish under their tarnished reputations. Owing to the large expatriate populations that reside in these neighborhoods, most victims as well as perpetrators are non-Kuwaiti.

Most often, due to the frequent orchestration of despicable activities, there is an unfair stigma attached to certain nationalities. While many believe that ineffective policing has provided leeway for many gang- related activities, it is quite unclear why such incidents are on the rise. It is possible that those belonging to lowincome groups, frustrated with their KD 40 monthly salaries, abandon legitimate jobs and resort to more lucrative deals that supplement income in a foreign country. High unemployment among the local populace, mostly youngsters, can drive up crime rates

as they fail to engage in suitable tasks that utilize their skills. That being the case, not all criminal activities can be linked to economy. Is there a plausible explanation for sex- crimes and assaults against children that take place in affluent areas?

The Ministry of Interior recently passed a regulation that requires new expatriates to submit police clearance certificates from their respective countries upon arrival. While restricting access to those with clean criminal records can help contain anti-social activity to an extent (if strictly enforced), how does the government body plan to inhibit crime rate among its citizens?

Ultimately, only revamping the police task force can help lower the crime rate. Increasing the size of the police force, better training, efficient use of technology, and introducing a better style of management that holds officers fully accountable for managing crime can result in remarkable change.

Until then, a brisk, five-minute walk to the neighborhood shop risks being cut short by “the trail of the serpent over them all.” soumya@kuwaittimes.net

IN MY VIEW

What they don’t teach you at ‘B-School’!

By Jayaram Vengayil t is a day every expat dreads but one that is inevitable, sooner or later. The ephemeral nature of expat life hits you when your kids have to move out of Kuwait after high school.

And, as in my case, when my wife left to keep my daughter company, I was reduced to a family of one. I put on a brave face - Kuwait was anyway full of grass widowers like me. I would have enough company in my pursuit of loneliness. After all, this was a good opportunity to re-discover esoteric personal interests like stamp-collecting and New Orleans Jazz that had taken a back seat before more pressing demands like chauffeuring back and forth from tuitions or attending inane community gatherings where the same people say and do the same things again and again. A stint of bachelorhood after years of being tied to the domestic yoke didn’t really seem like a bad idea.

But the attitude that Kuwait displays towards its ‘B’-Class residents was something that ‘B’-School hadn’t prepared me for! The first weekend of freedom, I decided to treat myself to a movie. The Cinescape website, bombarded me with warnings that if I was a bachelor and pretended to be a ‘family’ man I could be denied entry. By the time I had finished the on-line booking process, I had been subjected to the most appalling apartheid and felt like a social deviant. I sat through the movie with other cowering bachelors, afraid of being accused of sexual harassment while families mindlessly enjoyed themselves.

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A stint of bachelorhood after years of being tied to the domestic yoke didn’t really seem like a bad idea.

As with any penny-pinching expat, cost savings was always on top of the agenda. The obvious next step was to move to a smaller apartment. But I hadn’t reckoned with this most zealous guardian of family values in Kuwait, the all-pervasive ‘haris’. Like the presiding deity of his apartment block, he kept a hawk’s eye open for perverts like me. ‘Where is your marriage certificate?’ ‘So if you are married why is your wife not living with you?’ My answers never seemed to satisfy these self-appointed moral policemen. At last I gave up and continued to pay through my nose for a flat of which I occupy only a fraction. My current haris is busy investigating my apparent ‘divorce’. Suddenly, I am treated like a criminal by my previously friendly neighbors when I bump into them in the lift. ‘Quiet now, here comes the bloodthirsty bachelor’ they seem to be whispering as they hush up their misbehaving kids. To add to my miseries, our maid, a toothless hag of advanced years, left suddenly fearing for her virtue in my employment.

The last straw was yet to come. I was at a mall, with a friend whose work brought him to Kuwait from Australia.

Like any Aussie worth his salt, my

friend had his video camera in tow and was merrily panning away when a forbidding-looking plainclothesman walked up to us and grabbed him by the collar, ‘Bachelor- photo not allowed!’ he hissed. And then he proceeded to scan the entire footage as if sure he would find pornographic material. My trigger-happy friend is yet to come to terms with the realization that a single status is an indicator of potential criminal tendencies in Kuwait.

I shared my woes with Stany, a ‘bachelor’ friend of many years, ‘Stany, I applaud you. How have you put up with such discrimination for so many years?’ Stany grinned, ‘I am no ordinary bachelor - I belong to the special category known in the Gulf as the ‘Executive Bachelor’. This title distinguishes you from the normal bachelor.

It means you are happily married and you are not living alone in Kuwait because you can’t afford not to but because your family has better things to do elsewhere.’ ‘And,’ he continued, ‘anyway they will join you during the holidays and then you can behave nastily with the other bachelors till the family leaves!’ Reminds me of ‘Brand Differentiation’ and ‘Product Segmentation’ from my B-school days!

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Friday, February 12, 2010

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Odd flirting techniques

SATIRE WIRE

By Sawsan Kazak riving down the streets of Kuwait is always fascinating. One always gets a show, whether it’s the latest sports cars racing, people celebrating a win in a football match or teenagers dancing in their cars for attention.

The most interesting is the amount of flirting that takes place, from both guys and girls. The streets of Kuwait are filled with people trying to pick each other up in some really funny ways.

Some techniques of flirting are quite interesting in that, they are not your usual ‘trying to pick you up’ techniques. For instance, you have the guys who drive

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Do girls give their numbers to their stalkers?

Do they find it attractive when a guy is about to run them off the road or kill himself? crazy chasing the girls down the road, cutting them off and preventing them from getting to their desired destination. This is usually a technique used by police officers when in a high-speed chase with a fugitive on the run. Typically, not the type of driving associated with someone trying to meet another person.

On the other hand, there are the guys that follow girls’ cars for hours. They pur-

sue them from place to place at a distance.

They even end up following them all the way home and wait for them to get out of the car to make their move. This behavior is also not typical of somebody who is interested in you, it is behavior that is associated with stalkers. People who are not stable mentally would probably be more likely to engage in such spying techniques.

The guys that ride motorcycles have a

technique of their own as well. They will speed up in front of the desired car and then proceed to get on one wheel. They will drive recklessly, slowing down almost to the point of getting hit by other cars.

These are actions taken by people who have a death wish, or by someone who is trying to get money from a lawsuit. Again, not behavior that screams ‘give me your number.’

Seeing these activities in such high frequency on the roads makes you wonder if this actually works. Do girls give their numbers to their stalkers? Do they find it attractive when a guy is about to run them off the road or kill himself? Apparently they do, otherwise it would have ended. I’m sure there are better ways of getting attention, at least safer ones. sa ws ank @kuw aitt imes .n et

HalluciNations

The art of exaggeration

By Ahmad Saeid wo women, for whom I have the deepest respect, were heavily criticized last week; Oprah Winfrey and Ebtihal Al-Khatib.

Oprah was criticized for saying Kuwaiti people behave like Paris Hilton, while workers from other countries do everything for them. Ebtihal was criticized for frankly expressing her rather liberal thoughts on a Lebanese TV show. This article is not meant to defend or attack any of those two women.

I simply noticed a repeating trend that I wanted to point out. To do that, let’s just go back a little bit to a more vivid example. A few months ago, a man appeared on Kuwaiti television and violated the law by attacking a certain group of Kuwaiti society. Later on, a group of people exaggerated their reaction to that insult. They took to the streets to demonstrate against what was said. Certain MPs exaggerated their response to the public movement and demanded that the Minister of Information should resign.

The minister’s response was even more exaggerated and he proposed extreme legislation to limit the free-

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KUWAIT: People enjoy the warm weather on a beach last week.

— Photo by Yasser AlZayyat

dom of the press. The Kuwait Journalist Association’s response to the bill were so exaggerated that they proposed amendments of their own!

This public game of ‘ping-pong’ seems to follow the law that “for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction”. One act of extremism generates an extremist reaction.

Suppressing freedom in the Arab world generated a whole spectrum of extremist movements. The continuous neglect of national priorities and the stances on pan-Arab issues by some Arab regimes instigate radical movements.

On the other hand, social pressure and intolerance against liberal ideas drive some liberals to the other extreme. They tend to stand completely against any form of social limitation and demand the absolute opposite. And so the exaggeration continues in this ‘Extremistan’.

Now, let’s go back to Oprah and Ebtihal. What Oprah said was an exaggeration of a truth. Yes, Kuwait and other GCC countries are heavily reliant on foreign workers, no one can deny that. At the same time, not all Kuwaiti people can afford to live like Paris Hilton, even though many of them, myself included, would love to enjoy the luxurious lifestyle of Ms Hilton.

Oprah exaggerated her description

of Kuwaiti people. There are many dedicated and hardworking Kuwaitis.

But, then again, so what if Oprah said that about Kuwait? Do her comments make us like that? So what if Ebtihal expressed her opinion on secularism and even gay marriage? Does that mean we will have gay weddings all over Kuwait this weekend? So what if an angry reader who doesn’t agree with what I’m writing curses me right now and turns the page of the newspaper? Everyone has the right to their own opinion, even if we completely disagree with what they claim. It is their opinion, and it is just an opinion.

If you think it’s totally absurd, simply let other people decide that on their own. Eventually, people will stop being absurd if they know no one is paying attention to them.

An exaggerated reaction to absurdness can be absurd itself. A moderate reaction to extreme opinions can absorb their extremism and result in a better and more beneficial dialogue in the long run.

For now though, blowing things out of proportion remains a sophisticated art form that no one in the world seems to do better than us. I don’t know if my conclusion is extremely exaggerated, so please try not to exaggerate it yourself. It’s just an article. saeid@kuwaittimes.net

KUWAIT: Construction workers are seen going about their daily activities on a construction site in Kuwait City. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

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LOCAL

KUWAIT: (From right) Egyptian ambassador to Kuwait, Chairman of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ali Al-Ghanim, Chairman of the Khorafi Group Nasser Al-Khorafi, Mustafa Bu Dai, Egyptian Minister of Commerce Rasheed Mohammad Rasheed and Kuwaiti Minister of Commerce Ahmad Al-Haroun. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Friday, February 12, 2010

(From right) Undersecretary of the Egyptian Ministry of Commerce, former minister AbdulWahab Al-Wazzan, businessman Jawad Bu Khamsin and a guest.

Khorafi Group chairman hosts Arab League chief Nasser Al-Khorafi urges state intervention to rescue bourse KUWAIT: Chairman of the Khorafi Group Nasser Mohammad Al-Khorafi hosted visiting Egyptian Minister of Commerce Rasheed Rasheed and the Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amr Moussa at a diner banquet at his Beda’ Diwan on Wednesday.

The two guests are in Kuwait to attend the 85th session of the Arab League’s Economic and Social Council that was held at the Sheraton Hotel yesterday. The one-day convention of finance and economy ministers from the Arab world focused on examining the issues of economic development and social welfare, improving the standard of living and the economic performance in the Arab world, in addition to the creation of employment.

Chairman of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ali Al-Ghanim and other senior government officials, as well as members of AlKhorafi family and some journalists attended the banquet.

During the event, Nasser Al-Khorafi told journalists that he predicts 2010 to be a bad year for the Kuwait Stock Exchange unless the government intervenes to remedy the situation. He added that a practical option that the government should consider is to purchase assets in order to salvage the bourse.

The chairman of the AlKhorafi Group also urged the government to take serious steps “since the crisis of dropping assets value is worsening.”

He commended the government development plan, saying that it would help in improving the economic atmosphere in

(From right) Ali Al-Ghanim and Deputy Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Dr Mohammad Al-Sabah

Deputy Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Dr Mohammad AlSabah (center) with guests, including Bader Al-Khorafi (first right), Marzouq Al-Khorafi (third right) and Talal Al-Khorafi (third left).

Kuwait Times Editor-in-Chief Abd Al-Rahman Alyan (center), Dr Ziad Alyan (right) and a guest at the dinner banquet.

Amr Moussa greets Egyptian Minister of Commerce at the event.

Friday, February 12, 2010

LOCAL

Sheikh Dr Mohammad Al-Sabah greets Amr Moussa with Ali Al-Ghanim .

Kuwait. “The government should appoint international firms to assess the assets and begin the purchase process,” he added.

He stressed that the status of the Al-Khorafi Group’s subsidiaries “is good, despite the difficulty and harshness of the crisis.” He called on banks to reopen the door for providing channels of credit and financing for newlyestablished companies that require liquidity, adding that it would be tough for companies to operate without proper liquidity.

As for the Zain deal, AlKhorafi said the company possesses a “good” share, whether the deal goes through or not.

He spoke highly of Minister of State for Economic Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad, saying he is trust-worthy, practical and capable of implementing the development plan. He also praised the Kuwaiti private sector’s ability to take part in implementing the state plan.

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Nasser Al-Khorafi (center) addresses the audience during the event with Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa (left) and Ali Al-Ghanim (right).

Amr Moussa and Nasser Al-Khorafi during the banquet.

Bader Al-Khorafi receives Amr Moussa at Al-Khorafi diwan.

A general picture of the audience during the banquet at the Al-Khorafi diwan.

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LOCAL

Friday, February 12, 2010

The captivating aroma of

fragrances were those of musk, amber and many others. As time passed, various oriental perfumes were invented. The most common in our days is erfumes are popular in every society, but is especially admired in the the ‘Dihn al oud’, which is an oily form of alcohol-free perfume. These types Arab world. Since ancient times, Arabs have been known for their of perfumes are long-lasting and do not expire; the longer they stays the passion for pleasant fragrances. In the olden days, the most commonly used better they are.

By Nawara Fattahova

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Heyran Al-Sharifi in his shop in Hawally

Besides perfumes, the Arabs , especially the GCC countries, use another kind of perfume scent, the incense (Bukhur). This kind consists of small pieces of perfumed wood, that are later burnt, to spread the aroma in the air. It is used as a room freshener, and to let the fragranced smoke of the Bukhur stick on to clothes.

Not only do factories produce these oriental perfumes, some individuals also invent their own perfumes. A Kuwait perfume maker who has been working in this field since 1993 has unveiled the magic of the Oud. “During my 16 years of work, I have invented about 30 different fragrances of the Oud (aloe wood) perfume. This is apart from the fragrances that I didn’t repeat, I considered these as limited edition varieties. I have also invented three kinds of ‘Mamoul al oud’ which is an incense, four kinds of body lotions, and three kinds of perfumes for the hair (Khamriya),” said Heyran

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Al-Sharifi, a perfume maker and owner of ‘Marasi AlTeeb’ perfume store located in a mall in Hawally.

“I have also made special fragrances for some VIPs. A daughter of one Sheikh liked a perfume I made as a tester, later I named it after her Hiba. Also at the palace of another Sheikh, they use my Mamoul (incense) which I call Dasma,” he added.

Hobby-turned-passion His love for perfumemaking as a hobby turned into a passion, and with time, into a business. “I made money out of it, and incurred many losses. I started by visiting different shops, talking to people and learning from their experiences. Some traders cheated me, others gave me advice. And now, after 16 years, I think I have made a name for myself in the market of oriental perfumes and incenses.

But, I can’t say I’m a professional, there is always something new to learn,” noted Al-Sharifi.

Other than making Oud, Al-Sharifi is also a poet. “I stopped reciting poems in the mean time, as I have become busier with my business and family.

However, certain situations inspire me to come up with a new aroma,” he said. His business is his main source of income. “I think that people still like the oriental perfumes. Even westerners, Americans in particular, love the Oud. I noticed this while participating in the exhibition held at Hilton Al-Mangaf, where many American visitors bought some of my perfumes,” he said.

Most of Al-Sharifi’s work is concentrated at exhibitions and fairs. “I don’t go to the shop much, as my brother also helps me work here,” he said. He is now focused on participating in different exhibitions where sales are really good. “I meet new customers and give them gifts with their purchase so that they come to my shop and buy from me,” he pointed out.

The queen of aroma Al-Kuwaitiya (Kuwaiti female) is the name of AlSharifi’s most successful perfume which combines a mix of seven aromas: Pandanus tectorius, rose, basil, Oud (aloe wood, saffron, jasmine, and white musk) “I made this perfume five years ago and was very successful,” he said. He elaborated that sales from this perfume generates a profit of KD 50,000. It’s even sold out, he said.

Some shops tried to imitate my ingredients (of Al Kuwaitiya) but they have failed to make the same composition,” said Al-Sharifi.

The ‘Dihn al oud’ is made by dipping the incense (bukhur) for some time and then extracted moisture or oil from it. Al-Sharifi likes mixing his own recipes. “There are different kinds like Cambodian, Indian, Burmese, Suyufi, Malaysian, and others.

The most famous ‘bukhur’ now is the Malaysian,“ he added.

Oud tasting Before approving a certain new perfume, Al-Sharifi collects opinions about it. “I use my experiences of mixing or blending here at the shop.

When I find the right composition, I take it home. I have my work tools and use larger quantities. I then try it on my friends and family, and some special customers. If I receive positive feedback, I then start selling it at exhibitions and put the name of my shop on it,” he asserted.

He buys crude materials from the local market. AlSharifi also has some western or as it is popularly known here, French perfumes.

However, his trademark approach to perfume-making is to blend as much as possible. “Sometimes customers ask me to make a mixture that smells similar to some new international perfume,” he said. He revealed his perfume-making secret: “Usually, I mix the oriental perfumes with the French or international and come up with new fragrances.”

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Friday, February 12, 2010

By Abdullah Al-Qattan

long time ago, before portable video games and mobile internet devices were considered the ordinary child’s companion, games and fun activities were based on simplicity. Nowadays, the situation is drastically different. It is increasingly harder to compete with all of the over-stimulated media that is poured over us on a daily basis. The simplicity of old, traditional things like games, have no fighting chance against the modern day game consoles that are equipped with super addictive features, and have you sitting behind the game for hours if not days.

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Nowadays, the situation is drastically different. It is increasingly harder to compete with all of the overstimulated media that is poured over us on a daily basis.

The flip side of the new age of technology is that the young generation has lost the value of all the things that matter the most; or mattered to the older generations. You can start with priorities being placed on the price tag while neglecting the feedback that it obtains.

Back in the day, games were more about hanging out with your friends and starting new friendships with kids from your neighborhood, and meeting new people that you had things in common with. Whereas now, all that you have is a TV, a game console, and no friends.

Simple by nature, cultural games used to rely on objects that were available at that time and didn’t cost much. By talking to an elder in your family like your grandfather, he would say that they would make their own toys most of the time, from used bike wheels and what lay around. In case they buy something, a group of kids usually would pitch in and share the toy with each other.

There are some games that didn’t require any means. What it was based on was, having a large number of kids play along. For example, ‘Amakoor’ is a game which requires one boy or girl to be blind-folded while trying to chase and catch the other kids. This game was usually played outdoors so the kids can have their space, in case they wanted to run or hide from the other kids. ‘Alhaila’ is the Kuwaiti version of hopscotch. It, too, doesn’t require any special gizmos of any kind. In fact to play this game, girls would get together and use a

piece of chalk to draw with on the ground and a small piece of clay to throw. When this game is mostly played by girls, boys on the other hand, played their own version of ‘Altelah’, also known as marbles. This game relies on small clear glass balls and small pockets dug in the ground as goals.

Surprisingly, this game used to get attention from people of all ages because it required skilled people who can aim at the other glass balls and manage to get his ball in one of the pockets right after the impact. Until this day, some people still gather near the old market or old coffee places to play and

watch this game.

Somehow, these games find their way back in our life to remind us of how simple yet how fun life can be. For example, one of the oldest members of my family told me that he still has his ‘Gahfiy’, the same one that he used to play ‘Tageyah’ with his friends. In that game, kids usually sit in a circle while having one kid run around the circle with a Gahfiya which is the traditional men’s head wear.

Then he would throw it at one of the kids who is sitting, so that he can start running after him in an attempt to catch him.

He also added that whenever he played ‘Dama,’ he remembers friends that he met on his first trip to India. The first time he played that game, just like many things, ‘Dama’ is one of those things that Kuwait imported. This game which uses pieces of wood and a piece of cloth, is very similar to checkers in the level of difficulty. Due to the amount of patience and concentration required, only old men where good at it till this very day.

If you compare the environment of a video gamer it would be a dark room with a pile of stacked up pizza boxes on the side and empty cans of Pepsi. Right under those, you will see a single person sitting all alone. In yesteryear, you would see a group of kids running around, enjoying exercise and real things in life that sometimes don’t cost a thing. abdullah@kuwaittimes.net

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Cyber cheating in Kuwait Women on the prowl Married women are also involved in the online affairs scene. Counselor Al-Mousawi says many women seek help and advice after feeling guilt from engaging in illicit affairs with men outside wedlock. “It is a real dilemma, and to solve it we must go back to the upbringing,” says Al-Mousawi.

The upbringing is not the only factor, but it figures hugely.

By Hussain Al-Qatari

I

n the wee hours of the night, when everyone has gone to bed, 40-year-old Abu Khaled, sneaks out of his bedroom and heads to his study. There, he switches on his laptop, logs on to an internet chat room and engages in conversations with other women. Forgetting about his marriage, his wife and his kids, Abu Khaled is in a world of his own where he is no longer the father and husband with responsibilities and obligations. Instead, he becomes the passionate lover, the midnight knight warrior who is on the lookout for a girl - or two, or three, it doesn’t matter - to take her away on a cyber ride.

Depending on how their conversation goes, Abu Khaled (aka Romeo) might go on an erendezvous or two, before meeting in person. Or, if both parties’ needs could be met via the web with the aid of voice and video chat, the lovebirds might foster a cyber affair that might last for a while before both parties decide to split.

Ending a cyber affair is different than ending a real affair, but that is a different story.

Clandestinely in love The scenario of Abu Khaled’s secret internet affairs is very common in Kuwaiti society, says family counselor Amna Al-Mousawi. “When looking for the reason behind the troubles and failures of many marriages, fingers strangely point to a computer screen,” she muses.

Men and women, married and single, spend time on the internet looking for emotional satisfaction. The reasons behind why they would risk destroying their holy matrimony are many, the most important of which is the lack of communication. “Many married couples do not hear what they want to hear from their spouses.

The wife is not constantly reassured that she is desired and loved, and the husband is not aware that the family is more than paying bills and providing money,” says AlMousawi.

Throughout her experience in counseling, Al-Mousawi

says that many people find it easier to seek other sources for affection rather than trying to solve the internal problems of their marriage. Suspicious behavior includes hiding cell phones, spending long hours on the internet and being secretive about their whereabouts.

The reason why the internet is the number one suspect is due to its availability. You can log on to chat rooms and dating websites from your cell phone now, not necessarily a laptop or a computer.

Omayma (not her real name), a 28-year old single woman who has had relationships with several married men on (and through) the internet, says that a lot of them do things that they can’t within the confines of a marriage.

“I think it’s because they are put under lots of pressure when they are married; they can’t be needy. So they seek someone to shower them with affection outside of marriage. I don’t know if it’s because they can’t talk to their wives about what they need or if it’s because they don’t want to appear weak in front of them,” she says.

Omayma had a relationship with a man in his forties that lasted for over two years. “We chatted, exchanged pictures, voice-chatted, and had several video chats together before exchanging phone numbers.

He was very hesitant at first, and at some point, he bought another cell phone that, he said, he kept locked inside his car. Our communication on the phone was very little, and we only met several times when his family was out of the country,” said Omayma.

She said that they only had brief physical contact, before he decided that the affair must end. “He said that he felt guilty and that he wants to become faithful to his wife and family. But less than a week after we stopped talking to each other, I saw his nickname on a chat-room. His profiles appeared on several dating websites that we frequented before being committed to each other, showed recent activity,” she said.

“When young boys and men are not advised against engaging in sexual activity outside marriage, they are not taught the value of marriage. When they associate sexual activity with lust as opposed to love, they can easily fall victim to their basic instincts,” she says.

However, when sexual activity becomes linked to holy matrimony, and when marriage is given the great importance that

it deserves, a person will think twice before endangering this sacred marriage, explains AlMousawi.

In the case of many men, who are allowed to have sexual experiences at an early age without being frowned upon by society, they don’t learn how to satisfy a girl’s emotions.

Al-Mousawi elaborates, “In most, if not all cases, young men have their sexual experi-

ences with professional women, or women who have had sexual experiences. The relationship is purely sexual, all feelings and emotions placed aside.” This disconnect between physical and emotional intimacy is what causes many men, even newlyweds, to cheat. She concludes, “Sadly, it is happening at a very alarming rate.”

hussain@kuwaittimes.net

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KUWAIT: (From left) First Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Arab League’s Secretary General Amr Moussa and Chairman of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ali Al-Ghanim at the opening of the 85th session of the Arab League’s Economic and Social Council was held in Sheraton Hotel yesterday. — KUNA

Friday, February 12, 2010

KUWAIT: (Left) Kuwait Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali is seen addressing the convention yesterday. (Right) Chairman of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ali Al-Ghanim at the event.

—Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Arab League’s Economic, Social Conference tackles cooperation

By Velina Nacheva KUWAIT: A one-day convention of finance and economy ministers from the Arab world focused on examining the issues of economic development and social welfare, improving the standard of living and the economic performance in the Arab world, in addition to the creation of employment. The 85th session of the Arab League’s Economic and Social Council was held in Sheraton Hotel yesterday. His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah inaugurated the event which witnessed the attendance of a host of regional leaders and local dignitaries.

The meeting comes a year after Kuwait hosted the 1st Economic Arabic Summit that concluded with the adoption of pan-Arab projects aiming to enhance trade and cooperation between the states. Yesterday’s meeting, revisited the chartered plans and called for the advancement of Arab economic unity and pan-Arab cooperation in the fields of economy, infrastructure and social development.

At the opening of the session,

Pan-Arab projects focal point to boost trade Kuwait Finance Minister Mustafa AlShamali said that the 2009 historical conference dealt with a host of issues that covered a wide variety of fields, such as transportation, combating unemployment, the environment, electricity and water grades, the construction of a railway system and unemployment.

There were many decisions adopted at that summit, Al-Shamali observed, which reflected the realistic urge to enhance the role of the private sector in the development of the Arab world.

Although the completion and the implementation phases vary from one project to another, we are confident that the efforts for the implementation of the projects will be accelerated, Al-Shamali noted.

“This conference comes as a good signal of His Highness’ keenness for supporting and enhancing the role of the cooperative and collaborative economic Arab world,” he said.

Taking this point further, AlShamali stressed that since its establishment the Kuwait Fund for Arab

Economic Development has been a main stakeholder and partner for the economic development of the Arab countries through providing grants, loans and technical assistance.

In his speech at the opening of the session, the Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, said that the first Arab summit held in Kuwait established a new methodology for the social, economic and developmental work which addresses the interest of the people in the Arab world.

Moussa noted that the 2009 Arab Economic, Developmental and Social Summit concluded with a declaration that aimed to improve the standard of living for the citizens in the Arab world - implementing, amongst other things, projects in the fields of electricity, infrastructure and telecommunication and the establishment of an Arab common market.

Moussa further lauded the importance of HH the Amir’s initiative to establish a fund to support small and medium-sized enterprises with a capital of $1 billion. Stressing that the contributions from the countries

Archeological body’s cultural role praised KUWAIT: The founder of Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain’s Prize for Poetic Creativity Chairman, Abdulaziz Al-Babtain, on Wednesday stressed the significant cultural role played by the Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah (DAI) (House of Islamic Antiquities).“The DAI plays an important cultural role as a traveling museum that contains precious Islamic antiquities,” he told KUNA. The DAI was to open an archeological exhibition in Singapore yesterday. The DAI is home to valuable exhibits that showcase great Islamic creativity and innovation involving the civilization, history and heritage of early

Muslims, he added.

Since 1983, it has been organizing traveling historical exhibitions both at home and abroad, drawing much international attention, he pointed out.

It also plays a historic role in bringing world peoples closer by inviting prominent intellectuals to deliver lectures during its annual cultural season, he added.

He hoped that the exhibition in Singapore could attract the attention of Muslims living in Singapore, who make up 20 percent of the country’s population, together with people belonging to other religions. — KUNA

have exceeded $1 billion, he appealed to other Arab countries to complete their contributions to the fund. “This fund will be beneficial for the entrepreneurs and the small investors in the Arab world, especially the youth,” he said.

The Council’s meeting, he asserted, has given an important role to the private sector and has reviewed proposals for boosting the pan-Arab investment environment. “We are serious in translating the policies to improve the level of Arab investments and to enhance the role of Arab investors as well as to increase the pan-Arab trade and joint projects,” he said.

Stressing that there are many positive signs on the front of cross-border cooperation, Moussa said the economic relationship between the Arab states is the “weakest point”.

In his opening remarks, Chairman of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ali Al-Ghanim, lauded the initiative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah for opening the door

to the private sector at the 2009 Arab Economic Summit in Kuwait.

Al-Ghanim said that it is important to chart the mechanisms for measuring the achievement of the cooperation between the private and public sectors. All the projects adopted by the summit could be implemented and turned into reality with the collaboration of the private and public sectors, he added.

Highlighting the need for close link between economic integration and pan-Arab trade, Al-Ghanim stressed on the need to lift customs restrictions that hamper the establishment of an Arab Free Trade Area.

During one of the sessions, Iraqi Trade Minister Safaa Al-Deen Al-Safi said “Arab economic integration has become an urgent necessity dictated by the fallout of the global economic crisis,” and called for revision of the integration mechanisms, AFP reported. On hand at the event were First Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem AlSabah, as well as senior officials, governors and guests.

Kuwaiti, Arab security officials consider Tunis meeting agenda KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Interior Ministry Undersecretary Lieut. Gen. Abdulatif AlRujaib met yesterday visiting Secretary General of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers Mohammed bin Ali Kuman.

During the meeting, they discussed the agenda of

the 25th session of the council, which will kickstart in Tunis in January, the Interior Ministry said in a release. The secretary general of the council is on a two-day official visit to Kuwait.

The senior Kuwaiti security official lauded the

key role played by Kuman and his secretariat to push forward security cooperation and coordination among Arab countries, the ministry said. For his part, Kuman spoke highly of Kuwait’s pivotal role in supporting common Arab security action.— KUNA

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Training program for fire directors

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: The Administrative Development and Training Department at the Kuwait Fire Services Directorate (KFSD) prepared a training program for fire directors. It was held in order to increase their knowledge on the working of legal departments in Kuwait,

especially those that regulate the work of the KFSD. Classes were held on civil service, financial system, in addition to data technology and the role played by the computer in government bodies’ performance. The course was held at the behest of KFSD Director General Maj. General Jassim Al-Mansouri.

Kuwait issues traveller alerts for Philippines, Malaysia and S Africa KUWAIT: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday called on citizens travelling to the Philippines to abide by the host country’s rules and regulations, and to maintain proper conduct in order to reflect a positive image of Kuwait.

Director of the ministry’s Consular Affairs Department Ambassador Humoud AlRoudhan told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that citizens travelling to the Philippines had to abide by a number of guidelines, such as holding on to their passports at all times and never to hand them over to anyone other than officials who wished to see an official identification.

He proposed notifying the Consular Section of the Kuwaiti Embassy and to make a copy of it in case of loss, adding that should the passport be misplaced, police and the embassy will have to be notified immediately.

The official said that a passport should have at least six months validity in order to obtain a visa. He warned that travelers should not fall victim to those who claim to be collecting donations for charitable projects.

As for those who travelled to the Philippines to recruit domestic workers, he warned them that foreigners were not allowed to withhold the passport of any Filipino national. Also yesterday, the ministry has urged Kuwaiti citizens not to travel to the Malaysian state of Sabah due to the volatile security situation there.

“The ministry warns all citizens not to travel to this state for the time being until

the situation there is back to normal,” Al-Roudhan said.

Meanwhile, the ministry has issued fresh guidelines for Kuwaitis travelling to the US, including having an international health insurance document owing to extremely high medical treatment costs there.

Kuwaitis wishing to go to the US should observe traffic rules there as traffic violations could lead to the cancellation of their entry visas, he cautioned.

Furthermore, they should not carry with them cash money exceeding $100,000, he admonished. The ministry’s Consular Department also issued a statement yesterday calling on citizens traveling to South Africa to apply for a visa prior to their trip.

In a press release, the consulate said that people had to carry euro and US dollar, not Kuwaiti banknotes.

In addition, the statement warned citizens travelling to South Africa from using public taxis and to instead use private airport taxis or the hotel’s rented cars.

The statement called on citizens to shop in malls and large markets when in the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria, and to return to the hotel before dark, noting that the authorities there prohibited the export of all types of animal skin. The statement warned people to stay away from crowded places and not to carry wallets and expensive mobile phones, especially when walking in big markets and not to open windows of the cabs especially when the vehicle is stationary to avoid theft incidents. — KUNA

Leadership congratulates Iran on national day KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday sent a cable of congratulations to President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad expressing sincere wishes on Iran’s national day.

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent similar cables.

Also yesterday, National Assembly Speaker Jassem AlKhorafi sent a cable of congratulations to Iranian Shura Council Speaker Dr. Ali Larijani on the occasion of his country’s national day. —KUNA

KRCS sends aid to displaced in Yemen KUWAIT: The Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) dispatches a land convoy of urgent aid supply to victims of Yemen’s latest internal events, it was announced yesterday.

KRCS Chairman Barjes Al Barjes said the mission came in response to directives of His Highness the Amir of

Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah who instructed the council of ministers to render human assistance to Yemen.

KRCS volunteers would accompany the convoy which is comprised of six trucks loaded with 80 tons of relief supply, said Barjes. KRCS is to

coordinate its efforts with Kuwait’s Ambassador in Sanaa Salim AlZamanan and concerned Yemen authorities including the Yemeni Red Crescent Society, he added. Two dispatches have been sent by the KRCS to Yemen last October for displaced people there. — KUNA

Controversy snowballs over chamber’s status Barrak calls for referring KAC chief to prosecution KUWAIT: A number of MPs continued their attacks on the Kuwait Airways Corp.

(KAC) alleging wide-ranging corruption and violations that prompted MP Mussallam Al-Barrak to demand referring its chairman to the public prosecution.

Meanwhile, other MPs continued their criticism of the chamber of commerce and industry, raising questions about the chamber’s legal status and demanding that a new law must be issued to regulate its operations.

Barrak said in statements that KAC chairman Hamad Al-Falah has sent a letter last month to Communications Minister Mohammad Al-Baseeri warning about the deterioration in the affairs of KAC which is on the verge of being turned into a private company.

The lawmaker said that Falah’s warning coincide with an imminent decision on the fate of KAC privatization which means that the warning has another goal because it will impact the privatization process and the value of the carrier.

In his letter, Falah also warned that the life expectancy of most of the KAC fleet has almost expired and that the corporation is facing difficulty in the maintenance of the aircraft, Barrak said.

Barrak also said that Falah highlighted the high cost of maintenance of the aircraft although in the past denied that which means that “he has a particular aim for making such allegations”.

On his part, MP Jamaan Al-Harbash warned that KAC is on the verge of catastrophe because of a series of administrative and financial violations by the KAC management.

He called on the communications minister to take a decisive action regarding the violations which have cost public funds a great deal.

Alleging rampant corruption in KAC, Harbash cited the example of a senior KAC official who was handed a court order sacking him but still performs his duties in the carrier. In another development, MP Hassan Jowhar yesterday warned the commerce and industry ministry about

the consequences of ignoring repeated calls that a new law must be issued to regulate the affairs of the chamber of commerce and industry.

Jowhar said that the law controlling the chamber of commerce was issued in 1959 three years before issuing the constitution and thus the chamber has been operating under a redundant law which must be replaced. He warned the minister of using constitutional tools if he failed to shoulder his responsibilities.

Commerce and Industry Minister Ahmad Al-Haroun has said that the chamber’s law of 1959 cannot be scrapped without a court order from the constitutional court.

Former MP Mohammad Al-Saqer meanwhile said the ongoing campaign against the chamber of commerce is part of a political score settling with the people associated with the chamber of commerce and industry which played a major role in the development of Kuwaiti democracy.

CRIMES Adulterers caught KUWAIT: An Arab expat turned his wife and her lover over to Khaitan police after catching them in his apartment. The man returned home earlier than usual and found the door locked. He knocked on the door until his wife opened up. She seemed confused and had fresh make-up on. The man searched his apartment and found his wife’s lover, who is of the same nationality.

The husband beat the man and was stopped by his neighbor who called police. Police arrested the wife and her lover on charges of adultery.

Cop pulls gun A policeman pulled his gun on a female

customs department employee after she had a fight with his sister. The dispute between the two women escalated into a physical confrontation so one of them called her brother for help. He rushed to the scene with his pistol in hand, placed it in the face of the employee and said “if you do not shut up I will empty this gun into your head.” Several employees interfered and cooled down the situation. At that point one of the employees was transferred to another department.

Syrian robbed A Syrian expat was robbed by two men after leaving the Naseem area in Jahra. The man was approached and grabbed by the

two men who took his wallet and mobile.

Maid assa ulted Six men kidnapped an Asian maid in Qairawan then took turns raping her. The woman was left in the area where they committed the crime. Police are searching for the assailants.

Trespassing Salmy police arrested three bedoons who entered a military zone and brought them to the Salmy police station. They were then transferred to the Faima police station where they were charged for encroaching on an off-limits zone.

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Night of the Adeaters comes to Kuwait

By Rawan Khalid

KUWAIT: The largest ever celebration of ‘The Night of the Adeaters’ in Kuwait took place at the Avenues Cinema on Tuesday. The event was organized by Special Events Productions, a division of the Meaza Group Company and sponsored by Zain for the second consecutive year. It was the seventh consecutive Night of the Adeaters held in Kuwait, the 29th international edition of JM Boursicot, inventor of the Adeaters.

The highlight of the evening was the spectacular International ‘Quick Change Performance show’ that was sponsored by Zain. It featured a magical dress change act, which left the audience spell bound. Touted to be one of the largest and most significant events in the field of advertising and marketing worldwide, over 800 people attended the Kuwait show to watch the latest, oldest, funniest and most creative advertising films produced in many countries over the world.

Commenting on Zain’s main sponsorship of the event, Waleed Al-Khashti, Corporate Communications and Relations Manager in Zain Kuwait said, “Zain’s participation at this enjoyable event comes from its deep belief in social responsibilities that include environment, health and youth among other programs that the company supports. These are echoed in this year’s edition.

Zain also cares to support what is new and constructive within this field.” Sawsan Beidoun, Managing Director of the Meaza Group expressed her excitement about the event’s

success, “We are delighted at the great attendance to the Adeaters event this year. We have been seeing an increasing demand for the show and therefore, opened four theaters this year to ensure that we gather all the industry professionals and university students who are eager to watch the world’s creations within the advertising and publicity fields, under one roof, on the same night.”

“We have more than 200 ads this year, and the best ads

for the audience - that depends on the audience category. A majority of advertising agencies love to see TV commercials that have never been aired before or can’t access on the internet. They also have creative ads. As for the public, and youth - they prefer funny TVC’s. Those that are into action and entertainment like lively music and sound effects,” explained Iman Aziz, PR and Marketing Manager for Meaza Group.

Iman Aziz pointed out that

KUWAIT: Gulf Bank booth

the origins of these ads are several, and that’s what is special about Adeaters - it gives the viewer a chance to see what was produced in Britain, France, USA, Germany, Japan, China, India, Hungary, Romania, Lebanon, Egypt, UAE among many more countries. In general, these countries contribute the most to the Adeaters collection. “Having organized this event for four consecutive years, we realize that the Adeaters’ attendance capacity

is very high and can only be controlled by the number of seats we provide for sales or invitations.

That is why we decided to open four theaters this year to accommodate the large number of viewers,” Iman stressed. “The Adeaters is not only a night to watch advertising films, it is a PR night where all industry professionals, competitors and friends like to meet up and mingle - it provides the audience with the great

opportunity of getting together in a very casual and entertaining ambiance.

Therefore, we have always wanted to provide our guests with the opportunity of meeting up on one night rather than splitting them into two different nights. Last year, we ran a test trial where we opened an additional theater on the second night of the event.

The response was great.

Therefore, this year, we decided to double the capacity and invite everybody to enjoy

KUWAIT: Quick Change Show

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Friday, February 12, 2010 the show together on one night. The response to this decision was outstanding,” Iman added.

“Every year, the number of sponsors and type of

products always wait for the opportunity to sample and promote their products to the sophisticated audience,” Iman concluded.

The gold sponsors of the

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Times; Al- Rai Newspaper, Marina FM 88.8; Bazaar, Ahlan, Student Talk, The Talk; co-sponsors Beidoun, Pringles, Always, Al-Shamel Travel, Four Films Printing Group,

Touted to be one of the largest and most significant events in the field of advertising and marketing worldwide, over 800 people attended the Kuwait show to watch the latest, oldest, funniest and most creative advertising films produced in many countries over the world. participation increases along with the event based on the positive feed-back we receive.

On one hand, media sponsors are more and more keen about being present at the event.

While companies that promote consumer goods and food

event were Audi, The Avenues Mall, Gulf Bank. The silver sponsors were Nestle, Nestle Breakfast Cereals, Kitkat, and Impact & Echo; official hosting hotel Movenpick Hotel and Resort Al-Bidaa, media sponsors Al-Rai TV, Kuwait

Virgin Megastore, Ipsos-Stat Kuwait, Fun Zone, Edo Japanese Restaurant, Fine, Zulal water, Romeo Production, Al-Raisi Group for Technical Solutions and Lighting, Mohamed Al-Bawab for sound systems.

The Avenues Mall team.

Waleed Al-Khasti Corporate Communications & Relations Manager of Kuwait’s Zain gives his speech.

Movenpick team.

Nescafe team.

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Iran claims new success in uranium enrichment

Friday, February 12, 2010

Ahmadinejad insists Iran has no nuke designs TEHRAN: President Ma hmoud Ahma dineja d cla imed yesterday that Iran ha s produced its first batch of ura nium enriched to a higher level, saying his country w ill not be bullied by the West into curtailing its nuclea r program a day a fter the US imposed new sa nctions. Ahma dineja d

reitera ted to hundreds of thousands of cheering Irania ns on the anniversary of the 1979 foundation of the Islamic republic that the country w as now a “nuclear state,” an a nnouncement he’s made before. He insisted tha t Iran had no intention of building nuclea r w eapons.

TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addresses tens of thousands of Iranians gathered in Azadi (Freedom) Square yesterday. — AFP

Israel rerouting barrier near West Bank village RAMALLAH: Israel began work yesterday to reroute a section of its West Bank separation barrier to restore land to a village that has become a flashpoint of Palestinian opposition to the enclosure. The move comes 2 1/2 years after Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that the barrier must be moved to ease the hardship of Palestinians in the village of Bilin. Some Palestinians welcomed the development but stressed it fell far short of their demand to dismantle the entire enclosure.

Weekly protests have made Bilin a symbol of the Palestinian struggle against the barrier, which they say is a land grab because it juts into territory Palestinians claim for a future state and puts West Bank land on the “Israeli” side. Six protesters have been killed and dozens injured in clashes with Israeli forces over the structure.

Bulldozers were on site yesterday and tracks for the new route were being laid down. Anti-barrier activist Khatib Abu Rahmeh said the Israeli military informed village officials that the new route would return 346 acres (140 hectares) of farmland to the village and adjacent communities.

Once the new route is built, the section of barrier currently standing around Bilin will be removed, Abu Rahmeh said. “It’s a victory for our struggle, but still a small victory until we achieve the big one: Removing the wall,” he said. Israeli defense officials confirmed preliminary work was being done but did not provide details. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the rerouting before it was

officially confirmed. Israel began building the barrier in 2002 after a spate of deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis.

Some 575 acres (232 hectares) - more than half of Bilin’s land - were confiscated to build a barrier loop around the expanding Jewish settlement of Modiin Ilit, cutting off villagers from their fields.

The battle to restore Bilin’s land has turned this village into a symbol of opposition to the barrier, which is to be a 430-mile-long (690 kilometers) route of towering cement slabs, electronic fencing, trenches and patrol roads when completed. Protesters have gathered every Friday in the village for the past five years. Hundreds of Palestinian, Israeli and foreign demonstrators have been injured, and one Palestinian protester has been killed in clashes with Israeli forces. Five other Palestinian protesters have been killed in demonstrations against the barrier in the nearby village of Naalin.

In late 2007, Israel’s Supreme Court ordered the government to modify the route through Bilin, dismissing its argument that the current route was necessary to protect residents of the Jewish settlement. The judges ordered the government to come up with a new route in a “reasonable period of time.”

Dozens of court cases like the Bilin appeal have held up construction of the barrier or forced rerouting of completed sections. In a number of instances, the high court has ruled in favor of easing hardships caused to Palestinians and moving the route closer to the cease-fire line at the end of the 1948-49 war that followed Israel’s creation. — AP

It was not clear how much enriched material had actually been produced just two days after the process was announced to have started. The United States and some of its allies accuse Tehran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to build nuclear weapons but Tehran denies the charge, saying the program is just geared toward generating electricity. “I want to announce with a loud voice here that the first package of 20 percent fuel was produced and provided to the scientists,” he said.

Enriching uranium produces fuel for a nuclear power plants but can also be used to create material for atomic weapons if enriched further to 90 percent or more.

“We have the capability to enrich uranium more than 20 percent or 80 percent but we don’t enrich (to this level) because we don’t need it,” he said in a speech broadcast live on state television. Iran announced Tuesday it was beginning the process of enriching its uranium stockpile to a higher level. The international community reacted by discussing the imposition of new UN sanctions.

The US Treasury Department went ahead on Wednesday and froze the assets in US jurisdictions of a Revolutionary Guard general and four subsidiaries of a construction firm he runs for their alleged involvement in producing and spreading weapons of mass destruction. Tehran has said it wants to further enrich the uranium which is still substantially below the 90 percent plus level used in the fissile core of nuclear warheads - as a part of a plan to fuel its research reactor that provides medical isotopes to hundreds of thousands of Iranians undergoing cancer treatment. But the West says Tehran is not capable of turning the material into the fuel rods needed by the reactor. Instead it fears that Iran wants to enrich the uranium to make nuclear weapons.

Ahmadinejad restated Iran’s position that it was not seeking to build nuclear weapons. “When we say we do not manufacture the bomb, we mean it, and we do not believe in manufacturing a bomb,” he told the crowd. “If we wanted to manufacture a bomb, we would announce it.” “We told them the Iranian nation will never give in to bullying and illogical remarks,” Ahmadinejad added. Western powers blame Tehran for rejecting an internationally endorsed plan to defuse the situation by having Iran export its low enriched uranium for enrichment abroad and returned as fuel rods for the Tehran reactor. Iran, in turn, asserts it had no choice but to start enriching to higher levels because its suggested changes to the international plan were rejected.

The president said Iran will triple the production of its low-enriched uranium in the future but didn’t elaborate. “God willing, daily production (of low enriched uranium) will be tripled,” he said. A confidential document from the UN nuclear agency shared Wednesday with The Associated Press said Iran’s initial effort at higher enrichment is modest, using only a small amount of feedstock and a fraction of its capacities. — AP

BEIRUT: A handout picture obtained from the Lebanese Forces press office shows Maronite MPs Butos Harb (left) and Setrida Geagea during a meeting of the March 14 movement. — AFP

Five years on, Lebanon’s ‘Cedar Revolution’ wanes BEIRUT: Five years after the slaying of Lebanese leader Rafiq Hariri, the ensuing “Cedar Revolution” that triggered the pullout of Syrian troops has lost steam and the harsh rhetoric against Damascus has been toned down. “The March 14 alliance is today a watered-down version of what it was five years ago,” Paul Salem, who heads the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Centre, told AFP. “The alliance has not changed its aims, and it still has the support of a large number of Lebanese, but it is unable to implement those aims,” he added.

Hariri’s death in a massive car bomb led to the pullout of Syrian troops from the tiny Mediterranean country after a 29-year presence and saw the rise of a Western- and Saudi-backed alliance that became known as March 14, recalling the day of huge antiSyrian protests dubbed the “Cedar Revolution”.

But as the country prepares to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Hariri’s death on Sunday, analysts say the event will hold a different meaning from previous years given the region’s ever-shifting politics. They point to the recent visit to Damascus by Hariri’s son and political heir Saad, who was appointed premier following last year’s general election and who had previously accused Syria of being behind his father’s assassination.

Damascus has also broken out of its international isolation enjoying warmer ties with Washington and with Riyadh, Hariri’s main backer. “March 14, 2005 spontaneously drew everyone together, drawing on their common anger against Syria,” political analyst and columnist Nicolas Nassif told AFP. “The only goal of the protests to commemorate the Hariri assassination this coming Sunday is to prove that the alliance still represents the majority of the Lebanese, despite its losses,” he said.

Salem noted that the political changes taking place in the region and beyond had contributed to the weakening of Hariri’s majority alliance. “There have been a number of shifts in international and regional politics over the past two years-Syria has begun to move out of isolation, opening channels of communication (with France, Turkey and the United States), and it has moved from rivalry to reconciliation with Saudi Arabia,” Salem said.

The US administration this month also picked its first ambassador to Syria in five years amid a drive to engage a former foe in efforts to promote Arab-Israeli peace. In Lebanon, the ruling alliance has had to soften its hardline stance against Syria as attested by Hariri’s visit to Damascus in December. But the real tipping point came in May 2008, when deadly sectarian clashes sparked by a government crackdown on Hezbollah, which is backed

by Syria and Iran, brought Lebanon close to all-out civil war.

The violence left more than 100 people dead and ended after a Qatari-brokered deal led to the election of a new president and national unity government in which Hezbollah and its allies had veto power over key decisions. More recently, the March 14 alliance was dealt a major blow when Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, once the most vociferous critic of Syria, defected to move closer to the Hezbollah-led camp. —AFP

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Friday, February 12, 2010

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Mandela marks 20 years of freedom Thousands gather for commemoration near Cape Town KIEV: Supporters of Ukrainian opposition leader and presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych are seen during a massive rally, in front of Central Election Commission yesterday. —AP

Ukraine PM Tymoshenko opposes calls to concede KIEV: Ukraine’s embattled Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko appeared in public for the first time in days yesterday but still resisted calls to concede defeat in the presidential election and resign her post.

Tymoshenko, looking tense but determined, appeared before the media for the first time since Sunday’s election to chair a government meeting. She did not comment on the elections directly but took a swipe at the pro-Russian opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych, who defeated her by a margin of 3.5 percentage points, according to the final preliminary vote count.

Her refusal to admit defeat signals that Tymoshenko is digging in for a long power struggle with Yanukovych. “It is already obvious today that nobody from Yanukovych’s team has any intention of raising social standards,” Tymoshenko told the government meeting.

“Already, after the election, we are starting to discover huge pre-election deceptions and people should factor that into their future political calculations.” Yanukovych’s victory was a repudiation of the 2004 Orange Revolution, when Tymoshenko and the outgoing President Viktor Yushchenko led weeks of mass demonstrations against the rigged election

won by Yanukovych. The Supreme Court eventually ordered a revote, which Yushchenko won, unseating Yanukovych and pushing him into the opposition.

But Yanukovych has capitalized on the vicious antagonism between Yushchenko and Tymoshenko that ensued soon after they took power.

Their bickering has often paralyzed the government over the past five years and prevented the Orange leaders from staving off an economic collapse last year.

Yanukovych’s Party of Regions is now attempting to form a new coalition in parliament.

Thousands of his supporters continued to rally outside the Central Election Commission yesterday in an attempt to forestall any attempt by Tymoshenko to call her own supporters into the streets. It is not clear that many would follow that call

by Tymoshenko. “I came to the (2004) demonstrations.

But that won’t happen again,” Stanislav Krasnov, a 52-year-old security guard, told The Associated Press.

“No one will come out onto the streets for her now.

She’d be standing here by herself.” Analysts say Tymoshenko’s strategy now appears aimed at undermining Yanukovych’s attempts to consolidate power and enact legislation. —AP

DRAKENSTEIN: South Africans yesterday celebrated in prison. Thousands gathered for commemorations near the steps that sounded apartheid’s death knell 20 years Cape Town at what was known in 1990 as Victor Verster, ago: Nelson Mandela walking to freedom after 27 years the last prison where Mandela was held.

The crowds milled around a 3-meter (10-feet) high bronze statue erected at the prison in 2008 depicting Mandela’s first steps as a free man. Exactly 20 years ago, Mandela emerged from Victor Verster on foot, hand-in-hand with his then-wife Winnie, fist raised, smiling but resolute.

“We knew that his freedom meant that our freedom had also arrived,” Cyril Ramaphosa, a leader in Mandela’s African National Congress who headed a welcome committee for Mandela in 1990, told the crowd at the prison yesterday.

Just four years after Mandela’s release, South Africans held their first all-race elections, making Mandela their first black president.

Mandela stepped down after one fiveyear term, helping to entrench democracy in South Africa in contrast to elsewhere on the continent where politicians hung on to power through fraud and violence. Mandela also is beloved for championing racial reconciliation, ensuring a peaceful transition that spared South Africa the chaos and destruction of anti-colonial wars elsewhere in Africa.

Since 1994, his ANC has reduced the number of people living in poverty, built houses and delivered water, electricity and schools to blacks who had been without under apartheid. But needs remain great, and impatience has grown along with a gap between the poor and the rich - among them new black entrepreneurs. Mvuso Mbali, 37, was in DRAKENSTEIN: People climb around a statue of former South the crowd yesterday and said he was at African President Nelson Mandela during celebrations outside the the prison 20 years ago. prison yesterday. —AP “And I still remember vividly what happened,” he said. He added, “Today 10, de Klerk announced at a press the air and jumping about like a we are reinventing our freedom, and conference that Mandela would be victorious boxer, but walking very uniting our people to follow the values of released the next day.

Whites sternly, and I think I see a sense of Mandela.” But others at the prison conditioned to see Mandela as an enemy bewilderment in him.” Mandela marked yesterday said Mandela’s release - who would destroy their way of life were the anniversary of his release at home triumphant as it was - carried shocked and confused. Blacks were last week, reminiscing with fellow uncertainty, too. “When Mandela was uncertain that Mandela, known veterans of the anti-apartheid struggle released we did not know what was affectionately by his clan name, Madiba, for the camera’s of his daughter going happen,” said Nontuntuzelo Faku, was right to trust de Klerk. Civil war Zindzi’s production company, which was who came to yesterday’s event. preparing a documentary called seemed possible.

Being at the prison 20 years, later, she “I think the imprint of February is “Conversations About That Day”. He said, “makes me realize how far the deeply etched into the psyche of our also was expected to be in parliament country has come.” Mandela’s release nation,” Mac Maharaj, a key ANC later yesterday for a State of the Nation was the culmination of an eventful few leader at the time, told The Associated by President Jacob Zuma addressed days for South Africa.

Press. “That image of Madiba, Winnie, scheduled to coincide with the On Feb 2, then-President FW de walking out of Victor Verster, holding anniversary as a tribute. Mandela, who Klerk announced the unbanning of the hands. Madiba looking quite, quite will be 92 in July, has largely retired ANC and other organizations. On Feb somber, not celebratory, not pumping from public life. —AP

Opposition attacks Ugandan leader over media rebuff KAMPALA: Uganda’s main opposition has said President Yoweri Museveni is planning to deny it media access ahead of the east African country’s presidential elections in early 2011. Museveni has been in power for the last 24 years and is expected to run for another five-year term. He was initially hailed for restoring the rule of law and fixing Uganda’s economy.

But both international and local criticism has mounted in the last five years against his growing autocracy.

Opposition leader says FM stations canceled his appearance Kiiza Besigye, leader of the Forum for Democratic Change party said he was surprised on a recent trip to northern Uganda that FM radio stations had cancelled his scheduled appearances on “orders from above” and refunded him his fees. “When we would ask why my appearance was cancelled, station managers would cite ‘orders from above’,” Besigye told Reuters earlier this week.

“Of course we know very well the

stations were being ordered by the RDCs (Resident District Commissioners) who are the president’s representatives.” He said the National Resistance Movement (NRM) — Museveni’s party-was increasing its harassment of media houses that give a voice to opposition politicians to criticize the president. The Minister for Information and National Guidance, Kabakumba Matsiko, dismissed

Besigye’s accusations.

“Besigye is a liar. He went to Northern Uganda where he thought he still had mass support but when people there didn’t welcome him and radio owners refused to host him, he started blaming government,” she said. FM stations have flourished in Uganda in the last two decades and are the most effective communication medium to the rural areas where poverty and illiteracy

limits newspaper circulation.

“Equal access to media ... is one of the reforms that we want urgently implemented for an equal and fair election and we’re pressing the NRM to stop harassing media houses that give us a voice,” Besigye said. Ranked as east Africa’s third largest economy behind Kenya and Tanzania, landlocked Uganda has recently attracted foreign investor interest largely because of discovery of significant oil reserves. —Reuters

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Record blizzards shut down Washington and New York Nearly 6,000 flights canceled leaving thousands stranded WASHINGTON: Record blizza rds tha t dumped severa l feet of snow pa ra lyzed much of the ea stern United Sta tes, tra pping m illions in their hom es a n d sh ut tin g dow n the f ed era l government for a fourth da y. Nea rly 6,000

flights in a irports betw een Wa shington a nd New York w ere ca nceled a t the height of the storms Wedn esda y, st ra nd ing t ens of th ousa nd s of p a ssengers a nd hit tin g flight s a cross the country, officia ls sa id.

WASHINGTON: Snow is piled up at a parking lot on Capitol Hill, Feb10 2010. — AP

Haitians lose patience with govt one month after quake PORT-AU-PRINCE: Hungry Haitians have run out of patience with their crippled government one month after the country’s huge earthquake, with the president facing calls to quit over his low-key response. President Rene Preval has rarely appeared in public since the January 12 quake that killed 217,000 and left more than a million homeless, and protests have begun against his government by those desperate for food and housing.

The protests have come despite the quake having killed government officials and destroyed an astonishing amount of its institutions, including the stately National Palace and several ministry buildings. All ministers escaped the quake alive, but several of their senior aides died.

“The situation is not easy for you, and nor is it easy for the government, which is working in difficult conditions,” Preval said recently. He has called on Haitians to remain calm.

Even before the quake, the Haitian government’s ability to provide basic services was severely limited, with aid groups and a United Nations mission

providing heavy support. Since the quake, many have criticized the government’s response as nonexistent, and some have called for the return of ex-president Jean Bertrand Aristide, forced from office in 2004 and currently exiled in South Africa.

On top of the homelessness and despair, employees for state companies have said they were not being paid, and some 60,000 public workers are now without jobs.

Graffiti has begun to appear calling on Preval to step down. With so many buildings destroyed, the government has taken up residence in makeshift offices, with the seat of power a concrete police complex near the airport where Preval and Prime Minister JeanMax Bellerive work.

Just after the quake, the cabinet met outside under the trees, afraid, like many Haitians doing the same thing at their homes, that the building could collapse if there were aftershocks. The two leaders receive a steady stream of aid organizations and foreign envoys-it is where ex-US president Bill Clinton met Preval last week, and a couple hundred protesters clamored for tents outside.—AFP

The latest snowfalls made the 2009-2010 winter the worst on record for the US capital.

Conditions were so perilous that driving was banned for several hours in Baltimore. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered schools closed for a rare “snow day” and the United Nations headquarters closed, but the worst of the weather was in the WashingtonBaltimore area, home to some eight million people.

Residents had barely dug themselves out from an avalanche of weekend snow when fresh blizzards struck, this time with Arctic winds of up to 55 miles (88 kilometers) per hour that made even the shortest trip hazardous. “I urge all residents to heed the warnings of local officials and prioritize safety by staying off the roads unless absolutely necessary,” Department of Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano said.

One person was killed and another injured in a pile-up in central Pennsylvania, and several were injured in a 50-car pileup in Virginia, but most people avoided driving. “You will risk your life and, potentially, the lives of others if you get stuck on highways or any road,” warned Ed Rendell, governor of Pennsylvania state.

The season’s snowfall total in Washington DC reached 54.9 inches, the National Weather Service said, breaking “the previous all-time seasonal snowfall record ... of 54.4 inches set in the winter of 1898-99.” The NWS said its weather data goes back to 1884. Residents in Maryland and Virginia and the US capital faced more long days trying to entertain stir-crazy kids, some families still battling without power almost a week after the first storm barreled in.

“It’s not easy to be cooped up inside with children,” Virginia resident Maria Abousleiman told AFP. “They can’t even go outside and enjoy the snow because it’s too windy and very cold. The roads are plowed but in our area, it’s really bad because they only plowed once. Our street isn’t given priority because it’s a smaller street.”

Snow plows in Baltimore were diverted to the port to pick up emergency shipments of salt to grit roads. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake ordered all vehicles except emergency vehicles off the roads Wednesday, saying it was the worst two-day blizzard to strike the area since 1922.

Initially dubbed “Snowmageddon” by the media, the humor darkened as the novelty of the winter storm wore off. “Snoverkill” and “Say it ain’t Snow” are the latest monikers used

by Washingtonians. “Every time my husband tried to get out, the car was stuck,” said Abousleiman. “Every time you try to go out, there’s an issue on the road, either a car stuck or one you have to push.”

In the Washington area, most of the 230,000 federal employees were given an unprecedented fourth snow day off on Thursday, at a cost of some 100 million dollars a day in lost productivity. Although plows removed snow and salted the roads around the clock, transport remains crippled by snow and ice-covered roads.

At the White House ghostly silhouettes could be made out on the roof clearing packs of snow. Few offices were operational and secret Service personnel abandoned their usual posts to hunker down in cars. Washington, Virginia and Maryland have all declared emergencies, allowing them to mobilize the National Guard.

Maryland was already relying on National Guard humvees to help out and answer some emergency calls. — AFP

LEXINGTON: This 2008 file photo shows former Texas Democratic congressman Charles Wilson, the subject of the recent movie “Charlie Wilson’s War,” addressing the Democratic Mock Convention. — AFP

Charlie Wilson, US champ of Afghans against Soviets, dies WASHINGTON: The former US lawmaker and hero of the film “Charlie Wilson’s War,” who championed covert CIA support for Afghans fighting Soviet troops in the 1980s, died at age 76, hospital officials said.

Tributes poured in for Charlie Wilson, a playboy who became an influential player in the Cold War, funneling billions of dollars in weapons to the Afghan Mujahideen through a secret CIA program.

His exploits became the subject of the 2007 movie adaptation of a book chronicling his efforts, starring Tom Hanks as Wilson and Julia Roberts as the Houston socialite Joanne Herring who inspired him to aid the Afghans. “Charlie Wilson led a life that was oversized even by Hollywood’s standards,” said a statement from Texas Governor Rick Perry.

Wilson, dubbed by Texas newspapers as “Goodtime Charlie” because of his hardpartying, scandal-prone ways, succumbed to a heart attack at 12:16 pm (1816 GMT) Wednesday, said Memorial Health System of East Texas spokeswoman Yana Ogletree.

As the head of the House of Representatives Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Wilson quietly oversaw vast funding increases for the CIA’s campaign against Soviet forces in Afghanistan, with Pakistan playing a prominent role.

But arming the Afghan fighters-seen as a triumph in Washington after the Soviets withdrew-turned out to have unintended consequences that have since haunted the United States. Some of the Afghan warlords that Wilson championed and who received millions from the CIA are now viewed as Islamist extremists with ties to Al-Qaeda, including Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Jalaluddin Haqqani.

“As the world now knows, his efforts and exploits helped repel an invader, liberate a people, and bring the Cold War to a close,” said Defense Secretary Robert

Gates, who worked with Wilson during his years at the CIA. “After the Soviets left, Charlie kept fighting for the Afghan people and warned against abandoning that traumatized country to its fate-a warning we should have heeded then, and should remember today,” Gates said in a statement.

Even after the attacks of September 11, 2001, Wilson never expressed regret about arming the Afghan warriors. “We were fighting the evil empire. It would have been like not supplying the Soviets against Hitler in World War II,” he told Time magazine in 2007. “Anyway, who the hell had ever heard of the Taleban then?”

The Central Intelligence Agency broke with tradition and eventually gave Wilson the Honored Colleague Award for his efforts in Afghanistan, the first civilian to receive the award. “It is the rare congressman who by dint of personality, persistence and country smarts did something that literally altered history on the global stage,” said Dan Rather, the former CBS television journalist.

Wilson’s scheme may never have succeeded without help from his trusted partner, rogue CIA officer Gus Avrakotosplayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman in the film-a blue-collar son of Greek immigrants who resented his Ivy League educated leaders at the agency. CBS producer George Crile described the unlikely duo in his book that inspired the Hollywood hit, with the fitting subtitle, “The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times.”

Wilson was known to recruit beautiful women to work in his Washington office, who were nicknamed “Charlie’s Angels” after the television show, and he often brought along his latest glamorous girlfriend on trips to Pakistan and the Middle East. —AFP

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Thailand drops charges over North Korea arms Five men deported to be tried in home countries

HONG KONG: Police closely monitor protesters outside the China Liaison offices yesterday, demonstrating for the release of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo (pictured center). A Beijing court earlier upheld on appeal an 11-year prison term against leading Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo on subversion charges, triggering swift US and EU condemnation. Characters read “release immediately”. —AFP

UN’s Ban Ki-moon sends message to Kim Jong-Il SEOUL: North Korea said UN chief Ban Ki-moon sent a personal message yesterday to Kim Jong-Il, as a diplomatic drive intensified to bring Pyongyang back to nuclear disarmament talks.

Kim “received a verbal personal message and a gift from the secretary general of the UN”, the North’s Korean Central News Agency reported. It said the message was conveyed by UN undersecretary-general for political affairs Lynn Pascoe to Kim Yong-Nam, the communist state’s official number two leader, but gave no details.

Pascoe, who is discussing nuclear issues and humanitarian affairs during a four-day visit to the North, is the first high-level UN visitor since 2004.

In Beijing, Chinese nuclear negotiators were meeting their North Korean counterparts for a third day but were reportedly making little headway. The North quit the six-nation nuclear disarmament forum last April and defiantly staged its second atomic weapons test the following month, earning tougher United Nations sanctions.

It insists these should be lifted before the talks resume, and also wants an advance US commitment to hold talks about a permanent peace treaty. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said the North was sticking to its guns in Beijing and resisting Chinese appeals to return to dialogue first and ease its tough terms. China has hosted the six-party forum since 2003, which also includes South Korea, Japan, the United States and Russia, and is seen as the country with most influence on its neighbor.

Beijing is Pyongyang’s only major formal ally, its main trade partner and its

chief supplier of desperately needed food and oil. The two sides were trying yesterday to narrow differences on economic assistance, Yonhap quoted a diplomatic source as saying. A US-led United Nations force fought for the South and China backed the North in the 1950-53 war, which ended only in an armistice.

The North says it developed its atomic arsenal to deter US post-war aggression and there must be a formal peace pact before the nuclear programme can be scrapped. But Japan and South Korea, reiterating the US position, told the North yesterday it should return unconditionally to talks. The two countries “share the view that North Korea should first return to six-party talks and there should be practical progress in denuclearization,” South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-Hwan said after discussions with his Japanese counterpart Katsuya Okada.

China last Saturday sent senior communist party official Wang Jiarui to North Korea to try to coax it back to dialogue. He met leader Kim, who reaffirmed his commitment in principle to a nuclear-free Korea but appeared to give no assurances about returning to dialogue. South Korean Unification Minister Hyun InTaek told a Seoul forum that Pyongyang’s proposal for a peace treaty “is not a positive signal geared toward making progress” in denuclearization. “If we fail to create a breakthrough in resolving the North Korean nuclear conundrum in the near future, the political situation on the Korean peninsula will become extremely unstable,” Hyun said. —AFP

BANGKOK: Thailand said yesterday it had decided to drop pilot and four-member Kazakh crew and said they would charges against the crew of a plane carrying sanctions-busting instead face trial in their home countries. “The trial here will weapons from North Korea and ordered the five men not benefit Thailand so we have decided to drop the charges,” deported. The attorney general’s office said it was not in the Thanapich Mulapruk, spokesman for the attorney general’s national interest to pursue the case against the Belarussian office, said in a statement.

“Their countries of origin want to try the men in their home countries.” No decision has been taken on what to do with the seized haul, which was seized on December 11 on a US tip-off after the crew requested to land their Ilyushin-76 plane at Thailand’s domestic Don Mueang airport for refueling. The men, who claimed they were carrying oil drilling equipment bound for Ukraine, were initially charged with possessing illegal weapons and ammunition, smuggling weapons and other banned products and failing to report the cache.

The 35-tonne cargo, which included missiles and rocketpropelled grenades, now is being held at an air force base north of Bangkok. “The plane landed to refuel. Those arms were not aimed at attacking Thailand so the trial does not benefit (us),” Thanapich added. The United Nations banned all North Korean arms BANGKOK: Kazakh plane captain Ilyas Issakov (left) and Belarusian exports in a tougher resolution Mikhail Petukhou sit in a van as they leave from a Bangkok prison passed in June following Pyongyang’s latest missile and yesterday. —AP nuclear tests.

The Bangkok case is believed to be the first airborne arms cargo from Pyongyang to have been seized since then. A flight plan obtained by investigators showed the plane was bound for Iran-which has denied it was the destination-while US intelligence chief Dennis Blair JAKARTA: Indonesia’s former anti-graft chief enemies in his role as a graft buster. has said it was headed to the Senior police officer, businessman jailed was sentenced to 18 years in jail yesterday for Middle East. US Secretary of In another court, a senior police officer was his role in the murder of a businessman. The State Hillary Clinton said at case dealt a temporary blow to the reputation of jailed for 12 years for participating in the murder the time that the United States the Corruption Eradication Commission, one of plot. Williardi Wizar had also been a key witness was “very pleased” with the Indonesia’s key weapons in the fight against for the prosecution, but later testified that there seizure of the weapons and graft. The agency, known as the KPK, quickly was a plot to frame Azhar. Businessman Sigid that it “demonstrates the resumed its work after the arrest of the former Haryo Wibisono was also jailed for 15 years after importance of international chief, Antasari Azhar. However, his trial over being accused of financing the hitmen. Five men solidarity behind the recent months has attracted widespread interest had also been previously convicted of carrying sanctions”. from millions of Indonesians because of the out the shooting of Zulkarnaen and jailed for up A spokeswoman for the US to 18 years. often lurid details. embassy in Bangkok said she The months of court testimony revealed a “Defendant Antasari Azhar has been could not immediately legitimately proven guilty of participating in bitter rivalry between the KPK, the Attorney comment on yesterday’s persuading the carrying out of a premeditated General’s office and the police. The KPK has developments. Thai prison murder,” judge Herri Swantoro told the South spearheaded investigations into lawmakers and authorities said they were Jakarta court. Azhar had been accused of businessmen in a fight against graft, which has awaiting a court order to hand ordering the murder of Nasrudin Zulkarnaen been a key deterrent to investment in Indonesia. the men over to police for after the director of a state-owned firm had Its officials have upset many vested interests. fingerprinting before they are in threatened to reveal that Azhar was having an Azhar’s deputies, Bibit Samad Riyanto and turn handed to immigration affair with the businessman’s third wife, a caddy Chandra Hamzah, were detained last year for officials for deportation. But alleged abuse of power, but were freed after at a local golf club. they were not being formally Azhar, 56, had potentially faced the death evidence emerged of a police plot to frame them. extradited, another official said.

Adnan Topan Husodo, deputy coordinator of sentence. He showed little emotion as the Kazakhstan and Belarus both verdict was read out, although some people in Indonesia Corruption Watch, said there had been petitioned Thailand to ask for the packed court room cried out. The former initial shock over the Azhar case, but his their nationals to be released for anti-graft chief had denied any wrongdoing and departure may have helped restart trial in their home countries. insisted he was the victim of a plot to remove investigations that had stalled during his tenure Analyst Thitinan him from his post as the head of KPK. Azhar said at the KPK. “There was a short-term impact.

Pongsudhirak, director of the yesterday he would appeal. “I respect the But now, KPK as an institution is running well,” Institute of Security and decision of the judges, but I still want to seek Husodo said. President Susilo Bambang International Studies at truth and justice,” said Azhar, who wore a yellow Yudhoyono has identified legal reform as a key Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn batik shirt and appeared calm despite the crush policy in his second term in office. Transparency university, said the decision to in the court room. Mohammad Assegaf, one of International has previously named the police release the men was a blow to Azhar’s lawyers, said his client faced “a very and judiciary as among Indonesia’s most corrupt the United States. —AFP clear plot” to frame him after making many institutions. —Reuters

Indonesian court imprisons ex-graftbuster for murder

Sentence deals temporary blow to anti-corruption body

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Toyota cautiously launches new model amid recall crisis CHICAGO: Toyota’s top US salesman stood with his back pressed against his latest product offering Wednesday as a crush of reporters grilled him about the recalls which have tarnished the Japanese automaker’s reputation. “We discussed whether it would be appropriate to do a media event under the current atmosphere,” Bob Carter, general manager of the Toyota division at Toyota Motor Sales USA, acknowledged as he fielded questions at the Chicago auto show. Toyota has faced intense criticism for its handling of a series of mass recalls which began last year and intensified late last month.

More than eight million Toyota vehicles have now been recalled worldwide to fix faulty accelerator pedals and brakes, and US authorities said Tuesday they were reviewing consumer complaints about steering problems in Toyota Corolla cars. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood returned to the offensive Wednesday, telling ABC’s Good Morning America “we have not been asleep at the switch when it comes to Toyota” and insisting that officials will continue to investigate complaints and hold Toyota’s “feet to the fire.”

But even amid the mounting criticism and embarrassment, Toyota was not shying away from an event Carter described as one of the “most critical shows in the entire country” when it comes to reaching consumers. The show opens to the public on Friday, and Carter stressed that Toyota’s display will be staffed with people able to respond to any questions that consumers may have about Toyota reliability and safety.

But while Carter spoke calmly and confidently as reporters questioned him about the latest woes of the world’s biggest automaker, he said he could not comment on the lawsuits, or whether further recalls would be needed, or speculate as to how this may impact Toyota in the long term.

“We are simply focusing on repairing customers’ cars,” Carter said as the newly revamped Toyota Avalon fullsize sedan glistened under the show’s lights. “Once we get those cars back on the road we’ll determine what we’ll do as a brand.” He noted that Toyota dealers had already reinforced the pedals in more than 220,000 vehicles and had ramped up a pace of fixing 50,000 vehicles a day. A “software upgrade” to fix problems with the popular Prius hybrid arrived at dealerships Tuesday and they would be able to get moving on the repairs even before Toyota managed to mail out all the recall letters. Dealers have also been fixing the 120,000 or so cars on their lots that were affected by the recall and limited sales of the eight brands affected have resumed, he added. — AFP

Kia to introduce hybrid to US market

TAHARA PIER: Toyota Motor Co.’s 2010 Prius hybrid vehicles wait for shipment at Tahara pier, near Toyota, central Japan. — AP

Rivals expect to gain from Toyota’s pain DETROIT: In a few short weeks, Toyota has done what General Motors, Ford and other automakers have failed to accomplish for decades: Erase the perception that the Japanese automaker’s cars are of much higher quality than those of its rivals. A series of recent safety recalls - now totaling more than 8.5 million vehicles worldwide has cracked Toyota’s bulletproof reputation and given rivals an opportunity to capture some of its customers.

Toyota stumbled as industry sales are just starting to climb after the worst slump in 30 years. It’s not yet clear which automakers will benefit most, but several stand to benefit and are wooing Toyota drivers with new ads and incentives. “The perception game has changed,” said James Bell, an executive market analyst for the vehicle information company Kelley Blue Book.

According to Kelley, 27 percent of new car shoppers who were considering a Toyota before the recall are no longer contemplating the brand. Nearly half of the buyers who have defected from Toyota say they may never consider the brand again.

Kelley questioned 406 people before the recall and 285 after it. All were US buyers who said they planned to buy a car in the next 12 months.

Ford, Chevrolet, Hyundai and Honda have made the biggest gains with those customers, Kelley Blue Book said. Sixteen percent of new-car buyers said they weren’t considering Ford before the recall, but are

now. David Tompkins, vice president of analytics with Edmunds.com, said the crisis also is starting to affect Lexus, Toyota’s luxury brand, which has seen the number of buyers intending to purchase the brand drop by 25 percent in the last two weeks.

Those customers are now looking at Audi, Acura and Volvo. His data is based on 3.5 million website visits per week.

Publicly, rivals insist they’re not gloating. “There may be an opportunity for us to get some consideration from folks that we didn’t get before. We’d like to sell them our vehicles based on the merits,” GM’s North American President Mark Reuss said Wednesday at the Chicago Auto Show. At Ford, chief US sales analyst George Pipas noted that CEO Alan Mulally has long admired Toyota and implemented its global production system at Ford.

But Bell said that at a recent executivelevel meeting at one of Toyota’s rivals, participants were grinning from ear to ear.

“GM and Ford in particular are really rubbing their hands together and saying, ‘Here’s our chance,”’ he said. Shortly after Toyota announced the recall of 2.3 million US vehicles to address sticking accelerators, General Motors, Ford, Hyundai and some Honda dealers began offering incentives of $1,000 or more to drivers who traded in Toyotas.

New TV ads from Ford say, in bold letters, “Ford quality can’t be beat by Honda or Toyota.” GM isn’t running ads that mention Toyota, but continues its “May the

Best Car Win” campaign, which has taken on new meaning after the recall. “If someone loses, someone wins,” said Natsuno Asanuma, manager of public relations at Honda Motor Co. Homer Benavides, 37, a civil engineer and father of three from Waukegan, Illinois, had agreed to buy a Toyota Sequoia sport utility vehicle before the recall. He canceled the sale after the recall and is now considering the Chevrolet Tahoe. “Toyota has made millions of vehicles, and millions of people are driving them, but if you are the fraction of one percent to have a problem, you don’t want to be that one person,” he said.

“I do like Toyota, but safety is first and foremost.” Dave Sargent, vice president of vehicle research at JD Power and Associates, said it’s unclear how long buyers will stay away from Toyota. Recalls don’t necessarily kill sales. The Ford Explorer, which was recalled in 2000 and 2001 because of tire tread separation, saw one of its best sales years ever - with 433,837 sold - in 2002. “Clearly, there will be some long-term impact, but the magnitude is a little hard to predict right now,” he said.

Some analysts say South Korea’s Hyundai is particularly well positioned to benefit, with a new Sonata sedan going on sale in the US in a few weeks. The Sonata is already 10 percent cheaper than the Toyota Camry, said Michael Sohn, an analyst at Woori Investment & Securities in Seoul. — AP

CHICAGO: Kia plans to introduce its first hybrid vehicle to the United States by the end of the year, officials for the South Korean automaker said Wednesday. “It will be here before the end of the year and will be available to consumers not just fleets,” said Alex Fedorak, Kia’s director of communications.

Fedorak was unable to say how closely the upcoming hybrid sedan would resemble a concept vehicle called the Ray which is currently being displayed at the Chicago auto show. “I haven’t been briefed on all the details,” he said during a press preview.

The small but growing US market for vehicles with alternative powertrains has until now been dominated by Japanese automakers Toyota and Honda and domestic latecomers General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.

Kia officials said they were pushing to polish the automaker’s green credentials with the sleek, aerodynamic Ray concept car that features a plug-in hybrid powertrain developed with fellow South Korean automaker Hyundai.

“Being green doesn’t have to be an obvious statement anymore,” said Peter Schreyer, the chief design officer for Kia’s USunit.

“The Kia Ray exemplifies a viable blend of modern, eco-minded features for today’s environmentally-conscious consumers.”

The Ray was designed for maximum efficiency, using clean, flush surfaces which end in a slightly high deck lid for reduced drag.

Touch-screen controls, drive-by-wire steering, “cool-glazing” solar glass and a lithium-polymer battery hint at the technology in Kia’s future.

Ray’s electric motor is designed to reach driving distances of more than 50 miles with a single charge.

The sedan has a fuel economy rating of more than 202 miles per gallon and a total range of 746 miles. — AFP

business

Friday, February 12, 2010

Standard and Poor’s puts KIPCO on credit watch KUWAIT: Standard and Poor’s rating agency yesterday placed Kuwait’s biggest diversified holding firm on credit watch, with negative implications due to the high-risk profile of its two largest holdings. “The credit watch placement reflects our view on Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO)’s portfolio characteristics, which we believe have weakened and which may have negative implications on our assessment of the company’s stand-alone credit profile,” the rating agency said.

“We believe the risk profiles of KIPCO’s two largest holdings, investment bank United Gulf Bank and Pay-TV platform Showtime-Orbit are relatively high,” it added.

KIPCO is currently assigned long-term BBB+ and shortterm A-2 corporate ratings. The private holding group, which Standard and Poor’s says is connected to Kuwait’s ruling Al-Sabah family, has assets worth some 20 billion dollars under its management or control and big stakes in 55 companies across 21 countries. — AFP

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Dubai Islamic Bank Q4 rises DUBAI: Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), the emirate’s largest Islamic lender, made a fourth-quarter net profit of 80 million UAE dirhams but missed analyst expectations as provisions for bad loans hurt earnings. The bank’s shares closed up 5.2 percent as investors welcomed a proposed 20 percent cash dividend for 2009. DIB reported a full-year profit of 1.2 billion dirhams, according to a statement,

down 30.6 percent from 2008. Reuters calculated fourth-quarter figures from previous financial statements. The bank reported a nine-month profit of 1.12 billion dirhams and in the fourth quarter of 2008 made a net profit of just 1.44 million.

Analysts polled by Reuters had on average estimated a net profit of 196. 7 million dirhams for the latest quarter.

Provisions for bad loans in 2009 amounted

to 818 million dirhams, jumping 56 percent from 520 million in 2008. DIB’s board of directors recommended a dividend of 20 percent for 2009, the statement said.

Earlier this week, the Islamic lender signed a deal with the United Arab Emirates’ ministry of finance, granting the lender capital to provide shariacompliant products. — Reuters

Japan’s Inc troubles mirror nation’s economic malaise TOKYO: Japan’s corporate titans once seemed unstoppable, but now Toyota is in crisis, Japan Airlines is bankrupt and a host of other companies are in trouble, adding to the nation’s long economic malaise. Its top two automakers, Toyota and Honda, are both reeling from massive safety recalls and another Japanese manufacturer has admitted to faking safety data for 150,000 aircraft seats. The myriad problems have prompted observers to question just what happened to Japan’s technological prowess. Japan’s economic juggernaut began sputtering long ago and is widely expected soon to be overtaken by China, but until recently at least the Japanese could still take pride in the worldwide success of their major companies.

“For many Japanese, JAL going bankrupt was already unimaginable. Now Toyota comes as a second shock,” said Tatsuya Mizuno, an analyst at Mizuno Credit Advisory. Japan Airlines last month filed for bankruptcy with 26 billion dollars of debt in what is one of Japan’s biggest-ever corporate failures. Hobbled by years of poor management and heavy costs stretching back to its days as a state-owned flag carrier, it is now undergoing radical restructuring, slashing more than 15,000 jobs and axing loss-making routes.

Toyota is recalling more than eight million vehicles around the world owing to an array of safety problems with accelerator and brake systems that have severely tarnished its once-impeccable reputation. “Japan equals technological excellence, and Toyota was seen as being at top of that technological mountain,” said Noriko Hama, an economist and professor at Doshisha Business School in Kyoto.

“The Japanese economy’s image is bound to suffer quite significantly as a result” of the auto giant’s woes, she warned.

Japan’s corporate troubles come as the deflation-ridden economy looks set to be

unseated by China as the world’s number two economy, a position it has held since the late 1960s. “They are all a symptom of a system which is a victim of its own past successes,” Hama said. Japan developed its own ways of doing things during its postwar economic boom and was unprepared for the “global jungle”, she said.

The nation enjoyed an era of extraordinary opulence during the 1980s, with a booming stock market, soaring property prices and low interest rates which fuelled a corporate shopping spree abroad. But the bubble burst at the end of 1989 and the stock market is still only worth about a quarter of its all-time peak, with the nation facing an ageing population and the prospect of a declining domestic consumer market.

Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said last week that Toyota’s troubles were “a problem for the whole of the Japanese auto industry” and also risked damaging trust in Japanese products. Toyota is not the only Japanese carmaker hit by safety troubles. Honda on Wednesday recalled more than 400,000 vehicles to fix airbags that it said can explode and spray out potentially deadly metal shards. That move comes on top of a global recall by Honda last month of about 646,000 cars due to a fire risk involving the power-window switches.

Honda has warned the safety problems could put people off buying Japanese vehicles. “We are certainly concerned that the recalls could damage consumer confidence in Japanese cars,” Honda vice president Koichi Kondo said last week.

And in yet another blow to corporate Japan’s reputation for safety, Koito Industries admitted to fabricating safety data for seats in more than 1,000 aircraft used by 32 carriers. The seat maker is a subsidiary of Koito Manufacturing, an auto parts maker affiliated with Toyota, although the auto giant has no direct equity stake. — AFP

ALEXANDRIA: Suhail Saleem, manager of a gas station, tries to move a vehicle which is stuck in the snow in Alexandria, Virginia.— AFP

Gas oil edges higher Strong demand from India sparks bidding war DUBAI: Middle East gas oil prices rose this week as strong demand from India sparked a bidding war from buyers in the region looking to import surplus barrels.

Regional diesel prices were pegged at about $1.20, about 30 cents higher from levels seen last week. “The domestic specs changes for diesel in India has created a bit of near term tightness, which is pulling barrels west to the east for the first time in a long while,” a Middle East based trader said. Indian state refiners issued their first tenders to import EuroIV compliant diesel to meet an April deadline for the roll out of cleaner fuel in 13 major cities.

India is keen to cut emissions as Asia’s third largest economy expands rapidly, and aims to catch up with fuel quality in Europe, which now follows Euro V

standards. “Barrels are going to get pulled into Asia because of this, add to that firm demand in Indonesia and Vietnam, and demand in Europe isn’t hot,” a trader said.

“Makes sense to see barrels move on a reverse arbitrage.” Oil major BP has provisionally booked a tanker to ship around 560,000 barrels of gas oil from Europe to Asia. BP has booked the LongRange (LR2) tanker “Dromus” to load gas oil in mid-February, shipbrokers said.

Load port details were not immediately clear.

GASOLINE Regional gasoline prices have rise nearly $20 per barrel since January on anticipated tightness as end-users switch over from winter fuel specifications.

Middle East gasoline prices were pegged at around naphtha plus $100, traders said.

“There are many factors, you have the end of the winter and the start of spring, so there is switch on the specifications,” Middle East trader said. “This is putting some upward momentum on the market, besides demand in Indonesia and Vietnam is not bad too.”

Indonesia’s Pertamina, Asia’s top gasoline importer, was expected to require 6.7 million barrels of gasoline this month, up from its monthly average of 4.8 million barrels monthly. Rare demand in India for Euro-IV compliant gasoline has also kept the regional market propped up.

“Basically the refiners in India are not ready for this switch, so there is a bit of scramble to meet this requirement when the switch happens,” a trader said. “We can expect to see the market get a little higher.” — Reuters

Bahraini UGB postpones bond sale LONDON: Bahrain-based United Gulf Bank has postponed a planned bond sale due to market conditions, sources said, becoming the latest in a string of emerging corporate forced to put debtraising plans on hold. A source close to the deal said: “They’re not doing a Eurobond. They decided to hold it for now.” He said the roadshow which concluded in London this week had always been marketed as investor meetings for the bank’s $1 bln Medium

Term Note program.

“If there had been a stable situation, they could have issued as soon as the roadshow was done. But given the softness in the markets, that was never going to be the case,” he added. If the deal had gone ahead, UGB would have been the first Middle Eastern borrower to tap global bond markets this year.

Market sources said investor reaction to the proposed bond had been unfavorable, especially following rating

agency S&P’s negative ratings action this week on UGB’s parent company KIPCO. They said another Gulf bond, a sukuk from Saudi developer Dar AlArkan, would also likely be called off though the company is still holding investor meetings.

A source at UGB said the bank had only announced the medium-term note program and a series of investors meeting but declined to elaborate further. — Reuters

BUSINESS

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Stocks, euro firmer on EU-Greece deal hopes LONDON: World stocks held near a one-week high while the euro rose broadly yesterday after euro zone leaders flagged that a deal had been reached to help Greece tackle its debt and deficit problems.

The premium investors demand for holding Greek debt rather than safer German bonds fell and the default insurance cost for Greek debt also eased as European Union President Herman Van Rompuy said several key euro zone officials have reached a deal in Brussels to help Greece.

Concerns over the crisis in Greece and other highly indebted euro zone nations, along with expectations that US interest rates would rise at some point, had weighed on the euro and global stocks in recent sessions.

“European authorities look to have been backed into a corner to such an extent that they really do need to deliver something, either a concrete plan or a strongly worded statement,” said Tom Levinson, currency strategist at ING. MSCI world equity index rose 0.5 percent while the FTSEurofirst 300 index gained 0.7 percent. Rio Tinto rose more than 4 percent at one point after its second half profits beat analysts’ forecasts. US stock futures rose around half a percent, pointing to a firmer open on Wall Street.

The euro rose 0.1 percent to $1.3745 after hitting an 81/2 month low last week.

The Greek/German 10-year bond yield spread fell 17 basis points to 266 bps.

Greek five-year credit default swaps also fell to 332.5 bps from 340.1 bps.

Emerging stocks rose 1.1 percent. US crude oil rose 1 percent to $75.32 a barrel after the US Energy Information Administration raised forecasts on oil prices and world oil demand in 2010. German government bond futures fell 37 ticks.

The dollar fell 0.2 percent against a basket of major currencies, erasing gains made after Bernanke’s speech.

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday the Fed would likely begin tightening monetary policy by removing some of the cash from the financial system before it

MSCI world equity index up 0.5 percent at 282.96 turns to raise benchmark short-term interest rates.

In his most comprehensive description to date of how the Fed aims to

dismantle emergency economic support, Bernanke said the central bank could soon raise the discount rate it charges banks for emergency

loans, but stressed that would not be akin to a tightening in monetary policy.

“The US is pointing towards normality. Thus it is

no longer clear that the dollar is the most obvious funding currency for risky investment,” RBS said in a note to clients. — Reuters

ATHENS: Protesters hold a banner which reads in Greek “we are struggling to live” during a protest in central Athens. — AP

Greek unemployment up; union vows strikes Brussels seeks more cutbacks under bailout plan ATHENS: Greek unemployment hit its highest rate in nearly five years yesterday and civil servants said they were stepping up strike action against the government’s austerity measures.

Greece’s unadjusted unemployment rate jumped to 10.6 percent in November from 7.8 percent a year earlier, reaching its highest level since March 2005, the national statistics service (NSS) said. It was the largest year-on-year increase in unemployment since records began in 2004. The jobless rate was particularly high among the young-a factor in fuelling street protests in recent years-with 27.8 percent of 15-24 year-olds unemployed.

Economists said the rise was fuelled by uncertainty surrounding last October’s general elections and the financial crisis enveloping Greece, which had stalled private and public sector investment. “We had an improvement in business expectations until October but after that month we had a decline because of the financial crisis,” said

Dimitris Maroulis, economist at Alpha Bank. The data came as European Union leaders gathered in Brussels laid the foundations for a financial bailout for Greece, which was expected to demand deep fiscal and economic adjustments from Athens in the face of strong union opposition.

MORE STRIKES Greece’s powerful ADEDY public sector union, which held a 24-hour strike on Wednesday, said it would join another one-day stoppage by the private sector union GSEE on Feb 24 in protest at wage and pension freezes and job cuts announced earlier this week. The two unions, which together group half of Greece’s 5 million-strong workforce, say it is the poorest who will suffer from a government package designed to bring down the budget deficit from 12.7 percent of GDP last year-the highest in the euro zone.

“After the announcement of the measures, civil servants decided to

escalate their struggle, declaring they should not pay for the crisis,” said ADEDY Vice President Ilias Vrettakos.

“We will move to a 24-hour strike, joining the private sector on Feb 24.” Civil servants walked off the job on Wednesday to protest against the government’s deficit-cutting plan, but their march to parliament was thinly attended, offering hope Athens can push through measures to tackle a debt mountain due to top 120 percent of GDP this year.

Alpha Bank’s Maroulis said he expected unemployment to stabilize in 2010 and then start falling when private and public sector investment picks up.

But Diego Iscaro of IHS Global Insight struck a grimmer tone. “The outlook for the labor market is extremely challenging,” he said. “We believe that higher unemployment, combined with significantly tighter fiscal conditions, will hit private consumption, which represents around 70 percent of GDP.” — Reuters

Nigerian central bank outlines next phase of banking reform LAGOS: Nigeria’s central bank plans to vary capital requirements for different categories of bank and may regulate proprietary trading in a bid to avoid a repeat of last year’s banking crisis. In a speech outlining the next stage of Nigeria’s banking reforms, Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi yesterday questioned the universal banking model and said an obsession with rapid growth without the right frameworks to manage risk had been at the heart of last year’s problems. He voiced confidence that the reforms would continue after Vice President Goodluck Jonathan took over as acting president this week and dismissed rumors a committee had been set up to review the central bank’s powers.

“The question we are asking ourselves is must every bank compete in the same space, must every bank be an international bank. Can we not have regional banks, can we not have specialized banks,” Sanusi told a banking conference in Lagos. “What we are doing now is categorizing banks and we will come out with different capital requirements for the banks.” The move could change the landscape of Nigerian banking, until now characterized by swollen institutions concerned primarily with outstripping their rivals’ asset growth at the expense of creating loans and growing their business.

Sanusi said regulatory shortfalls, including at the central bank, had allowed liquidity to flow into capital markets at the expense of the real economy in the runup to last year’s crisis. “Do we not need to look again at the universal banking model?” Sanusi asked the conference. “Should banks use depositors’ funds for their own proprietary trading, should they risk depositors’ funds for private equity, should they use depositor’s funds for venture capital or should they risk their own funds?” he added.

‘HYBRID’ POLICY Sanusi said the central bank would pursue a “hybrid” monetary policy with the twin aims of targeting single-digit inflation-at 12 percent in December-as well as seeking to avoid a repeat of the sort of asset bubble which led to last year’s crisis. Part of that financial stability would be achieved through tighter regulation of risk management in the banking sector but also by stabilizing government revenues, which are largely dependent on oil. — Reuters

Friday, February 12, 2010

Business

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Layoff victims (from left) Dominic Bono, Dave Gibson and William Billingsley stand outside the DuPont Co facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ‘We asked what we could do to stave this off, and they told us there was nothing we could do,’ said Gibson, an employee since 1968. —MCT

US employers bullish on 2010 prospects National employer survey shows more hiring and growth national survey of small and mid-size companies shows that employers are bullish on 2010 and expect to hire new employees to match economic growth they are anticipating.

Several local business owners echoed those results, saying they plan to hire and expand this year as the country pulls itself out of a recession.

The survey of 225 businesses by TriNet, a human resources provider in Lakewood Ranch, found that two-thirds plan to hire new employees in 2010, and 53 percent expect strong or moderate economic growth. A similar survey done a year ago showed businesses expected only 30 percent growth.

Chris Tomasso, chief marketing officer of First Watch restaurants with headquarters in Bradenton, says the year ahead looks good for the chain, which has 2,600 employees with 80 restaurants in 11 states.

“2010 is shaping up to be a good growth year,” he said. The company is taking advantage of lower real estate and construction costs to expand, and plans to open eight corporate restaurants and four franchise restaurants in 2010. Each restaurant hires 25 to 30 employees.

“Consumers are being more selective in their choices with dining out,” he said. “They are going with restaurants their comfortable with.”

TriNet officials say the survey results show that small businesses are continuing to be the “economic bellwethers,” showing the worst of the country’s economic woes are over.

“The United States economic recovery will come on the backs of small business, not the big corporations,” said Burton M Goldfield, TriNet’s president and chief executive officer.

“The results in this survey show that entrepreneurs are more confident, prepared for a turnaround and ready to make opportunistic hires when the time is right.”

David Teitelbaum, an owner of Anna Maria Island Resorts, which manages the Tortuga Inn, Seaside Inn Resort, Old Bridge Village and the Tradewinds Inn Resort on Anna Maria, also forecasts a good 2010 with more hiring, more visitors and higher revenues.

“I am looking at reservations as of Jan. 1 and they are up 5 percent, and we expect them to go up more by the end of the year,” he said.

A

Jessica Distance, 25, and Eugene Laster, 34, are participants in Maryland’s subsidized employment program funded by the US stimulus bill. Both were jobless before the program placed them in short-term positions with the state human resources department in Baltimore.

They now help people to apply for public assistance—which they once needed. — MCT

The survey of 225 businesses by TriNet, a human resources provider in Lakewood Ranch, found that two-thirds plan to hire new employees in 2010, and 53 percent expect strong or moderate economic growth. A similar survey done a year ago showed businesses expected only 30 percent growth. Chris Tomasso, chief marketing officer of First Watch restaurants with headquarters in Bradenton, says the year ahead looks good for the chain, which has 2,600 employees

The resorts, with 21 employees, have recently hired three more. The resorts had 75 percent occupancy in 2009 and Teitelbaum is aiming for 80 percent in 2010.

Bealls executives say they like what they are seeing for 2010 retail buying, but are taking a cautious approach.

“We see an improving local economy.

Gradually as sales improve we will continue to add positions at the individual stores,” said Conrad Szymanski, Bealls Outlet Stores president. “We are also experiencing significant sales growth outside Florida, which is beginning to create jobs to service those stores both in corporate and distribution centers.”

Lana Cain Krauter, Bealls Department Stores president, said the company is focused on growing its e-commerce. “As the economy improves and key merchandise trends emerge we are positioned to take advantage of the opportunity to grow,” she said.

Some smaller business owners are still leery but hopeful that 2010 will mark a turnaround in business. Janet Mixon, of Mixon Fruit Farms, is discouraged by the $355 extra unemployment compensation tax she must pay for each employee, and says that has curtailed hiring some.

“We always hire for this time of year and have up to 50-60 employees, but we did hire less this year,” she said.

But Mixon is still taking an optimistic approach and planning a number of community events like the Orange Blossom Festival in March with rides, crafts and food vendors along with concerts and a health and business fair.

“We are doing everything we can to entice people to come here,” she said. With the upcoming start of spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Mixon expects to be busy.

“We always get a boost from that,” she said. TriNet’s Goldfield says survey respondents believe a strong compensation package and their company’s culture/reputation are “very important” to their ability to hire.

“The hottest issue this year will be compensation practices and the return of the raise,” Goldfield added. “As the labor market warms, firms will realize they need to boost their salary budgets and engage key talent-or

career

Friday, February 12, 2010

Who needs a gym when you can exercise in your cubicle?

colleagues (and yourself) more engaged in meetings if they’re enjoying a friendly stroll along with you.

Page 22

Work out when at work

t’s hard to find time to exercise, especially for those of us who work in an office. Exercising at work may seem impossible, but it’s one option for staying fit and keeping your energy up. It takes some creativity, but there are opportunities to exercise at work if you pay attention. All it takes is a little planning and some inspiration to squeeze in a little movement all day long.

I

4. Do cubicle stretches: There are a number of easy stretching exercises you can do from your office chair.

Regular stretching relieves muscle fatigue, increases strength, and helps prevent injuries that lead to chronic pain.

Try these out: Shoulder rolls - While seated, roll both your shoulders forward in a complete circle. Repeat 3-5 times. Then do the same in the opposite direction.

(Releases upper-back and neck tension, strengthens back and shoulders)

The basics You probably know a few tricks for staying active at work. Taking the stairs when you can, parking further away from the door and walking around the office when you can are good places to start.

Beyond that, there are a few other options to keep you moving: Be creative. Any movement is better than none, so don’t feel like you have to do sprints all day long. Adding short bouts of exercise throughout the day will help you burn more calories and will also reduce stress so you can easily smile at your boss when he piles more work on you.

Neck rolls - While seated, turn your head to one side. Then “roll” it to the back, to the other side, and to the front. Repeat 3-5 times, then reverse direction.

(Releases neck tension, strengthens neck and upper back, reduces tension headaches.)

Upper-body stretch While seated, link your wrists and stretch your arms up over your head while breathing deeply. If flexible enough, lean your head and shoulders back at the same time, still breathing deeply.

(Releases lower back tension, strengthens arms, loosens tight wrists.)

Exercise equipment If you have your own office, consider keeping a resistance band, ankle weights and even a couple of sets of dumbbells in your desk drawer. You can squeeze in some quick upper body exercises while you’re on the phone. If you work in a cubicle or don’t want people to see you exercising at your desk, all you really need is a chair and a couple of large, full water bottles you can use for any dumbbell exercise.

Wrist stretches - Place your elbow on the table, palm facing up. With your other hand, press your fingers and wrists backward. (Stretches wrists and helps prevent carpal-tunnel syndrome).

Easy At-Work Exercise Tips: 1. Walk or bike to work: You’ve heard this one before.

Walking or biking to work - even only part of the way - is a simple and enjoyable method for building extra calorie-burn into your workday. If you live within reasonable walking (1-2 miles) or biking (1-5 miles) distance to your workplace, consider leaving the car at home for at least a few days a week. If this isn’t an option, consider parking your car as far away from your office building as possible and then taking the most indirect path to your building’s front door.

2. Take the stairs: If you work in a building with just a few floors, consider always taking the stairs instead of the elevator. If you work in a high-rise, consider taking the stairs between floors closest to yours if you move frequently between floors for meetings or assignments.

3.

Take

“walking”

Cubicle forward bend At least once an hour, get out of your chair and stand up.

Then bend forward as far as you comfortably can while breathing deeply. Grab onto your knees, ankles (or the floor) as your flexibility allows. (Relieves low back pain, increases flexibility, strengthens legs).

lunches, have “walking” meetings: Instead of a “working” lunch, take a

“walking” lunch at a nearby park, around the block, or even just around the parking

lot. Instead of holding meetings in a conference room or office, invite your

colleagues to take a leisurely stroll while you talk business.

You might even find your

Practice the 20-20-20 rule - To prevent eyestrain, blurred vision, and tension headaches, stick to the 20-2020 rule. Every 20 minutes, take your focus away from your computer screen and focus on something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.

By incorporating the above tips into your workday, you’ll soon find yourself feeling stronger, leaner, healthier, and more refreshed. Who says working at an office can’t be part of a healthy, active lifestyle? www.associatedcontent.com

Friday, February 12, 2010

TECHNOLOGY

1. Using a touchscreen on a phone?

Without a stylus, too? Apple’s iconic iPhone lets you do just that, and when it threw App Store for downloading applications to the phone in 2008, it had firmly established itself as the phone to beat. It did not have the greatest specs, but its innovative interface and ease of use more than compensated.

Nokia and Blackberry were sweating.

2. Carrying gigabytes of music in your pocket in a classy looking device with cool headphones? It sounded ridiculous when Steve Jobs fished out the small music box, which he called the iPod, in October 2001. Today, iPod is virtually synonymous with the portable media player.

3. July 2000 saw the arrival of an office suite that was almost as powerful as the all-dominating MS Office, and is free to boot. Why it has not displaced MS Office as the popular Office suite is one of the mysteries of the decade.

4. Want to play tennis on your console? Just swing your hands as if you are holding a racquet! Well, that was what Nintendo Wii brought to gaming in 2006 — simplicity, greater involvement and an absence of conventional game pads. Gamers loved it, helping it outsell more powerful consoles like PS3 and the Xbox 360.

5. The greatest Windows of them all.

Windows’s XP’s success has been a bit of an albatross for Microsoft.

While its success was widespread, it also resulted in people being less than willing to move to new versions of Windows. It continues to go strong to this day!

6. Ultra-portable light notebooks were supposed to be niche, expensive products. Asus turned that on its head by introducing the EeePC in 2007. It weighed about a kilo, was compact, ran blazing fast and cost less than a high-end phone. The era of Netbook had arrived.

7. Sales of 138 million units, a library of almost 2,000 games..., Sony’s PS2 might be considered a relic by hardcore gamers, but there has never been a more successful console in video games history.

The PS2 yanked gaming out of PC territory with its (then) brilliant graphics and great gaming library.

Consoles would never play second fiddle to the computer again.

8. Browsing the internet on your cell phone generally meant having to put up with low-feature WAP sites. Opera Mini changed all that with its ability to render desktop versions of websites on a handset.

And it did so at a blazing clip. And it worked on just about any cell phone. And it was free. It was and remains a must-download for any cell phone owner.

9. Before Google threw in its version of email, one had to cough up cash to be able to access mail from an email client and had to keep deleting mails to ensure that one did not go over one’s storage limit.

Gmail brought in gigabytes of storage, free POP and iMap access and integrated chatting... mail would never be the same again.

10. Bookworms hated reading on computer screens and found

Page 23

those of mobile phones too cramped. Amazon came up with the perfect solution — a light weight e-book reader that lets you browse and download books over the air and look snazzy too.

Sure it does not support color, but fourteen days of battery life more than compensates.

11. Millions of gamers all over the world log in to play this amazing online game, coughing up a monthly fee to boot. People may talk about social networking, but the World of Warcraft

gaming community is perhaps one of the most committed in the world, making this arguably the most successful game of all time.

12. A cell phone was supposed to be a functional device rather than a style statement — until Motorola unleashed this slim flip phone in 2004. Pundits carped at its tech specs and users lined up to buy it, making it one of the most successful phones of all time. www.infotech.indiatimes.com

BEAUTY

Friday, February 12, 2010

Peach lotion

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1 Peach 4 drops tincture of Benzoin (known to be STRONG sensitizer) 2 oz. coconut or sweet almond oil 1 1/2 oz. orange flower water and 1 or 2 drops orange oil ash, drain, mash, and then strain the juice from W 1 peach through muslin or cheesecloth. Add to it 4 drops of tincture of benzoin, 2 oz. coconut or sweet almond oil, 1 1/2 oz. orange flower water and 1 or 2 drops orange oil. Beat together until it is fluffy and pour into a clean 4 oz container. It will keep for a longer period if you store it in the refrigerator. Use the lotion to moisturize your skin whenever it feels dry.

Need to look your best in a hurry?

Tips for a quick and polished look!

S

tart with your face: it’s your “canvas.”

Have a little extra time the night before an event for which you want to look your best? Super - exfoliate your face with a mask or micro-dermabrasion (using the right products for your skin type and special needs) and then moisturize your skin thoroughly. Also shape and clean up your eyebrows to complement your face.

On the day of your event, perform steps two through four for healthy skin: cleanse, freshen and moisturize. (Step one is exfoliate, which you’ve done.) Your foundation and makeup apply much more smoothly and evenly over well-hydrated skin so carefully moisturize your face and eye areas.

Since the eye areas don’t produce their own moisture, apply an eye cream; it’s specially formulated for that delicate skin.

(Moisturizers for the face tend to have humectants which can puff up the skin around the eyes.)

Foundation: Do you know that foundation

is the fifth and “protect” step for healthy skin? Apply your foundation and finish it with powder. The powder will “set” the foundation and help it last longer so there’s less need for touch ups.

Eye primer: An eye primer allows eye color to go on more smoothly and stay in place longer without creasing and smudging.

Eye color: The simplest approach to eye color is to apply a neutral or soft shade (from the upper lashes to the brows) which will enhance or “pop” another color placed over it.

Almost as easy is another technique using two colors. Follow the eye primer with a single color from lash to brow. Then apply a second stronger or darker color over the lids and into the creases to complement the shape of your eyes. If you’re getting ready for an evening event, be more dramatic than for an event during the day.

Eye liner: Line the eyes if it enhances them, staying close to the lash lines.

Mascara: To make your eye lashes

appear thicker and longer, start with the wand close to the eyes and then wiggle the wand back and forth as you move it away from your eyes. To really “open” your eyes, use an eyelash curler.

Eyebrows: A simple and natural way to emphasize the eyebrows is to brush them with a matching shade of eye color and then set the color with a gel. The gel will also help emphasize and maintain the shape of your brows.

Cheek color: For your cheek color, either smile and apply blush to the apples of your cheeks or sweep it up along your cheek bones starting two fingers away from your nose and stopping at your temples. Then blend the color gently.

Lip liner, lipstick, lip gloss: If color ‘bleeding’ is a problem, run a lip outliner pencil along the outer edges of your lips.

Define your lips with a lip liner, fill in color with a lipstick and polish with gloss.

Your canvas is now a “work of art!”

— www.ambafrance-do.org

The role of alpha hydroxy acids Y

ou have probably heard a lot about AHAs, or alpha hydroxy acids, lately.

AHAs often are found in creams and cleansers to help normalize cell renewal by loosening the dead cells of the skin.

As skin gets older or becomes damage by the sun. Most of the benefit is in exfoliation, or the removal of dead skin cells, which exposes newer skin cells and gives skin a younger healthier looking appearance. On average, the skin takes 28 days to 40 days to renew itself.

In mature skin, the cell renewal and exfoliation processes diminish and dead skin cells tend to accumulate, making skin appear and feel rough, dry and

damaged. AHAs also help increase the skin’s moisture retention, keeping the skin feeling soft and smooth.

Studies have shown the benefits of AHAs in treating sun damaged skin by helping to reverse some of the negative effects caused by the sun on skin collagen and elastin fibers.

Discuss the benefits of alpha hydroxy acids in your homecare with your dermatologist or skincare specialist.

Mina is a skincare specialist and professional makeup artist with 13 years of experience. Her expertise followed by writing articles for skincare and makeup.

— www.ambafrance-do.org

AHAs often are found in creams and cleansers to help normalize cell renewal by loosening the dead cells of the skin

BEAUTY

Winter skin care tips 10

Friday, February 12, 2010

Page 25

T

he weather outside may be unsightly, but your skin doesn’t have to be. How to banish dry skin and give your winter skin care regimen a boost.

For many people, the cold clear days of winter bring more than just a rosy glow to the cheeks. They also bring uncomfortable dryness to the skin of the face, hands, and feet. For some people, the problem is worse than just a general tight, dry feeling: They get skin so dry it results in flaking, cracking, even eczema (in which the skin becomes inflamed).

“As soon as you turn the heat on indoors, the skin starts to dry out,” Bonnie LaPlante, an esthetician with the Canyon Ranch resort in Lenox, Mass., tells WebMD. “It doesn’t matter if you heat your home using oil, wood, or electricity. The skin gets dry.”

Sound familiar? Read on to get WebMD’s top 10 tips for boosting your winter skin care regimen, so that your skin stays moist and healthy through the winter months.

1. Seek a Specialist If you go to your local drugstore, you’ll be hard put to find a salesperson who can give you good advice. That’s why going to an esthetician or dermatologist even once is a good investment. Such a specialist can analyze your skin type, troubleshoot your current skin care regimen, and give you advice on the skin care products you should be using.

But that doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck buying high-end products. “Inexpensive products work just as well as high-end ones,” says David Voron, MD, a dermatologist in Arcadia, Calif. “In fact, the extra price you pay for the expensive stuff is often just for packaging and marketing. What’s most important is how your skin responds to the product — and how you like its feel, not how much money you paid for it.”

2. Moisturize More You may have found a moisturizer that works just fine in spring and summer. But as weather conditions change, so, too, should your skin care routine. Find an “ointment” moisturizer that’s oil-based, rather than water-based, as the oil will create a protective layer on the skin that retains more moisture than a cream or lotion. (Hint: Many lotions labeled as “night creams” are oilbased.)

But choose your oils with care because not all oils are appropriate for the face.

Instead, look for “nonclogging” oils, like avocado oil, mineral oil, primrose oil, or almond oil.

Shea oil — or butter — is controversial, because it can clog facial pores.

And vegetable shortening, LaPlante says, is a really bad idea. “It would just sit on the skin,” she says.

“And it would be really greasy.”

You can also look for lotions containing “humectants,” a class of substances (including glycerine, sorbitol, and alphahydroxy acids) that attract moisture to your skin.

3. Slather on the Sunscreen No, sunscreen isn’t just for summertime.

Winter sun — combined with snow glare — can still damage your skin. Try applying a broadspectrum sunscreen to your face and your hands

(if they’re exposed) about 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply frequently if you stay outside a long time.

The weather outside may be unsightly, but your skin doesn’t have to be. How to banish dry skin and give your winter skin care regimen a boost.(continued)

4. Give Your Hands a Hand The skin on your hands is thinner than on most parts of the body and has fewer oil glands.

That means it’s harder to keep your hands moist, especially in cold, dry weather. This can lead to itchiness and cracking. Wear gloves when you go outside; if you need to wear wool to keep your hands warm, slip on a thin cotton glove first, to avoid any irritation the wool might cause.

5. Avoid Wet Gloves and Socks Wet socks and gloves can irritate your skin and cause itching, cracking, sores, or even a flare-up of eczema.

6. Hook Up the Humidifier Central heating systems (as well as space heaters) blast hot dry air throughout our homes and offices. Humidifiers get more moisture in the air, which helps prevent your skin from drying out. Place several small humidifiers throughout your home; they help disperse the moisture more evenly.

7. Hydrate for Your Health, Not for Your Skin If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: Drinking water helps your skin stay young looking. In fact, it’s a myth. Water is good for your overall health and “the skin of someone who is severely dehydrated will benefit from fluids.

But the average person’s skin does not reflect the amount of water being drunk,” Kenneth Bielinski, MD, a dermatologist in Oak Lawn, Ill., tells WebMD “It’s a very common

misconception.” LaPlante agrees. “I see clients at the spa who drink their 10 to 12 glasses of water a day and still have superdry skin. It just doesn’t do that much.”

8. Grease Up Your Feet Yes, those minty foot lotions are lovely in the hot summer months, but during the winter, your feet need stronger stuff. Try finding lotions that contain petroleum jelly or glycerine instead. And use exfoliants to get the dead skin off periodically; that helps any moisturizers you use to sink in faster and deeper.

9. Pace the Peels If your facial skin is uncomfortably dry, avoid using harsh peels, masks, and alcohol-based toners or astringents, all of which can strip vital oil from your skin. Instead, find a cleansing milk or mild foaming cleanser, a toner with no alcohol, and masks that are “deeply hydrating,” rather

than clay-based, which tends to draw moisture out of the face. And use them a little less often.

10. Ban Superhot Baths Sure, soaking in a burning-hot bath feels great after frolicking out in the cold. But the intense heat of a hot shower or bath actually breaks down the lipid barriers in the skin, which can lead to a loss of moisture. “You’re better off with just warm water,” LaPlante advises, “and staying in the water a shorter amount of time.”

A lukewarm bath with oatmeal or baking soda, can help relieve skin that is so dry it has become itchy, Bielinski notes. So, too, can periodically reapplying your moisturizer. If those techniques don’t work, go see a dermatologist.

“You may need a prescription lotion to combat the dry skin,” Bielinski says. “Or you may have a condition that isn’t simply dry skin and that requires different treatment.”

— www.webmd.com

Page 26

HEALTH

Friday, February 12, 2010

10 tips for getting into shape Exercise Advice :

Top

Get healthy and stay in shape with the following helpful life tips 1-Keep a training journal for real results Always make sure to keep a detailed training journal. By keeping a journal of your training sessions, you will have a detailed log of your every exercise you perform along with reps, sets and how much weight you lifted. It’s also great to document how you felt before, during and after your training session along with any food/supplements you took before and after you trained. By keeping an exercise journal, you will have access to a wealth of information and be able to detect specific areas in your current training routine which can be changed or improved upon.

One of the biggest mistakes most people make is to continue on with a training routine that simply does not work well for them. As the old saying goes, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results”. Don’t let exercise insanity set in. Make sure to always switch up your training routines and document each one of them into your exercise journal. When you look back on your training journal, you will see specific patterns where you are succeeding and also where you’re falling short.

One of the most important pieces of exercise advice is to figure not only “what to do”, but more importantly “what not to do”. When you know the areas to avoid, your progress will skyrocket.

2-Stay mentally focused when training When you decide to exercise, try to really stick to your training routine and don’t get sidetracked by too much socializing. When you socialize with friends, your mind usually starts to wander off and you really start to lose focus on your main objective, which is to train hard and get out of there. You can always meet up with your friends after your workout and catch up on old times. A great way to focus and keep your training session upbeat and exciting, is to invest in an mp3 player and load your favorite music on it. Jam out with some cool upbeat techno, hip-hop or some hard rock to get your energy levels up and get you excited during your workout.

You will also notice when having your headphones on, you will limit the amount of people who tend to come up and want to chat. If you see friends in the gym, say a quick hello and get to work.

If you notice your friends nagging on you every couple of minutes during your workout, just simply tell them you need to finish your workout and ask them if you can meet up after training for a post workout meal at your favorite local restaurant. You will feel so much better knowing you focused 100% of your energy into your training. You

HEALTH

Friday, February 12, 2010

Page 27

will be energized and ready to recuperate from a great training session.

and grow! A great way to really shock your muscles is to train with different routines.

3-Have a Detailed Exercise Plan Before Training

7-Try Different Forms Of Exercise

You would never build a house without a site plan, would you? You would never just pick up a hammer, some nails and start pounding away hoping your dream home will be built perfectly. Just like building a house, when you build your body up, you need a plan to adhere to and follow.

Don’t just wander in and pick out the first five exercises you see.

Have a detailed plan of action and know which body part you will be training, which exercises you will be using and a specific repetition and set range you will be using. When you have a good exercise plan, you will know exactly what you need to do and your training session will have a smooth flow with no wasted time looking for exercises to perform.

4-Maximize The Windows Of Opportunity You have two main windows of opportunity when your training.

One is 30 minutes before you train (pre-workout meal) and another comes about 30-60 minutes after your workout is over (post-workout meal). The pre-workout meal should consist of a starchy carb and lean protein. The starchy carb will supply the energy you need to get through an intense workout. The protein provides the much needed fuel for your muscles, so they keep a positive nitrogen balance. A great pre-workout meal would be consumed 30 minutes before your workout and would consist of 1 cup of natural oatmeal with one scoop of protein powder. Try to stick with whey protein. Mix it with some water and microwave the dish for about 2 minutes. Stir it up and eat it with a big glass of water.

Your post-workout meal should be consumed as quickly after your workout as possible. This should consist of a simple sugar to spike your insulin levels and rush glycogen back into your muscles which are screaming for fuel by now.

Try to stick with either dextrose or maltodextrin as your main source of simple sugar. These can be found in your MRP (meal replacement powder). Also, add another supply of protein to the mix. If you are using a post-workout dextrose based drink, add another scoop of whey protein to it and shake it up. If your drinking an MRP, you should be perfectly fine. Shoot for around 20-30 grams of protein before your workout and 30-50 grams of protein after your workout.

If you have always used free weights, then switch it up and try training with machines like “Hammer Strength” or “Nautilus”.

optimize your training.

The worst thing you can do is over train your body. This will lead to muscle atrophy (breaking down muscle) and you may experience the flu because of this. When you train, make sure to limit your resistance training sessions to 45 minutes max.

Your body’s testosterone levels start decreasing after about 45 minutes, so anytime after this length and you’re really just wasting your time. Focus on hitting it with a high level of intensity for 45 minutes and get out of there. Take care of business and start your recuperation. When you get back from your workout, you might also try sitting in a jacuzzi or sauna to really relax and let your muscles recover. Rest is extremely important when training hard, so make sure to take the time to recover and grow from your training sessions.

bands.

8-Avoid Overtraining Your Body Always remember, “You grow outside the gym”. This basically means to make sure and get enough rest between workouts so you can let your muscles recover and get ready for the next intense workout.

6-Always Shock Your Muscles Try to always “trick” your muscles.

You never want to do the same exercises, reps and sets for each and every workout. You always want to shock your muscles into growing and adapting to new stimuli, so make sure to always switch up your training routines, number of sets and reps for each training session.

Also, make sure to train at a high level if intensity and really push each set to positive failure (barely getting the last rep up). You should always focus on increasing the weight lifted. If your muscles get used to lifting a specific amount of weight, then they will never want to get stronger or grow. Always try to trick your muscles with different reps/sets and keep your intensity levels up high enough so they always are forced to make changes

These are excellent weight resistance machines and they will really work your muscles from different angles and different intensities. You always want to strive to find new and exciting ways to workout your body. Try doing all body-weight movements, which are a really great way to build quality strength. The military uses mainly body-weight movements during their training. These include pushups, situps and pullups. The three main body-weight movements will really give you a great overall body workout! You can also choose from many different forms of training such as using workout

You don’t gain muscle when you’re in the gym, you gain it when you leave and recover. The basic rule of thumb is to wait at least 48 hours in between workouts for the same muscle group. So, if you worked chest on Monday, then wait until Wednesday to work chest again. You also want to go by the “soreness” rule. If after 48 hours, your muscle group still feels sore, then make sure to let it rest another day! You want to fully recover from your last workout before hitting it again.

9-Monitor Your Body Fat Levels For Results A very important aspect in really finding out if you’re on the right track or not, is to monitor your body fat levels. Go to your local sports store and buy some body fat calipers to test your fat levels. Record these levels along with your body weight each week and start to monitor these changes. You want to make sure you’re building quality muscle mass and burning that extra body fat.

By monitoring the changes of your lean body weight, you will be able to tell whether or not you are replacing adipose tissue (fat) with hard earned muscle. Lean body weight (muscle) can be found by subtracting your body weight with your body fat weight. You body fat weight is calculated by multiplying your weight with your body fat percentage.

5- Make Sure To Rest For Growth

10-Optimize Your Diet For Maximum Growth

One of the best pieces of exercise advice is to make sure you know that your muscles grow when you’re resting not training. That’s right, you don’t actually get bigger and stronger when you’re in the gym.

It’s what you do after your workout that’s the real key to muscle growth.

If you don’t let your muscles recover correctly, your body will become over trained and it will be in a state of constent “catch up”. This is far from the ideal state that you want your body in. What you want is to truly prime your body for your next workout and give it enough rest and recuperation to fully

The best weight training and cardio workouts will do very little if your diet is off. Make sure you have your diet optimized to build quality lean muscle, have the energy to power you through those tough workouts and drop that excess body fat. Try to get at least 25-30 grams of protein at each meal and consume small meals every 3 hours throughout the day for maximum results!

Try to focus on lean protein sources (chicken breast, turkey breast, egg whites) and lean fibrous carbs (broccoli, mushrooms, squash, zucchini).

—www.shapefit.com

pets

page 28

Friday, February 12, 2010

Margaret Trujillo, of Palo Alto, holds Lulu, a Chihuahua mix, at Macy’s at Stanford Mall in Palo Alto, California. — MCT

Purrr-sonal money: Owning pet is like running a business So much for the warm-and-fuzzy approach to providing for a companion animal.

T

he devotion and companionship provided by a beloved pet is priceless. That said, properly caring for a pet carries a price, a price that people need to be aware before bringing a new dog, cat or other animal into the home. “It’s like running a business. You are going to have start-up costs and ongoing costs,” said Adam Wiener, executive editor of www.filife.com, a personal finance Web site.

So much for the warm-and-fuzzy approach to providing for a companion animal. Still, thinking in terms of start-up and ongoing costs can go a long way in making sure you know what you are getting into financially before becoming a responsible pet owner. Think of start-up costs as what would typically be spent during the first year of pet ownership. These are separate from the cost of actually acquiring the pet and ongoing annual expenses that include food, toys and treats and routine visits to the veterinarian.

A medium-size dog would have $695 in ongoing annual expenses ($470 if pet insurance premiums were not included) while a cat would incur $670 in annual expenses ($495 without pet insurance), according to an estimate provided by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Keep in mind that the yearly cost estimates are based on a diet of premium dry food. Food costs can be higher if a diet of canned food or

premium canned food is included.

Shelter officials say when people are looking for a pet, most are aware that expenses will be involved. “When they come to adopt a pet, we find they are very aware that they are going to have to provide for a pet. They have questions what about food and litter? They have clearly thought through the idea,” said Gail Buchwald, senior vice president of the ASPCA’s Adoption Center in New York. But that’s not always the case.

“Getting a pet is an emotional purchase and what happens is that you can be overcome by emotion and don’t think about ongoing costs,” Wiener said. “Speak to friends and ask how much they spend on their pets.” Many pet owners wonder about potential medical costs and whether it’s worthwhile to have pet insurance - which can cost anywhere from about $100 a year to several hundred dollars a year depending on the pet’s age, policy coverage and other factors.

Pet insurance policies are typically sold as stand-alone products, which means they are not available as an add-on to a homeowners or renters insurance policy. Type in the words ‘pet insurance” in an Internet search engine to find some providers. You might also ask a vet’s office for recommendations.

There really is not a yes-or-no answer on pet

insurance, a product that most pet owners do not have. People who are considering pet insurance should shop around and compare coverage options, including any restrictions related to a pet’s age and pre-existing conditions, along with deductible amounts before buying a policy. If you don’t have pet insurance, consider having an emergency medical fund set aside to pay for unexpected vet expenses.

“We let them know (pet insurance) is available and that they should ask a lot of questions, what is covered and what is not,” said Scott Delucchi, vice president, Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA in San Mateo, Calif.

“It’s such a personal decision. There are ongoing costs for vet care but there is also the unexpected. We do tell them to plan for the unexpected,” he said.

“The biggest concern (regarding pet ownership costs) is how much is a vet visit,” Buchwald said. “I have never, in all my years here, had heard concerns about food - ‘I can’t afford the food.’”

People who opt to have an emergency fund for a pet’s unexpected medical expenses instead of pet insurance should consider putting what they would have paid in monthly premiums into the fund, Buchwald advised. Typically, that works out to about $200 a year.

Pet owners might want to consider taking a

course in basic first-aid care for pets, said Eliza Fried, director of development and marketing for the East Bay SPCA. While lay knowledge in pet first-aid is not meant to be a replacement for a vet’s professional expertise, it can be useful to the owner, she said.

“If you’ve got children, you would take a CPR class. It’s the same idea,” Fried said. “You get the skills to treat the emergency right away before going to the vet. It gives you confidence to have that in your back pocket.”Boarding and grooming costs also have to be considered, especially if you have a long-haired dog or cat that has special grooming needs. The potential costs of pet care can also have nothing to do with the price of kibbles, vet visits, or paying a dog walker.

If you are a renter and your apartment building allows pets, you may have to pay an extra security deposit, said Wiener. Of if you are a home owner and have a rambunctious dog who likes to jump, you may have to pay to put up a special fence to keep him in the yard. To make sure a pet isn’t going to create a dent in your budget, pencil in the estimated costs of having a pet into your monthly budget, he said. Beyond the ongoing costs associated with pet care, people who have an emergency savings fund for themselves should not overlook putting ongoing pet costs into monthly living expenses, Wiener said. — MCT

relationships

Friday, February 12, 2010

page 29

A love story turned mystery

he sits alone on a sofa in the living room of his home, the curls of her short blond hair teased and sprayed in place. A 60-yearold diamond in a platinum setting is on her right ring finger. A white gold band is on the left. A painting of Sassy, Bob’s golden-haired Pomeranian, hangs on the wall. His fishing hats sit on the bookshelf. His cane leans against the door frame. They were engaged 60 years ago.

She was 15, he 21. But he left Missouri for California to serve in the Marines and they lost touch. He married, had children and was widowed, as was she.

But Fontelle never forgot Bob Harrod. She held on to the engagement ring he gave her, even wore it at times.

Finally, last spring, she asked her daughter to look him up on the Internet. It’s been nine months since they tracked him down. Nine months since he wrote that letter, saying her call was an answer to his prayer and misspelling her name. After eight weeks of chatting daily on the phone, Fontelle came to California.

Their courtship lasted only days before they decided there was no time to waste and got married. She flew home to Missouri to pack up her things.

The years of wondering, the frequent but fleeting moments of imagining how life might have been different if she’d married her first love, were over. At 74, Fontelle Heeter - now Fontelle Harrod - was happy. Then, two days before Fontelle was to move in, Bob Harrod disappeared.

“So many times I wondered where you were, how you were, but it’s so hard to locate someone and ... if I did find you, could we get together?

Or would it end in disappointment for one reason or another?”

They met in early spring, 1949. A mutual friend set them up. “When I first met him I looked in his eyes, right straight to his soul and he just seemed like a good person,” Fontelle said. “I just felt he was a good man.” Black and white photos of the young couple sit on a coffee table.

Here we are fishing, she says.

Here he is wearing the beard he grew for the Kansas City centennial, she says. Jan 12, 1950, was Fontelle’s 15th birthday. Bob gave her the diamond engagement ring.

But he had joined the Marine reserves and six months later was ordered to report to Camp Pendleton. She rode with him as far as Strong City, Kansas 130 miles away. Her brother drove her back.

She wrote letter after letter to a Southern California address he’d given her, but they all came back. She believes a woman Bob was

S

They were engaged 60 years ago. She was 15, he was 21.

Bride and groom characters that were on the wedding cake (foreground) with newlywed photo of Fontelle and Bob Harrod sit on living room table at the couple’s home in Placentia, California. — MCT staying with might have decided he ought to marry her niece and returned the letters before he could see them.

After a couple of months, Fontelle gave up. In his letter last May, Bob explained that he didn’t know whether he’d “survive any military action,” so he thought it unfair to hold her to a commitment.

Union She married in 1953 and the union lasted about a year just long enough for her to have a baby, she says. “We were young. And I think Bob was married by then, too.”

Fontelle’s second husband died in 2006. A homemaker most of her life and now left with no one to care for, she would wash clean clothes just to pass the time.

Her daughter, Leisa, needed just minutes on the Internet to find Bob. She picked up the phone, dialed and without giving her mother a chance to reconsider, handed it over. He answered. “Is this the Bob Harrod that was raised in McFall, Missouri?”

Fontelle asked. “I always wondered how to get in touch with you because you were my first love and always will be, nothing can change that.

This last year has been very difficult for me, you will never know how many times I have thought of you.”

He was, by all accounts, a lonely man when he got the call. He’d married in 1951 and had three daughters. His wife, Georgia, died in 2008 after a prolonged illness. Bob had spent the last years of her life

caring for her and rarely left the house, friends and neighbors said. After her death, Bob’s dog, Sassy, was his constant companion, but the Pomeranian got sick in the spring and was put to sleep.

Common interest One person who stayed in touch with Bob was his barber a woman in her 40s who occasionally visited. The friendship was a source of frustration for his daughters, who thought he spent too much money on the woman,

print shirt. Bob was bald and wore glasses that obscured his gray eyes. But when she looked him in the eyes, she says, it was just like the first time they met.

“He was older and I was older. But I still got that same feeling. He was a good man.”

He brought her home. They sipped warmed-over coffee.

He looked down at her hands and smiled, seeing the engagement ring she’d kept for so many years. They spent the days talking endlessly -

“I could just tell by her voice. And that spark was still there. I just wanted to hold her forever.” said his friend and neighbor Paul Estes. At the beginning of last year, Bob decided he needed some time away from his daughters and he asked them to leave him alone for six months, Estes said. It was during these months that Fontelle called.

Fontelle and Bob spoke nearly every day after the first call. They talked about the past - about fishing and hay rides and drives through the town. At the end of June, when she arrived at John Wayne Airport, she wore a hot pink jacket so Bob could recognize her. He was in white loafers and a Hawaiian

they went for drives and sometimes out for lunch.

They visited Bob’s friends.

They were married at the local courthouse.

They drove to Sam’s Club the next day and bought each other wedding rings - a gold band for him, a white gold one for her. She extended her stay until July 7, then returned home to pack. The day she left, a local TV news crew interviewed Bob about the reunion. In the video, he blew a kiss to Fontelle on the phone when she called. He smiled broadly and laughed as he recounted her first call.

“When she talked, I knew

it was her,” he told the reporter. “I could just tell by her voice. And that spark was still there. I just wanted to hold her forever.” “This is an opportunity of a life time we must get together. ... We must never again tempt fate as we did in the past.” The last day anyone claims to have seen Bob Harrod is July 27. The day before he disappeared, his daughters - Paula Borcher, Roberta Brady and Julie Michaels - came to his home in Placentia, Calif. The four argued about money, police say.

According to Fontelle, Bob said his daughters became upset when he told them he planned to include his new wife in the estate. According to court filings, his daughters estimated Bob had property and savings worth at least $1 million.

On July 27, Bob was preparing for Fontelle’s arrival. He asked his housekeeper to stop by because he wanted the house clean for Fontelle, police say.

About 9:30 am, Bob’s son-inlaw Jeff Michaels arrived to help get the house ready.

Michaels told police that he worked at the home then went to Home Depot about 2:40 pm to buy supplies. When he returned about 3:30 pm, Bob’s housekeeper was sitting on the front stoop because no one had answered the door.

Michaels let himself in the back door and the housekeeper followed and cleaned.

Bob was not there.

Michaels told the housekeeper his father-in-law might have gone to visit a neighbor, police say. Michaels left about 6 pm. A couple of hours later, Fontelle called Bob as she always did, hoping to catch her new husband after dinner. He didn’t answer.

She called again 20 minutes later and again and again every 20 minutes until after midnight, when Julie Michaels called to say her father was missing. Fontelle called the Placentia Police Department to file a missing person’s report.

After Bob disappeared, someone - police won’t say who - told officers he might have regretted the decision to marry. For three days police thought they were dealing with a case of cold feet. But if he wanted to leave, he left little trace of the decision. His wallet and keys were gone but his car, glasses and credit cards were left behind. He made no large withdrawals from his bank accounts before he disappeared - and no withdrawals since, said Det Corinne Loomis, who has worked on the case.

A family member told the media that Bob was showing early signs of dementia.

Detectives who interviewed his doctor say Bob was of sound mind, Loomis said.

Police have looked at flight and phone records, bank statements, address books and more to figure out what happened - to no avail.

They’re now treating the case as a possible homicide. They have worked to nail down alibis for the people around him. The younger woman with whom Bob had a friendship has a solid alibi. Jeff Michaels, reportedly the last person to have seen Bob, has receipts verifying he was at Home Depot around the time he said he was, police say. In the 26 years Loomis has worked with the Placentia Police Department, she says this is the biggest mystery. In trying to piece together scraps of information, there are times she finds herself simply wondering, “What in the world could have happened to this guy?”

Fontelle waits for answers in Bob’s home. His daughters stopped talking to her soon after their father disappeared.

Roberta and Paula have filed a claim in probate court for control of Bob’s estate. The judge hearing the matter has not issued a ruling.

Roberta says she is reluctant to talk to the media because she’s been unfairly represented. But, she says, she is determined to find out what happened to her father. — MCT

FOOD

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Everyday cooking:

No-lettuce salads

By Sawsan Kazak ating salads is great, but sometimes they are too lettuce heavy and that gets tiresome; all that chewing and then you still feel hungry afterwards. I think the solution is a no-lettuce salad. You get all

E

the goodness of a salad, without the hassle of eating through all that lettuce. The following recipes are healthy and hardy at the same time.

Please send suggestions to: sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

‘Courgette salad

Tangy beetroot & bean salad Ingredients: * 2 large courgettes * 3 tbsp olive oil * 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice * 1 tbsp clear honey * 2 tsp poppy seeds * 1 small garlic clove, crushed * salt and pepper, to taste

Method: * Grate the courgettes on the coarse side of your grater. * Toss them with the olive oil, lemon or lime juice, clear honey, poppy seeds and the crushed garlic clove. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve as soon as possible (or it will get too watery), with sizzling barbecued chicken or lamb, kebabs or burgers.

Ingredients: * 250g bunch beetroot * 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil * zest 1 orange * 1kg frozen soya beans * 3 thyme sprigs * 11/2 tbsp sherry vinegar * 1 small shallot, finely chopped Method: 1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.

Wearing kitchen gloves, peel and trim the

beets and cut into 2cm wedges. Place them on a large sheet of tin foil, then toss with 1 tbsp oil, half the orange zest and seasoning.

Cook for 45 mins-1 hr until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Leave to cool.

2. Cook soya beans for 3 mins in boiling water until softened. Drain, cool under the cold tap, then drain again. Strip leaves from the thyme and whisk with the vinegar, remaining olive oil and shallot. When you’re ready to serve, toss everything together and scatter over the remaining zest.

FOOD

Friday, February 12, 2010

Page 31

Moroccan chickpea salad

Ingredients: 2 tbsp. butter 1/2 c. onion, chopped 1 lb. carrots, peeled & sliced 1 lb. potatoes, peeled & cubed 6 c. chicken broth 1 tsp. thyme 1 c. heavy cream 1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 c. milk Salt & pepper to taste

Greek salad

Method:

the grill and cut each slice into quarters.

1. Thickly slice the aubergines and arrange over a grill rack. Brush lightly with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then grill until browned. Turn them over, brush and season again then cook until tender, about 8-10 mins in total. Remove from

2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then tip into a bowl with the aubergine, coriander and red onion.

Mix the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar, shake well, then use to dress the salad.

Bang bang chicken salad Ingredients: 1 pound chicken meat (1/2 small chicken or 1 pound of chicken breasts, bone-in) * 1 cucumber * Salt, as needed, to salt cucumbers if desired (this is optional) * 1 medium carrot * 1/2 - 1 teaspoon roasted Sichuan peppercorn, optional

* Sauce: * 2 tablespoons sesame seed paste (can substitute chunky peanut butter) * 3 tablespoons soy sauce * 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, red or black if possible * 1 tablespoon Asian sesame seed oil * 1 tablespoon granulated sugar * 1 - 2 tablespoons hot chili oil, or 1 - 2 teaspoons chili flakes, both optional * 1 tablespoon shredded scallion (green onion, spring onion), white part only

Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 11/2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 clove garlic-minced 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and extra for garnish 3 tomatoes-cut into wedges 1/4 red onion-sliced into rings 1/2 cucumber-sliced into thick half-moons 1/2 green pepper (capsicum)-julienned 4 oz (120g) feta cheese-cut into small cubes 16 kalamata olives Method: Place the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano in a small jar with a screw-top lid and shake to combine.

Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine just before serving.

Garnish the Greek salad with a little freshly ground black pepper.

Ingredients: 2 large zucchini 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 cups couscous 1/2 cup dried sour cherries 1/2 lemon, juice and zest 2 tablespoons olive oil, extra 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, leaves only, roughly chopped

Method: 1. In a large saucepan, bring enough water to cover the chicken to a boil.

Add the chicken and cook in the boiling water for 20 minutes, until the chicken turns white and is cooked through.

Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool.

2. Debone the chicken and cut into

small strips as close to the size and thickness of matchsticks as possible.

3. Peel the cucumber, and cut into slices to match the chicken. Peel the carrot and cut into thin matchstick strips.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame seed paste or peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame

seed oil, sugar and hot chili oil or chili flakes.

5. To serve, arrange the cucumber slices on a serving platter. Lay the chicken on top.

Add the Sichuan peppercorn if using. Pour the sauce over. Garnish with the carrot strips and shredded scallion.

Grilled zucchini with sour cherry couscous Method: 1. Thinly slice the zucchini length ways into strips with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler. Cook on a griddle pan or BBQ for 2 minutes each side or until tender then transfer to a plate and drizzle with good quality olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

2. Place the couscous in a medium heatproof bowl and add one cup of boiling water, a

handful of dried sour cherries, the juice and zest of half a lemon and stir.

3. Cover with a clean tea towel and let it sit on the bench, covered, for 10 minutes until all the liquid has been soaked up. Fluff with a fork and add a tablespoon of olive oil, a handful of chopped flat leaf parsley, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Serve with the zucchini strips.

THEY ARE THE 99!

99 Mystical Noor Stones carry all that is left of the wisdom and knowledge of the lost civilization of Baghdad. But the Noor Stones lie scattered across the globe - now little more than a legend. One man has made it his life’s mission to seek out what was lost. His name is Dr. Ramzi Razem and he has searched fruitlessly for the Noor Stones all his life. Now, his luck is about to change - the first of the stones have been rediscovered and with them a special type of human who can unlock the gem’s mystical power. Ramzi brings these gem - bearers together to form a new force for good in the world. A force known as ... the 99!

THE FASCINATING STORY OF THE 99 Baghdad lies in ruins, destroyed by the marauding armies of Hulagu Khan. The brave librarians of the great Dar Al-Hikma rush to save the glory of the ancient world’s

www.the99.org

accumulated wisdom, little knowing that centuries later their efforts will bear strange fruit. While the Noor Stones were created to save the library, their power has transcended that task and in our own time has provided extraordinary abilities to an international

The 99 ® and all related characters ® and © 2010, Teshkeel Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

group of young people, the world’s newest superheroes known as… The 99.

TRAVEL

a perfect golden desert getaway

Page 34

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amp at the golden sand dunes of the desert.

Take a trip back in time, and go to the era of Lawrence of Arabia and the fairytales of Aladdin. Enjoy the mesmerizing beauty of the peaceful desert, and savor an evening at a serene environment that is truly out of a fairytale. The stars and the moon are your lights, and the calming song of the nigh breeze is your only companion.

This trip is not just an adventure, but a trip through time to an old culture where every sight you see is a piece of art.

Wadi Rum is located in the region of Aqaba, which lies at the tip of the Red Sea on the Gulf of Aqaba in Jordan. This beautiful city is strategically located at the crossroads of the three continents of Asia, Europe and Africa. The city of Aqaba is the capital of the Aqaba Governorate, which includes important touristic destinations like Petra, Wadi Rum and the Red Sea. On its own, Aqaba is a sight worth seeing; it is Jordan’s only seaport city, and is therefore a thriving economic and touristic zone.

With an independent airport and the supervision of its own economic authority, it is on its way to becom the next big business hub of the region.

Wadi Rum attracts visitors from all around the world. If you are seeking adventure, or if you want to relax in a tranquil atmosphere away from the busy city life, Wadi Rum is the place for you.

Famously described by T.E. Lawrence as “vast, echoing and Godlike” and often deemed to be one of the most stunning deserts landscapes in the world, Wadi Rum is a nature-lover’s paradise.

Wadi Rum’s beauty can only be described as breathtaking. One of region’s main tourist attractions, the area is spotted with fascinating yellow, white, red and brown sandstone mountains that are cut by wide canyons and unique colorfully decorated geological formations. The landscape is also distinct for its natural delicate arches and bridges, and the mushroom-shaped rock configurations carved and shaped naturally by years of wind and erosion.

Wadi Rum holds fauna and flora both rare and endemic. A greater emphasis has been placed on the Wadi’s fauna after a baseline survey detected the existence of the Ibex, Gray Wolf, Blandford’s Fox, the rare Red Fox, and the Sand Cat within, poppies and the striking Black Iris. Rare species of small plants and herbs can be found by the inquisitive traveler. Red anemones, Jordan’s national flower, all grow at will by the roadside and in more quiet reaches. Plants used as herbal medicinal cures by the Bedouins for centuries are found in the mountainous regions.

The several Bedouin tribes that live in Wadi Rum play an impacting role on its beauty. Although some

Friday, February 12, 2010 now live in concrete homes, the majority still dress in their distinctive attire and hold on to their traditions, by leading a nomadic lifestyle in the summer, raising camels and goats and drinking their milk , as well as weaving tents from goat hair in

W

adi Rum holds fauna and flora both rare and endemic.

A greater emphasis has been placed on the Wadi’s fauna after a baseline survey detected the existence of the Ibex, Gray Wolf, Blandford’s Fox, the rare Red Fox, and the Sand Cat within, poppies and the striking Black Iris.

Rare species of small plants and herbs can be found by the inquisitive traveler.

which they dwell in during the summer. Many travelers find a shared meal or coffee with the Bedouin to be their most memorable experience.

Serious hikers will be drawn to Wadi Rum with its challenging climbs, some of which reach up to heights of 1754 meters. The most magnificent climbs are the breathtaking Khazali Mountain and Jebel Rum. Junior hikers can enjoy an easy course through the colorful sandstone hills, the dry dessert or the sand dunes. —www.aqaba.jo

Friday, February 12, 2010

TRAVEL

Page 35

Discovering Vancouver BC Place Stadium, pictured January 4, 2010, will host the opening and closing ceremonies for the Games. — MCT photos

I

f you’re headed to this month’s Olympics in Vancouver, BC, or considering a last-minute trip, even just a day trip to join the fun, you don’t need to hemorrhage money or get stuck in huge lineups.

Here are ways to cut Olympic hassles and costs, plus places to party and watch events even if you don’t have tickets for the Feb. 12-28 Games.

Getting there Driving could be painful as there will be congestion at the U.S.-Canada border; very tight restrictions on driving and parking in Vancouver; limited daytime access to the highway to Whistler; and no parking around any of the Olympic venues (and restricted resident-only parking on nearby streets). To go car-free, Amtrak (www.amtrak.com) has two daily round-trip trains from Seattle to Vancouver. As of last Wednesday, tickets were available on most trains during the Olympics. Fares vary; $114 round-trip is typical for the period.

For a day trip, an early-morning train to Vancouver and evening train or bus back will give you five to six hours in the city. Or, if you’re energetic and can stay up all night, the city’s clubs and bars will be hopping and Grouse Mountain, just north of the city, even has 24-hour skiing during the Games. You’ll avoid the $500-plus per night that Vancouver hotels are charging for an Olympics stay _ yes, rooms are still available at some hotels , and you can sleep on the train or bus home the next morning.

Both Greyhound (www.greyhound.com) and Quick Shuttle (www.quickcoach.com) offer frequent daily buses between Seattle and Vancouver, and special lanes at the border help speed buses through.

A Greyhound round trip starts around $40 with advance purchase.

Or Alaska Airlines and Air Canada have frequent Seattle-Vancouver flights.

Border and ID While Canadian entry requirements are less stringent, U.S. citizens need a passport or other approved ID (such as Washington’s enhanced driver’s license) to return across the U.S.-Canada border; see www.getyouhome.gov.

If you’re driving, get border information, both northbound and southbound, at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/border/. U.S. customs officials don’t expect delays to exceed 90 minutes at peak times since some inspection lanes have been added at major crossings.

Signs near the border show delays at the Peace Arch crossing at Interstate 5 and the “truck crossing” on Pacific Highway about a half-mile east (open to all vehicles, despite the name), helping you choose the quickest one. Travelers also can cross farther east at Lynden (Aldergrove on the B.C. side).

Celebration sites Don’t have Olympics tickets? Head to Vancouver’s two free LiveCity downtown sites to celebrate with a crowd of thousands.

LiveCity Downtown has a massive screen, concert stages, a beer garden and tented pavilions with interactive exhibits (including Canada’s national pavilion and corporate sponsors’ pavilions). It’s at Georgia and Cambie streets and is open daily starting Feb. 13 from 11 a.m. until 12:30 a.m. (closes at 4 p.m. on Feb. 28).

LiveCity Yaletown will host nightly concerts by big-name Canadian and international musicians, and big screens will show Olympic highlights. Open from

Your nitty-gritty guide to Vancouver, for the Games, or just for the party 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. during the Olympics (shorter hours on the opening and closing days, Feb. 12 and 28). It’s on the north shore of False Creek, at David Lam Park (Pacific Boulevard at Drake Street). See www.livecityvancouver.ca.

In the heart of downtown, Robson Square is another official celebration site. It will have bigscreen Olympic broadcasts; free live entertainment; exhibits about British Columbia at the official B.C. pavilion (in the adjoining Vancouver Art Gallery) and free ice-skating at a newly refurbished public rink.

Richmond and Whistler also will have free public celebration sites: Suburban Richmond, the host of speedskating at the Olympic Oval, offers the Richmond O Zone. Spread through public plazas, community buildings and a park, it will host free concerts, big-screen viewing of live Olympic events; virtual-reality games; food; fireworks and more. See www.richmondozone.ca.

Richmond’s O Zone includes Holland Heineken House, the Dutch national pavilion known from past Olympics for some of the liveliest parties. Its main hall will hold 4,000 people and offer big screens, entertainment and food.

In the Whistler ski resort, Whistler Live! will bring free concerts, art exhibits, theater and bigscreen Olympics viewing at six sites scattered along Whistler Village Stroll, the resort’s main pedestrianonly thoroughfare. See a map and calendar of concerts and events at http://whistler2010.com/whistler-live.

Get maps of on-mountain venues and more at www.whistlerblackcomb.com.

Other Vancouver street fun Some downtown Vancouver streets will be pedestrian-only during the Games from noon to midnight daily, including in the trendy Yaletown neighborhood, which links the two LiveCity sites.

Yaletown’s renovated warehouses have been turned into restaurants, bars and condos.

Granville Island will be a party site with a French Canadian flavor. The four-block square islet, which houses a popular farmers’ market, boutiques and galleries, will become “Place de la Francophonie”

during the Olympics, with more than 100 free events, from mime artists to nightly concerts by musicians from Quebec and beyond; big-screen live Olympic broadcasts in French; and the Olympics-themed Club Adrenaline bar. See http://placefranco2010.ca.

Around the city, provincial governments and corporate sponsors’ free pavilions will showcase their areas and offer entertainment; see links at www.tourismvancouver.com (click on 2010 Winter Games-related Events).

The Aboriginal Pavilion (next to LiveCity Downtown) will highlight the native cultures of Canada. For something completely different, Molson Canadian Hockey House will be a pay-to-party, hockey-mad place with entertainment, gourmet food, veteran hockey stars and, of course, Olympic hockey games on big HD screens.

Or make your own mark on Vancouver through a light show celebrating the Olympics. Called Vectorial Elevation, it’s one of the world’s biggest interactive artworks with 20 powerful searchlights stationed on the shores of English Bay to create patterns in the night sky Feb. 4-28. Individuals from around the world can program light patterns online starting Feb. 4 (or perhaps a few days earlier in a test version) at www.vectorialvancouver.net.

Getting around Locals and visitors are being urged to take public transit, walk and bike since the Vancouver area will be jammed with an estimated 350,000 extra people during the Olympics. Some downtown streets will be pedestrian-only; some lanes will be bus-only; and streets around Olympic venues will be closed for security.

The SkyTrain (including its new Canada Line) is a light-rail system connecting downtown, suburbs (including Richmond, home to Olympic speed skating) and the Vancouver airport. It’s fast once aboard, but officials anticipate hour or longer delays to board after major events such as the Games’ opening and closing ceremonies. Transit info: http://travelsmart2010.ca On the south side of False Creek, the new 1.6mile Olympic Line Streetcar will run for a two-month

The Hudson’s Bay Company, commonly called The Bay, is official retailer for Olympics merchandise. Canadian-themed apparel is shown January 5, 2010 in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia.

free demonstration. It links Granville Island to the Olympic Village station of the Canada Line (at Cambie Street and West Second Avenue). See http://olympichostcity.vancouver.ca/ gettingaround/publictransit/olympic-line/ Ticket-holders to Olympic events can use the Olympic Bus Network, especially useful for getting to events at Cypress Mountain, on the outskirts of Vancouver, and to Whistler, about 80 miles north.

No private vehicles are allowed on Cypress. To take a private vehicle to Whistler, drivers must show permits confirming they have parking (hotels provide permits to guests) in Whistler. There will be a checkpoint on the highway just north of Squamish, with travel on Highway 99 (the Sea to Sky Highway) restricted northbound beyond that point to permit holders from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 11-28.

Book Olympic bus tickets in advance and get details on the Whistler highway permits at http://travelsmart2010.ca (click on “Mountain Venues”).

Private buses and shuttles also go between Vancouver and Whistler, including Greyhound Canada (www.greyhound.ca), Pacific Coach Lines (www.pacificcoach.com) and Ridebooker (www.ridebooker.com). Get instructions on reaching each venue by public transit at the official Olympics site, www.vancouver2010. com. Click on “Spectator Guide,” then “Venues.”

Much of the Olympics action will be around False Creek, a narrow inlet on the south edge of downtown.

On its shores are BC Place (the 55,000-seat stadium where opening and closing ceremonies and nightly medal ceremonies will be held); Canada Hockey Place (ice hockey competition); the Olympic Village, temporary home to 2,700 athletes; and the popular Granville Island neighborhood. False Creek Ferries and the AquaBus run dozen-passenger mini-ferries that will shuttle almost constantly across the narrow False Creek from Granville Island to the downtown side. See www.granvilleislandferries.bc.ca and www.theaquabus.com.

Hotels As at other Olympics, some Whistler and Vancouver hotel rooms are becoming available in the weeks before the Games. Check the official booking site, www.2010destinationplanner.com. The catch: Many rooms start at $500 a night and have minimum stays of at least several nights. But last-minute travelers can always phone hotels directly to see what’s available _ and if prices drop. As recently as two weeks ago, travelers were able to book rooms during the Games for about $50 at a Vancouver hostel.

Tickets To find last-minute tickets, in person try the main ticket office at Vancouver’s Robson Square or at each venue when competitions start. Or buy online through the official ticket resale site: www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-tickets. CoSport, the official seller of Olympics tickets for U.S. residents, also began selling individual tickets last week to some events (after its hotel-ticket packages didn’t sell out): https://vancouver.jetsetsports.net/tickets.

BOOKS

Page 36

Friday, February 12, 2010

A quick chat with author Andres Dubus III Q: Describe your latest project.

A: Right now I’m working on a collection of personal essays I hope to deliver to Norton this year. After years of trying to express some aspects of my life as fiction (growing up in a broke, single-parent household, drugs, premature sex, violence, etc.), it’s become clear it will only work as memoir.

There are writers who can write fiction that is directly derived from their lives. I’m finally beginning to learn I’m not one of them.

A

Q: What’s the strangest or most interesting job you’ve ever had?

A: I’ve had a lot of interesting jobs because most of them involved working with people in trouble; in my early 20s, I worked in a halfway house for convicted adult felons from a maximum security penitentiary.

Some of these people had raped, robbed, and killed other human beings. I think I began to learn then, to quote bumpersticker Christianity, to hate the sin and not the sinner. I also worked for a bounty hunter and actually flew to Mexico to track down a contract killer. U.S. marshals and agents from the DEA and FBI were hoping we’d find him. We never did, and I’m relieved!

ndre Dubus III is the author of House of Sand and Fog (an Oprah Book Club selection and finalist for the National Book Award), Bluesman, and The Cage Keeper and Other Stories. He lives with his family north of Boston.

Q: Introduce one other author you think people should read, and suggest a good book with which to start.

A: Larry Brown. And start with one of his best novels, Father and Son.

Q: Do you read blogs?

A: No. Honestly, I still barely know what a blog is. It sounds like something heavy and wet, creeping into your bedroom to do you harm.

Q: Offer a favorite sentence or passage from another writer.

A: This is the first line of Norman Mailer’s novel, Barbary Shore: “Probably I was in the war.”

Q: How do you relax?

A: By working out. I’ve been lifting weights and running three to six times a week since I was 14 years old. I’m 48 now and have only missed workouts whenever I was sick or injured. I say this not so much to pat myself on the back but to show perhaps how important regular and

vigorous exercise is to my sanity. If I didn’t do that, I fear I’d be drinking too much and maybe doing other things I shouldn’t do, either.

Q: Why do you write?

A: I like what the novelist Thomas Williams once said: “I write so that I don’t die before I’m dead.” I know this: if I don’t get in those daily writing sessions, I just feel far away from me, whoever the hell that is.

Q: Aside from other writers, name some artists

from whom you draw inspiration and talk a little about their work.

A: I get an awful lot out of good music, especially singer/songwriters who write with heart and compassion about people. At the top of the list would be Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams, Kris Kristofferson, and Bob Dylan. Lately I’ve been getting into The Killers, that band from Las Vegas whose sound makes me feel hungover and broke and left for another. I love that!

The Namesake

Away

By Amy Bloom

M

oll Flanders in America, this epic, intimate novel follows a young Russian immigrant determined to make her way-and find her daughter-in the hip, harsh 1920s.

On a morning in 1924, a young woman rises from the floor of her family’s small home in Belorussia to find her parents and her husband slaughtered beside her and her infant daughter, Sophie, missing. When her aunt tells her the baby is dead, Lillian emigrates to America. She is working as a seamstress at the Yiddish Theater and enjoying cafÈ society when a cousin arrives and insists that her daughter is still alive-in Siberia.

Lillian cannot stop dreaming of Sophie; she feels she must get to Russia, yet she can’t afford the passage. Her only friend, an actor turned tailor, steals atlases from the New York Public Library and sews them into an overcoat for her. She crosses North America by rail, truck, and foot, encountering drifters, wardens, pimps, missionaries, and tattoo artists.

From Dawson City, Alaska, she

sets sail for Russia. She falls in love, falls in with the wrong people, leaps before she looks, hopes hard, and refuses to give up.

Inspired by a true story, Away is Moll Flanders in America and Odysseus in the Jazz Age: big, wide, brilliantly imagined, unexpectedly funny, and unforgettable.

Q: Recommend five or more books on a single subject of personal interest or expertise.

A: Five great books about boys and men, something that lately I’ve been thinking more about: This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien The Stories of Breece D’J Pancake by Breece D’J Pancake Father and Son by Larry Brown A Lesson before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines —Powell Books

By Jhumpa Lahiri

J

humpa Lahiri’s short story collection titled The Interpreter of Maladies established this young writer as one the most brilliant of her generation. Her stories are one of the very few debut works — and only a handful of collections — to have won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Among the many other awards and honors the book received were the New Yorker Debut of the Year, the PEN/Hemingway Award, and the highest critical praise for its grace, acuity, and compassion in detailing lives transported from India to America. In The Namesake, Lahiri enriches the themes that made her collection an international bestseller: the immigrant experience, the clash of cultures, the conflicts of assimilation, and, most poignantly, the tangled ties between generations. Here again Lahiri displays her deft touch for the perfect detail — the fleeting moment, the turn of phrase — that opens whole worlds of

emotion. The Namesake takes the Ganguli family from their tradition-bound life in Calcutta through their fraught transformation into Americans.

On the heels of their arranged marriage, Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli settle together in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

An engineer by training,

Ashoke adapts far less warily than his wife, who resists all things American and pines for her family. When their son is born, the task of naming him betrays the vexed results of bringing old ways to the new world. Named for a Russian writer by his Indian parents in memory of a catastrophe years before, Gogol Ganguli knows only that he suffers the burden of his heritage as well as his odd, antic name. Lahiri brings great empathy to Gogol as he stumbles along a first-generation path strewn with conflicting loyalties, comic detours, and wrenching love affairs. With penetrating insight, she reveals not only the defining power of the names and expectations bestowed upon us by our parents, but also the means by which we slowly, sometimes painfully, come to define ourselves. The New York Times has praised Lahiri as “a writer of uncommon elegance and poise.”

The Namesake is a fine-tuned, intimate, and deeply felt novel of identity.

BOOKS

Friday, February 12, 2010

By Yann Martel

Life of Pi

L

ife of Pi is a masterful and utterly original novel that is at once the story of a young castaway who faces immeasurable hardships on the high seas, and a meditation on religion, faith, art and life that is as witty as it is profound.

Using the threads of all of our best stories, Yann Martel has woven a glorious spiritual adventure that makes us question what it means to be alive, and to believe.

Growing up in Pondicherry, India, Piscine Molitor Patel — known as Pi — has a rich life.

Bookish by nature, young Pi acquires a broad knowledge of not only the great religious texts but of all literature, and has a great curiosity about how the world works. His family runs the local zoo, and he spends many of his days among goats, hippos, swans, and bears, developing his own theories about the nature of animals and how human nature conforms to it. Pi’s family life is quite happy, even though his brother picks on him and his parents aren’t quite sure how to accept his decision to simultaneously embrace and practise three religions — Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam.

But despite the lush and nurturing variety of Pi’s world, there are broad political changes afoot in India, and when Pi is sixteen his parents decide that the family needs to escape to a better life. Choosing to move to Canada, they

Netherland

By Joseph O’Neill

J

oseph O’Neill’s Netherland is the rare fiction that is unabashed at the fact of its having been written. Hans, the pensive narrator, is a foreigner twice removed — a Dutchman arrived in New York City by way of London — and his voice has an outsider’s relish for the stranger words and usages of English.

With a keenly perceptive eye, Hans takes us through his solitary New York existence in the wake of the World Trade Center attacks: his wife has left, taking their young son back with her to England, and Hans faces sudden, stark awareness of his own isolation. A tip-off from a cab driver leads him to a largely immigrant-driven cricket scene in New York’s outer boroughs, and Hans falls into an unlikely friendship with a soliloquizing Trinidadian named Chuck Ramkissoon, whose grandiose plan is to turn an unattended patch of park near JFK airport into an international cricket mecca.

What follows is an awakening of sorts for Hans — a chance for the recovery of a lost self — and a less fortunate outcome for Chuck, whose racketeering operation introduces Hans to a seamier side of New York. While it would be easy to lump Netherland into the burgeoning school of post-9/11 fiction, its fixations have more to do with how a singular mind navigates the atomized world of the modern city (in this respect, O’Neill’s Irish inheritance is plainly visible). The novel is low on action and heavy on musing, but the sharpness of O’Neill’s reflective sensibility is more than enough to keep things moving: he packs into Hans all the revelation and despair of a man able to tunnel into his own depths

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close the zoo, pack their belongings, and board a Japanese cargo ship called the Tsimtsum.

Travelling with them are many of their animals, bound for zoos in North America. However, they have only just begun their journey when the ship sinks, taking the dreams of the Patel family down with it. Only Pi survives, cast adrift in a lifeboat with the unlikeliest oftravelling companions: a zebra, an orang-utan, a hyena, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

Thus begins Pi Patel’s epic, 227-day voyage across the Pacific, and the powerful story of faith and survival at the heart of Life of Pi. Worn and scared, oscillating between hope and despair, Pi is witness to the playing out of the food chain, quite aware of his new position within it. When only the tiger is left of the seafaring menagerie, Pi realizes that his survival depends on his ability to assert his own will, and sets upon a grand and ordered scheme to keep from being Richard Parker’s next meal.

As the days pass, Pi fights both boredom and terror by throwing himself into the practical details of surviving on the open sea — catching fish, collecting rain water, protecting himself from the sun — all the while ensuring that the tiger is also kept alive, and knows that Pi is the

key to his survival. The castaways face gruelling pain in their brushes with starvation, illness, and the storms that lash the small boat, but there is also the solace of beauty: the rainbow hues of a dorado’s death-throes, the peaceful eye of a looming whale, the shimmering blues of the ocean’s swells. Hope is fleeting, however, and despite adapting his religious practices to his daily routine, Pi feels the constant, pressing weight of despair. It is during the most hopeless and gruelling days of his voyage that Pi whittles to the core of his beliefs, casts off his own assumptions, and faces his underlying terrors head-on.

As Yann Martel has said in one interview, “The theme of this novel can be summarized in three lines. Life is a story. You can choose your story. And a story with an imaginative overlay is the better story.” And for Martel, the greatest imaginative overlay is religion. “God is a shorthand for anything that is beyond the material — any greater pattern of meaning.” In Life of Pi, the question of stories, and of what stories to believe, is front and centre from the beginning, when the author tells us how he was led to Pi Patel and to this novel: in an Indian coffee house, a gentleman told him, “I have a story that will make you believe in God.” And as this novel comes to its brilliant conclusion, Pi shows us that the story with the imaginative overlay is also the story that contains the most truth.

Middlesex

By Jeffrey Eugenides

I

n the spring of 1974, Calliope Stephanides, a student at a girls’ school in Grosse Pointe, finds herself drawn to a chain-smoking, strawberry blond clasmate with a gift for acting. The passion that furtively develops between them— along with Callie’s failure to develop— leads Callie to suspect that she is not like other girls. In fact, she is not really a girl at all.

The explanation for this shocking state of affairs takes us out of suburbia- back before the Detroit race riots of 1967, before the rise of the Motor City and Prohibition, to 1922, when the Turks

sacked Smyrna and Callie’s grandparents fled for their lives. Back to a tiny village in Asia Minor where two lovers, and one rare genetic mutation, set in motion the metamorphosis that will turn Callie into a being both mythical and perfectly real: a hermaphrodite.

Spanning eight decades—and one unusually awkward adolescence- Jeffrey Eugenides’s long-awaited second novel is a grand, utterly original fable of crossed bloodlines, the intricacies of gender, and the deep, untidy promptings of desire. It marks the fulfillment of a huge talent, named one of America’s best young novelists by both Granta and The New Yorker.

Angela’s Ashes

By Frank McCourt

S

ometimes it’s worth the wait.

Having waited 40 years to tell his story, Frank McCourt doesn’t pull any punches in his story of growing up dirt poor in Limerick, Ireland. Having emigrated to America, McCourt’s family returns to Ireland after his sister dies in Brooklyn. It is there that things turn from bad to worse.

It is McCourt’s contention that there is nothing worse than Irish Catholic poverty, and his book would seem to bear it out: his family moves to a row house in Limerick that is located next to the street’s lavatory. However, the book is written in a lyrical style from the point of view of Frank McCourt as a boy, and it is still filled with the whimsy of growing up and the natural humor of its author.

While the book is often angry (at the Church, at his father, at his poverty, at his mother), it is also filled with forgiveness without bitterness. Covering the ages spanning three to 19, Angela’s Ashes is the story of Frank

McCourt’s struggle to escape from poverty and a tale of Ireland still seemingly in the dark ages. Barred from the good schools because of his class, teeth falling out from malnutrition, and facing life with a shiftless alcoholic father, McCourt nevertheless survives on his wits and manages to return to America to start his life over. Again. It is a triumph of both the art of memoir writing and the author’s spirit.

House of Sand and Fog

By Andres Dubus III n this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family’s dignity. Kathy Nicolo is a troubled young woman whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the

I

California hills and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge in an explosive collision course.

Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog marks the arrival of a major new voice in American fiction.

—bn.com

children

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Sudoku for Kids

Friday, February 12, 2010

Solution

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children

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Friday, February 12, 2010

children

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Page 40

Friday, February 12, 2010

Why I envy my daughter When Anouchka Grose hit her teens, she took care not to compete with her glamorous mother. Now she yearns for her own little girl’s youthful beauty.

By Anouchka Grose

D

ot, my daughter, was the first baby I had ever really met properly and I wasn’t quite sure how to hold her. I’d have to look in the mirror at the hospital to see whether we looked plausible as a pair. She felt so weird and wobbly, I couldn’t believe I was doing it right. As I stared at the two of us together, rearranging her to make her look as much like a generic baby as possible, I’d start to notice how amazingly perfect she was. She looked as if she had been airbrushed. She had no open pores, laughter lines or blackheads and her eyeballs were a flawless bluish white. When I flickered back to my own reflection, I saw that it looked lived-in.

It was no secret that I had drunk wine, frowned, sat in the sun and squeezed spots. I had done stuff and had stuff done to me and you could see it all there, on my face, while my daughter’s was totally unblemished. I don’t think I envied her then. It would be weird to envy a baby - like envying a pebble or a mathematical equation. They are so different to us. But now that she is nine and already looks extremely elegant in skinny jeans, crisp white blouses and my hats and silk scarves, I begin to see what Snow White’s stepmother was on about.

And I like to imagine that if I try to deal with it now, then when she becomes 14 I won’t have to ditch her in a forest.

Of course in fairytales the evil ones tend to be the stepmothers. It would be unbearable to think that Hansel and Gretel’s biological mother could be such a bitch. And, clearly, Snow White and Cinderella’s real mothers were lovely. If their mothers hadn’t died, the girls would have been treated like dolls dressed up, cherished and paraded around proudly. (As Cinderella’s wicked stepmother was in fact able to do with her own vile progeny.) Their real mothers would obviously have done what proper parents are supposed to do, ie relinquish large chunks of their own narcissism and put it all into their offspring. If the mums got a bit fat and went a bit grey themselves, so what?

They had beautiful daughters to carry on where they left off. Naturally, mothers are like that. Or are they?

Psychoanalysts have tended to represent mothers in radically different ways - presumably because they all had quite different experiences themselves.

For Sigmund Freud they are so lovely that our horrible old dads have to prise us off them or we would never let them go. Though he does acknowledge that mothers and daughters can become rivalrous, especially when the daughter hits puberty.

Terrifying beasts But for Jacques Lacan, mothers are terrifying beasts from the word go. They overpower and invade their infants’ minds and bodies, and basically let it be known that they hold the power of life and death over them. For Melanie Klein, they are a bit nice and a bit nasty because we project our own niceness and nastiness on to them. They are probably also really a bit nice and a bit

nasty because that’s what people are like (and the sooner you get used to it the better).

Then Donald Winnicott takes up this idea of good/evil mothers in his address to step-parents, saying that we need the wicked stepmothers we read about in fairytales because they can soak up all the badness contained in the real mother, allowing her to appear entirely good. We wouldn’t need to do this if it wasn’t so disturbing to think that mothers can be anything but loving and generous. So children apparently enjoy the story of Snow White because they can use it to work something through around the idea of their own mothers being a bit spooky and destructive. It’s acknowledged in the world, albeit at one remove, that mothers can be awful.

When I was my daughter’s age, I would lie on my mother’s bed and watch her in front of the mirror, dressing up to

go out. I’d always feel sad that she was leaving us with the au pair, and wish she had more time to spend at home. She worked full-time and had a busy social life. She also had lots of very nice clothes. I don’t know whether I envied her, or envied my father, or the people she was going to hang out with. I just remember being fascinated by her makeup and jewellery box and her shoulder-padded, sparkly dresses. In her party clothes, she seemed like a magical being - one who specialised at vanishing.

But when I was a child I also had the idea that my mother wanted to poison me. Every time she tried out some new food on us, I’d think I was done for. She was a bit of a culinary experimenter (junket, nettles, sorrel) so it happened quite a lot.

By the time I got to secondary school, I had mostly got over it. I could eat chilled borscht without fearing for

my life. Instead, I used to wonder why she had stopped buying us nice clothes.

When we were little she made us satin dresses and little corduroy suits - and took us to Hennes and Mauritz to buy miniature Olivia Newton-John trousers.

But somewhere along the line it stopped, and suddenly I was one of the worst-dressed girls in the class. I went to the kind of school where shoes and haircuts mattered a lot, and mine definitely didn’t cut it. All I wanted was a ra-ra skirt, but there seemed to be no legal way of getting one.

Eventually my mum very kindly offered to help me make one out of the old living-room curtains. It was hard to find bits that weren’t stained or yellowing, but we did it. And once I’d got the hang of the sewing machine, that was it. I was weirdly dressed, but not badly, and no one would have known that it was all made out of old bed sheets. (I

was delighted as a teenager to see Vivienne Westwood’s towelling collection. It was a part of the furnishings I hadn’t previously considered.)

I have no idea what was going on with my mother at the time. Perhaps she was stressed at work. Or maybe she was teaching us to be resourceful. But in my mind the imaginary poisoning had become a tendency not to encourage me to look nice. So I went for the classic teenage solution - look a bit strange.

Then you can dress up, but not in a way that will overtly compete with your mum.

Early tendencies The problem now is that early tendencies die hard, and if you find tricks that work it can be difficult to stop leaning on them. I can still sometimes be a bit of a funny dresser. My daughter is mortified by half my wardrobe. “Not the bustle!” she shouts when we’re going somewhere together. (I still love Westwood.) “And definitely not the dress with the knobbly shoulders.” She also thinks that I buy her too many clothes and that shopping is for airheads.

She has a great strategy for dealing with garments she doesn’t like - “lose” them at her father’s house.

Despite my wish to turn her into a mini-me, she’s got her own ideas about dressing, mainly involving checked shirts. She also has shiny long hair, beautiful olive skin and is a very good dancer. My narcissism has no choice but to be siphoned through her, because I’m not deluded enough to even try to compete. But with the bits that are still left, the worry is that I risk repeating the trick I used with my mum - if you can’t beat them, pretend you are running in a different race. “Why do you dye your hair white?” my daughter asks me. “Do you want to look old for some reason?”

“Yes,” I say. “Old people are wise.” “Not necessarily,” she says and gives me a knowing look. Damn her! She can even thrash me at that game.

I hate the idea that I could envy my daughter her youth and beauty, but then again perhaps it would be strange not to.

Or at least not to admit that youth and beauty have a high cultural value and, by conventional standards, she’s going up while I’m going down. The problem doesn’t seem to be the presence of envy per se - it’s more the question of what you do about it. Do I force her to dress in rags? (I think she’d still look good.) Talk to her about it? (And risk freaking her out.) Pretend it’s not happening? (Like I can get anything past her.) Write an article for the newspaper and show her? (“That’s cool, Mum,” she said when she read it. “Much better than your usual stuff.”)

Or might it be possible just to enjoy the things that are good about being older - less anxiety, more interesting relationships - and hope that one day she has the privilege of a daughter of her own to envy?

NOTE: No More Silly Love Songs: A Realist’s Guide to Romance by Anouchka Grose is published by Portobello Books — Guardian

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Friday, February 12, 2010

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Making do with ‘Mr Good Enough’

By Danielle Berrin

L

ori Gottlieb is a 43-year-old single parent who desperately wants to be married. And she’s not ashamed to say so. She first aired her existential angst in an inflammatory 2007 essay for the Atlantic magazine called Marry Him! The Case For Settling For Mr Good Enough, in which she wrote, “Every woman I know - no matter how successful and ambitious, how financially and emotionally secure - feels panic, occasionally coupled with desperation, if she hits 30 and finds herself unmarried.”

That may have been a fate worse than death in 1950, but to put forward the same argument in 2007 seemed bizarre. Yet Gottlieb did her best to help her fellow singletons out of this hole. “My advice is this: settle! That’s right. Don’t worry about passion or intense connection.

Don’t nix a guy based on his annoying habit of yelling ‘Bravo!’ in movie theatres.

Overlook his halitosis or abysmal sense of aesthetics. Because if you want to have the infrastructure in place to have a family, settling is the way to go.” Whether it was a fixable problem like bad dress sense or the arguably more problematic absence of chemistry, she was uncompromising about compromising.

Her point was essentially an ancient bromide (don’t wait for perfection because you’ll be waiting for ever) dressed up as provocative 21st-century polemic. Even so, the article caused a sensation. In the weeks after publication, Gottlieb received more than 3,000 emails. While some married couples were grateful to be portrayed for once as hard-headed realists rather than dopey romantics, many more correspondents called her “pathetic”, “desperate” and “sad”.

It’s hard to imagine how this funny, self-deprecating woman could have provoked such outrage, but Gottlieb has a theory. “In our culture, we never want to admit how badly we want to be in a relationship because it makes us sound needy or weak,” she says. Although she is anything but repentant; indeed, she has now expanded her original thesis into a whole book that looks set to turn her into a hate figure all over again.

The hullabaloo that followed the original piece gave her profile a nice upswing (actor Tobey Maguire bought the film rights), but resentment bubbled away in the blogosphere. It’s not hard to see why. Anticipating that some women wouldn’t buy into her apocalyptic scenario, Gottlieb had written, “If you say you’re not worried, either you’re in denial or you’re lying. Take a good look in the mirror and try to convince yourself that you’re not worried, because you’ll see how silly your face looks when you’re being disingenuous.”

“What’s Lori Gottlieb smoking?” Moe Tkacik wrote on the website Jezebel.

“She has a kid with an anonymous sperm donor and is 40 and really f***ing lonely. Her looks have faded and the men she broke up with in her 30s because they were short/boring/rude to waiters/physically unattractive are looking ‘real’ good around now.” And feministing.com called the article antifeminist porn. “It’s pure crap, mixed in with a little sour grapes,” wrote one blogger. “I’m betting it makes Gottlieb who is so clearly dissatisfied with her life - just nuts that there are all these ‘disingenuously’ happy single women out there.”

Backlash The vehemence of the backlash impelled Gottlieb to make a deeper investigation. The result is her book, an anxiety-provoking 322 pages filled with

According to Lori Gottlieb, all any woman wants is to be married. It’s time all those singletons learned to make do with Mr Good Enough personal anecdotes about the ones who got away and, in the case of some of her friends, the ones who wound up “good enough” to marry, interwoven with interviews with relationship experts academics, professional matchmakers, dating coaches, even a rabbi.

So does settling mean lowering expectations? “I don’t think people should lower their expectations at all,” Gottlieb says. “People need to look for qualities that are important, like shared values, kindness, responsibility. A lot of us instead get hung up on the fact that somebody has red hair.”

She’s not kidding. In the book, Gottlieb recounts dozens of times she dissed a man because he wasn’t intellectual enough, or “cool enough”, or wore a bow tie, or liked sports (“A turnoff”) or had a nerdy name like Sheldon.

“People get pickier and pickier about trivial things, and lose sight of the really important things that people who are long married will tell you have kept them together.”

When her essay was published, few

could see why Gottlieb - who had a successful career and was mother to a young son - felt such a frantic need to get married at all, but it was the realities of single parenting that had brought home to her the practical advantages of marriage.

Gottlieb was raised by a “traditional” mother and stockbroker father in Beverly Hills. Her parents have been “happily married” for more than 45 years, but she does not regard them as exemplary, because “most of us want an egalitarian marriage when it comes to gender roles.”

It sounds sensible. And yet Gottlieb wrote in her original essay, “To the outside world, we still call ourselves feminists and insist that we’re independent and selfsufficient and don’t believe in that damselin-distress stuff, but in reality, we aren’t fish who can do without a bicycle, we’re women who want a traditional family.”

Betrayal The betrayal many women felt at hearing a highly educated, sophisticated woman say she was unhappy at being unmarried

reverberated throughout the media. “I felt misunderstood,” Gottlieb says of the backlash. “There was something very vulnerable about me saying I really would have done my life differently; and to be attacked for that honesty was hurtful.”

In the book, Gottlieb refers to the statistic that started it all: it came from a 1986 Newsweek article, The Marriage Crunch, that infamously reported that a 40-year-old single woman was “more likely to be killed by a terrorist” than get married. Though the study turned out to be wrong (when Newsweek revisited the story 20 years later, “new data” showed that a 40-year-old woman had a 40 percent chance of getting married), Gottlieb still hammers home the point: “Less than half of women over 40 will ever marry.”

Then she serves up a few more choice statistics: that there are 28 million single women over 35 in the US, and 18 million men; that this forms a “reverse power curve” (read: men have options, women become desperate); that men want to (and can) marry younger women; that older men are more jaded and have more

baggage; and that “the longer you wait, the less likely you are to find someone better than you’ve already met”.

Some have accused her of promoting ageism. “I always found it offensive that men had this thing about dating younger women,” she says. “It wasn’t until I had my kid that I realised younger people tend to be more appealing - they’re more optimistic, they don’t have 15 years of bad dates behind them, they’re less eager to get married.” Oh, and they’re still fertile.

Fear-mongering If this sounds like fear-mongering, that’s because it is. Gottlieb wants to issue a wake-up call to women everywhere to find a man, any man, and “put the infrastructure in place” to start a family as soon as possible. And she knows that many women will find her message hard to stomach. “I had so much trouble even at my age accepting it, but I came to realise that I’d rather look at the data and know what the situation is, so I can make more informed choices. Knowledge can be scary, but knowledge can also be power.”

Chapter three of her book is titled How Feminism Fe***d Up My Love Life.

“Feminism as a social movement is a great thing,” she says, “but unfortunately a lot of women grew up thinking the ‘we can have it all’ mentality was feminism.”

The way she sees it, this version of feminism has hurt women by inflating their egos and giving them a false sense of what they deserve.

“Part of it comes from the media and the movies. Everything we see is always women telling each other how fabulous they are and that they deserve the best. It happens in real life, too. Your friend will say, ‘Don’t you think I can do better?’ and we say, ‘You go, girl; go for the best!’ even though we know maybe this guy is the best she can get.” And, she adds, neither are we honest with ourselves: “We think, ‘Oh, I’m so unique and special’ and in our romantic fantasies we think that some guy is going to see us for how uniquely special we are, when most of us are pretty ordinary.”

Gottlieb admits that in her essay she was “venting” in the way she might with friends and that much of it was “hyperbolic”. Now she says, “You absolutely have to fall in love with the person and be attracted to them - this is not about giving up romance - but you have to have some flexibility of what that romance is going to be like. We’re not all going to end up with Johnny Depp.” Some of us might have to settle for the guy in the bow tie.

Rather than the perfect 10, Gottlieb says we should be looking for the perfect 8. “I wish that in my 20s I had looked for that 80 percent. I would probably have been in a happy marriage now.” She came pretty close. His name was Sheldon, a widower, and he had a son. Gottlieb dated him for two months before he moved to Chicago to be near his parents. She is still searching for a husband with whom to share her life and that of her four-year-old son. The way she puts it, Mr Good Enough has become her ultimate romantic dream.

But would she settle for a Mr Good Enough who didn’t want to get married?

“I’d want to know why,” she says. “I’d want to explore it more: do we have the same idea of what marriage means?

Because if we do, and I want to get married and he doesn’t, then we can’t be together.”

NOTE: Mr Good Enough: The Case For Choosing A Real Man Over Holding Out For Mr Perfect, by Lori Gottlieb, is published in April by Collins — Guardian

HOME

Friday, February 12, 2010

Terrariums: bringing nature into houses

Floral designers ‘bring sexy back’

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T

Terrariums are being rediscovered by a new eco-minded generation as a way to connect with nature. — MCT

he last time terrariums (plant aquariums) were in fashion, so were tie-dye and love beads. “They were big in the ‘70s, then kind of died out,” said Mary Beth Gullickson, a horticulturist and designer for Bachman’s floral and garden company in Minneapolis.

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum hasn’t offered a terrarium class in almost 20 years, according to Shirley Mah Kooyman, botanist and adult education manager. Gardeners just lost interest in them, she said. “They were very popular.

Then they fell off the edge of the Earth.”

But there are signs that the small glass-enclosed indoor gardens are growing in popularity. Sales of terrariums and supplies increased 20 to 30 percent last year at Bachman’s, Gullickson estimated. “Things cycle. They were ‘out,’ but now we’re hitting a new generation of people.”

Lifestyle publisher Clarkson Potter recently released a glossy coffee table book, “The New Terrarium.” Its author, Connecticut garden writer Tovah Martin, hasn’t seen any data about a terrarium resurgence, but she has been seeing a lot more gardens under glass in catalogs and magazines.

“All the stores, even the bigbox stores, are selling vessels,” she said. And shelter periodicals are not only running how-to articles about making terrariums, but they’re also using them as props in photos.

“They’re using them to show that this person is cool and current and has empathy for nature,” she said.

The green movement has renewed interest in terrariums, along with gardening in general, Gullickson said. “People are more interested in growing things and creating selfsustaining eco-systems.”

And terrariums are a great starter garden because they’re low maintenance, Martin noted.

“We have less time than ever, and we’re distracted. Yet we want to bond with nature.” With a terrarium, you can bring a bit of the natural world into even a tiny apartment or office cubicle.

“They’re good for people who don’t have the time or the venue to grow any other way.”

But even seasoned green thumbs seem to be rediscovering terrariums’ charms, Martin said, who tends 22 terrariums. “Flower shows are adding them as an entry category, and many of my workshops are attended by people from garden clubs who want to compete.”

The “new” terrarium is different from your mother’s model. For starters, it’s a lot more stylish. The ‘60s and ‘70s terrariums were frankly “frumpy,” Martin said. “They were more like science experiments. This time around,

it’s more about beauty and sparkle, very much like creating an object of art. The containers are beautiful vessels that you’d display even if they were empty.”

Today’s terrariums aren’t just castoff glass jugs filled with plants, agreed Pamela Larson Frink, a White Bear Lake, Minn., gardener who teaches a community-education class, “Terrariums to Go.” “Instead of the old-fashioned terrarium — an old pickle jar sitting in the corner — people are using different plants, prettier containers and adding found items from nature or other trinkets,’’ she said. “It’s become part of the decor of the house.”

Susan Gorr used a terrarium as a base for creating a focal point for her dining room in Buffalo, Minn. She started with a house-shaped terrarium (called a Wardian case), from which she removed the glass panels. She then filled it with potted house plants of varying heights, a bird’s nest and eggs, and other small decorative tokens. “I don’t use it as a terrarium but as an architectural element,” she said.

“It’s a little environment — like mini-decorating.”

Terrariums’ small scale is part of their appeal, Gullickson said. “For a while, everybody went big; now we’re going back to miniaturization.” Growers seem to be responding by offering more dwarf species, and the greater plant palette, in turn, piques consumers’ interest.

“They (terrariums) are more popular because of the cool materials we now have to work with,” she said.

And then there are the fans for whom terrariums never went out of style.

Jeff Gedgaud of Moorhead, Minn., has been tending terrariums for more than 20 years. (He also blogs about setting up terrariums on a Web site, www.associatedcontent.com and search on “terrarium in a tank.”) Gedgaud, the son of a horticulturist, likes terrariums because they offer greater variety than single houseplants.

“You can do more and see more than with a potted plant,” he said. He also likes introducing living creatures, including tree frogs, centipedes and hermit crabs, to his terrariums. “It makes it really interesting,” he said. “We’ve always been into pets with our kids. It’s nice to see the interaction.”

He’s not alone in using terrariums as a bonding tool.

Martin sees a lot of parents bringing children to her terrarium workshops. And sometimes vice versa.

“One daughter did it as a birthday present for her mom,” said Martin. “They made a huge one together. It’s a nice way to prompt a younger generation to get intimate with nature.”

—MCT

SPOTLIGHT

Friday, February 12, 2010

Page 43

One on one with ...

Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend performs live on stage during the Main Square Festival in Arras, France last July. — MCT

Indie rock band Vampire Weekend A

They’re back!

lmost two years after the release of their full-length debut “Vampire Weekend,” the boys from Columbia University have returned with their sophomore effort (and recent chart-topper), “Contra.” With its occasionally political lyrics, numerous Clash references, and heavy use of Nintendo-y electronic sounds, the album has a title that aptly describes the new elements it brings to the distinctive Vampire Weekend sound: a breezy, melodic and ambitious brand of guitar-pop that finds its influences in sources ranging from the New York indie-scene to the sounds of coastal African music.

But for many music fans it doesn’t really seem like the band has gone anywhere in the interim. After riding a wave of blog-driven and MTV-supported hype to international prominence, the group quickly ran into some serious backlash, mostly

Q. So I just got a chance to listen to the new album and I’m really enjoying it so far. I certainly hear a few new sounds that you guys seem to have thrown into the mix, but I’d like to hear if there were any specific ideas you and the band had going into the recording of “Contra” that you wanted to add.

A. Well, I think that it’s definitely an extension of our first record, maybe because we’re still the same people, still the same music fans who have been digesting and hearing many things as we’ve been around and on tour. We’re excited and I definitely think it’s a different album but I think it shares the same DNA. Q. Some of your band mates have mentioned that they feel “Contra” is sort of a California album, or a Pacific Coast album. Could you elaborate on that a little?

A. I think that was more of a conceptual theme. Some of it has to do with the fact that we recorded this album in New York in a pretty standard New York spring, where it was rainy and gray and the idea of California was very exciting at that point.

(Laughs). I mean, a lot of unique bands come from California that we get inspiration from like Operation Ivy or Sublime or whatever. I would say it makes a lot of sense to us but it might be hard to point to anything more specifically. I’ll just say that “California loomed large.” (Laughs) Q. I notice you have a lot of tour dates planned for the first half of 2010. Will you be hitting a lot of festivals again in the summer? You seem to have become kind of a staple of the festival circuit.

aimed at what critics perceived to be the Ivy Leaguers’ privileged backgrounds and their music’s inclusion of sounds usually associated with the Third World.

The debate over Vampire Weekend and the “authenticity” of their sound has raged on in coffee shops and on countless music blogs ever since, though the musicians themselves have for the most part stayed clear of the fray. Instead, they’ve been taking their tunes to the fans during an intensive touring schedule that’s seen them become a staple of the festival circuit, winning over crowds many times larger than the groups of kegger-attendees they first performed their now-famous songs for back in college.

In advance of “Contra’s” release last month, Vampire Weekend’s gregarious percussionist Chris Tomson spoke to PopMatters.com about his general disinterest in accusations of “cultural appropriation,” the band’s growth as performers and songwriters, and the surprise he still feels at finding success as an accidental drummer.

A. Yeah! I think so. I think that every touring band ends up playing a lot of festivals in the summer. In the spring we are doing some tour dates and more of our own shows. But in the summer, if you’re a touring band, and especially in Europe, if you’re touring you’re going to be at the festivals because those are the shows that are there. So we’re definitely going to be playing a lot of festivals.

Q. Your debut album didn’t come out that long ago, but it seems like your band has been a talking point for forever by now. Do you think you’ve progressed beyond all the hype-backlash and cultural appropriation criticism at this point? I remember when Beirut, who also took a lot of flack for their interest in sounds from other parts of the world, released their second album, a lot of critics kind of seemed to say “You know what, with or without the dressing up of these foreign elements, there’s just some great songwriting here.” “Contra” seems like it could make a similar case for Vampire Weekend. What do you think?

A. I mean. It’s hard to say. I think ... at the most basic level, I wasn’t part of that conversation the first time (Laughs), so I’m not sure if it’s still going on. I hope that that’s the case. I think it’s very obvious, at least to me, and i know I have a fairly unique perspective on it, but we genuinely like to make music we like and can be proud of, so I think with it being the second album it should be clear that we’re not flash in the pan, we didn’t just kind of have a couple of good songs and now we’re (expletive). And I feel like that’s a critic-only conversation for the most part.

Q. The second album, perhaps unfairly, is often seen as the big indicator of whether a band will last or not. Are there any other bands whose career paths you or the other guys in the band would like to follow?

A. There are definitely bands we admire and like but there’s no band we want to exactly follow. I think conceptually there are things we’ve thought about like ... well, most specifically the Beastie Boys. They had a debut album that was very successful, but then their second album ... it was still the Beastie Boys and it still sounded like the Beastie Boys but at the same time they kind of showed that they were very talented and that they could make an album that was differently constructed but still good.

Q. Will Vampire Weekend be working with any other bands in the future? I interviewed P from Chromeo a little while ago and he was saying how much they love you guys and how much they enjoyed remixing “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance.”

A. I think that, at the very least, on our albums, we definitely want it to be us and we want it to be Vampire Weekend. But yeah that was very fun. We ended up being able to perform the song together (with Chromeo) ... and that was very fun.

Getting out of your comfort zone and doing something different. But for most of us that stuff just happened naturally.

Like we met those guys and we liked their music. But I think it could happen sometime with other bands in the future. And it’ll be fun.—MCT

Page 44

Friday, February 12, 2010 CROSSWORD 988

Word Sleuth Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

ACROSS 1. A syndrome that occurs in many women from 2 to 14 days before the onset of menstruation.

4. Type genus of the Majidae.

8. 100 pyas equal 1 kyat.

11. Apparent power to perceive things that are not present to the senses.

12. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

13. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research into atomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States.

14. The seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located adv.

15. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

16. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Dali region of Yunnan.

17. English scholastic philosopher and assumed author of Occam's Razor (1285-1349).

20. A nation in northern North America.

22. Conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence.

25. United States choreographer noted for his use of African elements (born in 1931).

26. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

27. A software system that facilitates the creation and maintenance and use of an electronic database.

28. Being nine more than ninety.

29. American professional baseball player who hit more home runs than Babe Ruth (born in 1934).

33. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

37. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.

38. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

42. (in Scotland or Ireland) A mountain or tall hill.

43. Psychoactive substance present in marijuana.

44. A small cake leavened with yeast.

45. One of the most common of the five major classes of immunoglobulins.

46. Take in solid food.

47. Of or relating to or characteristic of the Republic of

Chad or its people or language.

48. East Indian tree bearing a profusion of intense vermilion velvet-textured blooms and yielding a yellow dye.

DOWN 1. The basic unit of money in Uruguay.

2. One thousandth of a second.

3. A detailed description of design criteria for a piece of work.

4. Any warm-blooded vertebrate having the skin more or less covered with hair.

5. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

6. A port in western Israel on the Mediterranean.

7. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

8. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

9. Not only so, but.

10. Harsh or corrosive in tone.

18. Any of various spiny trees or shrubs of the genus Acacia.

19. King of Saudi Arabia from 1964 to 1975 (1906-1975).

21. Fallow deer.

23. A person forced to flee from home or country.

24. The branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication.

30. Marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea.

31. The ending of a series or sequence.

32. Indian religious leader who founded Sikhism (14691538).

34. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

35. Consideration in dealing with others and avoiding giving offence.

36. An amino acid that is found in the central nervous system.

37. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

39. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

40. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

41. An informal term for a father.

Yesterday’s Solution

Page 45

Friday, February 12, 2010

COUNTRY CODES

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY A r i e s ( M ar c h 2 1 - A p r i l 1 9 ) "Hate leaves ugly scars," wrote author Mignon McLaughlin, but "love leaves beautiful ones." If I'm reading the astrological omens correctly, Aries, you're scheduled to receive at least one of the beautiful kind of scars in the coming months -maybe even two or three. In fact, I think they'll be such lovely booboos that they will markedly add to your overall attractiveness. Rarely if ever have you been privileged to hurt as good as you will in 2010 -- thanks to the benevolent jolts of love. Happy Valentine Daze!

Taurus (April 20-May 20) In my view, 2010 is the year you should expand your world. That could mean enlarging your circle of allies or building a bigger web of connections. It might mean broadening your appeal or widening your frame of reference or opening your mind to possibilities you've been closed to. It may even involve extending your territory or increasing the range of your travels. However you choose to expand, Taurus, I urge you to put love at the heart of your efforts. Love should be the fuel that motivates you and the reference point that ensures you're always making smart moves. For inspiration, memorize this line by poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning: "I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach." In your case, Taurus, "thee" should mean the whole world. Happy Valentine Daze!

Gem ini (May 21-June 20) Of all the signs of the zodiac, you Geminis are most likely to thrive if you experiment with new approaches to kissing in the coming weeks. To whip up your fervor, read incendiary texts like William Cane's The Art of Kissing.

Conspire with an imaginative partner to conjure up a new kissing game or even a sacred kissing ritual. And come up with your own interpretations of the following kiss techniques: the throbbing kiss, the sip kiss, the butterfly kiss, the tiger kiss, the whispering kiss. Happy Valentine Daze!

Cancer (June 21-Ju ly 22) Happy Valentine Daze, Cancerian!

After meditating about what advice would be most valuable for your love life in the coming months, I decided on this challenge from poet William Butler Yeats: "True love is a discipline in which each divines the secret self of the other and refuses to believe in the mere daily self." In other words, create in your imagination a detailed picture of your loved ones at their best. Each day, make it a point to feel joy and gratitude for their most excellent beauty and power -- as well as the beauty and power that are still ripening and will one day appear in full bloom.

Leo ( July 23-August 22) A friend of mine has woven her life together with a Leo who doesn't fully appreciate the ways she expresses her adoration. She asked me to use my bully pulpit as a horoscope writer to convey a message to her lover, and I agreed, because I think it's excellent advice for all of the Leo tribe this Valentine season. Here's what she said: "Just because somebody doesn't always love you the way you wish they would, doesn't mean they don't love you the best they can and with all they have." Are you willing to consider the possibility that maybe you should take that plea to heart, Leo? I hope so, because then you'll be able to get some of the good loving you've closed yourself off from. Happy Valentine Daze!

Vi rgo ( Aug us t 2 3- S ep t em be r 22) Happy Valentine Daze, Virgo! I meditated on what message might best energize your love life, and what I came up with is a declaration by author Mignon McL aughlin: "Love unlocks doors and opens windows that weren't even there before." In other words, the love you should be most interested in during the coming months is the kind that opens your eyes to sights that were previously invisible and that creates new possibilities you've barely imagined.

Libra (September 23O ctober 22) Happy Valentine Daze, Libra! My astrological hunch is that you'd benefit from the specific teaching that would come from exploring a three-way relationship. But wait.

Don't jump to conclusions. Here's the form I

think it should take: Fantasize that the merger of you and your lover or ally has created a third thing that hovers near you, protecting and guiding the two of you. Call this third thing an angel. Or call it the soul of your connection or the inspirational force of your relationship. Or call it the special work the two of you can accomplish together. And let this magical presence be the third point of your love triangle.

Scorpio (October 23N o v e m b e r 2 1 ) Happy Valentine Daze, Scorpio! After meditating on what advice would best serve your love life, I decided to offer you the words of psychologist Carl Jung: "The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves." As I see it, my dear, acting on Jung's wisdom will help you carry out your primary task in the coming months, which is to bring novel experiences and fresh perspectives to your most engaging relationship. The best way to accomplish that is not with non-stop serious talk and intense analysis, but with a generous dose of playful improvisation and experimental fun.

Sagittarius (November 22D e c e m b e r 2 1 ) To prepare your Valentine horoscope, I did a lengthy meditation on your love life. I wish I could offer you a 20-page treatise on my conclusions, but there's not enough room. So instead I'll give you the single most important piece of advice I came up with: The coming week will be an excellent time for you to survey the history of your love life, starting with the first moment you ever fell in love. I mean you should actually stream the memories across your mind's eye as if you were watching a movie. Feel all the feelings roused by each scene, but also try to maintain some objectivity about it all. Watch for recurring themes. Be especially alert for unexpected insights that emerge about the past. And through it all, be wildly compassionate toward yourself and your co-stars. Happy Valentine Daze, Sagittarius!

C a p r i c o r n ( D e c e m be r 2 2 January 19) "If I love you, what business is it of yours?" wrote Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Now I'm offering his words for you to use as your mantra in the coming months. Your main job, as I see it, is simply to be a lover of pretty much everything -- to generate, cultivate, and express love in abundance -- and not to worry about whether your love is reciprocated or how it's regarded. It's a tall order, I know -- one of the most difficult assignments I've ever suggested. And yet I think you have the soul power and the crafty intelligence necessary to accomplish it. Happy Valentine Daze, Capricorn!

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Happy Valentine Daze, Aquarius!

In my search for the counsel that would be of greatest help to your love life in the coming months, I decided on this observation by psychologist Albert Ellis: "The art of love is largely the art of persistence." I hope you take that in the spirit in which I'm offering it. It's not meant to suggest that you will be deprived of love's burning, churning pleasures; I just want to make sure you know that your best bet for experiencing burning, churning pleasures is to be dogged and devoted and disciplined in your cultivation of burning, churning pleasures.

Pisces (Februar y 19-March 20) In 2010, you will have more cosmic assistance than you've had in a long time whenever you seek to increase your experience of pleasure. Do you want to get more sensual joy out of eating and drinking and dancing and listening to music? This is your year. Do you want to heighten your perceptiveness and find more beauty in the world and cultivate new ways to stimulate positive feelings and liberating emotions?

This is your year. Do you want to intensify your orgasms and have more of them and learn how to use them to enhance your spiritual power? This is your year. And the coming weeks will be one of the best times in 2010 to move from charging up your pleasure to supercharging it. Happy Valentine Daze, Pisces!

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK) Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guyana Haiti Holland (Netherlands) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Ibiza (Spain) Iceland India Indian Ocean Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait

0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345 00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044 00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689 00241 00220 00995 0049 00233 00350 0030 00299 001473 00590 001671 00502 00224 00592 00509 0031 00504 00852 0036 0034 00354 0091 00873 0062 0098 00964 00353 0039 00225 001876 0081 00962 007 00254 00686 00965

Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Majorca Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar (Burma) Namibia Nepal Netherlands (Holland) Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Nigar Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Ireland (UK) North Korea Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts Saint Lucia Saint Pierre Saint Vincent Samoa US Samoa West San Marino Sao Tone Saudi Arabia Scotland (UK) Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tanzania Thailand Toga Tonga Tokelau Trinidad Tunisia Turkey Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay

00996 00856 00371 00961 00231 00218 00370 00352 00853 00389 00261 0034 00265 0060 00960 00223 00356 00692 00596 00222 00230 00269 0052 00691 00373 00377 00976 001664 00212 00258 0095 00264 00977 0031 00599 00687 0064 00505 00227 00234 00683 00672 0044 00850 0047 00968 0092 00680 00507 00675 00595 0051 0063 0048 00351 001787 00974 0040 007 00250 00290 001869 001758 00508 001784 00684 00685 00378 00239 00966 0044 00221 00284 00232 0065 00421 00386 00677 00252 0027 0082 0034 0094 00249 00597 00268 0046 0041 00963 00886 00255 0066 00228 00676 00690 001868 00216 0090 00688 00256 00380 00976 0044 00598

WHAT’S ON

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Friday, February 12, 2010

IEI celebrates Family Day 2010

T

he Institution of Engineers (India), Kuwait Chapter celebrated its Family Day 2010 on Feb 5 at Desert Spring Camp, North Kuwait. It was a day filled with fun and enjoyment for all the family members. The program started with a welcome speech by the Chairman Eng Joseph Panicker. Large

number of families and children participated in the program. Science Club Children, Ladies Wing Members and Engineers exhibited their paintings, charts, models, creative works and antiques etc. Children of all ages participated in Talent Show. They performed a Skit on title “Save Our Mother Earth”. They also

participated in dance, instrument playing and a magic show.

Different types of games were arranged for the participants in all age groups. Lots of indoor as well as outdoor games were organized. Gifts were given to all the children who attended the function and to all who

participated in the art and craft exhibition.

This was followed with the raffle and ended with Bonfire and Barbeque. The day was full of entertainment and active participation by all the members. IEI Kuwait Chapter made it a unique experience and a most memorable day in the diary of IEI Kuwait Chapter.

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF INDIA

Cinemagic’s schedule

The Embassy of India has further revamped and improved its Legal Advice Clinic at the Indian Workers Welfare Center, and made the free service available to Indian nationals on all five working days, i.e. from Sunday to Thursday every week. Kuwaiti lawyers would be available at the Legal Advice Clinic daily from Monday to Thursday, while Indian lawyers would be available on Sundays. Following are the free welfare services provided at the Indian Workers Welfare Center located at the Embassy of India: [i] 24x7 Helpline for Domestic Workers: Accessible by toll free telephone no. 25674163 from anywhere in Kuwait, it provides information and advice exclusively to Indian domestic sector workers (Visa No. 20) as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. [ii] Help Desk: It offers guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal, and other issues (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iii) Labour Complaints Desk: It registers labor complaints and

provides grievance redressal service to Indian workers (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iv) Shelters: For female and male domestic workers in distress; (v) Legal Advice Clinic: Provides free legal advice to Indian nationals (Embassy premises; Kuwaiti lawyers 3 PM to 5 PM, Monday to Thursday; Indian lawyers 2 PM to 4 PM on Sunday); and (vi) Attestation of Work Contracts: Private sector worker (Visa No. 18) contracts are accepted at the Embassy; 9 AM to 1 PM; Sunday to Thursday; Domestic sector worker (Visa No. 20) contracts are accepted at Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO), Hawally, Al-Othman Street, Kurd Roundabout, Al-Abraj Complex, Office No 9, Mezzanine Floor; 9 AM to 9 PM, Saturday to Thursday; 5 PM to 9 PM on Friday.

EMBASSY OF KENYA

*Saturday, February 13th SURPRISE FILM ■■■■■■■ *Saturday, February 20th Requiem For A Dream, USA 2000 Director: Darren Aronofsky Genre: Adventure | Mystery | 102 min | English Subtitle Rated: 18 Drugs. They consume mind, body and soul. Once you’re hooked, you’re hooked. Four lives. Four addicts. Four failures. Doing their best to succeed in the world, but failing miserably, four people get hooked on various drugs.

Despite their aspirations of greatness, they succumb to their addictions.

Watching the addicts spiral out of control, we bear witness to the dirtiest, ugliest portions of the underworld addicts reside in. It is shocking and eye opening but demands to be seen by both addicts and non-addicts alike ■■■■■■■ *Thursday, February 25th Corpse Bride, USA 2005

The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya is happy to inform the general public and visitors to Kenya of a reduction in the cost of tourist visas by

50%, continuing through all of 2010. Additionally, in recognition of the family travel segment, Kenya is giving a complete waiver of visit fees to children aged 16 years and below. Visitors are urged to take this opportunity and experience unique Kenyan beach holidays on palm fringed, sandy beaches, safaris in the country’s famous national parks, and activity based tourism. For more information contact the Kenya Embassy located at Surra, block 6, Street 9, Villa No.3. Tel. 25353314/ 25353362 or visit the Mission’s websites www.kenyaembkuwait.com & www.magicalkenya.com. Official timings are 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Sundays through Thursdays.

EMBASSY OF UKRAINE The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait informs about the second voting of the Presidential elections in Ukraine, which is scheduled to be held on February 7, 2010.

The voting will take place on the territory of the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait (address: Hawalli, Jabriya, bl.10, str.6, house 5) from 08:00 am

Director: Tim Burton Genre: Animation | Drama | 80 min | English Subtitle Rated: PG 13 Set back in the late 1800s in a Victorian village, a man and woman by the names of Victor Van Dort and Victoria Everglot are betrothed because the Everglots need the money or else they’ll be living on the streets and the Van Dorts want to be hight in society.

But when things go wrong at the wedding rehearsal, Victor goes into the woods to practice his vows. Just as soon as he gets them right, he finds himself married to Emily, the corpse bride.

While Victoria waits on the other side, there’s a rich newcomer that may take Victor’s place. So two brides, one groom, who will Victor pick?

■■■■■■■ *Saturday, February 27th Sophie Scholl: The Final Days, Germany 2005 Director: Mark Rothemund Genre: Drama | 127 min | English Subtitle Rated: 15+

till 20:00 pm. In this connection, please refer to the Embassy to check your personal data in the electoral register or call: 25318507 ext.106 EMBASSY OF PhIlIPPINES The Embassy of the Philippines wishes to inform the Filipino community in the State of Kuwait, that the recent supreme court decision to extend the registration of voter’s applies only in local registration in the Philippines under Republic Act no. 8189 and does not apply to overseas voters which is governed by Republic Act no. 9189, hence it has no impact on the plans and preparations on the conduct of overseas absentee voting. The overseas absentee voting for presidential elections will start on 10 April 2010 and will continue uninterrupted until 10 May 2010 daily at the Philippine Embassy.

Registered overseas absentee voters are advised to schedule their days off in advance to avoid complications in their schedules. Qualified voters are encouraged to get out and vote.

The Final Days is the true story of Germany’s most famous anti-Nazi heroine brought to life. Sophie Scholl is the fearless activist of the underground student resistance group, The White Rose. Using historical records of her incarceration, the film re-creates the last six days of Sophie Scholl’s life: a journey from arrest to interrogation, trial and sentence in 1943 Munich.

Unwavering in her convictions and loyalty to her comrades, her crossexamination by the Gestapo quickly escalates into a searing test of wills as Scholl delivers a passionate call to freedom and personal responsibility that is both haunting and timeless .

Contact via: screenings@cinemagics.com; or join our Facebook’s group “Cinemagic Kuwait.

• Screenings will be canceled when confronted with very bad weather.

• Screenings will take place at our location in Old Salmiya, above LG Electronics.

Contact via: screenings@cinemagics.com; or join our Facebook’s group “Cinemagic Kuwait.

WHAT’S ON

Friday, February 12, 2010

Announcements

greetings

FEBRUARY 19 Indian Lawyers Forum: Indian Lawyers forum, (ILF) the Association of Indian Lawyers & Law Graduates in Kuwait planning to conduct its annual programme & get together on 19-02-2010 Friday evening 6 pm at Hidine Restaurant Auditorium (Tel: 24312505) at Abassiya. Professional presentation, orchestra & variety entertainments arranged. All Indian lawyers & Law graduates with their families are cordially invited to attend the functions. For more information please contact. 97203939, 97260159 email: advpanicker@gmail.com

Happy first birthday to our lovely girl Gael Liera. May you have many more birthdays good health, and blessings.

From Papa, Mama, Ninong Danny and Tita Brenda.

FEBRUARY 26 IOC fest ’09 winners:

MARCH 26 CRYcket 2010: The 13th annual crycket tournament is scheduled to be held on Friday, 26th March 2010 at the KOC Hockey Grounds, Ahmadi. This tournament is organized by FOCC (Friends of Cry Club).

Friends of CRY Club (FOCC) is associated with CRY (Child Rights and You), India and its main objectives are to create awareness of the underprivileged Indian children, help restore their basic rights, strive to provide support in personal development of the Indian children in Kuwait and bring out the qualities of social commitment in them. FOCC has been organizing CRY awareness programmes for children through its two annual events CRYcket (Cricket match for children below 14 years organized annually since 1997) and CRY chess tournament (for children of all ages organized annually since 2005) - and ‘Brain Bang’ programme which is an ongoing biweekly Accelerated Learning activity.

CRYcket will be played by 24 teams of children and about 500 spectators are expected for this special one-day event. The deadline to receive the registration forms is 18th March 2010, however registration may be close earlier if the available slots of 12 teams in each category are filled. A colourful souvenir will be released to mark the 13th year of FOCC’s activities in Kuwait. For details how to become a sponsor and/or to advertise in the Souvenir or to volunteer as a FOCC member, pls visit www.focckwt.org or email focckwt@yahoo.com

Aware announcement

N

P

AWS are happy to announce their first event of 2010 will be the 5th Annual Paws for the Cause Dog Show in the beautiful British Embassy Gardens on 5th March 2010.

Registration is now open for entry into the Dog Show. The gate will open at 11am and the show will close at 4pm.

This year will be bigger and better than ever with 9 categories in all including the new category best Rescue dog. Whether your dog is the most obedient, can do the best trick or just simply looks adorable or is getting on a bit then there will be a category for you. There is even the most mysterious heritage category for those with a questionable pedigree! It’s a lot of fun and very light-hearted so why not see if your Mutt has a little bit of star quality.

Alternatively you may just want to come and show off your pampered pooch and watch the show. The choice is yours. As well as the Dog Competitions there will be a Military Dog Display and stalls offering refreshments including a BBQ and tea and cakes so you can enjoy a tasty lunch in the gardens.

Other stalls include pet products, a bookstall, Bric a Brac, bouncy castle, face painting and many more.

Dog Classes are already filling so hurry and get your application in.

And remember You do not need a dog to come along and enjoy a fun-filled family day.

This promises to be a great day out for the whole family so if you wish to attend then visit our website at www.paws-kuwait.org to download the application form.

Completed registration forms can then be left at The Cutting Edge Salon, Salmiya 25718001 or Soho Salon Fintas, 23902077. Please ensure your form, with correct admission fee, is placed in a sealed envelope at either salon. Registration closes March 2nd.

There will unfortunately be no admittance to

Hurrraaaaaaaaaaaaaah... Laura Chidera Ebidi is one today. Happy birthday! May God guide and protect you as you grow to be a blessing to your family Amen.

Greetings from mummy, daddy, friends, and well-wishers .

EDA organizes picnic

aturally we tend to look at the differences rather than similarities. Westerners coming to Kuwait or the Middle East for the first time find many cultural differences and virtually all will go thorough culture shock to some degree.

However, are there similarities between Arabs and Westerners? If so, what are they? Come along to Aware’s diwaniya, maybe you’ll find you agree or disagree but that’s all part of the open forum discussion on February 16, 2010 at 7pm.

PAWS 2010 dogs show

Indian Overseas Congress, Kuwait is conducting it’s 16th Annual day celebrations on Friday, 26th February 2010 at Indian Central School Auditorium, Abbassiya.

Various Senior Congress leaders from Kerala including K.C Joseph MLA, E.M Augasthy Ex. MLA, V.D Satheeshan MLA will be attending the function. IOC as an organisation of equally minded people from India, have been anchored with a vision of imparting the spirit of economically prosperous, socialy just, politically united and culturally Harmonious India to the expatriate Indian Community. The uncomparable public speeches of V.D Satheeshan, E.M. Augusthy and KC Joseph will be memorable talks to the Congressmen in Kuwait.

Since few years LOC is conducting Arts festival for all the Indians in Kuwait. More than one thousand participants from all States of India are participating in various competitions organised. every year. The winners of IOC Fest ‘09 will be awarded with prizes and certificates at the function.

Various committees under the leadership of M.A Hilal, Somu Mathew Geevarghese Abraham, Raju Zakarias, K.J. John, John Abraham, Tony Mathew, Adv. John Thomas, C. Ramachandran, Thajudeen, Alex Bino Joseph, Varghese Mamparampan, Shaji Kavalam, are actively working to make this a memorable event among the Indians in Kuwait. IOC requests all the IOC Fest ‘09 winners to contact Tony Mathew (66853100) or Raju Zakarias (99234968).

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E

rnaKulam District Association (EDA) ‘Picnic 2010 will be held on Feb 19, 2010 at Mishref Park from 9 am to 4 pm. We have organized different types of sports, fun and cultural activities for gents, ladies and kids.

Members as well as friends, well wishers from Ernakulam districts are most welcome to participate in this event. Transportation is available from different parts of Kuwait. All our members should contact following persons to collect the coupons: Abdul Rahim (Farwanya) - 99851410, Sajee Joseph(Abbassia) - 66773395, Sajeev Kumar (Hasawiya) - 66011855, Bobby Paul(Fahaheel) 94069563, Biju (Salmiya) - 66339920

you or your pets to the British Embassy on the day without pre-registration. No ‘walk-ins’ by unregistered guests can be permitted.

PAWS-Protecting Animal Welfare Society, Kuwait is affiliated to KEPS, Kuwait Environmental Protection Society, WSPA, World Society for the Protection of Animals, The RSPCA International and MENAW, Middle East Network for Animal Welfare E-mail at pawsq8@yahoo.com Tel: 99440089

Enjoy Seafood nights at La Brasserie

T

he renowned La Brasserie restaurant of the JW Marriott Kuwait City has launched an exciting seafood promotion for all seafood lovers in Kuwait.

“Seafood lovers can enjoy a wide and exciting dinner buffet featuring a huge array of delicious and fresh fish, scallops, lobsters cooked to their taste,” says Hassan Yazbek, Food & Beverage Director, JW Marriott Hotel. “We invite connoisseurs of both gourmet and grill to savor an eclectic spectrum of sea food,” he adds.

This exclusive and exotic buffet is served throughout the week daily from (Saturday-Wednesday). Diners visiting the La Brasserie restaurant can select from a wide variety of fresh fish, scallops, mussels, shrimps, octopus, clams and lobsters and have our chefs prepare the dish to their taste.

The daily dinner timings at the La Brasserie restaurant are 7pm-11pm.

Come and enjoy fresh fish and seafood choices with your family and friends.

Page 48

Friday, February 12, 2010

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

“IN CASE YOU ARE NOT TRAVELLING, YOUR PROPER CANCELLATION OF BOOKINGS WILL HELP OTHER PASSENGERS TO USE SEATS”.

Arrival Flights on Friday 12/02/2010 Airlines Flt Route Jazeera 0263 Beirut Tunis Air 327 Tunis/Dubai Wataniya Airways 2011 Sharm El Sheikh 802 Amman Royal Jordanian Wataniya Airways 2103 Beirut Gulf Air 211 Bahrain Kuwait 544 Cairo Jazeera 0513 Sharm El Sheikh Turkish A/L 1172 Istanbul DHL 370 Bahrain Jazeera 0241 Amman Emirates 853 Dubai Etihad 0305 Abu Dhabi Qatari 0138 Doha Ethiopian 622 Addis Ababa/Bahrain Air France 6770 Paris Jazeera 0517 Hurghada Jazeera 0503 Luxor Jazeera 0527 Alexandria Kuwait 416 Jakarta/Kuala Lumpur Jazeera 0481 Sabiha British 0157 London Kuwait 206 Islamabad Kuwait 352 Cochin Jazeera 0161 Dubai Kuwait 302 Mumbai Kuwait 676 Dubai Kuwait 362 Colombo Emirates 855 Dubai Kuwait 286 Chittagong Arabia 0121 Sharjah Qatari 0132 Doha Etihad 0301 Abu Dhabi Jazeera 0529 Assiut Gulf Air 213 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 1121 Bahrain Jazeera 0447 Doha Jazeera 0165 Dubai Jazeera 0113 Abu Dhabi Wataniya Airways 1021 Dubai Iran Air 819 Lar Middle East 404 Beirut Yemenia 825 Sanaa Pakistan 239 Sialkot Egypt Air 610 Cairo Jazeera 0171 Dubai Kuwait 872 Dubai Wataniya Airways 2301 Damascus Jazeera 0525 Alexandria Jazeera 0257 Beirut Wataniya Airways 2001 Cairo Kuwait 1542 Cairo Kuwait 552 Damascus Kuwait 744 Dammam Jazeera 0457 Damascus Qatari 0134 Dora Kuwait 284 Dhaka Kuwait 546 Alexandria Royal Jordanian 800 Amman Jazeera 0173 Dubai Emirates 857 Dubai Gulf Air 215 Bahrain Saudi Arabian A/L 510 Riyadh Etihad 0303 Abu Dhabi Jazeera 0239 Amman Arabia 0125 Sharjah Jazeera 0361 Deirezzor Wataniya Airways 2101 Beirut Jazeera 0497 Riyadh Sri Lankan 227 Colombo/Dubai United A/L 982 Washington DC Dulles Jazeera 0427 Bahrain

Time 00:05 00:10 00:15 00:35 00:50 01:05 01:15 01:25 02:15 02:15 02:30 02:35 03:00 03:25 03:30 04:35 05:25 05:35 06:10 06:25 06:35 06:40 07:40 07:40 07:45 07:55 08:10 08:20 08:30 08:35 08:55 09:00 09:35 09:50 10:45 10:45 11:00 11:05 11:20 11:20 11:50 11:55 12:35 12:50 12:55 13:05 13:25 13:35 14:05 14:10 14:20 14:25 14:35 14:40 14:45 15:00 15:10 15:30 15:40 16:05 16:55 17:05 17:15 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 18:00 18:05 18:15 18:15

Wataniya Airways D.H.L. Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Almasria Universal Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Kuwait Indian Kuwait Kuwait Jet A/W Wataniya Airways Oman Air Saudi Arabian A/L Jazeera Gulf Air Kuwait Middle East Qatari Emirates Kuwait Jazeera Jazeera Global Jazeera Jazeera Egypt Air Egypt Air Shaheen Air Lufthansa Wataniya Airways Wataniya Airways Wataniya Airways Pakistan

2003 473 1025 542 674 818 506 166 0177 614 774 575 102 562 572 1201 0647 506 0459 217 786 402 0136 859 502 0449 0429 081 0117 0185 612 606 441 638 2201 1029 1129 215

Cairo Baghdad Dubai Cairo Dubai Dora Alexandria Paris/Rome Dubai Bahrain Riyadh Chennai/Goa New York/London Amman Mum13ai Jeddah Muscat Jeddah Damascus Bahrain Jeddah Beirut Doha Dubai Beirut Doha Bahrain Baghdad Abu Dhabi Dubai Cairo Luxor Lahore Frankfurt Amman Dubai Bahrain Karachi

18:20 18:30 18:40 18:50 18:55 18:55 19:00 19:00 19:05 19:20 19:30 19:30 19:35 19:40 20:05 20:15 20:20 20:35 20:40 21:05 21:10 21:20 21:35 22:00 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:05 23:30 23:40 23:45 23:55 23:55

Departure Flights on Friday l2/02/2010 Airlines Flt Route Time Egypt Air 607 Cairo 00:01 India Express 390 Mangalore/Kozhikode 00:30 United A/L 981 Washington DC Dulles 00:40 Tunis Air 328 Tunis 01:00 Indian 982 Ahmadabad/Chennai 01:05 Pakistan 206 Lahore 01:10 Bangladesh 044 Dhaka 01:15 Lufthansa 637 Frankfurt 01:20 Safi A/W 216 Kabul 02:30 Kuwait 283 Dhaka 02:55 DHL 371 Bahrain 03:15 Jazeera 0528 Assiut 03:15 Turkish A/L 1173 Istanbul 03:15 Emirates 854 Dubai 03:10 Etihad 0306 Abu Dhabi 04:10 Ethiopian 622 Addis Ababa 04:15 Qatari 0139 Doha 05:00 Air France 6770 Dubai/Hong Kong 06:20 Jazeera 0164 Dubai 07:00 Wataniya Airways 1020 Dubai 07:00 Royal Jordanian 803 Amman 07:05 Jazeera 0524 Alexandria 07:20 Wataniya Airways 2000 Cairo 07:30 Jazeera 0112 Abu Dhabi 07:35 Jazeera 0446 Doha 07:40 Gulf Air 212 Bahrain 07:45 Wataniya Airways 1120 Bahrain 07:50 Kuwait 1541 Cairo 08:00 Wataniya Airways 2300 Damascus 08:10 Kuwait 545 Alexandria 08:30 Jazeera 0256 Beirut 08:35 British 0156 London 08:55 Kuwait 671 Dubai 09:00

Jazeera Kuwait Jazeera Arabia Emirates Kuwait Qatari Etihad Kuwait Wataniya Airways Gulf Air Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Wataniya Airways Jazeera Jazeera Kuwait Iran Air Middle East Yemenia Pakistan Egypt Air Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Jazeera Jazeera Wataniya Airways Jazeera Jazeera Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Royal Jordanian Qatari Gulf Air Etihad Emirates Arabia Jazeera Saudi Arabian A/L Jazeera Wataniya Airways Jazeera Jazeera Global Jazeera Wataniya Airways Sri Lankan Wataniya Airways Almasria Universal Kuwait Kuwait Wataniya Airways Jet A/W Oman Air Kuwait Gulf Air Saudi Arabian A/L DHL Kuwait Middle East Jazeera Kuwait Qatari Kuwait Emirates Jazeera Jazeera Egypt Air Jazeera Kuwait

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

0170 551 0456 0122 856 117 0133 0302 173 2002 214 743 0172 541 2100 0366 0238 103 618 405 825 240 611 1024 673 561 0496 0176 1200 0424 0458 617 785 501 773 613 801 0135 216 0304 858 0126 0262 511 0184 2200 0116 0448 082 0428 2102 228 1028 507 361 343 1128 571 0648 331 218 507 171 675 403 0188 203 0137 301 860 0636 0526 613 0502 411

Dubai Damascus Damascus Sharjah Dubai New York Doha Abu Dhabi Frankfurt/Geneva Cairo Bahrain Dammam Dubai Cairo Beirut Deirezzor Amman London Lar Beirut Doha/Sanaa Sialkot Cairo Dubai Dubai Amman Riyadh Dubai Jeddah Bahrain Damascus Doha Jeddah Beirut Riyadh Bahrain Amman Doha Bahrain Abu Dhabi Dubai Sharjah Beirut Riyadh Dubai Amman Abu Dhabi Doha Baghdad Bahrain Beirut Dubai/Colombo Duba1 Assiut Colombo Chennai Bahrain Mumbai Muscat Trivandrum Bahrain Jeddah Bahrain Dubai Beirut Dubai Lahore Doha Mumbai Dubai Aleppo Alexandria Cairo Luxor Bangkok/Manila

09:00 09:10 09:25 09:35 09:40 10:00 10:00 10:20 10:20 11:30 11:40 11:55 12:00 12:00 12:05 12:20 12:25 12:30 12:50 12:55 13:35 13:40 13:55 14:25 14:30 14:35 14:40 15:05 15:10 15:25 15:30 15:35 15:45 16:10 16:10 16:20 16:25 16:30 17:55 18:00 18:10 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:40 18:50 18:50 19:00 19:05 19:15 19:30 20:00 20:20 20:50 21:00 21:10 21:20 21:25 21:55 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:20 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 23:10 23:20 23:25 23:45 23:50 23:55

CLASSIFIEDS

Friday, February 12, 2010

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available in 2 bedroom/bathroom C-AC flat in between Tunis & Al Muthanna streets in Hawally with balcony and Contact: bathroom.

99380453. (C 20328) Sharing accommodation available for Keralite couples with Keralite family near Integrated Indian school, from 1st March onwards. C-AC, 2 bedroom 2 bathroom flat. Please contact: 66750390.

(C 20327) Big room available in Salmiya with two bedroom flat for Indian bachelor.

Contact: 99613251.

(C 20324) Furnished room available for two bachelors or single family with Keralite bachelor in Jeleeb Shouyokh opp German clinic.

Call: 66475154. (C 20325) 12-2-2010 Room for rent in flat in Khaitan near Pakistan International School for family or couples or working ladies with a Pakistani family. Call 99322585. (C 20321) Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya for executive bachelors or a couple in a new CAC building with 2 spacious bedrooms, hall, kitchen, 2 toilets, near Integrated School, Noor supermarket building. Interested call: 66752359. (C 20320) Furnished sharing accommodation available in a

central A/C flat for working ladies with a Keralite family staying in Salmiya, Amman Street, near Apollo hospital, flat having Internet facility.

Contact: 97919485.

(C 20319) One room sharing accommodation available for a bachelor in double bedroom window A/C flat with Indian Mangalorean Hindu family, near Salmiya garden and Caesars takeaway. Contact: 55964524.

(C 20318) Sharing accommodation available for a bachelor (south Indian) very near to Indian Community School (senior) Salmiya. Please contact: 66780615.

(C 20317) 11-2-2010 Accommodation available for decent non-smoking bachelor in 2 BR CAC flat near Integrated School, Abbassiya.

Contact: 66005134. (C 20315) Single room A/C (good) available in Beneid Al Gar for decent working ladies, very near to Al-Salam hospital.

Please contact: 97879611. (C 20306) Sharing accommodation available at Abbassiya for couple or working ladies with Keralite couple from March 1st, rent KD 75. Call: 66525579. (C 20308) Sharing accommodation available at Maidan Hawally next to Bhuamarah Clinic near petrol pump, 4th Ring Road end 2 bedroom central A/C flat with all facilities one bed room available on rent only for Indian working ladies or families.

Contact: 99325130. (C

Page 49

FOR SALE Toyota Camry XLi, model 97, in excellent condition, regd up to Jan 2011. Asking Price KD 1,100. Contact 67056666 for inspection.

Pajero io, model 2002, km 110,800, 5 doors, 4WD, full options with new 4 tyres, lady driven, super condition, KD 1,550. Contact: 55637587. (20314) Nissan Sunny, 4 cylinders, model 2009, silver color, done KM 14,000, excellent condition. Price cash KD 2,900. Contact: 55107856.

(C 20309) Honda Accord, 1998 model (new) 120,000 mileage, full options (sunroof, alloy wheels, cruise control, CD).

Price KD 1,250. Contact: 55522942. (C 20307) Alum kitchen cabinet 2+1, clean sofa set, Ikea dining table with 6 chairs, white color, cupboard, storage selves, boys cricket pads unused.

Contact: 65980247. (C 20310) 10-2-2010

LOST Policy No. 630001104 issued by State Life Gulf Zone life of Mr. Mohammad Akhtar has been lost.

Anyone who finds should contact State Life Kuwait within one month from this date.

Phone No: 22452208/9.

(C 20323) 11-2-2010

MATRIMONIAL Proposals are invited for a Pentecostal boy (TPM), B.Sc-PGDCA, 29, 180cm from every Christian denominations. Email: proposalsin09@yahoo.com (C 20322) 11-2-2010 Looking for a suitable alliance from the parents of a born again girl, who is interested to serve the “Lord� in the ministry.

Email: bcmchira@yahoo.co.in (C 20313) 10-2-2010 Seeking suitable marriage proposal from Roman Catholic girl, age 25, height 162cm, weight 62kg, fair, Dip. in computer application, Kannur. Working in Kuwait as data entry operator. Invites proposals from Roman Catholic Keralite boys only in age between 27 to 30 years. Preferably working in Kuwait. Salary should be as per family status. Email: arvi_jose@rediffmail.com (C 20300) 9-2-2010

SITUATION WANTED Indian female (MBA in HR), 10 years experience in HR/Administration, specializing in recruitments, PMS, MIS Reports & Admin functions. Well versed in computer applications. Please contact: 66634322. (C 20283) 10-2-2010 Indian maid seeking job on full-time or part-time basis preferably in Riggae.

Contact: 99515956.

8-2-2010 Indian male, B.Com, MBA (finance) having four years Kuwait experience in accounting and investment seeking part-time job after 4:00 pm, fluent in English Arabic and Hindi with typ-

ing skill, proficient in MSOffice & Tally. Contact: 55492163, email: tvnasir@yahoo.co.in (C 20291) A Srilankan looking for work as messenger or driver. 11 years in Kuwait, fluent in English, Hindi and Arabic, good relationship with 40 embassies prefer embassies intl. companies.

Contact: 55198931.

(C 20289) 7-2-2010 Indian female (MBA in HR), 10 years experience in HR/Administration, specializing in recruitments, PMS, MIS reports & Admin functions. Well versed in computer applications.

Contact: 66634322. (C 20283) 6-2-2010

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists: Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 5622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 5752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 5321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 5739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 5757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 5732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 5732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT): Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz

4555050 Ext 510 5644660 5646478 5311996 5731988 2620166 5651426

General Practitioners: Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi Dr. Yousef Al-Omar Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem Dr. Kathem Maarafi Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae

4555050 Ext 123 4719312 3926920 5730465 5655528 4577781 5333501

Urologists: Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 2641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 2639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 2616660

Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 5313120 Plastic Surgeons: Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari Dr. Abdel Quttainah

2547272 2617700 5625030/60

Family Doctor: Dr Divya Damodar

3729596/3729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

2635047 2613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians: Dr Adrian Harbe Dr. Verginia s.Marin Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly Dr. Salem soso

3729596/3729581 572-6666 ext 8321 2655539 5343406 5739272 2618787

General Surgeons: Dr. Abidallah Behbahani 5717111 Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 2610044 Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 5327148

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra Dr. Mobarak Aldoub Dr Nasser Behbehani

5728004 5355515 4726446 5654300/3

Paediatricians: Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed Dr. Zahra Qabazard Dr. Sohail Qamar Dr. Snaa Maaroof Dr. Pradip Gujare Dr. Zacharias Mathew

5340300 5710444 2621099 5713514 3713100 4334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada) 5655535 Dentists: Dr Anil Thomas Dr. Shamah Al-Matar Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

3729596/3729581 2641071/2 2562226 2561444 2619557 2525888 5653755 5620111

Internists, Chest & Heart: Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada

2639939 2666300

Neurologists: Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 5633324 Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 5345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman 2636464 Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 5322030 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 2633135 Endocrinologist: Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 5339330 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 5658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 5329924 Physiotherapists & VD: Dr. Deyaa Shehab Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

5722291 2666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 5330060 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 5722290 Internist, Chest & Heart: DR.Mohammes Akkad 4555050 Ext 210 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Tel: 5339667 Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Consultant Cardiologist Tel: 2611555-2622555

Page 50

Friday, February 12, 2010

TV Listings Orbit /Showtime Channels

00:00 Ashes to Ashes 01:00 Life on Mars 02:00 Knight Rider 03:00 Dawsons Creek 04:00 Life on Mars 05:00 One Tree Hill 06:00 No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency 07:00 Ashes to Ashes 08:00 Without A Trace 09:00 Ghost Whisperer 10:00 Knight Rider 11:00 Dawsons Creek 12:00 No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency 13:00 One Tree Hill 14:00 Knight Rider 15:00 Life on Mars 16:00 Without A Trace 17:00 Ghost Whisperer 18:00 Ashes to Ashes 19:00 Tess of the D’Urbervilles 20:00 Without a Trace 21:00 Survivor 22:00 Inside the Actors Studio

00:50 Animal Cops Phoenix 01:45 Fur Seals: The Dark Side 02:40 Untamed & Uncut 03:35 Austin Stevens Adventures 04:30 Animal Cops Miami 05:25 Animal Cops Phoenix 06:20 Lemur Street 06:45 Monkey Business 07:10 RSPCA: On the Frontline 07:35 Vet on the Loose 08:00 Wildlife SOS 08:25 Pet Rescue 08:50 Animal Precinct 09:45 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:10 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:40 RSPCA: On the Frontline 11:05 Animal Cops Phoenix 11:55 The Jeff Corwin Experience 12:50 Wildlife SOS 13:15 Pet Rescue 13:45 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 14:10 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 14:40 Fur Seals: The Dark Side 15:35 Lemur Street 16:00 Monkey Business 16:30 Pet Rescue 16:55 Vet on the Loose 17:25 Wildlife SOS 17:50 RSPCA: On the Frontline 18:20 Animal Cops Miami 19:15 Night 19:40 Night 20:10 Earthquake: Panda Rescue 21:10 Animal Cops Phoenix 22:05 Untamed & Uncut 23:00 Night 23:25 Night 23:55 Animal Cops Miami

00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 03:55 04:25 05:00 05:35 06:35 07:20 07:40 08:00 08:20 08:45 08:50 09:00 09:20 09:40 10:00 10:25 10:30 11:15 12:15 13:15 14:00

The Mighty Boosh The Mighty Boosh Little Britain Coast The Ship Massive Carrie & Barry The Mighty Boosh Coast Bargain Hunt Balamory Tweenies Fimbles Teletubbies Yoho Ahoy Tommy Zoom Balamory Tweenies Fimbles Teletubbies Yoho Ahoy Bargain Hunt Coast The Ship The Weakest Link Eastenders

14:30 15:00 15:45 16:15 16:45 17:15 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:45 22:15 23:45

Doctors Bargain Hunt Cash In The Attic Blackadder Goes Forth Blackadder Goes Forth The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Jam & Jerusalem Jam & Jerusalem Antiques Roadshow The Weakest Link Doctors Judge John Deed Hustle

Hairy Bikers’ 00:05 The Cookbook 00:30 Masterchef Goes Large 01:00 Masterchef Goes Large 01:20 Cash In The Attic Usa 01:45 Hidden Potential 02:10 Living In The Sun 03:00 Come Dine With Me 03:30 Come Dine With Me 04:00 Boys’ Weekend 04:30 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 05:15 Cash In The Attic Usa 05:45 Hidden Potential 06:10 Living In The Sun 07:00 The Week The Women Went 07:25 The Week The Women Went 08:10 Antiques Roadshow 09:00 Cash In The Attic Usa 09:25 Hidden Potential 09:45 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 10:30 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 11:30 Living In The Sun 12:20 Antiques Roadshow 13:00 The Week The Women Went 13:25 The Week The Women Went 14:00 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 14:45 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 15:40 Daily Cooks Challenge 16:05 Daily Cooks Challenge 16:30 Cash In The Attic Usa 16:50 Hidden Potential 17:10 Antiques Roadshow 18:00 The Week The Women Went 18:25 The Week The Women Went 18:50 Living In The Sun 19:40 Daily Cooks Challenge 20:10 Daily Cooks Challenge 20:40 Masterchef Goes Large 21:05 Come Dine With Me 21:30 Come Dine With Me 22:00 Living In The Sun 22:50 What Not To Wear 23:40 Boys’ Weekend

01:30 03:15 05:15 15 06:45 PG 15 09:00 11:00 14:00 17:00 PG 15 19:00 21:00 23:00

100:00 01:00 02:00 02:55 03:50 04:45 05:40 06:05 07:00

Wonderland - 18 Straw Dogs - R Ensemble C’est Tout - PG Terms Of Endearment Millions - PG 15 As Good As It Gets - PG 15 West Side Story - PG 15 Girl With A Pearl Earring Arlington Road - 18 People I Know - 18 Rosemary’s Baby - PG 15

Untamed & Uncut Miami Ink Street Customs American Chopper Chop Shop Mythbusters How Stuff Works Ultimate Survival Extreme Engineering

07:55 08:50 09:45 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:30 12:55 13:25 13:50 14:15 15:10 16:05 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

Chop Shop Street Customs How Do They Do It? Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Destroyed in Seconds Destroyed in Seconds How Do They Do It? How Stuff Works Fifth Gear American Chopper Miami Ink Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Destroyed in Seconds Destroyed in Seconds Street Customs How Do They Do It? How Stuff Works Wheeler Dealers Wheeler Dealers American Chopper Street Customs

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:10 04:05 World 05:00 05:55 06:20 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:30 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:40 15:30 16:20 17:10 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:30 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

Dr G: Medical Examiner Fbi Files A Haunting Dr G: Medical Examiner Crimes That Shook The Forensic Detectives Real Emergency Calls Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghosthunters Ghosthunters Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Csu Diagnosis: Unknown Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Diagnosis: Unknown Solved Mystery Er Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Csu Diagnosis: Unknown Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Diagnosis: Unknown Solved Mystery Er Undercover Fugitive Strike Force

00:40 Mega World 01:30 Human Body: Ultimate Machine 02:20 The Future of...

03:10 Mission Implausible 04:00 Beyond Tomorrow 04:50 NASA’s Greatest Missions 05:45 How Does That Work?

06:10 Mean Green Machines 06:40 One Step Beyond 07:10 Human Body: Ultimate Machine 08:00 Scrapheap Challenge 09:00 NASA’s Greatest Missions 10:00 The Future of...

10:55 How Does That Work?

11:20 Stunt Junkies 11:50 Human Body: Ultimate Machine 12:45 Mean Green Machines 13:10 One Step Beyond 13:40 NASA’s Greatest Missions 14:35 The Future of...

15:30 Super Comet: After the Impact 16:25 How Does That Work?

16:55 Scrapheap Challenge 17:50 Brainiac 18:45 China’s Man Made Marvels 19:40 Sci-Fi Science 20:05 Sci-Fi Science 20:30 Weird Connections 20:55 Weird Connections 21:20 How It’s Made 21:45 How It’s Made 22:10 Mythbusters 23:00 Sci-Fi Science 23:25 Sci-Fi Science

00:15 00:40 01:30 02:20

Streets Of Hollywood E!es 25 Most Stylish Sexiest

03:15 THS 05:05 Dr 90210 06:00 THS 07:45 Extreme Hollywood 08:35 E! News 09:00 The Daily 10 09:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 09:50 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 10:15 THS 11:05 E!es 12:00 E! News 12:25 The Daily 10 12:50 Perfect Catch 13:40 THS 15:25 Behind The Scenes 15:50 Behind The Scenes 16:15 Tempted 16:40 E!es 17:10 Leave It To Lamas 17:35 Leave It To Lamas 18:00 E! News 18:25 The Daily 10 18:50 Streets Of Hollywood 19:15 Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties 19:40 THS 20:30 THS 21:20 Kendra 21:45 Kendra 22:10 E! News 22:35 The Daily 10

FOOD NETWORK 00:00 Chopped 01:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 01:30 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 02:00 Food Network Challenge 03:00 Iron Chef America 04:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 04:30 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 05:00 Teleshopping 05:30 Teleshopping 06:00 Teleshopping 06:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Teleshopping 07:30 Teleshopping 08:00 Giada At Home 08:25 Giada At Home 08:50 Barefoot Contessa 09:15 30 Minute Meals 09:40 30 Minute Meals 10:05 Rescue Chef with Danny Boome 10:30 Rescue Chef with Danny Boome 11:00 Tyler’s Ultimate 11:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 12:00 Barefoot Contessa 12:30 Barefoot Contessa 13:00 Giada At Home 13:30 Giada At Home 14:00 30 Minute Meals 14:30 30 Minute Meals 15:00 Barefoot Contessa 15:30 Barefoot Contessa 16:00 Grill It! with Bobby Flay 16:30 Grill It! with Bobby Flay 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:30 Barefoot Contessa 18:00 Tyler’s Ultimate 18:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 19:00 Rescue Chef with Danny Boome 19:30 Rescue Chef with Danny Boome 20:00 Grill It! with Bobby Flay 20:30 Grill It! with Bobby Flay 21:00 Barefoot Contessa

02:00 Golf Central International 02:30 The Golf Channel 05:00 Inside the PGA Tour 05:30 Figure Skating 2009: Skate for the Heart 06:30 Pac-10 Men’s Basketball Oregon at Arizona 08:30 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships Free Dance from Spokane, WA 11:00 Figure Skating 2009: Skate for the Heart 12:00 European Tour Avantha Masters Rd. 2 15:00 PGA Tour: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Rd 1 Pebble Beach, CA 18:00 Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Leipzig, Germany 19:00 Dream Team 20:00 Pac-10 Men’s Basketball Oregon at Arizona 22:00 NFL Game Day 22:30 World Sport 2010 23:00 PGA Tour: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Rd 2 Pebble Beach, CA

Happy Feet on Show Movies

00:00 Even Stevens - U 00:30 New Adventures Of Ocean Girl - U 01:00 Fat Dog Mendoza - U 01:30 Tales From The Cryptkeeper - U 02:00 New Adventures Of Madeline Marathon - U 07:00 Corduroy - U 07:25 Titch - U 07:40 The Tidings - U 07:55 Rupert - U 08:20 Boo And Me - U 08:25 New Adventures Of Madeline - U 08:50 New Adventures Of Madeline - U 09:15 Max And Ruby - U 09:40 Max And Ruby - U 10:05 Babar - U 10:30 Babar - U 11:00 Cyberchase - U 11:30 Cyberchase - U 11:55 The Fairly Oddparents - U 12:30 The Fairly Oddparents - U 12:45 Pelswick - U 13:15 Pelswick - U 13:40 Fat Dog Mendoza - U 14:05 Fat Dog Mendoza - U 14:30 Birdz - U 14:55 Birdz - U 15:20 Beverly Hills Teen Club - U 15:45 New Adventures Of Ocean Girl - U 16:10 Sabrina The Animated Series - U 16:35 Pelswick - U 17:00 Pelswick - U 17:25 Pelswick - U 17:50 Pelswick - U 18:15 Pelswick - U 18:40 Boo And Me - U 18:45 New Adventures Of Ocean Girl - U 19:10 Ace Lightning - U 19:35 Rescue Heroes - U 20:00 Seventeen Again - U 21:30 Ace Lightning - U 22:00 Rescue Heroes - U 22:30 Inspector Gadget - U 23:00 Seventeen Again - U

01:40 Year Of The Dragon 03:50 There Goes My Baby 05:25 Sweet Lies 07:00 Love, Cheat & Steal 08:35 The Glory Stompers 09:55 F.I.S.T 12:15 Beach Blanket Bingo 13:50 Home Is Where The Hart Is 15:15 Of Mice And Men 17:05 Summer Lovers 18:40 Juggernaut 20:25 A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum 22:00 Sometimes They Come Back

23:35 The Wizard of Loneliness NAT GEO WILD HD 00:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 01:00 21st Century Shark 02:00 Hunter Hunted 03:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 04:00 Rhino Rescue 05:00 Dangerous Encounters 06:00 Animal Omens 07:00 Hunter Hunted 08:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 09:00 21st Century Shark 10:00 Hunter Hunted 11:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 12:00 Relentless Enemies 14:00 Insect Wars 15:00 Dangerous Encounters 16:00 Eye Of The Leopard 18:00 Insect Wars 19:00 Dangerous Encounters 20:00 Eye Of The Leopard 22:00 Ancient Creatures 23:00 Ancient Creatures

00:00 Rita Rocks 00:30 New adventures of old Christine 01:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 01:30 The Colbert Report 02:00 The Tonight Show With Conan OBrien 03:00 Family Guy 03:30 Entourage 04:00 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon 05:00 Rita Rocks 05:30 The Tonight Show With Conan OBrien 06:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 07:00 Home Improvement 07:30 The Simpsons 08:00 Coach 08:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 09:00 The Colbert Report 09:30 Drew Carey Show 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Frasier 11:00 All of us 11:30 Eight Simple Rules 12:00 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon 13:00 New adventures of old Christine 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 14:00 Home Improvement 14:30 Note from the underbelly 15:00 Coach 15:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 George Lopez 17:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 17:30 Frasier 18:00 After You’ve Gone 18:30 Seinfeld 19:00 How I met you mother 19:30 Two and a half men 20:00 The Tonight Show With Conan OBrien

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Friday, February 12, 2010 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart The Colbert Report Cougar Town Entourage Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

What’s Good For You 10 Years Younger Look A Like The Ellen Degeneres Show The Monique Show Huey’s Cooking Adventure Fresh The Best of Jay Leno GMA LIVE GMA Health What’s the Buzz What’s Good For You Jimmy Kimmel The View The Ellen Degeneres Show Chef’s Table Fresh What’s Good For You GMA LIVE GMA Health What’s the Buzz Look A Like 10 Years Younger The View The Ellen Degeneres Show Jimmy Kimmel Jay Leno The Monique Show

08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 09:55 10:10 10:30 10:50 11:15 11:40 12:05 12:15 12:55 13:05 13:30 13:50 14:10 14:30 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:35 18:00 18:25 18:50 19:00 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:15 20:40 20:50 21:00

Special Agent Oso Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Imagination Movers Chuggington Chuggington Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Special Agent Oso Imagination Movers My Friends Tigger and Pooh Chuggington Special Agent Oso Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Little Einsteins My Friends Tigger and Pooh Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jo Jo’s Circus Jo Jo’s Circus Higglytown Heroes Higglytown Heroes My Friends Tigger and Pooh Chuggington Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Special Agent Oso Chuggington Chuggington Imagination Movers Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Handy Manny My Friends Tigger and Pooh End Of Programming

00:30 02:00 04:00 05:45 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 FAM 16:00 17:45 20:00 22:00

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:15 09:00 11:30 13:30 15:00 17:30 19:30 21:00 23:00

Sex And Breakfast - 18 El Cantante - PG 15 Quid Pro Quo - PG 15 Stardust - PG Happy Feet - PG College Road Trip - PG Definitely Maybe - PG 15 Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea Happy Feet - PG The Prestige - PG 15 Baby Mama - PG Blood Diamond - PG 15

The Cycle - PG 15 30 Days Of Night - PG 15 Godzilla - PG 15 The Shepherd - PG 15 Black Hawk Down - 18 The X Files - PG 15 The Great White Hype - PG 15 Black Hawk Down - 18 Bloodrayne 2 : Deliverance - 18 Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer - PG Ninja Cheerleaders - PG 15 Screamers: The Hunting - 18

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

PCU - PG 15 Finding Amanda - R Home For The Holidays - PG Zoolander - PG 15 Balls Of Fury - PG 15 Kingpin - PG 15 The Salon - PG 15 Black Knight - PG 15 Pcu - PG 15 Spring Breakdown - 18 Another Cinderella Story - PG The Moguls - 18

00:00 Zorro And Scarlet Whip Revealed FAM 02:00 Superman: Doomsday - FAM 04:00 College Road Trip - PG 06:00 Gnomes And Trolls: The Secret Chamber - FAM 08:00 Dinotopia Quest For The Ruby Sunstone - FAM 10:00 College Road Trip - PG 12:00 The Jungle Book III: Mowgli’s Adventure - FAM 14:00 Superman: Doomsday - FAM 16:00 Olsen Twins: Passport To Paris FAM 18:00 The Ant Bully - FAM 20:00 Little Hercules In 3-D - PG 15 22:00 The Jungle Book III: Mowgli’s Adventure - FAM

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:30

Bones Dollhouse Parkinson Sex and the City Sex and the City The Murdoch Mysteries Ally Mcbeal Emmerdale According to Jim Parkinson That Mitchell and Webb Look The Murdoch Mysteries Ally Mcbeal Hotel Babylon Emmerdale According to Jim Turn Back Your Body Clock Turn Back Your Body Clock Bones Dollhouse That Mitchell and Webb Look That Mitchell and Webb Look According to Jim According to Jim Hotel Babylon Burn Notice Burn Notice Breaking Bad Sex and the City Sex and the City

00:00 Premier League 02:00 Premier League 04:00 Premier League 06:00 Barclays Premier League Highlights 07:00 Dubai International Racing Carnival 11:00 Premier League Classics 11:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 12:00 Live Pga European Tour 16:00 Premier League World 16:30 Barclays Premier League Highlights 17:30 Futbrasil 18:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 18:30 Premier League 20:30 Goals Goals Goals 21:00 Premier League World 21:30 Barclays Premier League Highlights 22:30 Futbol Mundial 23:00 Premier League

02:00 Dubai International Racing Carnival 06:00 Futbol Mundial 06:30 Live One Day International Cricket 14:30 Premier League Darts 18:30 European Tour Weekly 19:00 Futbol Mundial 19:30 Gillette World Sport 20:00 Live Super 14

Forgetting Sarah Marshall on Super Movies 22:00 Premier League World 22:30 World Sport 23:00 Live Super League

00:00 Futbol Mundial 00:30 Portugol 01:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 01:30 Weber Cup Bowling 02:30 Premier League Darts 06:30 World Sport 07:00 Portugol 07:30 Goals Goals Goals 08:00 Premier League World 08:30 European Tour Weekly 09:00 World Sport 09:30 Live Super 14 11:30 Futbol Mundial 12:00 Weber Cup Bowling 13:00 Barclays Premier League Highlights 14:00 Live Super 14 16:00 ODI Cricket

= 01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 13:30 14:00 16:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 22:00

UFC Fight Night Bushido UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC The Ultimate Fighter NCAA Basketball City Centre Races UFC All Access NFL Gameday NFL Super Bowl XLIV NFL Gameday NCAA Basketball WWE Vintage Collection NCAA Basketball WWE ECW WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 PG 15 19:00 21:00

Doubt - PG 15 The Nines - PG 15 Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 18 Impact 2 - PG 15 Kung Fu Panda - PG Tribute - PG 15 10,000 B.C. - PG Kung Fu Panda - PG Things That Hang From Trees Eagle Eye - PG 15 Australia - PG

01:00 02:25 04:30 05:00 06:55 07:25 08:00 09:55 12:15 14:40 16:30 19:00 20:40 22:30 23:00

The Mouse On The Moon The Night of the Iguana The Screening Room Liebestraum The Screening Room The Screening Room Now, Voyager Khartoum Ice Station Zebra Meet Me In St. Louis The Comedians Skyjacked Bachelor in Paradise The Screening Room Zebrahead

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:10 04:00 04:55 05:50

Mega Movers First 48 The Cold Case Files Decoding the Past Deep Wreck Mysteries Cities Of The Underworld Modern Marvels

06:40 07:30 09:10 10:00 10:55 11:50 12:40 13:30 15:10 16:00 16:55 17:50 18:40 19:30 21:10 22:00 22:55 23:50

Mega Movers How Life Began Decoding the Past Deep Wreck Mysteries Cities Of The Underworld Modern Marvels Mega Movers How Life Began Decoding the Past Deep Wreck Mysteries Cities Of The Underworld Modern Marvels Mega Movers How Life Began Decoding the Past Conspiracy?

UFO Files The Universe

00:00 01:00 02:00 02:30 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00

Clean House Peter Perfect Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Running In Heels How Do I Look?

Split Ends Dr 90210 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Area How Do I Look?

Style Star Style Her Famous My Celebrity Home Style Star Dress My Nest Peter Perfect Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Ruby: The First 100 Pounds Clean House Clean House Comes Clean

15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:00

Dress My Nest How Do I Look?

Split Ends Dallas Divas And Daughters Dallas Divas And Daughters Running In Heels Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Split Ends Clean House Dress My Nest Style Her Famous Ruby

01:00 01:04 01:35 02:00 02:45 05:00 05:04 08:00 08:04 08:35 13:00 13:04 13:50 16:00 16:04 16:35 18:00 18:45 19:00 20:00 20:04 20:35 23:00 23:45

Code Hip Hop Us Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Code Playlist Code French Only Playlist Code Urban Hit Playlist Code Africa Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Trace Video Mix Code New Playlist Club 10 Playlist

00:00 Globe Trekker - U 01:00 Angry Planet - U 01:30 The Thirsty Traveler - U 02:00 Essential - U 02:30 Croissants In The Jungle - U 03:00 Raider Of The Lost Snow - U 03:30 Skier’s World - U 04:00 Julian And Camilla’s World Odyssey - U 05:00 Globe Trekker - U 06:00 Swiss Railway Journeys - U 07:00 The Thirsty Traveler - U 07:30 Angry Planet - U 08:00 Globe Trekker - U 09:00 Travel Today - U 09:30 Rudy Maxa’s World - U 10:00 Distant Shores - U 10:30 Distant Shores - U 11:00 Chef Abroad - U 11:30 Entrada - U 12:00 Planet Food - U 13:00 Globe Trekker - U 14:00 Chef Abroad - U 14:30 The Thirsty Traveler - U 15:00 Taste Takes Off - U 15:30 Entrada - U 16:00 Croissants In The Jungle - U 16:30 Essential - U 17:00 Globe Trekker - U 18:00 Skier’s World - U 18:30 Floyd Uncorked - U 19:00 Chef Abroad - U 19:30 The Thirsty Traveler - U 20:00 Globe Trekker - U 21:00 Globe Trekker - U 22:00 X-quest - U 23:00 Angry Planet - U 23:30 Travel Today - U

02:00 02:30 03:00 04:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Vh1 Rocks - U So 80’s - U Greatest Hits - U Vh1 Music - U Chill Out - U Vh1 Hits - U Vh1 Music - U Aerobic - U Top 10 All That We Love In 90’s Music For The Masses - U Vh1 Pop Chart - U Vh1 Music - U Music For The Masses - U Vh1 Music - U Vh1 Viewer’s Jukebox Rock - U Vh1 Viewer’s Jukebox Rock - U Top 10 All That We Love In 90’s -

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Jolie buys Pitt an olive tree for Valentine’s Day A

ngelina Jolie has bought Brad Pitt an olive tree for Valentine’s Day. The actress - who raises six children with Brad - will surprise him on the romantic day with the 200-year-old plant, which cost £12,000, for their French home, the Chateau Miraval. A source said: “Angelina bought it from a nursery called The English Garden Centre in Valbonne, near their house. It’s a very special tree and cost her a fortune.”

Olive trees symbolize peace, longevity and stability and it is believed

Angelina has bought the plant for Brad to further quash recent split rumors. The couple put on a very solid show of unity at the Super Bowl in Florida on Sunday taking their eight-year-old son Maddox to watch the annual American football championship game. The Valentine’s Day gift from Angelina, 34, may be an expensive purchase, but the pair who are both known for their lavish spending - recently donated $1 million to help earthquake victims on the Caribbean island of Haiti.

Jennifer Lopez couldn’t be a single mother

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he 40-year-old singer-andactress, who has twins Max and Emme with husband Marc Anthony, doesn’t believe she would be able to look after her children alone because the stresses of motherhood are so demanding. She said: “I know a couple of people, both people I work with and friends, who have done it. “I just don’t know if I could do this, honestly. Now I know how much I rely on my partner.”

However the star - who plays a

woman who is artificially inseminated just as she meets ‘Mr Right’ in new romantic comedy ‘The Back-Up Plan’ - has a lot of admiration for mothers who do go it alone. Jennifer added to the USA Today newspaper: “I think it takes such an amazing person to do that. You get to a point in your life and you think about it, and I think it’s a beautiful thing to be able to find the strength to do that on your own.

“That child will enrich your life. It’s a beautiful thing to think that option is

Klum to post underwear to Seal for Valentine Day

H

eidi Klum is posting underwear to Seal for Valentine’s Day. The supermodel - who raises four children with her husband, Leni, five, Henry, four, Johan, three and Lou, four months - will not be spending the romantic occasion with her spouse as she is away filming TV show ‘Project Runway’ but is planning a special package to show she is thinking of him. She said: “I’m making a very fun box of heart things. Kind of like an explosion of things; confetti hearts with cute underwear and chocolates.

It’s a fun surprise box for him.”

Heidi - who modeled for Victoria’s Secret just five weeks after giving birth to Lou last October - also said she doesn’t understand the preoccupation

with women losing weight after pregnancy because it isn’t very difficult. She told Us magazine: “Everything gets made into so much drama about how a woman has her weight like before. If you’re living your life, not sitting on the couch... a woman will go back to how she looked before she was pregnant.”

Although she shed her pregnancy weight quickly, Heidi insists the benefit for her body is not the reason why she has continued to breastfeed Lou. She added: “I never looked at breastfeeding in terms of, ‘This is something that helps me.’

Breastfeeding helps my child.

The after-effect, yes, you lose your weight in a normal manner.

I think people blow it out of proportion.”

there.” Despite taking a break from her career after the birth of her children in 2008, Jennifer knew she was ready to return when she saw ‘The Back-Up Plan’ script. She said: “I’d had the babies, so I was waiting for the right thing and I knew I wanted to do a romantic comedy. “I felt like when I read the script, it was at the right place for me. It was the kind of romantic comedy that didn’t feel typical, and the script was so funny.”

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Ashlee gets ready to Valentine’s Day

A

shlee Simpson-Wentz is looking forward to Valentine’s Day. The 25-year-old singer, who is married to musician Pete Wentz, is looking forward to treating her husband on the romantic day as well as getting a surprise from him. She said: “Every Valentine’s Day is sweet. Pete’s very creative, so he’s always coming up with something clever and surprising me.

Hopefully, I’ll surprise him this year.” As well as looking forward to Valentine’s Day, Ashlee also looks forward to seeing what 15month-old son Bronx will do next. She told America’s OK! magazine: “I love being a mother. We’re together all the time. Bronx is

definitely finding himself, and he’s getting his own personality, so hide-and-seek, and new little things. He does sign language, so that’s been fun.” Meanwhile, Pete has revealed his seemingly defunct band Fall Out Boy could reunite. The 30-year-old musician said: “We just haven’t had the time to say anything. All I have been able to do is say, ‘Man, I miss doing Fall Out Boy,’ and I got to a better place hanging out with my son.

“Now I’m OK if Fall Out Boy comes back or doesn’t come back. Like, if it’s fun for everyone to do again, we’re going to do it... I just want it to be authentic when we come back.”

Madonna dating Rodriguez

T

Jessica Biel has a ‘girl crush’ on Julia Roberts

he actress - who is dating Justin Timberlake admits she and the ‘Pretty Woman’ star bonded instantly on the set of their new movie ‘Valentine’s Day’ and can’t bear to be out of contact with one another. She said: “I hear she has a girl crush on me and I definitely have one on her. I think she is amazing. Although I did panic for a while because I sent her a text and she didn’t reply for a while. But we’re fine now.”

The 27-year-old star - whose romance with Justin has been the subject of much speculation that it is on the rocks - also claimed to have no plans to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the singer because she is too busy with work.

However, she added: “I love Valentine’s Day! It’s great to take a day out and celebrate loving and caring for people... It’s great!” As well as her feelings for Julia, Jessica has previously admitted to having a crush on another of her female ‘Valentine’s Day’ co-stars. Speaking about Jennifer Garner, she said recently: “My girl crush is Jen at the moment but here’s the thing with girl crushes - it’s more of a respect thing. It’s like, you’re beautiful, you’re cool, you look and seem like somebody I would want to hang out with and your career is awesome.”

Baldwin rus hed to hosp ital

A

lec Baldwin to hospital had to be rushed after beco ming “unre Rock’ star sponsive”. The ‘30 was taken to New Yo Lenox Hil rk lH believed to ospital after a calle ’s r, be his 14-y daughter Ir ear-old e When poli land, phoned 911. ce the 51-year and medics arrived at -o apartment, ld actor’s Manhatta n Baldwin ag taken to th reed to be e reportedly medical centre. He re an hour be mained there for ab fore being out re Baldwin who is set leased. to co-host month’s O ne sc recently h ars with Steve Mar xt tin inted he st ill has stri feelings fo ng rh Basinger, th is ex-wife Kim e mother o said: “Men f are literall Ireland. He y lying in with their be w is essential ives when the marri d age ly over thin got to get k the hell ou ing, ‘I’ve t have a fan tasy woman of here,’ and in mind.

“Then you g woman, m et divorced, meet a arry her an d, by the ti all that goe m s years and by, you’ve aged a fe e are ready w to go back your ex-w to ife who is san . “You want a wom an e and norm who is mo al re like you . A woman .Y older.” — Bang Show ou’ve gotten biz

M

adonna is allegedly dating exboyfriend Alex Rodriguez. The ‘Celebration’ singer - who is believed to have reunited with Brazilian model Jesus Luz this week following a recent split - is apparently still seeing her former baseball star lover, who is nicknamed ‘A-Rod’, and visited him in Miami last week. A source said: “Madonna spent two nights with him in his beach house in Miami last week and Jesus had no idea. “She just didn’t tell him, and her staff were told not to tell him.

She claims she has an intellectual connection with ‘A-Rod’.” But Madonna - who was rumored to be dating Alex after she split from now ex-husband Guy Ritchie at the end of 2008 - isn’t prepared to let Jesus go because he is “in awe” of her. The source added to The Sun newspaper: “Jesus is really, really into Madonna but he’s more like a little personal project to her.

They are together when she wants them to be together. She decides what he wears, she has sorted English lessons for him and she even paid for

his apartment. He’s like a little sheep in awe of his mistress and she loves that.” The 51-year-old pop superstar is also said to have developed a deep connection with Carlos Leon, the father of her 13-year-old daughter Lourdes. The source explained: “When Madonna split from Guy Ritchie, Carlos was there for her.

“They spent a lot of time together and old emotions came back. But Carlos has a lovely girlfriend who Lourdes doesn’t like, which has made life difficult.

There will always be a big connection between Madonna and Carlos.”

However, all this male attention doesn’t seem to be making the ‘Like a Virgin’ star happy. The source added: “Despite all the guys in her life, she’s extremely lonely since her divorce.

She has everything but she never seems happy.” Madonna has four children - Lourdes, her nine-year-old son Rocco with Guy Ritchie and two adopted kids, David, four, and fiveyear-old Mercy.

Alba thinks men should always pay on dates

T

he ‘Valentine’s Day’ actress - who has a 19month-old daughter Honor Marie with husband Cash Warren - takes an old fashioned approach to romance and would never expect to hand over any cash if she went out with a guy. She said: “Absolutely pick up the cheque. Hopefully your date offers, but that’s just a gesture. You should pick it up.” The 28-year-old star also advised caution when trying to order on behalf of someone else, especially because women will often sacrifice the foods they enjoy in order to look good. She explained: “You should talk about it. If she seems like the kind of girl that would appreciate you doing that you can try it but you have to rate her. And you should also order two desserts. You should order the one that she’s going to order and the one that she really wants. “I probably would want chocolate cake. But a lot of girls, especially in the beginning, will try to order something healthy even though they want something more decadent.” When it comes to making sexual advances, Jessica always prefers the subtle approach. She told MTV News: “Eye contact is good - especially if you want it to go to the next level. “Reaching over is weird. You can play footsy.”

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Lifestyle

KUWAIT: Fans were entertained with a fabulous night, as the star studded “Zain Al-Layali” (the best of nights) concert witnessed UAE’s Hussain Al-Jasmi, Lebanon’s Wael Kfouri and Yara. This is the fourth concert in the Hala February concerts.

The first three were held by Bashar Al-Shatty, Miami, Mohammad Hamaqi, Maryam, Fares, Abdallah AlRuwaished, Shireen Abdlewahab, Fadhel Shaker, Nabeel Shuail, Abu Baker Salem, Asala Nasri and Abdelrahman Al-Huraibi.

Hussain Al-Jasmi

Yara

Wael K fouri

Freud black eye self-portrait fetches 2.8 million pounds A self-portrait of Lucian Freud nursing a black eye after a fight with a taxi driver sold for more than 2.8 million pounds (3.2 million euros, 4.4 million dollars) at a London auction. Self-Portrait With A Black Eye, an oil on canvas from around 1978, was described by Sotheby’s as “the artist’s most important self-depiction ever to appear at auction”. Aged almost 60 when he did the work, Freud is shown with a swollen left eye after being struck in the face by a taxi driver during a row.

Rather than seeking medical treatment following the brawl, the artist is said to have retreated to his studio and used his crumpled features as inspiration for the painting. The portrait, which had not been

A painting entitled ‘SelfPortrait with a Black Eye’ by artist Lucian Freud. — AFP

Lady Gaga attends the amfAR New York Gala co-sponsored by M.A.C. Cosmetics to Kick Off Fall 2010 Fashion Week at Cipriani 42nd Street on February 10, 2010 in New York. — AFP

displayed before in public, was the star lot in a group of works by Freud that have been in a private European collection.

The artist, now 87, previously discussed his habit of getting into scrapes, saying: “I used to have a lot of fights. “It wasn’t because I liked fighting, it was really just that people said things to me to which I felt the only reply was to hit them.” The painting sold for 2,841,250 pounds Wednesday, which was however less than the expected price of three to four million pounds. The grandson of psychoanalysis pioneer Sigmund Freud, Lucian Freud was born in Germany and moved to Britain with his family when he was young. — AFP

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Friday, February 12, 2010

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Lifestyle

asked merrymakers are cavorting in Venice to mark the start of Carnival, for the canal-laced city’s preLenten festivities are Italy’s most popular. Venetian souvenir shops are crammed year-round with colorful, delicate masks, but “Carnevale” is the time to put them on.

Other Italian cities celebrate, too, with Rome embracing the centuries-old tradition with gusto recently.

In towns big and small, kids in costumes sometimes costing hundreds of dollars walk around their neighborhoods, scattering colored paper confetti and nibbling on sugar-dusted pastries. People indulge in sweets because some Catholics swear off sugar in a sign of penance when Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. — AP

M

This combo of photos shows carnival fools posing for a photo during the so-called women’s carnival (Weiberfastnacht) in the western German city of Mainz yesterday.

Thousands of women snipped off the ties of men in Germany’s Rhine region to mark the traditional start of a week of beer-soaked carnival festivities.

Carnival is a tradition stemming from Catholic regions in the west and south of Germany, but it has increasingly been adopted by cities in the north and east. — AFP

A worker photographs a carnival float from Grande Rio samba school in Rio de Janeiro. — AP

Love but little money for Mexico’s female fighters randmothers, tiny children and rowdy couples are among the Friday night crowd screaming obscenities at the ring in the Mexico City arena, where two women leap forward and pull each other’s hair. Women from as far away as Japan these days fight alongside men in bouts of Lucha Libre-Spanish for “free fighting” or professional wrestling-at venues such as the capital’s Arena Mexico, and in rings across Mexico.

Behind the playful antics, tight costumes and colorful masks, battles for many females continue outside the ring. Marcela Maria Helena Santa Maria, whose stage name is simply Marcela, started attending fights as a spectator aged 10. “Mother took me to a lot of fights, she was a big fan, and that’s how I started to like Lucha Libre,” said the stocky mother of two, wearing pink and blue spandex in a backstage interview. Lucha Libre has increased its draw in recent years, with its pop culture status enhanced by comic books, video games, TV programs and even a movie, starring Jack Black, called Nacho Libre.

But far from the million-dollar US wrestling industry, its core support remains among working class families, with tickets at around 100 pesos (7.6 dollars) and matches shown on TV. Mexico’s Worldwide Free Wrestling Council, formerly the Mexican Free Wrestling Enterprise, began in 1933, but women only started to appear significantly in the past few decades. There were no women fighting in Mexico City until 1986, and there are currently 15 women at the oldest wrestling company, known as a promotion, including four foreigners, compared with around 120 men.

Marcela’s opponent, Hiroka, moved to Mexico from Japan five years ago. “There’s also wrestling in Japan, but it’s very different,” the long-haired wrestler said as she nursed a cut to her cheek, grinning after winning that night’s fight. Training with and fighting alongside men

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was part of the attraction, since women only had separate promotions in Japan, Hiroka said. “I also like the atmosphere here, because people are very cold in Japan. They remain quiet. Here they are lively and sometimes drunk,” said the 28-year-old.

Although the main Mexican male headliners draw enormous followings and have entered mainstream advertising, salaries remain low for many, particularly women in a country famed for its machismo. The economic crisis, swine flu and aggressive competition from televised US wrestling have also impacted on ticket sales in recent months. Most are coy about revealing earnings, but Luciano Garcia, a lawyer who set up the first Mexican women’s-only league 10 years ago in Monterrey, north Mexico, told AFP that his fighters earn from 100 to 5,000 pesos (380 dollars) per fight.

Fighting in the bigger promotion, Marcela said she thanks God that she has managed, for now, to support her children with her earnings.

But Hija de Karonte, a 19-year-old wrestler from Monterrey, said she worked part-time to support her passion. “The salaries are really very, very low,” she told AFP in a message on Facebook, where she sports a black and white mask in her profile picture.

Many wrestlers refuse to remove their masks even outside the ring, and female wrestlers sometimes wear them to hide from disapproving family members or boyfriends.

But they remain buoyed by loyal supporters.

“They’re strong women and for some reason or another, they have to do this work, because in the end it’s a job,” said 26-year-old spectator Patricia Gutierrez, accompanied by her three-year-old daughter. Although women never receive the most prestigious billing, Marcela said she was sometimes recognized in the street. “It’s important that the public responds to you, and that they like your work,” she said. — AFP

Court gives OK for 7-year-old to parade in Rio’s Carnival Rio de Janeiro court has given permission for a seven-year-old girl to lead a parade in the city’s upcoming famed Carnival, despite protests from child rights groups, media reported Wednesday.

Julia Lira will thus be allowed to be the “dancing queen” for the Viradouro samba school when it struts its stuff Sunday night.

Lira’s father, who heads the school, had rejected criticism that the dancing queen role-traditionally taken on by near-naked adult women-was too erotic for his daughter. Viradouro has promised she would not be as provocatively undressed as the other schools’ dancing queens.

According to television reports, the judge handling child welfare matters in Rio found no objection to Julia Lira becoming the youngest dancing queen ever to appear in the parades. A rival school successfully entered a 12year-old girl as its leader six years ago. “Julia is a charismatic girl with a marvelous presence in front of the drummers,” Viradouro’s artistic director Edson Pereira told reporters.

There was no question of “transforming her into a woman,” and she would be dressed in an appropriate costume that “highlights the innocence of this little girl,” he said.—AFP

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Julia Lira, the Viradouro’s samba group drum corps queen, poses for photographers before a press conference. — AP

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Lifestyle

Irish priests keep candle for Saint Valentine A

s romantics around the world prepare to declare their undying passion on Valentine’s Day, a Dublin church is staking its own claim-as the home of the original saint of lovers. Saint Valentine was a priest in ancient Rome, executed in the third century for performing Christian marriages, and buried there. But in 1835 an Irish Carmelite priest, John Spratt, so impressed and charmed Pope Gregory XVI that he was allowed to take Saint Valentine’s remains back home as a gift for his home parish.

Now the Whitefriars Street Church in Dublin is preparing to celebrate the annual February 14 feast of love-but wants people to remember it more than once a year. “It was not uncommon at the beginning of the 19th century for local churches

Irish Saint Valentine’s statue.—AFP

around the world to be given relics taken from the catacombs in Rome,” said Carmelite priest Chris Crowley.

“So Valentine is with us and we’re very happy to have him,” he told AFP. In fact Saint Valentine’s whereabouts were forgotten for over a century, before a shrine and statue in honor of him were finally built here in the 1950s. A book in the church is filled with countless wishes addressed to the patron saint of lovers, while a steady stream of locals and visitors alike pray here for help in their amorous quests. “God has someone in mind for me, and I obviously haven’t met him yet. So I just hope that Saint Valentine will assist me, that I will find him,” said one female visitor.

Another added: “We just prayed to find the right one, and I believe I will

be led to him when the time is right.”

Valentine’s Day this weekend is a worldwide phenomenon-and big business, as lovers plan everything from flowers, chocolates and tete-atete dinners to romantic holidays and full-blown declarations of ardor and marriage proposals. Offers making headlines this week include one in the United Arab Emirates, where a hotel is touting a seven-day love-fest stay for a cool million dollars.

But the priests in Dublin are keen to ensure that the saint of love is not besmirched by tatty commercialization, keeping sales of memorabilia to a discreet minimum.

“We do want to keep it on a level that it’s not just ‘Valentine’s Day’. That would diminish the significance of the saint,” said David Weakliam, another Carmelite priest. — AFP

Breaking up is hard to Next ‘Spider-Man’ do, so pay someone else movie to be in 3-D

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ant to break up with your lover but haven’t got the guts? Enter Bernd Dressler, head of the “Separation Agency” in Germany, who will calmly and efficiently do the dirty work for you. For a fee. “I knock on the door. I introduce myself and I say that my client no longer wishes to continue the affair,” Dressler explained to AFP in an interview in his soulless and functional office in Berlin. “It’s very simple. It takes two minutes and it happens on the doorstep.” Even as Valentine’s Day approaches, Dressler, a suave man in his 50s, is not the sort to get emotional. No tears. No hysterics.

Just business.

“I’m just the messenger. It’s not me breaking up the relationship. The person breaking it off is the person that hired me to do it.” The entrepreneur, originally in the insurance trade, has offered his unromantic services over the Internet for more than three years, taking his inspiration from a similar scheme in the United States.

“Dating agencies have been around for decades. I’m doing the same for break-ups,” he said with a smile. But giving your partner the boot is a serious business. Dressler works only with clients who pay him in advance and sign a four-page contract detailing “three or four reasons” to finish the relationship.

“I can also show this to the

person concerned to show them this is not a gag,” he said. Dressler offers four levels of break-up service. With “let’s be friends,”-costing 41 dollars, the bad news is communicated dryly over the phone. “Leave me alone,” for the same price, leaves the ditched lover in no doubt that Dressler’s client does not want to hear from him or her again. For another 10 euros, the unhappy Romeo-or Juliet-can opt for the “Break-up by letter” which, as the name implies, involves Dressler drafting a “Dear John”-or “Dear Jane” on the client’s behalf.

‘We live in a throw-away society’ Finally comes the deluxe service, the “personal break-up” (64.95 euros), which sees Dressler himself turning up unannounced on the doorstep. Clients can even choose how they want the shattering news delivered: firmly or tenderly. In Germany, where 57 percent of marriages end in divorce, the business of separation has flourished to the point where the country’s first divorce fair is set to take place this year in the western city of Duesseldorf. The fair is expected to draw specialist divorce lawyers, financial consultants, but also representatives of dating websites and even nutritionists. As for Dressler, he believes there are worse jobs. “The woman who works next door to me is a bailiff. —AFP

Founder of internet dating site jiayuan.com, Gong Haiyan, poses beside a poster on February 4, 2010 in her Beijing office of photographs of married couples who met on her website. — AFP

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he new “Spider-Man” plans to swing closer to movie theater audiences. The next Spidey movie will be filmed in 3-D and is scheduled for release July 3, 2012, Sony Pictures announced Wednesday. The fourth installment is being directed by “(500) Days of Summer” filmmaker Marc Webb following the departure of Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire, the director and star who worked on the previous three “Spider-Man” films.

Production on the next film, which will focus on a younger version of the superhero, will begin later this year. — AP

In this undated file photo originally released by Columbia Pictures, Spider-man is shown in a scene from the film ‘Spider-man 3.’ —AP

British school bans Valentine cards

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British school has banned its pupils from sending cards on Valentine’s Day, saying the youngsters are not mature enough for romance, a newspaper reported yesterday.

Ashcombe Primary Schoolwhich teaches students aged four to 11 — has threatened to confiscate any cards found on the premises in Somerset, southwest England, said the Times.

“Some children and parents encourage a lot of talk about boyfriends and girlfriends,” wrote head teacher Peter Turner in a monthly newsletter.

“We believe that such ideas should wait until children are mature enough emotionally and socially to understand the commitment involved in having or being a boyfriend and girlfriend,” he said in the letter to parents.

But the head teacher of the school, which has 419 pupils, came under fire for the Valentine card crackdown.

Rajeev Takyar, whose children Jai, 11, and five-year-old Aryan, are pupils there, blasted the ban as “ridiculous.”

“Whatever is going to be next?. Banning them stops children from having social skills. How are they going to learn about relationships otherwise?”— AFP

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Lifestyle

Kutcher & Garner on ‘Valentine’s Day’ Q: Ashton, you play a florist in “Valentine’s Day.” What did you learn about that job that would be a tip for guys.

Kutcher: “Baby’s Breath is hell to florists. It’s filler. It’s not sexy, it’s not chic. It’s death to a florist. They hate it when it comes in as a request.”

girlfriend up on stage, read her a sonnet and say: ‘He wants your hand in marriage.’”

Kutcher: “How’d it go?”

Ga rner: “She said yes, but I was shaking!”

Q: You were shaking?

Ga rner: “Yes, because I was asking for him and I felt like I was the conductor for his nerves.”

Kutcher: “I get it. I’m an ordained minister in the state of Nevada and I married two couples. It was terrifying!”

Q: What’s your take on giving flowers on Valentine’s Day- boring and unimaginative, or a given?

Garner: “It’s a baseline must.”

Kutcher: “Flowers are conformist if you don’t think about the card. The flowers will say a lot, but the card becomes the essential piece of the delivery.”

Garner: “Well said.”

Q: In the film, a high school student played by Taylor Swift gets a giant stuffed teddy bear from her boyfriend, played by Taylor Lautner. Are stuffed animals an appropriate gift on Valentine’s Day, or too cutesy?

Garner: “In high school, or in a new relationship: appropriate.”

Kutcher: “It totally depends. If you can imagine at some point in time the stuffed animal at the bottom of somebody’s closet, don’t go for it. However, my wife collects monkeys. She’s got these little monkeys all over her desk, so if it’s somebody like that, a stuffed animal could be the right thing.”

to each other, we started a foundation called the DNA Foundation to help human trafficking victims. We’re sending the girls flowers and making them our Valentines so they know that someone can love them without asking for anything back. There are 350,000 trafficked people here in the United States.”

Ga rner: “Wow. You think it doesn’t happen here. It’s so shocking.”

Q: So you’re getting Demi a monkey for Valentine’s Day? Kutcher : “This year, instead of giving gifts

Q: Ashton, your character proposes to his girlfriend (Jessica Alba) on Valentine’s Day, but it doesn’t work out. Is it

Ashton Kutcher and Jennifer Garner dangerous to propose on a Valentine’s Day in case the answer is no and the day is forever associated with a negative?

Kutcher: “I say: ‘two birds, one stone.’ I proposed to my wife on April Fool’s Day.” Ga rner: “How do you feel about proposals on a JumboTron?”

Kutcher: “I’m not down with the JumboTron.

I think it’s very valiant to the people that do it, but I’ve seen too many You Tube videos where it didn’t go well.”

Ga rner: “I proposed for a guy once. I was working the Georgia Shakespeare Festival. I was an intern and we had a pre-show. This guy-I had to call his

Q: Jennifer, you play a grade school teacher in the film with a 10-year old student who has a crush on you. Did any of you have innocent crushes on teachers back in school?

Ga rner: “Mr Monaghan. I had a necklace and I gave it to him for Valentine’s Day. It was a necklace I got for practicing the piano every day for certain amount of months.”

Kutcher: “I never got a necklace for practicing the piano.”

Ga rner: “We were bribed. It wasn’t fancy. It was a little heart on a rope. But Mr. Monaghan didn’t even sneak behind my back and go to my mom to give the necklace back.”

Q: As an adult, you don’t seem okay with his decision.

Ga rner: “I just feel like, C’mon Mr Monaghan. What did you do with my necklace?”

— Reut ers

Berlin film festival turns 60, without Polanski Mayer’s Playboy interview creates storm T

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inger John Mayer ignited a media storm Wednesday with a no-holds barred Playboy magazine interview in which he described former girlfriend Jessica Simpson as “sexual napalm” and confessed an aversion to sleeping with black women. Mayer, 32, the bluesy writer of hits like “Gravity” and “Your Body is a Wonderland”, also

In this Dec 11, 2009 file photo, musician John Mayer performs at the 2009 Z100 Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden in New York. — AP

spoke of his passion for pornography and abiding love for ex-girlfriend Jennifer Aniston, describing her as “the most communicative, sweetest, kindest person”.

But it was the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter’s comments about black women, widely perceived as racist, that set the Internet alight and fast became one of the top three most popular topics on Twitter. Despite being dubbed a womanizer in the media for relationships with Hollywood stars like Simpson, Aniston and Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mayer told Playboy that he was not open to having sex with black women Mayer described his penis as “sort of like a white supremacist”. He also used a slur against African Americans that is widely perceived as racist in the interview that is filled with expletives. “wow if this stuff is true...John Mayer just lost a whole heap of cool points...and I really likes him too...” commented Jenifer on Twitter. Mayer, who has worked with rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z and has a 3 million fan following on Twitter, was silent Wednesday and there was no immediate comment from his representatives. He is currently on a US and Canadian tour to promote his latest album “Battle Studies”. In the interview for Playboy’s March edition, some of which reportedly took place as Mayer downed malt whisky, the singer sought to refute the media image of him as a womanizer and “douche bag”. “I’ve been trying to prove to people I’m not a douche bag by not dating, by keeping my name out of ‘Us Weekly’,” he said. Yet he described his brief 2006 relationship with Simpson as an addiction. “That girl was like crack cocaine to me...Sexually, it was crazy. That’s all I’ll say. It was like napalm, sexual napalm,” he said. Mayer said his “biggest dream is to write pornography”. The March issue of Playboy hits newsstands on Feb. 12, and the interview can be read now on the magazine’s website. — Reuters

he Berlin film festival turns 60 this year, and a host of Hollywood stars will walk the red carpet over the next 10 days to mark the anniversary. One who will not is Roman Polanski, whose latest movie “The Ghost Writer” has its world premiere at the event on Friday but who is under house arrest in his Swiss chalet on a decades old US sex charge. Organizers are hoping that A-listers like Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, jury member Renee Zellweger and Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan make up for his absence and ensure 2010 is a success after criticism of the quality of recent editions.

The opening film, kicking off a crush of screenings, interviews, parties and deal making in Berlin, is Chinese movie “Apart Together” directed by Wang Quan’an who won the best film Golden Bear in 2007 for “Tuya’s Marriage.” “Apart Together” follows a group of aging ex-soldiers of the National People’s Party who get permission to

Female sea lion Sarasa ‘kisses’ male sea lion Pucchi during an attraction ahead of Valentine’s Day at the Aquastadium aquarium in Tokyo yesterday.

— AFP

return to the mainland from Taiwan for the first time since they were forced to retreat to the island in 1949. Lui Yansheng is not going back to see family members like the others, however, but to seek out his long-lost love and their son who was born after he fled over 50 years earlier. “The Ghost Writer” premieres on Friday, and Polanski’s arrest in September means media interest in the political thriller starring Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan will be intense.

Polanski, the 76-year-old Oscar-winning maker of classics such as “Chinatown” and “Rosemary’s Baby,” is fighting extradition to the United States to face sentencing over a 1977 case of unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. Polanski reportedly put the finishing touches to the film based on a Robert Harris novel while in jail, and the fictional former British prime minister played

by Brosnan is widely understood to be based on Tony Blair. —Reuters

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Friday, February12, 2010

NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Wednesday.

Philadelphia 3, New Jersey 2 (OT); Nashville 2, NY Rangers 1; Columbus 3, San Jose 0; Montreal 6, Washington 5 (OT); Pittsburgh 3, NY Islanders 1; Phoenix 3, Minnesota 2; Colorado 4, Atlanta 3 (OT); Anaheim 3, Edmonton 2. (OT denotes overtime win).

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF GA PTS New Jersey 36 20 3 155 137 75 Pittsburgh 36 22 2 190 172 74 Philadelphia 30 25 3 170 156 63 NY Rangers 26 27 7 153 165 59 NY Islanders 24 28 8 151 186 56 Northeast Division Buffalo 32 18 8 160 147 72 Ottawa 34 22 4 167 167 72 Montreal 29 26 6 160 167 64 Boston 25 22 11 141 148 61 Toronto 19 30 11 162 204 49 Southeast Division Washington 41 12 7 239 167 89 Tampa Bay 26 21 11 150 167 63 Atlanta 25 24 9 175 187 59 Florida 24 26 9 153 171 57 Carolina 22 30 7 159 189 51 Western Conference Central Division Chicago 39 15 5 189 138 83 Nashville 32 22 5 164 165 69 Detroit 27 21 11 153 160 65 St. Louis 26 25 9 155 169 61 Columbus 25 27 9 159 194 59 Northwest Division Colorado 34 19 6 176 154 74 Vancouver 35 21 2 185 143 72 Calgary 29 22 9 152 152 67 Minnesota 29 26 4 163 173 62 Edmonton 18 35 6 147 202 42 Pacific Division San Jose 39 12 9 200 148 87 Phoenix 37 19 5 166 153 79 Los Angeles 36 20 3 180 163 75 Anaheim 29 24 7 169 183 65 Dallas 26 21 12 169 185 64 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

NEW YORK: Nicklas Backstrom No.19 (second right) of the Washington Capitals celebrates his goal with teammates Tom Poti No.3, Alex Ovechkin No.8, and Tomas Fleischmann No.14.—AFP

Canadiens end Capitals winning streak MONTREAL: Washington’s teamrecord winning streak of 14 NHL games was ended by Montreal on Wednesday, as the Canadiens beat the Capitals 6-5 in overtime. Tomas Plekanec scored his second goal of the game in overtime, meaning Washington fell three games short of matching the longest ever NHL streak, set by Pittsburgh in 1992-93.

Washington trailed 5-2 in the third period but when Brooks Laich scored his third goal of the game with only 18 seconds left, the game was sent to overtime.

Scott Gomez, Glen Metropolit, Maxim Lapierre and Tom Pyatt added goals for the Canadiens.

Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green also scored for Washington.

Blue Jackets 3, Sharks 0 In Columbus, Ohio, San Jose’s run of nine successive road wins was stopped by Columbus. Goalie Steve Mason made 40 saves, raising his franchise record for shutouts to 14. He also led the NHL for shutouts by a rookie last season. Rick Nash scored his 26th goal, Jake Voracek ended a long scoring drought, and Antoine Vermette added an empty-netter for the hosts.

Coyotes 3, Wild 2 In St. Paul Minnesota, Phoenix beat Minnesota to complete a four-game season sweep. Martin Hanzal had a goal and an assist, and Radim Vrbata and Matthew Lombardi also scored for the Coyotes, who have won eight of

their past nine games. The Wild got goals from Guillaume Latendresse and Martin Havlat.

Flyers 3, Devils 2 In

Newark,

New

Jersey,

Philadelphia overcame a 2-0 deficit for the second straight game and beat New Jersey. Simon Gagne scored at 3:27 of overtime to complete the comeback, after Jeff Carter and Aaron Asham had scored. The Devils goals came via

Travis Zajac and Rob Niedermayer.

Avalanche 4, Thrashers 3 In Denver, Colorado overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period to edge Atlanta, with Kyle Cumiskey

India get Laxman boost KOLKATA: Experienced middle-order batsman Vangipurappu Laxman has been declared fit to play in the second and final Test against South Africa starting on Sunday, India’s chief selector Kris Srikkanth said.

Laxman missed the opening test with a finger injury as top-ranked India lost by an innings and six runs in Nagpur, their first defeat on home soil in almost two years.

“Laxman is going to be back in the Kolkata test match,” Srikkanth told the CNN-IBN news channel on Thursday. “He has said he is 100 percent fit.”

Laxman’s return should bolster India’s inexperienced middle-order which has been without injured duo Rahul Dravid (jaw) and Yuvraj Singh (wrist), both ruled out of the two-test series.

The massive defeat in Nagpur on Monday brought an end to India’s 14match undefeated streak as India’s selectors came under heavy media scrutiny.

“If you say we lost the match

because of selection and if that is what the media feels, then I’m willing to own up the responsibility,” former test captain Srikkanth told Indian daily newspaper DNA yesterday.

Wriddhiman Saha has been dropped for the second test after he contributed 36 runs in Nagpur following an unexpected debut when Rohit Sharma, called up as cover for Laxman, sustained an injury just before the match.

“We had Rohit Sharma as a back-up and if a standby player gets injured 15 minutes before the game do you think anybody could do anything about it?”

Srikkanth said.

Steyn took a match haul of 10-108 to blow India away in the first test but South African coach Corrie van Zyl expects the pitch at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens to assist spin.

“I won’t say it would be a minefield, but I do expect something that will help the Indian team,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

India must win the second and final test to prevent South Africa from

claiming the number one position in the world rankings.—Reuters

scoring the winner just 9 seconds into overtime. Chris Stewart had a goal and an assist and Chris Durno also netted for the Avalanche. Nik Antropov, Niclas Bergfors and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist for the Thrashers.

Penguins 3, Islanders 1 In Pittsburgh, Evgeni Malkin took advantage of a couple of favorable bounces to score a goal and help Pittsburgh down New York. With Kunitz scoring his first two goals this year — both set up by Malkin — the Penguins won their seventh in a row at home against the Islanders. New York lost its eighth in nine games.

Predators 2, Rangers 1 In New York, Nashville won its first road game in six by defeating New York. Colin Wilson scored the go-ahead goal on a second-period power play, while Jordin Tootoo also scored, and Dan Ellis made 37 saves for the Predators. Vinny Prospal had a powerplay goal for the Rangers.

Ducks 3, Oilers 2

INDIA: Indian cricketer VVS Laxman bats at the nets during a practice session in Nagpur.—AFP

In Anaheim, California, Anaheim set a franchise record with its 11th successive home victory, while condemning Edmonton to a clubrecord 11th straight road defeat. Todd Marchant scored the go-ahead goal in the third period after Bobby Ryan had scored twice for the Ducks. Ryan Potulny and Ethan Moreau scored short-handed goals for the Oilers.—AP

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Friday, February 12, 2010

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Irish Six Nations title chances get test at France

SAN JOSE: Andy Roddick follows through on a serve to Ryler DeHeart at the SAP Open tennis tournament.— AP

Roddick eases through to advance at San Jose SAN JOSE: Andy Roddick brushed off a second set fightback by Ryler DeHeart to defeat the qualifier 6-1 7-6 and advance to the second round of the San Jose Open on Wednesday.

Roddick, the world number seven, breezed through the first set but was broken early to trail 3-0 in the second.

Fellow American DeHeart served for the set at 5-3 but could not close it out as the big-serving Roddick fought back to force a tie-breaker, then sealed it 7-1 with a forehand winner.

Playing in his first match since his Australian Open quarter-final defeat, Roddick finished with 11 aces and will next meet Leonardo Mayer in the second round.

Earlier, Czech Radek Stepanek became the first defending champion to lose in the tournament’s first round in 20 years when he was ousted

by Belgian Xavier Malisse 6-3 6-4. German fourth seed Tommy Haas was also eliminated, falling 7-6 6-2 to Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin in the second round of the $531,000 hardcourt tournament.

Another seed, Fernando Verdasco of Spain, had to battle hard to avoid joining Stepanek

and Haas on the way home but the second-seed prevailed over Lu Yen-hsun 6-3 6-7 6-3 in the last match of the day.

Third seed Stepanek had four break points against Malisse, but it was the Belgian who made the most of his chances, breaking once in each set to upset the world number 14.

“It’s always tough to play the champion of the previous year because obviously they felt pretty good here, and everybody likes the winner of last year,” Malisse told reporters.

“I’ve been injured for a while, so this time I had no pressure on me ... There was nothing to lose.” The victory was the former top 20 player’s first on tour since June.

Stepanek had beaten American Mardy Fish for the title last year and was a losing finalist to Andy Roddick in 2008. Haas failed to convert five break point chances in the opening set against Istomin, who will play sixth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber in the quarter-finals after the German thrashed Israel’s Dudi Sela 6-2 6-0. Czech fifth seed Tomas Berdych also made the quarter-finals, posting a 6-3 62 victory over Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen.— Reuters

LONDON: Ireland needs to improve quickly if it is to keep its Six Nations title defense on track at France this weekend.

While England goes to Italy as it aims to build on last week’s opening victory, Ireland has the toughest possible game to follow its uninspiring 29-11 win over the Italians. France was already tournament favorite before blowing away Scotland in its first match with a dominant first-half performance at Murrayfield.

“We’ll get better as the competition goes on but there’s plenty to improve on,” Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll said. “Our ability to create fast ruck ball is the winning and losing of games against sides like France. “We need to work on that.”

Ireland eased into a 23-3 lead over Italy but was unable to stamp its dominance on the match. But coach Declan Kidney resisted the temptation to change a winning lineup and will give the players who went unbeaten through 2009 another chance.

Keith Earls replaces Andrew Trimble on the wing at Stade de France on Saturday, with Trimble dropping to the bench because of a minor hamstring problem. There could be another change if flanker Stephen Ferris recovers from the knee injury that kept him out of the match against Italy.

Ronan O’Gara has recovered from a leg injury that forced him off the field against Italy and will continue at flyhalf, with Jonathan Sexton on the bench. France is protecting a 10-year unbeaten record at home against Ireland and looks to be the biggest obstacle to the visitors’ attempts to defend its first Grand Slam since 1948.

France brought in wingers Vincent Clerc and Alexis Palisson for the injured Aurelien Rougerie and Benjamin Fall in the only

changes to the side that beat Scotland 18-9.

“You don’t change a winning team, with the exception of the two injured wingers,” coach Marc Lievremont said Wednesday. “The pack gave us great satisfaction, the front five were extremely good.”

Lievremont preferred the 22-yearold Palisson — with one try from five appearances — to Julien Malzieu on the left wing because of his better kicking game.

“Considering the kicking game the Irish have, his left foot can help us clear our lines,” Lievremont said.

“We need more variety in our game, more territorial kicking. We must adapt to the Irish defense, they are very well organized, they know when to slow the play down, so we will have to bring more width to our game.” Ireland beat France 30-21 last year on its way to winning the Grand Slam.

Possibly the most intriguing clash will be in midfield, where giant center Mathieu Bastareaud, who scored both France’s tries against the Scots, will be up against O’Driscoll.Scotland just couldn’t get its attacking game going against a fierce French defense and could find itself under severe pressure Saturday against a Wales side stung by its 30-17 loss at England.

Wales was undone by the yellow card given lock Alun-Wyn Jones for tripping, with England scoring 17 points while it had a man advantage.

“We have got to cut the errors in our game, because we know when we are accurate we are a very good side,” Wales flyhalf Stephen Jones said. “We have to give England credit because they played well, but the problem from our perspective was that we took so much away from our own game just from our own inaccuracies.” — AP

Federer eyes 5th Laureus Award ABU DHABI: Roger Federer is in the running to take his fifth sportsman of the year title after being named yesterday on the shortlist for the Laureus Sports Awards. The awards, to be held on March 10, recognize achievements in 2009 - a year in which Sampras surpassed Pete Sampras for the most tennis grand slam singles titles by winning his sixth Wimbledon crown, as well as taking his first French Open title. Federer won the Laureus award for four straight years until Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt took it out last year. Bolt is on the shortlist again for his three golds at the athletics World Championships.

Ethiopian athlete Kenesisa Bekele became the first man to win the 5,000 and 10,000 meters double at that World Championships and was also shortlisted. Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador, who won his second Tour de France in three years, was also among the contenders, along with Barcelona and Argentina footballer Lionel Messi, who won the FIFA World Player of the Year, plus Italy’s Valentino Rossi, who claimed his seventh Moto GP title. Serena Williams was the only previous winner to be shortlisted for the women’s award, after winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon and regaining the No.1 ranking.

Two American compatriots were also shortlisted: skiier Lindsey Vonn who won the World Cup for a second year and two golds at the World Championship, plus athlete Sanya Richards, who finally took out a 400 meters major title at the World Championships. Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser was nominated for adding World Championships 100 meters gold to her Olympic victory. Two stars of the swimming World Championships were shortlisted: Germany Britta Steffen for world record wins in the 50 and 100 meters freestyle, and Italy’s Federica Pellegrini for breaking four minutes in the 400 meters freestyle.

South Africa’s rugby team was one of six outfits in the running for Team of the Year. — AP

PARIS: France rugby player Alexis Palisson (center bottom right) holds the ball during a training session at the National Rugby Center ahead of their Six Nations rugby union international match against Ireland. — AP

Contract status of Sharks players still undecided DURBAN: South African side the Sharks have been forced to delay the naming of its team for the first round of the 2010 Super 14 because of a legal dispute over two players.

The availability of loose forward Willem Alberts and fullback Louis Ludik is still unclear after the South African Rugby Union’s (SARU) Judicial Officer said Wednesday he did not have the authority to make a ruling.

Alberts and Ludik have been involved in the Sharks’ preseason preparations despite claims from rival South African team the Lions that the pair are still contracted to it.

SARU’s Koos Basson said he could not rule on the validity of the players’ contracts with the Lions. It is the second time that SARU has failed to reach a decision over the contract status of Alberts and Ludik.

SARU said on its Web site that “the wording of the complaint by the Lions required him (Basson) to determine the validity of the players’ contracts with the Lions, a responsibility which falls outside the disciplinary regulations of SARU.” The Sharks team for its Super 14 opener against 2009 runners up the Chiefs of New Zealand was due to be announced late yesterday and the highly rated Alberts was expected to be named on the bench. Ludik is currently injured.

In response to the ruling, the Sharks released a statement saying it would now look for clarification through the courts.

“In the circumstances The Sharks and the players are left with no choice but to get an urgent ruling from court in order to allow the players to play in the competition. We hope this will be on Friday,” Sharks CEO BJ van Zyl said in a statement.

Meanwhile, new Lions coach Dick Muir named 10 new players, including former New Zealand international Carlos Spencer, in his matchday 22 for the Lions’ Super 14 opener against the Stormers.

The 34-year-old Spencer, who won 35 caps for South Africa’s great rivals the All Blacks, was selected at flyhalf for Saturday’s game at CocaCola Park in Johannesburg. The former Auckland Blues player is one of seven Lions Super 14 debutants in the starting 15.

The other newcomers include former Stormers wing Tonderai Chavhanga, scrumhalf JP Joubert, number eight Jonathan Mokoena and 19-yearold Wandile Mjekevu.

Regular skipper Cobus Grobbelaar was named as captain and American international forward Todd Clever was picked on the bench.

There was no place for former South Africa internationals Lawrence Sephaka and Henno Mentz.— AP

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Awatif Al-Hamdan

Obeid Al-Enezi

Friday, February 12, 2010

KUWAIT: Deputy Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee Maj General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Nawaf and committee members.

Kuwait all set to host Police Shooting championship KUWAIT: All committees continued their work to be ready for the First Police Shooting Championship, led by the Higher Organization Committee headed by Interior Ministry Undersecretary Lt General Ahmad Al-Rujaib and his deputy, chairman of the police sports federation Maj General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Nawaf, the technical committee headed by Engineer Duaij Al-Otaibi is adding its final touches and preparing the lists and names of shooters according to their international rankings.

Meanwhile international referee Awatif Al-Hamdan said she will participate in officiating the finals, in which there will be eight

shooters. Al-Hamdan became an international referee category B in 2006, and she is working hard to get the A category after participating in refereeing international tournaments outside Kuwait.

She said all referees seek to be at their best at all times, particularly the local ones so that they can contribute to the success shooters themselves are making for their country.

President of the military sports federation and secretary of Kuwait’s Olympic Committee Obeir Al-Enezi said the Police Shooting Tournament will enhance the shooting skills of police athletes. He said that the sports

community is proud that HH the Crown Prince is patronizing the event, as the police sports federation is ready for such a major sports event in coordination with the international police sports federation.

Al-Enezi wished all participants good luck in giving best performance in this international event.

He appreciated the major role being played by the Police Sports Federation, to host the event and benefit from it in strengthening field skills of participants.

Meanwhile, several officials from the sports club expressed their approval and satisfaction for holding the event in Kuwait under

the patronage of HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah.

Chairman of the board of Salmiya Sports Club Abdallah AlTareeji said Kuwait Police Sports Association is the most successful in holding and organizing international events.

He said, as a former secretary, “I know the great attention the federation gives to any tournament, especially when it has the name of such a dear person as HH the Crown Prince.

Al-Tareeji said the Salmiya sports club places its facilities at the disposal of the Police Sports Federation, and wished the tournament success.

Secretary General of Kazmah Sports Club Hussein Bu Skandar said, any championship that is associated with one of Kuwait’s “symbols” is worthy of great care.

He said the Crown Prince is one of the sports men who served Kuwait in many arenas and contributed largely to the development of sports in Kuwait.

Bu Skandar thanked the police association for organizing this championship, as it always plans well and has the necessary experience for that.

Some members of delegations from Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, already arrived in Kuwait and toured the Sabah AlAhmad Olympic Shooting Complex.

PAYS signs deal for Kazma’s Olympic swimming pool

By Ahmad Saeid KUWAIT: The head of Public Authority for Youth and Sports (PAYS) signed a deal to build a swimming pool complex in Kazma Sports Club. The contract was signed at the headquarter of PAYS in Riqqae yesterday.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of Kazma Sports Club, consulting and contracting companies.

The contract worth KD 3,585,000 for building a 7,000 square meter swimming pool complex includes Olympic swimming pool, diving pool, and two training pools. The complex will also have a dedicated area for administrations, in addition to a residential building for players.

The head of PAYS Faisal Al-Jazzaf said that this is a beginning of an innovation plan that will cover three other sports clubs, and the youth centers in all the areas as well.

Asaad Al-Banwan, the head of Kazma Sports Club said that this is the first innovation in the club for the past 20 years, and that the club deserves it.

“Everyone knows that Kazma is on top in diving for many years, and in swimming competition as well, and we needed this complex because we don’t have closed swimming pools to train, so this is the least the country can give to Kazma Sports Club, because the club is supporting all Kuwaiti youth,” said Al-Banwan.

The project is planned to start by March 1, and is expected to take two years before it’s is finalized. The project was designed by Dar Al-Khaleej Engineering Consultations, and is conducted by Al-Emarat Al-Jadeeda Company.

KUWAIT: Faisal Al-Jazzaf, the head of PAYS (left), Humood Fleitih, the deputy head of PAYS (second left), and Asaad Al-Banwan, the head of Kazma Sports Club (third left) are seen with other officials at the signing ceremony. —Photo by Ahmad Saeid

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OAKLAND: Los Angeles Clippers’ Rasual Butler (left) and Golden State Warriors’ Anthony Morrow eye a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game. —AP

Bryant-less Lakers trounce hot Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY: The Utah Jazz missed a chance to notch a tenth straight NBA win on Thursday, beatn 96-81 by a Los Angeles Lakers side missing Kobe Bryant. Pau Gasol had 22 points and 19 rebounds as Los Angeles won its third straight without Bryant, who is sidelined with an ankle injury.

The Lakers got 25 points and 11 rebounds from Lamar Odom. Gasol added five blocks as he and Odom shut down the lane and forced the Jazz outside.

The Lakers broke open the game with a 12-0 run at the end of the first quarter and held a double-figure lead from early in the second period through the end.

Deron Williams had 11 points, 10 assists and was one rebound short of a tripledouble for Utah.

T’ Blazers 108, Suns 101 In Phoenix, Portland held off a late surge by undermanned Phoenix, ending the Suns winning trot at five games. Steve Blake had 20 points and 12 assists, both season highs, for the Blazers, who led by as many as 22 in the third quarter and shot 58 percent - the highest the Suns have allowed this season.

Portland made 71 percent of their first-half shots while ending a 10-game losing streak in Phoenix.

LaMarcus Aldridge led five Portland players in double

figures with 22 points.

Amare Stoudemire scored 24 for Phoenix.

Magic 107, Bulls 87 In Chicago, Dwight Howard had 18 points and 14 rebounds as Orlando pulled away early to down Chicago.

The Magic led 41-17 through the first quarter and didn’t have to contend with All-Star point guard Derrick Rose after he left with a bruised hip following a hard foul by Howard in the opening minutes. Luol Deng led Chicago with 23 points, his fourth straight game with 20 or more.

Raptors 104, 76ers 93 In Toronto, the hosts extended their home winning streak to eight straight, beating Philadelphia. Chris Bosh had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Jose Calderon converted a go-ahead fourpoint play as the Raptors topped 100 for the 17th consecutive game. Louis Williams scored 26 points for the 76ers, who lost their first game in six.

Hornets 93, Celtics 85 In New Orleans, Darren Collison scored 13 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to help New Orleans hold on against Boston.

Peja Stojakovic scored 20 for the Hornets. Paul Pierce scored 15 points for the Celtics, who missed 11 free throws and were unable to protect a 12point halftime lead.

Bobcats 93, T’wolves 92 In Minneapolis, Nazr Mohammed’s dunk with 5.3 seconds left lifted Charlotte past Minnesota.

The Timberwolves outscored the Bobcats 22-13 in the fourth quarter and took a three-point lead with less than a minute to play but could not hold on.

Charlotte’s Stephen Jackson tied a season high with four 3-pointers and finished with 33 points, while Mohammed had 21 points and a season-high 20 rebounds.

Al Jefferson scored 19 points for Minnesota.

Heat 94, Hawks 76 In Atlanta, Miami took advantage of Atlanta’s thin bench to pull away with a 100 run in the final period.

Jermaine O’Neal scored 19 points and Dwyane Wade had 18 for the Heat. Miami’s bench outscored the Hawks back-ups 45-8. Josh Smith scored 18 points to lead Atlanta and Joe Johnson had 16 on 7-for-21 shooting.

Kings 103, Pistons 97 In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Kevin Martin scored 26 points to lead Sacramento over Detroit. Beno Udrih added 22 for the Kings, who have won successive road games after taking just three of their first 25 away from home. Tayshaun Prince’s 23 points led the Pistons, whose only win in their past six home games was against

NBA results/standings NBA results on standings on Wednesday.

Miami 94, Atlanta 76; Toronto 104, Philadelphia 93; Sacramento 103n Detroit 97; Milwaukee 97, New Jersey 77; Orlando 107, Chicago 87; Charlotte 93,Minnesota 92; New Orleans 93, Boston 85; Portland 108, Phoenix 101; LA Lakers 96, Utah 81; Golden State 132, LA Clippers 102.

Western Conference Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Northwest Division W L PCT GB Denver 35 17 .673 Boston 32 18 .640 Utah 32 19 .627 2.5 Toronto 29 23 .558 4 Oklahoma City 30 21 .588 4.5 Philadelphia 20 32 .385 13 Portland 31 24 .564 5.5 NY Knicks 19 32 .373 13.5 Minnesota 13 40 .245 22.5 New Jersey 4 48 .077 29 Pacific Division Central Division LA Lakers 41 13 .759 Cleveland 42 11 .792 Phoenix 31 22 .585 9.5 Chicago 25 26 .490 16 LA Clippers 21 31 .404 19 Milwaukee 24 27 .471 17 Sacramento 18 34 .346 22 Detroit 18 33 .353 23 Golden State 14 37 .275 25.5 Indiana 18 34 .346 23.5 Southwest Division Southeast Division Dallas 32 20 .615 Orlando 36 17 .679 San Antonio 29 21 .580 2 Atlanta 33 18 .647 2 Houston 27 24 .529 4.5 Charlotte 26 25 .510 9 Miami 26 27 .491 10 New Orleans 28 25 .528 4.5 Washington 17 33 .340 17.5 Memphis 26 25 .510 5.5

hapless New Jersey.

Warriors 132, Clippers 102 In Oakland, California, Stephen Curry recorded his first triple-double with a career-high 36 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds as Golden State beat Los Angeles to snap a season-high nine-game losing streak.

Anthony Tolliver added a career-high 29 points for the Warriors, who led by as much as 38 while playing without injured leading scorer Monta

Ellis. Curry, the seventh overall pick in the draft, went 11 of 22 from the floor and set a personal best with seven 3pointers.

Eric Gordon and Rasual Butler had 16 points apiece for the Clippers, who remained winless in three games since interim coach Kim Hughes replaced Mike Dunleavy.

Bucks 97, Nets 77 In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Andrew Bogut scored

22 points to lead Milwaukee over dismal New Jersey.

Ersan Ilyasova added 18 for the Bucks, who won in front of a meager crowd of 1,016 due to a snow storm in the New York region. New Jersey, led by Devin Harris with 27 points, saw its losing streak hit eight games. The Nets head into the All-Star break at 4-48, the same record the Philadelphia 76ers had when they recorded an NBA-worst 9-73 mark for the 1972-73 season. —AP

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Vonn may test ailing shin in training

VANCOUVER: Before the Olympics even start, Lindsey Vonn has gone from a favorite to win multiple medals to a question mark of how many, if any, races she’ll even ski.

Because of a badly bruised and swollen right shin, Vonn might wind up sitting out a race or two before healing enough to be able to participate in later events, said Thomas Vonn, a former US Olympic skier who acts as a coach and adviser to his wife.

“It is entirely possible that she could race in all five events and be fine. It is possible, for sure. I would be very, very surprised if she didn’t race in anything,” he said Wednesday.

Her status may become clearer after a training run late yesterday, when the two-time reigning overall World Cup champion could test her shin — if the pain isn’t too intense.

“Tomorrow I will try and ski for the first time since my crash, hopefully I can do it,” Vonn said on her Twitter account Wednesday.

The trip down the hill could provide all the data Vonn needs: Might she ski only part of the course? Can she tolerate the pain enough to even try skiing?

“We honestly don’t know how it’s going to respond,” her husband said.

“We potentially could get up there and she could say, ‘OK, this works. I can do this.’ And it could be not that big of a problem. Or she could get out there with the painkillers and she could say, ‘There’s just no chance.”‘ Vonn, 25, revealed Wednesday that she hurt her shin during a slalom training run in Austria last week.

The injury is so painful that it’s a struggle to slip on a ski boot in her hotel, let alone ski down a slope. If the games had started three days ago, Vonn wouldn’t have been ready. She has time - and time is what she needs. The super-combined race doesn’t begin until Sunday, and even that could be pushed back by adverse weather, which is in the forecast.

“I hope I’m able to push through the pain and I’m able to still ski OK,” Vonn said Wednesday. “I won’t really know until tomorrow when I actually get on skis and they can actually assess the situation and see how bad it is.” To even get to this point, though, sure beats what she was thinking when it first happened — that her Olympics might be over before she even took her first run.

“She went from being really happy, as well prepared as you can be for an Olympics, to just hitting the bottom really hard,” Thomas Vonn said. “The day of the injury was a very tough day.” Vonn elected to skip getting X-rays when the injury happened, fearing it might reveal something more than a bad bruise.

“I pretty much stuck my fingers in my ear and just pretended like I didn’t hear what was going on,” she said. —AP

ST MORITZ: Lindsey Vonn of the United States speeds down the course during an Alpine Ski, Women’s World Cup super-combined race, in St. Moritz in this file photo. —AP

Long shot luger in 4th Olympics WHISTLER: Shiva Keshavan got his first look at the lightning-fast track at the Whistler Sliding Center on Wednesday night.

He promptly crashed on his opening practice run. That’s pretty much how Keshavan’s luge career has gone. Get knocked down, get back up.

He still remembers the days of getting told that his quest was a farce, people laughing at the notion of a man who was born and raised in India along the Himalayas - the area he still calls home - ever competing in the Olympics.

Keshavan is getting the last laugh. This weekend, he’ll become an Olympian for the fourth time. “India is still a one-sport country: Cricket,” Keshavan said Wednesday, proudly wearing his race suit with a Vancouver 2010 bib.

“But it’s increasing a lot, especially because there’s so many aspiring young kids who do other sports but they never get the chance to express themselves.

Maybe me or other athletes who do nonconventional sports for India, maybe they see an interest for themselves.” He has high hopes. Maybe ridiculously high hopes. Keshavan - part

of a three-athlete delegation from India at the Vancouver Olympics - missed the second half of the World Cup season with a stress fracture in his back, leaving him unable to train at all for about a month.

He’s ranked 51st in the

world standings, and there’s only 40 men in the Olympic field, but he still managed to meet the criteria for a starting spot in Whistler. His goal for this weekend is finishing in the top 10. He won’t even rule out a chance at making a trip

to the medal podium. “I’m pretty sure I can make it to the top 10,” Keshavan said. “With the new equipment that I have, I can shave off some time.” Maybe so, but he’s got some work to do before racing begins on Saturday.

Olympics-Canada: Gold or bust for hurting hosts VANCOUVER: Canada’s win-at-all-costs attitude is part of an ambitious plan to lead the overall medal count in Vancouver - something they could only dream of at the two previous Olympic Games they hosted. Canada holds the dubious honor of being the only country to host the Olympics twice and fail to capture a gold medal. The national angst over not winning a gold in Calgary (1988 Winter Olympics) and Montreal (1976 Summer Olympics) has resulted in the hosts going to great lengths this time to ensure victory. “I will make you two promises,” said Gary Lunn, Canada’s federal minister of state for sport.

“We are going to win gold. We are going to win gold at home for the first time. Our Canadian teams will do better than ever before.”

Canada is playing to win at the 2010 Vancouver Games and one way they hope to do that was limiting how much time visiting countries could train on Olympic facilities in the run up to the Games. And it hasn’t gone

over well, especially the Americans who complain that Canada’s win at all costs mentality goes against the Olympic spirit of good sportsmanship. “It just seems contrary to the whole Olympic spirit,” US Speedskating president Brad Goskowicz told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “They have closed or limited venues to other teams.”

Canada completed its venues two seasons in advance allowing exclusive home training access. “This is the Canadian advantage we are not going to give away,” said Alpine Canada’s chief athletic officer Max Gartner.

For Canada it is a matter of survival and national pride as their “Own the Podium” program has set a goal of winning a record 35 medals. Canada’s success at the 2006 Turin Games did help restore some pride as they won 24 medals, including seven gold. But there were no gold to be had at either Calgary or Montreal and just 16 medals combined. —AFP

Competing with 19 other racers in one practice session Wednesday, Keshavan was near the back of the pack, his times about 1.9 seconds - an absolute eternity in luge behind the leaders. Still, he’s not exactly a novelty act at the track anymore. “To be in four Olympics by itself, that’s a great feat, let alone that he’s representing India,” British luger A J Rosen said. “That shows what a big achievement it is for him and I definitely have to take my hat off to him for that.” Keshavan is hoping he’ll be back for a fifth Olympics in 2014.

Thanks to the generosity of some people in India touched by his story, he was able to get a new sled this season, after his ancient one broke and set back his training regimen this fall. He said the government of India also offered financial support this season for the first time.

It’s been a hard road, filled with plenty of crashes like the one he endured on Wednesday. “It wasn’t easy,” Keshavan said. “But because I’ve done this, maybe it will be easier for the next kid who comes along from India wanting to follow their dream.” —AP

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2nd-placed Roma seek ninth consecutive win ROME: Second-placed AS Roma will be hoping for more of the same from John Arne Riise as they aim for their ninth consecutive win when they host Palermo in Serie A tomorrow (1700). Norway fullback Riise has been in great form this season after he made a struggling start to his Roma career following his move from Premier League side Liverpool in 2008 Riise often looked clumsy and out of his depth trying to grasp the Italian top flight’s tactical demands in a difficult first season, as

Zaccheroni looks for first Juventus win

his side missed out on Champions League qualification. This term, however, Riise has come to exemplify the never-say-die spirit of a side that has won many matches late on under coach Claudio Ranieri, who replaced Luciano Spalletti following a poor start.

“I always give my all and the fans have recognized this, which is why they cheer for me,” Riise told reporters. The Norwegian has also

been affective coming forward of late, scoring twice in the last three league games for a team without their fulcrum and captain Francesco Totti through injury. Totti is a major doubt for tomorrow’s game after pulling up in training on Wednesday with a knee problem, while fellow forward Luca Toni is still out with a calf injury.

UNBEATEN RUN Visitors Palermo are also in fine

fettle and challenging for Champions League qualification after a strong run that has lifted them to fifth.

They will be without suspended midfielder Antonio Nocerino as they bid to stop Roma claiming their ninth successive win in all competitions and extending their unbeaten run to 20 games.

Leaders Inter Milan, who are nine points ahead of Roma after Wednesday’s 1-1 draw at Parma, face

fourth-placed Napoli away on Sunday (1945). Third-placed AC Milan, who are two points behind Roma with a game in hand, take on Udinese at the San Siro today (1945). The game has been moved forward to give the home side extra time to prepare for Tuesday’s Champions League last 16, first leg match against Manchester United. Seventh-placed Juventus meet Genoa at home on Sunday (1400) with new coach Alberto Zaccheroni looking for his first win after two draws. —Reuters

Weakened Barcelona to play Calderon roulette MADRID: Barcelona will protect their unbeaten La Liga record with a makeshift defense when they visit Atletico Madrid on Sunday (2000 GMT) for a fixture that traditionally produces a blizzard of goals. The leaders are without suspended centre backs Gerard Pique and Rafael Marquez while Daniel Alves, Eric Abidal and Dmytro Chygrynskiy are injured.

Midfielder Yaya Toure, who sometimes plays at the back, is also injured which leaves Carles Puyol, Gabriel Milito and Maxwell as the only recognized first-team defenders available.

Barca’s trips to the Calderon are popular with neutrals for their unpredictable nature, their last three league visits producing a total of 19 goals.

Atletico’s Argentina striker Sergio Aguero inspired the locals to 4-3 and 4-2 victories in the last two seasons while three years ago Barca won 6-0. “It’s unfortunate so many players are succumbing to injury, particularly in defense, but there is no link between the cases,” Barca midfielder Xavi told reporters.

“We have people to cover the gaps and youth-team players who can be called up to help.” Barca have a five-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid.

Atletico, who are languishing in 12th, also faced a King’s Cup semi-final second leg at Racing Santander.

Real travel to basement club Xerez tomorrow (1900) and are expected to have reduced Barca’s lead to two points ahead of the match at the Calderon. “We have to beat Xerez and after that I’ll become an Atletico fan,” Real’s Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart told reporters. Real coach Manuel Pellegrini will have Cristiano Ronaldo back from his two-match suspension but France striker Karim Benzema is out with a muscle injury.

Xerez have improved since new coach Nestor Gorosito took the helm last month and in their previous home game they surprised fourth-placed Real Mallorca 2-1 to claim only the second win of their maiden topflight campaign. Third-placed Valencia visit Sporting Gijon tomorrow (1700) and Mallorca travel to Tenerife for the first Monday night game (2000) since the Spanish footballing authorities agreed to reintroduce the concept with Gol Television. —Reuters

MAR DEL PLATA: Argentina’s Mariano Echeverria (right) fights for the ball with Jamaica’s Omar Cummings during a friendly soccer game. —AP

Argentina beat Jamaica in friendly BUENOS AIRES: Martin Palermo and Ignacio Canuto scored late goals to give Argentina a 2-1 win over Jamaica in an international friendly Wednesday.

Argentina’s team featured few players expected be included in its World Cup squad later

this year in South Africa. Jamaica opened the scoring with a header by Ryan Johnson early in the second half.

The Caribbean club then concentrated on holding its lead, with most of its players settling back in defense.

Palermo equalized seven minutes

from time and Canuto, who came on as a substitute in the final minutes, scored the winner in injury time. Boca Juniors forward Palermo was one of the few players in the match expected to play a role in South Africa. The match, featuring only

players in the domestic Argentina league and absent any Europe-based players, was another chance for coach Diego Maradona to look at talent. He has called up over 100 players since he took over as coach 15 months ago. —AP

Ailing Portsmouth fears FA Cup loss to neighbor LONDON: With Portsmouth in danger of going out of business and a distant last in the Premier League, it might appear things couldn’t get much worse. Now comes the threat of being knocked out of the cup by third tier Southampton, its hated southcoast neighbor. A day after the club temporarily survived a winding up order, gaining at least another

week to try and pay off tax debts, coach Avram Grant and his players were able to concentrate Thursday on beating Southampton.

Their opponents have also had their cash problems.

They received a 10-point punishment this season for going into financial administration but have lost only six of its 28 games in League One and, with local

bragging rights at stake, will be tough to beat at its St. Mary’s stadium tomorrow.

Portsmouth midfielder Richard Hughes believes the extra interest of facing its neighbor will lift some of the gloom of the club’s financial plight.

“It was the draw I was hoping for,” he said. “And, to be absolutely honest, although the fans would have

loved for a chance to welcome them back to our patch, I’m pleased to be playing them away from home. “We’ve yet to beat them at St. Mary’s and so the opportunity to go to our old friends and hopefully turn them over in their backyard is extra special.” This is the first time in almost five years that the two teams have met because Southampton was

relegated from the top flight in 2005 and even slipped into the third tier this season.

“The derby is a match that I’ve always most enjoyed in my time at Portsmouth,” Hughes said.

“It’s always quite a lively day and the one disappointment that came from them going down is that we haven’t been able to play them since. —AP

SPAIN: Getafe’s Argentinian defender Cata Diaz (left) and Ghanian midfielder Derek Boateng (right) vies with Sevilla’s Brazilian forward Luis Fabiano (center) during their semifinal, second leg King’s Cup football match.— AFP

Palop leads Sevilla to King’s Cup final

MADRID: Sevilla lost 1-0 away to Getafe but hung on to qualify for the King’s Cup final 2-1 on aggregate on Wednesday, thanks to the heroics of their goalkeeper Andres Palop. The 36-year-old Sevilla captain held his side together and was only beaten once as Getafe completely dominated at the Coliseum. “That’s what we’re there for, to make saves. I was only doing my job,” Palop told reporters.

“In all honesty we suffered too much, I don’t like that, I prefer to enjoy games more.

Getafe played a great tie and they have to be congratulated, but we’re the ones in the final.”

Their opponents will be known when Atletico Madrid travel to Racing Santander to defend a 40 semi-final first-leg advantage.

The final is in May with the

date and venue yet to be confirmed. Getafe, finalists in 2007 and 2008, made a spirited effort to overturn the deficit hitting the crossbar early on.

Sevilla were barely in the game and as tempers flared their coach Manolo Jimenez was sent to the stands for protesting a refereeing decision. The home side’s pressure finally paid dividends when Robert Soldado’s diving header snuck inside the far post after 52 minutes. But Palop was in outstanding form in the visiting goal and as Getafe tired the Andalusians started to threaten on the break. Soldado, Francisco Casquero and Derek Boateng almost forced extra-time in the closing stages, but the 2007 winners Sevilla went through to the final. — Reuters

Poll warns of tough road to the top for female ref LONDON: Amy Fearn, who this week made history by becoming the first woman to referee an English football league match, has set her sights on taking charge of matches in the Premier League. But she has been warned that lingering prejudices among football fans and players will make her path to the top flight a tough one.

Fearn made history when she took charge for the final 20 minutes of Coventry City’s 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening, having been promoted from running the line when the original referee, Tony Bates, limped

off with a calf injury. “It would be nice to referee in the Premier League one day but obviously the competition is harder,” she said yesterday.

“My next promotion target is running the line in that division but I started out as a ref and that is what I love doing - I want to continue being a referee.”

Graham Poll, formerly England’s top referee, believes Fearn could be a good enough official to reach the Premier League but admits she will need a thick skin if she is to make it.

“Prejudices remain in football,” Poll wrote in his Daily Mail column. “When

Wendy Toms ran the line in the Premier League in the Nineties, I remember one Liverpool player asking me: ‘What’s a bird doing on the line? She should be at home, cooking’.”

Poll added: “Even though I have been verbally abused all over the country, I cannot imagine how tough it must be for a woman to referee a Championship football match in front of more than 18,000 fans. “Supporters, when not resorting to the stereotypical shouts at the blind, useless or the product of unmarried parents, will refer to a point of difference.

“I was always fat, having eaten all the pies, David

Elleray was bald and Paul Durkin was ginger.”

Fearn is used to being singled out for criticism because of her gender. In November 2006, Mike Newell, then the manager of Luton, described her presence on the line in his club’s defeat by Queen’s Park Rangers as a case of “tokenism for politically correct idiots.” Three and a bit years later, Fearn is one promotion away from regularly refereeing matches in the Football League and being able to run the line at Premier League games. Newell was last seen being sacked by Grimsby in October. — AFP