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Week of Thursday February 24 - March 2, 2011

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The

A Crouching Yankee No More

Jorge Posada Protesters End Short Peace at University P8

P3

Coffee Blues

P58 P6

“Bug” Serralles Castle Museum P47

at the Tapia Theater P34

P17

The San Juan Weekly available on internet at www.sanjuanweeklypr.com

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The San Juan Weeekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

The San Juan Weekly

HELLO! Local News Mainland Education Pets Wine Art Viewpoint Modern Love Kitchen Enigmatic International Fashion & Beauty

Threat of US Gov Shut Down March 4

3 9 14 15 16 17 19 21 22 25 27 30

Portfolio Health Science & Technology People Local Travel Travel Business Sports Games Horoscope Cartoons

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Would Hemingway Cry? Modern Love P21

Leonardo Da Vinci: Artist, Scientist, Inventor

Ghost of Bill Blass Enigmatic En nigmatic P25

Fashion & Beauty P32

Shaken-Baby Syndrome Mainland P9

People P42

14 New Cruises for 2011

Auguste Rodin’s

Gates of Hell Art P17

Travel P49

Healing a Wounded Mets to Sell Credit Score Part of Team Business P54

Sports P61

The San Juan Weekly

February y 24 - March 2, 2011

Hispanic Surge in US Population B

y 2050 the majority of US citizens are estimated to be of hispanic heritage. Already as of 2010 over half of all American 3 year olds were non-white of which the majority were hispanics. By 2030 whites of European descent will become a minority in the US by traditional census statistics.

Hispanics currently number 52 million including island based Puerto Ricans. This represents one out of every 6 US citizens given the 316 million US population. 32 million are of mexican descent, 8 million Puerto Rican descent, 2 million salvadorians, 2 million cubans, 1 million dominicans, 1 million colombians ans 6 million of other latin backgrounds. In the past decade the hispanic population grew 33% from 39 million to 52 million.

High birthrates combined with births by youthfull mothers contribute to the majority of the growth with immigration both

legal and illegal adding to the high levels.

Hispanic populations have concentrated in states previously part of the Spanish Empire such as California, Florida and the Southwest.

In the case of Puerto Ricans, the island population of 3.75 million is less than the 4.4 million in the mainland, concentrated particularly in New York, Florida,, Illinois, Pensylvania and New Jersey.

Over the past decade the island population has suffered the exodus of almost 700,000 offsetting the high birth levels locally. This local shift is occurring as a result of the island economy and job market.

These raw statistics imply significant political and economic trends which must be prepared for. Bilingual education and the integration of public services with bilingual public employers will be the first major hurdle.

Regardless of the heritage, the po-

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Extensive challenges need to be overcome to service this dramatic growth in population.

The US has for decades adopted a strategy of eradicating labor intensive low skilled production for hightech mechanized systems. Entire industries have left the US for China, India, etc.

The US strategists feared the low birthrates and aging populations confronting the economies of Europe and Japan. We must review these strategies and integrate policies so that the economic trends allow for a new demographic model. Job creation will be our greatest hurdle in the 21st Century. We should not continue letting the “tail wag the dog”.

Parole Denied for Jailed Puerto Rican Revolutionary T

he Parole Commission says it won’t offer early release to a Puerto Rican who once turned down a clemency offer from President Clinton.

Commission Chairman Isaac Fulwood said that the commission has denied parole for Oscar Lopez Rivera.

His lawyers can appeal. But for now he must serve until at least 2021 under sentencing rules.

Lopez is serving a 70-year sentence in Indiana. He was convicted in 1981 of charges that include seditious conspiracy and transportation of firearms as a member of the ultra-violent Armed Forces of National Liberation.

Clinton offered to release him in 1999 but Lopez turned it down rather than sign the agreement requiring him to cease revolutionary activities.

Pro-Independence members of the various Congressmen of Puerto Rican descent, Lydia Vazquez and Luis Gutierrez, had been pushing for his release.

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The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

Puerto Rico-Corned Beef Crisis S

ure Puerto Ricans can get fresh beef at the supermarket. But what many crave — and can’t get — comes out of a can.

A national shortage of canned corned beef caused by a recall has hit especially hard in our island a place where the sodium-rich, cholesterol-laden product is a regular part of some beloved local specialties, such as the fritters known as alcapurrias.

With the tapered cans almost as rare as a chilly day on the island, senior officials are vexed and shoppers frustrated.

The dwindling supply is blamed on a government-ordered recall of the product after the Department of Agriculture discovered high levels of an anti-parasitic drug used for animals in batches produced at a packing plant in Brazil.

The recall was more than six months ago, but its effects are now rippling across the island. There’s a gap on the shelves where corned beef once sat, and some stores have nearly tripled the price for the few cans left. DACO should take notice “The shortage is significant,” said Luis Rivera Marin, secretary of our Consumer Affairs Department, which includes canned corned beef on its list of 20 products in Puerto Rico’s staple food basket, an economic measuring tool.

The shortage also has hit the mainland U.S., and shoppers looking to breakfast on corned-beef hash have had to hunt for it in some areas.

“Due to the recent recall of canned corned beef, there has been an industrywide shortage,” said Bruni Torres, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in Puerto Rico.

But Puerto Rico seems to have suffered most because it relies on a few badly affected suppliers.

The cans are usually found everywhere on the island, even in the tiniest of convenience stores.

The government urges people to stock up on canned corned beef during hurricane season, and a local song describes it as better than pork for Christmas dinner: “What did I serve? Green bananas with corned beef. Everyone was enjoying green bananas with corned beef ... The pork was soon forgotten.”

Rivera says the shortage does have its silver lining: It has removed an unhealthy product from islanders’ diets.

“It is a time bomb,” he said. One small serving of canned corned beef contains about 13 percent cholesterol, 15 percent saturated fat and 20 percent sodium.

Next year, public school cafeterias on

the island will stop serving it to students because federal authorities have deemed it too high in fat and sodium and too low in nutritional value.

But many are not about to stop eating it.

Maria Mercedes Figueroa, 74, prepares meals with corned beef several times a week at her home in the town of Gurabo and she reacted with disbelief on a recent trip to the grocery store.

“They had sausage, tuna, luncheon meat, but there was no corned beef,” she said. “I was desperate.”

“Everybody said, ‘Oh my God, there is no corned beef,’” she recalled with a laugh.

“I have missed it tremendously.”

The shortage has boosted sales for the few companies who produce corned beef locally. Six months ago, Raul Rivera, owner of the Metzgermeister company, began selling corned beef in a bag. But that goes first to local restaurants before the rest is marketed to the public.

In 2009, Puerto Rico imported more than 6.6 million pounds (3 million kilograms) of corned beef worth nearly $13 million, according to the most recent statistics available.

Most of it comes from Chicago-based Sampco Inc., which last spring recalled

corned beef and other beef products suspected of containing high levels of an anti-parasitic drug used for animals.

The Brazilian plant that processes the meat was allowed to resume exports in December, according to the Department of Agriculture, and Marin said corned beef supplies should start trickling back in by April.

That is a relief to Migdalia Rivera, who helps manage a day care center in San Lorenzo and who laments that she can no longer prepare corned beef for the children: “They like it so much, but it is so expensive.”

Canned corned beef likely will remain popular. It’s affordable, and a single can can feed several people.

Figueroa said that as soon as she can find it, “I think I’m going to buy a dozen cans of corned beef so I can eat it every day.”

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

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The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

Puerto Rico Coffee Blues C

offee production in Puerto Rico has fallen by half in recent years, according to harvest statistics, as the island struggles to find workers to pick the beans despite widespread unemployment.

An estimated 80,000 pounds (36,000 kilograms) of coffee was collected during the 2010-11 harvest, the Puerto Rico Coffee Buyers & Growers Association said. That’s down from 90,000 pounds (40,800 kilograms) in 2009-10 — and from 178,000 pounds (80,700 kilograms) in 2006-07.

The industry earned $23 million this past harvest, compared with $35 million the previous one. In all, coffee producers left some $25 million on the table as hundreds of thousands of plants went unpicked, association president Abel Enriquez said.

“It is worrisome,” Enriquez said.

“Our industry is declining at a dizzying

pace.”

Once a prominent producer of coffee prized around the world for its high quality, Puerto Rico needs as many as 14,000 workers to fully harvest the mountainside plantations in the island’s central and western regions.

But officials were able to find only about half that many last year, Agriculture Secretary Javier Rivera said — even though unemployment is nearly 17 percent in the U.S. Caribbean territory, higher than in any U.S. state.

Officials say many people prefer to work jobs such as construction that pay better than the $5 to $7 coffee pickers earn for every 28 pounds (13 kilograms) of beans they gather, or about $60 a day. Or they simply would rather stay home and collect unemployment instead of toiling under the hot sun, officials say.

“We’re getting used to anticipating that monthly check,” Enriquez said.

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Hoping to encourage agricultural activity, Puerto Rican lawmakers passed a law last year that lets people receiving unemployment aid to earn farm wages without losing their benefits.

The measure has had little effect so far on the coffee industry, however.

Eduardo Torres, a coffee picker in his 50s who began working at age 9 in the central town of Jayuya, said he taught his daughter and two sons the trade, but the daughter quit after she got married and one of his sons left to work at a Chinese restaurant.

Torres acknowledged it’s a tough, low-paid job — no way to get rich.

“I manage to make enough,” he said.

The government tried recruiting about 300 inmates to work the coffee fields in exchange for wages and having 10 days shaved off their sentences per month of labor. But farmers are often wary of hiring convicted criminals, and many inmates are not skilled at the work.

Officials have also tried drafting troubled teens as pickers, though it’s not clear how extensive or successful that program has been. Meanwhile, the government is encouraging school field trips to the plantations in hopes that children will not associate the work with illegal immigrants, Rivera said.

Enriquez said many unemployed islanders would be willing to work the coffee fields, but they live far away and don’t have anywhere to live in Puerto Rico’s 21 coffee-producing municipalities. He proposed the government help build temporary housing by converting abandoned schools, jails and other

buildings.

Roberto Atienza, who for 35 years has owned the 120-acre (50-hectare) farm where Torres works, said foreign labor is likely the only solution.

“This is a disgrace to our industry,” Atienza said. “Those who come to work on a farm nowadays, it is truly something rare.”

The island’s Department of Labor has repeatedly rejected the idea of importing coffee workers.

Coffee production was hit particularly hard last year by floods from a tropical storm that caused more than $1.5 million in crop damage.

Coffee growing has been declining for years, however, as farmers abandon their crops due to rising labor and production costs.

Coffee was grown on roughly 4,000 farms in 2009, compared with 9,000 in 2002, said William Mattei of the Association of Puerto Rican Agronomists. Less than an estimated 40,000 acres were farmed in the past year, compared with nearly 50,000 acres in 2007, he said.

“These are alarming statistics,” Mattei said.

Puerto Rico was among the world’s leading coffee exporters in the 19th century, but it now must import coffee from Mexico and the Dominican Republic to meet local consumption, about eight pounds per capita per year.

In 2009, the island imported 32 million pounds (14.5 million kilograms) while shipping 1.3 million pounds (600,000 kilograms) overseas, mainly to Spain, Japan and Greece.

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

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The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

Protests End Short Peace at University of Puerto Rico

By Tamar Lewin

M

onths of unrest at the University of Puerto Rico seemed to be reaching a finale over the last 10 days. Scores of students were arrested or injured by riot police officers. Faculty and staff members held a two-day walkout. The president of the university resigned, the police who had occupied campus were withdrawn and an interim president arrived.

But there were only three days of peace.

Students blocked the stairs to classrooms in the social science department with trash cans and chairs, and also closed down the humanities department. At the social sciences building, students said only one professor had tried to get through the blockade.

The spark for the university’s problems was a budget cut that required students to pay a new $800 fee, increasing their costs by more than 50 percent.

“It is the same situation that many universities in the United States are facing,” said Miguel A. Muñoz, the interim president. “Our budget is about $1 billion, and

it has been cut about $200 million. We need the $800 fee to cover the deficit, and our tuition is so low, $51 a credit, that it’s almost a gift.”

The tuition is indeed far lower than most other flagship public universities. But Puerto Rico is poorer than the mainland United States, and two-thirds of the students have incomes low enough to qualify for Pell grants.

As at many public universities elsewhere in the United States, students here worry that the new fiscal realities will restrict who can attend.

“This is a public university, and it should be accessible to everyone,” said Eduardo Galindez, a second-year student. “I work in the physics department, and I know some graduate students who couldn’t come back this semester because they couldn’t afford the fee.”

Student leaders estimate that at least 5,000 of the university’s students were not able to pay the fee this semester. And the administration acknowledges that there are now fewer than 54,000 students this semester, compared with about 60,000 last semester.

Dr. Muñoz, however, attributed the drop to instability, not the new fee. “As a parent, you don’t want to send your son, your daughter to a campus where you see so many protests, and police,” he said. Still, if there are threats to security and safety, he said he would not hesitate to bring back the police.

“A university is not a different place from the rest of Puerto Rico,” he said.

Protests may well flare up again. A general student assembly is scheduled, to discuss whether to call a further strike to protest the $800 fee, program cuts, and the unwillingness of the authorities to negotiate.

“We have to see if students will ratify a strike or not,” said Giovanni Roberto, one of the student protest leaders. “We know there are alternatives and we have proposed them, but we don’t have any power to get them to listen.”

But the students have flexed their muscles. A two-month strike last spring shut down the university’s 11 campuses.

And since the current strike began in December — this time, largely at the main Rio Piedras campus in San Juan — people across the island have been riveted by television and videos of violent confrontations between students and the police.

Many students were outraged that the police had been called to the campus.

“Calling in the police, for the first time in 30 years, was one of the most rash decisions they could have made,” said René Vargas, a law student who represents the student body on the university board of trustees. “The university’s intransigence and refusal to talk to students has worsened the whole situation. The students presented a 200-page document suggesting alternatives and ways to increase revenues, and the trustees have not even been willing to look at it.”

Some students, like Liz Lebron, a freshman, said they thought the administration had been right to bring in the police, because some students were destroying property and stopping others from attending class.

Whether or not they approved of the police presence, many students said they

found it frightening.

“I didn’t go to class when I saw the police because I was scared of getting hurt,” said Carmen Gonzalez, a senior majoring in English literature who supported the protesters. “On television I saw people getting hurt, and if you’re in class and you hear those police helicopters, you can’t concentrate.”

Many students complained about the university’s decision to put several academic programs, including Hispanic studies, “on pause,” meaning they are not accepting new undergraduates.

Some faculty members and students say that local politics have played a large role in the university’s problems.

Puerto Rico has its first Republican governor in decades, Luis G. Fortuño, a pro-statehood conservative who has cut the number of public employees by about 17,000. Last weekend, while the protesters were marching in the streets, Mr. Fortuño was in Washington as a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action conference.

Even in the lull from protests early this week, students and faculty members alike said they had no illusion that the situation had been resolved.

“We still have a very volatile situation,” said Maritza Stanchich, an English professor who has supported the students. “This all started out over anger about the new fees that were being imposed, but the issues have expanded to the style of governance and the lack of negotiation.”

While it is hard to predict what will happen next, some students may be changing their approach.

“What a lot of people are saying, and I believe too, is that we should be thinking about a movement of protest now, not really a strike,” said Omar Oduardo, a Student Council representative who spent all day at the social sciences department lobby, discussing the situation.

“Maybe stopping classes is working against the movement,” he added, “and it’s time to go outside the university, to the legislature and the community, to work for change.”

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

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Mainland

Threat of Government Shut Down March 4

By CARL HULSE

E

ven as the White House threatened a veto, House Republicans pushed ahead with plan to slice tens of billions from current federal spending, some arguing for even deeper cuts.

Members of the House majority acknowledged cutting spending $61 billion through Sept. 30 would touch virtually every corner of government, reducing popular services and eliminating federal jobs.

They said painful steps were necessary because of the federal deficit. “Over last two years, since President Obama has taken office, the federal government has added 200,000 new federal jobs,” Speaker John A. Boehner said.

“And if some of those jobs are lost in this, so be it. We’re broke.”

This debate is a contentious precursor to coming clashes over raising the federal debt limit and Mr. Obama’s budget proposal for 2012.

The administration promised a veto were the House measure to pass Congress, which seems unlikely given strong resistance in Senate controlled by Democrats.

“The bill proposes cuts that sharply undermine core government functions and investments key to economic growth and job creation, and would reduce funding for the Department of Defense to a level that would leave the department without the resources and flexibility needed to meet vital military requirements,” the White House said.

The current stopgap measure financing the government expires March 4. If the House and Senate are unable to come to an agreement before then or if the financing is not extended temporarily, federal agencies could

be shut down.

Even as Democrats attacked proposed cuts to programs that help economically struggling Americans and to initiatives involving education, the environment, housing and employment, Republicans lined up to make deeper reductions. The first amendment offered was a proposal to eliminate more than $18 million from the Pentagon budget.

But the proposal was defeated on a vote of 223 to 207 and other initial efforts to make deeper reductions failed as well.

Both parties pushing changes with more than 400 amendments proposed for a potentially free-wheeling debate scheduled to extend over three days.

The proposed amendments were both fiscal and ideological, including eliminating money for Planned Parenthood and preventing the federal government from blocking Arizona’s new immigration law. One Democratic amendment would ban the military from sponsorship of Nascar race cars.

Democrats heaped criticism on the spending plan, saying it was rushed together and bit too deeply into programs that were intended to increase employment and provide help for those who are suffering the effects of the sluggish economy. Representative Jim McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts, called the measure “reckless, thoughtless and heartless” and his colleagues promised to oppose it fiercely as well.

They attacked plan to cut home heating aid for lowincome residents in Northeast and Midwest, criticized sweeping cuts in community health programs and decried elimination of Clinton-era program to pay extra police officers in communities across country. Plan to reduce maxi-

mum Pell grants midyear $845 for millions of college students drew strong opposition.

Representative Donna Edwards noted reduction was about equal to cost of textbooks for the year, and suggested affected students “send book bills to speaker.”

Democrats, as well as Republicans, noted the push to rein in discretionary domestic spending will have little impact on deficit and debt since most red ink is result of mounting costs of social entitlement programs like Medicare.

“You will still have an operating deficit this year if we cut every nickel of discretionary spending,” Representative Steny H. Hoyer, the No. 2 House Democrat.

Democrats said cuts eliminate thousands of jobs across the country, exacerbating already high unemployment. They accused Mr. Boehner of acting callously in so easily accepting loss of federal jobs.

Republicans, acknowledging significant scope of cuts, said nation could no longer afford to keep spending at high levels and attacking deficit could lead to stable economy.

“This is about putting America back to work,” said Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the No. 3 House Republican.

House bill is certain to meet a hostile reception in Democratic-controlled Senate, where the leadership instead backs Mr. Obama’s call for a five-year freeze on domestic spending, a move they say would save an estimated $400 billion over a decade.

“Balancing the budget on the backs of really poor people and the middle class is what they’re trying to sneak in this legislation,” Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, said of the Republicans.

Mainland 10

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

Lawsuit Acuses Military of Rampid Sexual Abuse

By ASHLEY PARKER

A

federal lawsuit filed accuses the Department of Defense of allowing a military culture that fails to prevent rape and sexual assault, and of mishandling cases that were brought to its attention, thus violating the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights.

The suit — brought by 2 men and 15 women, both veterans and active-duty service members — specifically claims that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and his predecessor, Donald H. Rumsfeld, “ran institutions in Kori Cioca, in her lawyer’s office on Sunday, described being raped while serving in the Coast Guard. She is one of 17 plaintiffs filing a federal lawsuit against the Department of Defense.

which perpetrators were promoted and where military personnel openly mocked and flouted the modest Congressionally mandated institutional reforms.”

It also says the two defense secretaries failed “to take reasonable steps to prevent plaintiffs from being repeatedly raped, sexually assaulted and sexually harassed by federal military personnel.”

Myla Haider, a former Army sergeant and a plaintiff in the suit, said she was raped in 2002 while interning in Korea with the military’s Criminal Investigative Command. “It is an atmosphere of zero accountability in leadership, period,” she said an interview.

Ms. Haider, who appeared with other plaintiffs at a news conference earlier Tuesday at the National Press Club, said: “The policies that are put in place are extremely ineffectual. There was severe maltreatment in these cases, and there was no accountability whatsoever. And soldiers in general who make any type of complaint in the military are subject to retaliation and have no means of defending themselves.”

In the complaint, Ms. Haider said she did not report her rape because she “did not believe she would be able to obtain justice.” But she said she joined the suit because she wanted to “address the systematic punishment of soldiers who come forward with any type of complaint,” whether it involves sexual assault or posttraumatic stress disorder related to combat.

The plaintiffs’ stories in the complaint include accounts of a soldier stripping naked and dancing on a table during a break in a class on preventing sexual assault, physical and verbal harassment, and the rape of

a woman by two men who videotaped the assault and circulated it to the woman’s colleagues.

Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement that “sexual assault is a wider societal problem” and that Mr. Gates was working to ensure that the military was “doing all it can to prevent and respond to it.”

“That means providing more money, personnel, training and expertise, including reaching out to other large institutions, such as universities, to learn best practices,” Mr. Morrell said. “This is now a command priority, but we clearly still have more work to do in order to ensure all of our service members are safe from abuse.”

Though the suit, which was filed in Federal District Court in Virginia, seeks monetary damages, those involved with the case said their goal was an overhaul of the military’s judicial system regarding rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment.

“You should not have to be subjected to being raped or sexually assaulted because you volunteered to serve this nation,” said Susan L. Burke, the plaintiffs’ lead lawyer.

At the news conference Tuesday, Anuradha Bhagwati, a former Marine captain and executive director of the Service Women’s Action Network, called for a new system to improve accountability and provide other avenues for filing complaints.

“There are veterans who, after service, are literally reeling from post-traumatic stress” as a result of rape and sexual assault, she said in an interview. “It can be a lifelong process. We hear from veterans who are in their 50s and 60s who are still coping with the trauma of having been psychologically and physically tortured.”

Nationwide Day Honoring Charles Darwin

By AMY HARMON

T

here was trepidation on both sides when a squadron of biologists set out to celebrate Darwin Day in rural America during the weekend.

The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in Durham, N.C., which instigated the road trip in the name of scientific outreach, first held a workshop where seven of its Ph.D.’s staged role-playing games and practiced debunking misconceptions about evolution without sounding confrontational.

The group’s small-town hosts took their own precautions. A high school principal in Ringgold, Va., sent out permission slips so parents could opt out of sending their children to the event (two did). A museum vice president in Putnam, Iowa, publicized the festivities only to teachers, rather than risk riling members of her conservative Christian community.

Darwin Day, conceived as a way to promote science on the 202nd anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth — he was born Feb. 12, 1809 — had until this time been commemorated mostly by those inclined to science, at natural history museums, by secular humanist groups and in university biology departments.

“Maybe this year,” Jory P. Weintraub, the education director at the evolutionary synthesis center, proposed to his colleagues last fall, “we should try to go to places that wouldn’t otherwise have a Darwin Day.” Craig McClain, a marine biologist at the center who studies giant squid, was initially opposed.

“You want to send evolutionary biologists out to rural America?” Dr. McClain asked. “On purpose?”

He recalled previous clashes between scientists and religious conservatives in some rural communities over Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Nineteen schools agreed to host the scientists, but negotiating the terms of the visit was sometimes a delicate process: The goal, they assured a principal who worried about their ideological agenda, was simply to tell students why science was “cool” and perhaps interest them in a career. Still, if questions about religion and science arose, they reserved the right to answer them.

Of the 475 mid-February celebrations listed on the Web site DarwinDay. org, none had been scheduled in any of the states — Virginia, Nebraska, Montana, and Iowa — where the center’s scientists landed.

The center, which receives financing from the National Science Foundation, paired junior scientists with a senior scientist in each of the locations, “so they wouldn’t feel alone and isolated,” Dr. Weintraub said.

The road trip came on the heels of a study that found that a biblical explanation for the diversity of life on Earth is still taught in many schools.

Few of the nation’s biology teachers, the study found, directly tell students that evolution forms the foundation of modern biology.

Such statistics, along with rejection by many Americans of what scientists say is evidence that human activities are causing Earth to heat up, concern scientists: the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a major private funder of biomedical

research, recently announced plans to spend $60 million producing documentaries in an effort to raise the nation’s scientific awareness.

Poised for conflict, the traveling scientists found mostly curiosity. “Why did Darwin say that humans evolved from monkeys?” one Virginia student asked. (He did not, the scientist said.

Darwin said humans and monkeys shared a common ancestor, like all living things.)

Dr. McClain, who wrapped up his Nebraska-Montana tour at a middle school on Monday, found himself explaining how giant squid evolved.

“Smaller squids get eaten by everything,” he said. “It’s not a very good lifestyle to have.”

Shae Carter, 16, a 10th grader at Muscatine High School in Muscatine, Iowa, was pleasantly surprised by the visiting biologists who, she wrote on her blog, “told it like it is.”

When students recoiled and said “Ewww!” watching pictures of large jungle cats devouring their prey, the scientists told them: “This is what happens, people. Get professional.”

“I had imagined that these periods in the auditorium would be cold and boring,” Shae said in an interview. “But I liked it.”

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

11 Mainland

Obama, Conceding Budget’s Limitations, Seeks Consensus

By JACKIE CALMES

P

resident Obama conceded that his new budget does not do enough to resolve the nation’s long-term fiscal problems, but he counseled patience, suggesting that he would eventually come together with Republicans on a broad deal.

But, Mr. Obama said at a news conference, any such compromise to address Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and the tax system is months away and will first require an effort to build bipartisan trust — even as Democrats and Republicans battle intensely over how much to cut from the current year’s domestic spending.

The president spoke as Republicans on Capitol Hill accused him of a lack of leadership for not proposing a bolder budget for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. Yet behind the scenes are signs that both parties, for all their public crossfire, are reassessing the politics of deficits.

The debt crises last year in Greece and other European countries served as a warning about the economic perils of chronic budget imbalances, and the rise of the Tea Party movement reflected a broader concern among Americans about the nation’s rapidly mounting debt.

Now some Democrats and Republicans are re-examining whether the political risks of raising revenues and curbing the most popular social programs might be outweighed by the urgency of addressing the looming budget impact of an aging population and rapidly rising medical costs.

“The feeling to do genuine deficit reduction is greater on both sides of the aisle than I’ve ever seen it,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York.

“The question is meeting in the middle and throwing away the ideological baggage.”

The White House has already opened back-channel conversations to test Republicans’ willingness to negotiate about the soaring costs of Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security’s long-range solvency and

an income-tax code riddled with more than $1 trillion a year worth of loopholes and tax breaks.

The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, all but invited Mr. Obama on Tuesday to start huddling about the issues, and a bipartisan group of senators held a third meeting to write debt-reduction legislation based on the recommendations in December of the majority of a bipartisan fiscal commission established by the president.

“If you look at the history of how these deals get done, typically it’s not because there’s an ‘Obama Plan’ out there,” Mr. Obama said, citing deal-making precedents under Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, and his own tax cuts deal with Congressional Republicans in December.

“It’s because Democrats and Republicans are both committed to tackling this issue in a serious way.”

While no budget summit is imminent, Mr. Obama said he and Republican leaders are “going to be in discussions over the next several months.” He said moving forward required “a spirit of cooperation between Democrats and Republicans. And I think that’s possible.”

Yet it seems clear that the parties are not at that point, and the hurdles, in any case, are huge. The House began a bitter three-day debate about Republican leaders’ proposals to slash far more deeply into domestic programs than Mr. Obama or Senate Republicans are willing to accept.

Both parties are simultaneously positioning themselves for the 2012 elections, and many people on both sides are reluctant to cede political talking points — whether it is Democrats claiming Republicans want to privatize Social Security or Republicans insisting Democrats want only to raise taxes.

After much internal debate about the political risks, House Republican leaders announced that their own budget for fiscal year 2012, which begins Oct. 1, “will lead where the president has failed and include real entitlement reforms” in Medicare, Me-

dicaid and Social Security.

But in the Senate, Mr. McConnell signaled a different approach. He indicated he is ready to negotiate now with Mr. Obama to curb entitlement program costs, which, along with military spending and interest on the national debt, are driving projections of unsustainable debt in coming decades.

“It doesn’t have to be in public,” he said. “We all understand there are some limitations to negotiating significant agreements in public. But we’re still waiting for the president to lead.”

Republicans have been especially critical of Mr. Obama because his budget did not propose the sort of comprehensive and specific changes supported by the majority on his own fiscal commission, including for entitlement programs and overhauling the tax code.

Mr. Obama, on the defensive at his news conference, said it was wrong to say the fiscal commission’s majority report “has been shelved” and said “it still provides a framework for a conversation” between the parties.

But Mr. Obama also noted that while the commission majority was bipartisan, the dissenters included all three House Republican leaders who were members of the panel, including the new chairman of the House Budget Committee, Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin.

“He’s got a little bit of juice when it comes to trying to get an eventual budget done,” Mr. Obama said of Mr. Ryan. “So,” he added, “I’m going to have to have a conversation with him — what would he like to

see happen?”

Mr. Ryan in past years has proposed a fiscal plan that in the long-term would privatize Social Security and Medicare and reduce income taxes. But he never got much support from wary Republican colleagues and acknowledged in an interview this week that, as budget chairman, he is not likely to press his own plan.

Administration officials, in December, generally interpreted the opposition of Mr. Ryan and his two House Republican colleagues on the fiscal commission as evidence that their new House majority would be unwilling to compromise this year on a comprehensive deal that included new revenues and cuts to military spending.

But a few in the White House said Mr. Obama could try to exploit the apparent breach between the House and Senate Republicans — all three senators on the commission backed the majority plan.

Of the three Senate Republicans on the commission, two remain in office and both — Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Michael D. Crapo of Idaho — have continued to work with several Senate Democrats on a plan based on the commission report.

Their group of six senators met for a third time for two hours, to try to translate the recommendations into legislation.

“I think it’s going to take a number more meetings,” Mr. Crapo said afterward. “We do have a number of differences. But I think that we are actually making progress.”

Mr. Crapo said 25 to 30 senators, from both parties, were on the sidelines waiting to see if the six could reach agreement.

Mainland 12

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

Home Prices Slid, Except San Juan & Washington

By DAVID STREITFELD

R

eal estate prices slid again in December, pushing a leading price index within a whisper of its lowest level since the housing crash began.

The Standard & Poor’s/CaseShiller Home Price Index of 20 large metropolitan areas fell 1 percent in December from November, although the drop shrank to 0.4 percent when the data was adjusted for seasonal variations. The only cities that posted a monthly gain on an unadjusted basis were San Juan & Washington.

Robert Shiller and Karl Case, the economists who developed the index, said in a conference call that they held different opinions about where the market was headed.

Mr. Case said he thought the housing market was at “a rocky bottom with a down trend.” That made him the optimistic one.

Mr. Shiller, noting the unrest in the Middle East, a large backlog of foreclo-

sed houses, the uncertain future of the mortgage holding companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and proposals to reduce the mortgage tax deduction, saw “a substantial risk” of declines of “15 percent, 20 percent, 25 percent.”

The 20-city composite is currently off 31.2 percent from its peak. Many economists expect the market to fall another 5 to 10 percent in the next few months.

One data point that favored Mr. Case’s optimism: The adjusted declines in December and November were about half the drops in the previous two months, indicating the slide may be slowing its velocity.

Still, the combined plunge is taking a toll. Eleven cities in the index posted their lowest levels in December since home prices peaked in 2006 and 2007, up from 9 cities in November.

Phoenix and New York joined a list that includes Atlanta, Chicago and Seattle.

Also released Tuesday was the Case-Shiller quarterly index that covers all homes in the country. It showed pri-

ces fell 3.9 percent in the fourth quarter and 4.1 percent for all of 2010.

The Case-Shiller index is a threemonth moving average. It is now less than 3 percent above the low recorded in the spring of 2009, when there was widespread hope that the market was starting to recovery.

To accelerate the process, the Obama administration offered a carrot for new buyers: a tax credit. The credit did its job, causing hundreds of thousands of buyers to accelerate their purchases in the fall of 2009 and the spring of 2010. But the credit did not lay the groundwork for a permanent rebound.

In Puerto Rico third quarter 2010 incentives brought new buyers to the market.

“Most mainland cities are pretty much getting hit a second time for essentially the same reasons,” said Andrew LePage, an analyst with DataQuick Information Systems. “Slow economic recovery; little job growth; still-tight credit; no more government stimulus; a pervasive and gnawing sense that prices could fall more; too few people getting jobs and too many worrying about losing the one they have.”

Cleveland and Las Vegas joined perennially troubled Detroit in December in seeing their home prices fall below the level of January 2000. Both Cleveland and Las Vegas were areas overflowing with bad and fraudulent loans during the boom.

Risky Trip Gets Stardom & Sanctuary

By JULIA PRESTON

A

Honduran teenager gained fame as the star of a documentary film that showed the dangers faced by children who ride across Mexico atop freight trains to cross illegally to the United States. But the boy, Kevin Casasola, rode the trains again, and now he has been granted asylum in the United States, his lawyer said on Monday.

The documentary, “Which Way Home,” directed by Rebecca Cammisa, won an Emmy award for HBO last year and was nominated for an Oscar. Ms. Cammisa took her cameras onto the lurching trains, filming a cohort of children riding north as they dodged tunnels, trees and criminal predators, fighting loneliness and hunger. It tells of several children who died or disappeared along the way.

Kevin, who was 14 in the film, was its most appealing protagonist, with his daring clowning on freight car roofs and his determination to make it to the United States to find work so he could send money back to his mother. During the filming he was detained by American border agents and deported to Honduras. The documentary showed the desolation and need that drove him to leave his home village in the first place.

The documentary drew an outpouring of concern for the children to its Facebook page. Some Americans offered to adopt Kevin, although his mother figured prominently in the film and in his motives for riding the trains.

In Mexico, the impact was even greater, and Kevin became something of a legend. Ms. Cammisa sent the film to rural villages as a warning to restless teenagers that they should not attempt a similar trip. The country’s first lady, Margarita Zavala, helped distribute it, and during a state visit to Washington last May, she said that Mexican babies were being named Kevin as a result of its popularity.

Ms. Cammisa said she tried to persuade Kevin to stay in Honduras, using donations raised by the film to pay for him to take a course in mobile phone repair.

But last July, she said in an interview, Kevin called her from a detention center in California. After a two-month journey on the trains, he had crossed the border and was doing farm work near El Centro. He had been arrested by the local police,

who suspected he was an illegal immigrant.

Contacted by Ms. Cammisa, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, a private charity, found a volunteer lawyer, Raed Gonzalez of Houston. An asylum petition he presented for Kevin was granted by an immigration judge in January.

Since asylum proceedings are confidential, Mr. Gonzalez said he could not reveal the threat that was the basis for Kevin’s claim that he could not safely return to Honduras. The film provides a possible clue, showing a violent stepfather who spoke bluntly of his loathing for the boy.

Kevin, now 17, is in a shelter for minors in Houston, Mr. Gonzalez said, happy to be living legally in the United States. He is studying English and will go back to school, and eventually he will be placed in foster care. He has had a haircut, Mr. Gonzalez said, newly mindful of his image. Shelter authorities declined to allow him to be interviewed.

Border Patrol figures show that agents detained about 18,000 unaccompanied children crossing illegally into the United States in 2009. Most were sent back. Mr. Gonzalez said successful asylum claims like Kevin Casasola’s were rare.

Ms. Cammisa said that Kevin’s story showed the magnetic lure of the United States for many Mexican and Central American children. “Kevin was raised with an inner dialogue about coming to the U.S.,” she said. “His mother urged him to help his family.”

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

13 Mainland

Anxiety for Illegal Immigrant Students

By JULIA PRESTON

I

t was exhilarating for Maricela Aguilar to stand on the steps of the federal courthouse here one day last summer and reveal for the first time in public that she is an illegal immigrant.

“It’s all about losing that shame of who you are,” Ms. Aguilar, a college student who was born in Mexico but has lived in the United States without legal documents since she was 3 years old, said of her “coming out” at a rally in June.

Those were heady times for thousands of immigrant students who declared their illegal status during a nationwide campaign for a bill in Congress that would have put them on a path to legal residence. In December that bill, known as the Dream Act, passed the House, then failed in the Senate.

President Obama insisted in his State of the Union address he wanted to try again on the bill with Republicans who vehemently oppose the legislation holding crucial committee positions in the new House, optimists like Ms. Aguilar believe its chances are poor to none in the next two years.

That leaves students like her who might have benefited from the bill — an estimated 1.2 million nationwide — in a legal twilight.

The president says he supports their cause, and immigration officials say illegal immigrant students with no criminal record are not among their priorities for deportation. But federal immigration authorities removed a record number of immigrants from the country last year, nearly 393,000, while the local police are rapidly expanding their role in immigration enforcement. Students often get caught.

Illegal immigrants face new restrictions many states are imposing on access to public education, driver’s licenses and jobs.

For those like Ms. Aguilar who proclaim their illegal status, there is no going back to the shadows.

Republicans who will lead their party in the House on immigration issues say illegal immigrant students should not be spared from deportation. Representative Lamar Smith of Texas, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, led the opposition to the Dream Act, calling it “an American nightmare” that would allow illegal immigrants to displace American students from public colleges.

Mr. Smith and other Republicans on the Judiciary Committee have pledged to block any legislation giving legal status to illegal immigrants, which they reject as amnesty for lawbreakers. Still, as Politico first reported on Monday, Senators Charles E. Schumer of New York, a Democrat, and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Republican, have begun preliminary talks to see whether there is enough support in Congress to try to pass a comprehensive immigration overhaul in coming months.

In the weeks since the Senate vote, many young illegal immigrants are grappling with the letdown after a campaign that mobilized thousands of them for sit-in protests and text message blitzes of Congressional lawmakers.

“Many have become extremely frustrated, sad, confused and without a lot of answers as to how to move forward,” said Roberto G. Gonzales, a sociologist at the University of Washington who has surveyed young illegal immigrants. “They had a lot of hope that their activities were going to change the minds of the country. Having the door slammed in their face hit many of them really hard.”

A moment of truth, Mr. Gonzales said, comes when the students graduate from college. Many excel academically, but without work authorization, they cannot be legally employed. Some immigrants with bachelor’s degrees end up busing restaurant dishes and cleaning offices, falling back on the jobs of their less educated parents, who often struggled to put them through college.

Hostility toward illegal immigrants has grown in many states. Lawmakers in Georgia and Virginia are considering measures to ban illegal immigrants from all public colleges. Bills to deny state resident tuition rates to illegal immigrants are under consideration here in Wisconsin, as well as in Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska and Indiana. Only a few states, like Colorado and Maryland, are going the opposite direction, debating measures to allow illegal immigrants to pay the lower in-state tuition rates.

In the absence of a student bill in Congress, Obama administration officials are doing little to assist illegal immigrants who might be eligible for legal status if it passed. Department of Homeland Security officials said they would continue to reject any broad moratorium on deportations for those students.

Immigration agents have been instructed to focus on arresting immigrants who are convicted criminals, implicitly steering away from students without criminal records. When students do get caught, officials are using executive powers to postpone or cancel their deportations, they said.

Brian P. Hale, the senior spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the agency “uses discretion on a case by case basis, as appropriate.”

But senior administration officials said they did not want to make wider use of those powers for fear of deepening the conflict with Mr. Smith and other Republicans, who might try to limit the authority granted by immigration law and further stiffen their opposition to measures like the Dream Act. The officials spoke anonymously, saying they could discuss policy more freely that way.

The strategizing in Washington is doing little for Ms. Aguilar, 19, a junior at Marquette University here.

“If your name is out there immediately attached with ‘undocumented,’ then there is always this fear of being deported,” she said.

But Ms. Aguilar said she was not as dispirited as many other students like her because she still felt the elation that came after she revealed her illegal status, then traveled to Washington to watch the December vote from the Senate gallery.

“I think losing the shame overshadows the fear,” she said. “I’d much rather

clarify to the public that being undocumented is just a circumstance I find myself in. I’d much rather have that out in the public than just living in fear.”

Immigrant activists say that coming out may have given some protection to student leaders like Ms. Aguilar, since administration officials would prefer to avoid the furor that would follow if one of them was detained. Ms. Aguilar also admits she has not yet had to face some of the hardest consequences of her status. An honors student in her Milwaukee high school, she was accepted to Marquette, a private Jesuit university, on a full tuition scholarship.

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The San Juan Weeekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

Web of Popularity, Achieved by Bullying

By TARA PARKER-POPE

F

or many teenagers navigating the social challenges of high school, the ultimate goal is to become part of the “popular” crowd.

But new research suggests that the road to high school popularity can be treacherous, and that students near the top of the social hierarchy are often both perpetrators and victims of aggressive behavior involving their peers.

The latest findings, being published this month in The American Sociological Review, offer a fascinating glimpse into the social stratification of teenagers. The new study, along with related research from the University of California, Davis, also challenges the stereotypes of both high school bully and victim.

Highly publicized cases of bullying typically involve chronic harassment of socially isolated students, but the latest studies suggest that various forms of teenage aggression and victimization occur throughout the social ranks as students jockey to improve their status.

The findings contradict the notion of the school bully as maladjusted or aggressive by nature. Instead, the authors argue that when it comes to mean behavior, the role of individual traits is “overstated,” and much of it comes down to concern about status.

“Most victimization is occurring in the middle to upper ranges of status,” said the study’s author, Robert Faris, an assistant professor of sociology at U.C. Davis. “What we think often is going on is that this is part of the way kids strive for status. Rather than going after the kids on the margins, they might be targeting kids who are rivals.”

Educators and parents are often unaware of the daily stress and aggression with which even socially well-adjusted students must cope.

“It may be somewhat invisible,” Dr. Faris said. “The literature on bullying has so focused on this one dynamic of repeated chronic antagonism of socially isolated kids that it ignores these other forms of aggression. It’s entirely possible that one act, one rumor spread on the Internet could be devastating.”

In a series of studies, some still awaiting publication, the U.C. Davis researchers asked 3,722 eighth to 10th graders in three counties in North Carolina to name their five best friends. Then the students were asked whether they had ever been a target of aggressive behavior by their peers — including physical violence, verbal abuse and harassment, rumors and gossip, or ostracism — and whether they had engaged in such behavior themselves.

The researchers used the data to construct complex social maps of the schools, tracking groups of friends and identifying the students who were consistently at the hub of social life. “It’s not simply the number of friends the kid has, it’s who their friends are,” Dr. Faris said. “The kids we’re talking about are right in the middle of things.”

Using the maps, the researchers tracked the students most often accused of aggressive behavior. They found that increases in social status were associated with subsequent increases in aggression. But notably, aggressive behavior peaked at the 98th percentile of popularity and then dropped.

“At the very top you start to see a reversal — the kids in the top 2 percent are less likely to be aggressive,” Dr. Faris said.

“The interpretation I favor is that they no longer need to be aggressive because they’re at the top, and further aggression could be counterproductive, signaling insecurity with their social position.

“It’s possible that they’re incredibly friendly and everybody loves them and they were never mean, but I’m not so convinced

by that, because there are so many kids right behind them in the hierarchy who are highly aggressive.”

Over all, the research shows that about a third of students are involved in aggressive behavior. In another paper presented last year, Dr. Faris reported that most teenage aggression is directed at social rivals — “maybe one rung ahead of you or right beneath you,” as he put it, “rather than the kid who is completely unprotected and isolated.”

“It’s not to say those kids don’t get picked on, because they do,” he said. “But the overall rate of aggression seems to increase as status goes up. What it suggests is that a student thinks they get more benefit to going after somebody who is a rival.”

The research offers a road map for educators struggling to curb bullying and aggression both inside and outside of school.

One option may be to enlist the support of students who aren’t engaged in bullying — those at the very top of the social ladder, and the two-thirds who don’t bully.

Richard Gallagher, director of the Parenting Institute at the New York University Child Study Center, said the research added to a growing body of scientific literature documenting the role that popularity plays in aggressive teasing and bullying behavior.

“It does highlight that it’s a typical behavior that’s used in establishing social networks and status,” said Dr. Gallagher, an

associate professor of child and adolescent psychiatry. “Schools and parents need to be tuned into this as a behavior that occurs all the time. It means that school districts need to have policies that deal with this, and I think it means also that we need to turn to the adolescents for some of the solutions.”

Dr. Gallagher said that although results had been mixed, some research showed that schools could reduce bullying and aggression by enlisting the help of students as well as administrators.

“It’s not likely to eliminate it completely, but it’s likely to decrease its occurrence,” he said. “The programs that have been successful are the ones that get kids to stop being passive bystanders who go along with teasing or bullying. Efforts have been made to get the popular kids to say, ‘This is not cool.’ ” Dr. Faris said he planned to conduct new research that would match the social maps with yearbooks to better document a school’s social hierarchy. A related study, he added, also suggests that it’s not just popularity that influences aggressive behavior, but how much the student cares about being popular.

“Historically, all the attention has been on the mental health deficiencies of the bullies,” he said. “We need to direct more attention to how aggression is interwoven into the social fabric of these schools.”

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The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011 Ave. Muñoz Marín, Caguas, P.R. 00725 (Al lado Ja

A Country Dog Charms the Big Show in the City

By KATIE THOMAS

H

ickory the Scottish deerhound is a country dog who prefers to spend her days on a 50-acre farm in Flint Hill, Va., chasing rabbits and deer.

But the big city treated her well Tuesday night when she won Best in Show at the 135th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, becoming the first Scottish deerhound to win the top prize.

“She went in there tonight and she showed like she’s never shown before,” her handler, Angela Lloyd, said. “She was solid and steady and even through all of the lights and cameras and the noise and spotlights, she came right through it.”

Hickory eventually grew tired of the paparazzi glare, pressing her head into Lloyd’s side as dozens of cameras clicked. Photographers herded closer for a better shot, until one seasoned dog photographer yelled for calm.

“Back up people!” she shouted. “This is a deerhound!”

During the post-victory news conference, Lloyd blew gently on the dog’s snout to keep her cool, and laughed indulgently when Hickory decided to walk off the stage.

“All dogs are easy to love,” said Lloyd, 31, a professional handler who won the junior competition at Westminster in 1998. “But sometimes you find one where everything clicks. She is certainly one of those dogs.”

Hickory, whose official name is Grand Champion Foxcliffe Hickory Wind, has had a distinguished career in five years, having taken home more than a dozen other best in shows and earning the title of top-ranked Scottish deerhound for the previous three years. She is owned by Sally Sweatt of Minneapolis and her breeders, Cecilia and Robert Dove, on whose farm she lives when she is not on the show circuit.

Hickory takes over the Best in Show title from Sadie,

a 4-year-old Scottish terrier.

The other contestants for Best in Show included Malachy, an ambling Pekingese who represented toy dogs; Mister Baggins, a bearded collie from the herding category; Jayne, a Chinese Shar-Pei who was named top non-sporting dog; Adam, a smooth-fox terrier who took the terrier group; Ladybug, a Portuguese water dog who won the working category; and Beckham, a black cocker spaniel who represented the sporting group.

Paolo Dondina, the Best in Show judge, said the competition was stiff, but ultimately he settled on Hickory.

“This one feels perfectly the standard in all the ways,” said Dondina, who is the first Italian to judge the top prize.

“I am a hound person. I had Afghans, I had whippets, I had Irish wolfhounds. I never owned a deerhound. This is my dream.”

The Scottish deerhound, an almost ghostly dog that seems to glide as it walks, has a history that dates to the 16th or 17th century. In its early days, only royalty with the rank of earl or higher were permitted to own the dogs. The American Kennel Club, which first recognized the breed in 1886, describes the dogs as having a “quiet and dignified” personality, but warns that the dog may “try to chase any furry animals that run past him.”

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To keep her happy on (787) 744-0829 the road, Lloyd said Hic(787) 662-9081 kory sleeps in a fluffy bed at the hotel and gets extra biscuits.

“She demands love,” she said. “You could be sitting watching TV and she’ll come up and nudge you, and when I mean nudge you, I mean really throw your arm up in the air. You better not be holding something to drink.”

She also likes to nudge Lloyd in the middle of the night.

When Hickory is on the road, “She always knows she can get away with most things,” Lloyd said. “She’s a diva.”

Hickory will need to channel her inner celebrity to survive a news media gantlet Wednesday — her scheduled appearances begin at 6:30 a.m. and include the “Today” show, Martha Stewart’s show, Fox News and a “steak on a platter” lunch at Sardi’s.

Then she can relax. Westminster was Hickory’s retirement show, Lloyd said, because her owners plan to breed her this spring. Lloyd said she knows Hickory will enjoy a full-time life on the farm, but “I’m going to miss that nose nudge in the middle of the night.”

At Westminster Dog Show, Familiar Breeds Get Little Respect

By KATIE THOMAS

I

n the hours before a dog competes at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, tensions can mount as owners and handlers furiously prepare their canine divas for the ring. Hair is blown straight or teased into fanciful poufs. Snouts and paws are daubed with talcum powder. Wayward hairs and whiskers are trimmed with precision.

Over by the Labrador retrievers, owners and handlers lunched on hamburgers and mingled with their neighbors before their competition Tuesday afternoon. Orange power cords dangled idly from the ceiling. The dogs napped in their crates.

Meili, a yellow Lab from Brooklyn, had spent the morning playing in Marine Park. Her owners, Micki Beerman and Linda Pensabene, did not bother to give her a bath, let alone trim her whiskers or toenails.

“We just made sure she didn’t have any more sand on her face,” Pensabene said as she wiped Meili’s muzzle with her hand.

The Labrador retriever is the most popular breed in the United States, according to American Kennel Club registration statistics. And yet, when set against a West-

minster backdrop of elegant Afghans, jaded poodles, lumbering St. Bernards and impertinent Pomeranians, the humble Labrador retriever can get lost in the crowd.

So perhaps it is not surprising that the Labrador retriever has never won Best in Show in Westminster’s 135 years. Other breeds better known as pets have also been overlooked. The golden retriever has never won, either, and the German shepherd and the pug have only won once apiece. In 2008, Uno the beagle became a household name after he was the first of his breed to win the top prize.

Jenifer Haekl, who was showing her pug, Newman, on Monday, said pugs, too, are not properly respected. She does little to prepare Newman, other than feeding him a diet of luxury dog food and chicken livers and shampooing him with Suave the night before shows. “There really is not a lot you can do,” she said.

The story is the same for Maxxim, a beagle owned by Victoria Braddock. She washed him for Westminster because he had recently been digging in dirty snow, but otherwise, he only gets a bath “when he starts smelling like a dog.”

Maxxim does get his nails trimmed, along with the stray hairs along his throat and the tip of his tail. Still, she said, “You are supposed to be able to take them from the field to the show ring.”

Wendi Huttner owns Wes, a 7-yearold black Lab who visits five elementary school classes a week in Richboro, Pa. Sometimes, Huttner wonders about the highmaintenance dogs who spend their lives on the road.

“I see them walking with towels on their backs and with their ears pinned down and I wonder what kind of life they have,” she said.

Huttner says Labs and other ordinary dogs suffer precisely because they are so wash and wear.

“I think they’re too plain for the judges,” she said. “They look for something with flowing hair — more curb appeal for the audience.”

Labrador and other family-pet owners take pride in their dogs, of course. They note that outside the show ring, Labradors are all-purpose dogs, skilled at guiding the blind, performing search-and-rescue missions, sniffing out bombs and excelling at

nearly everything they are asked to do.

“It doesn’t go: ‘Me! Me! Me! Me!’ ” said Sue Willumsen, a show judge who has been breeding Labradors for three decades.

“It’s not a ‘ta-da’ dog. It says, ‘Let’s go out hunting.’ ” Because golden and Labrador retrievers are in the sporting group at Westminster, judges look for fitness and muscle tone.

Sandy Nordstrom and Bob Ashenbrenner feed their golden retriever, Benny, a diet of raw bison, chicken and ground vegetables, and put him through regular workouts. He likes to romp through the brush near their home in Austin, Tex. Even so, “if we brought him in with thistles in his coat, he probably wouldn’t win,” Ashenbrenner said.

Still, some Labrador owners say their breed is overdue for a big win. “I think it’s a cold shoulder, because Labs are the No. 1 breed,” said Eileen Ketcham, whose sister, Susan, was showing Sam, a 3-year-old black Labrador.

Pensabene made much the same point. “It makes me crazy, because how many Irish water spaniels do we have?” she said.

“They always go for the flashy, and Labradors are just a good, reliable, sturdy dog.”

Wine

16

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

Can Côtes du Rhônes Take the Heat?

“Best Pizza in the World.” It’s completely empty. The fourth says, “Best Pizza on the Block.” It’s packed.

By ERIC ASIMOV

O

NCE upon a time you knew what you were getting when you opened a Côtes du Rhône. More than likely it would be a light-bodied red with flavors of spicy fruit and Provençal herbs.

While these Côtes du Rhônes of old might have varied from undistinguished to highly pleasing, you knew that you could order a carafe, a bottle, maybe even two, and expect a wine that would go down easily. Indeed, Côtes du Rhône became something of a synonym for blithe, gulpable bistro wines.

For better or sometimes for worse, those days are largely gone. On the plus side, the quality of grape-growing and winemaking in the Côtes du Rhône areas has greatly improved in the last 25 years.

Rather than selling grapes to cooperatives, more growers are making their own wines, and making them seriously, with reduced yields and greater care. Far fewer Côtes du Rhônes are thin and dilute, while far more are wines of character.

What could be wrong? Well, when improved methods aimed at making wines of greater concentration collide with the sort of very warm vintages that have become more frequent in the era of climate change, then you may well have something unanticipated in the glass.

The wine panel recently tasted 20 bottles of Côtes du Rhône from the very warm 2009 vintage, and we were frankly underwhelmed. For the tasting Florence Fabricant and I were joined by Alexander LaPratt, the sommelier at db Bistro Moderne in Midtown Manhattan, and Jordan Salcito, a sommelier at the Lion in Greenwich Village.

While we all found wines we liked, we agreed that this was not nearly our ideal Côtes du Rhône vintage. Many of the wines were full of dense ultra-ripe fruit flavors.

Taken to an extreme, some were powerfully jammy and overly alcoholic. We found a great deal of sweetness, and only the occasional herbal touch. Unless you are a fan of these sorts of wines, you will have to be very careful to find 2009 Côtes du Rhônes with characteristic drinkability.

In the tasting we had 15 ordinary Côtes du Rhône and 5 Côtes du RhôneVillages, an elevated appellation permitted to grapes grown in certain areas. Within those areas, 17 villages are allowed to add their name to the appellation. Theoretically, ordinary Côtes du Rhônes can come from any designated area in the Rhône region, north or south. Practically speaking, however, the vast majority of Côtes du Rhônes come from the southern Rhône region.

Tasting Report Domaine de l’Olivette Chusclan, $14,

✩✩✩

Côtes du Rhône-Villages Excellence 2009 Bright and balanced with well-structured, spicy fruit flavors. (Vintage Trading, New York)

BEST VALUE

With the exception of those few Côtes du Rhône from the syrah-centric northern Rhône, the wines are mandated to be at least 40 percent grenache, with Côtes du Rhône-Villages at least 50 percent. Grenache, of course, is the dominant grape of the south, and is particularly susceptible to jamminess and high alcohol in warm vintages.

As an illustration of how the appellations have evolved, the minimum required alcohol for a Côtes du Rhône is 11 percent, and for a Côtes du Rhône-Villages it is 12.5 percent. The minimum requirements in most appellations were set in another era, however, when the world was cooler and grapes were habitually picked when less ripe, and at higher yields, resulting in lower alcohol levels. But for what it’s worth, these 2009 wines left those levels far in the dust. Most of the wines in the tasting were well above 14 percent alcohol, and several were well above 15 percent.

Despite the high proportion of wines that we found candied and confected, we were certainly able to find others that were balanced and enjoyable, none more so than our overall favorite, the Domaine de l’Olivette Chusclan Côtes du Rhône-Villages. With its bright fruit flavors, this wine appropriately showed the character of the vintage, but it was not heavy, showed some spiciness that added complexity and possessed sufficient tannins to give shape to the fruitiness.

At $14, the Domaine de l’Olivette was an excellent value. But our No. 2 wine, the Petit Chapeau Côtes du Rhône, was an even better one at $11. With an alcohol level of 14.5 percent, it was not shy. But it offered an usual amount of complexity at this price level, with smoky, herbal, earthy flavors to counter the fruit.

Many of our other favorites were successful because the producers were

able to find ways of preserving structure in the wines. Our No. 3, Domaine de Marcoux, offered plenty of red fruit flavors but was light-bodied, lightly tannic and spicy rather than syrupy and sweet. The Cuvée les Trois Soeurs from Domaine les Grands Bois offered an abundance of sweet raspberry flavors, tempered by some welcome bitterness.

We found balance, too, in the Côtes du Rhône-Villages Les Laurentides from Domaine Gramenon, our No. 8 wine. But at 15.5 percent alcohol, this wine was too powerful for me to imagine enjoying. As desirable as balance is, finesse would be welcome, too.

The one wine in our tasting that reminded us of the Côtes du Rhône bistro wines of old was the Perrin & Fils Réserve, our No. 9 bottle. Why so low in the rankings? Those old-style wines were decidedly not ambitious. They did not offer much in the way of complexity or depth.

They were simply wines that were a pleasure to knock back, without much thought.

The fruit flavors show the ripeness that a warm vintage ought to display, without the jamminess that marred too many in our tasting.

In some ways, the Perrin & Fils Côtes du Rhône demonstrates the folly of issuing scores to wines. Even though eight other bottles were ranked above it, I could not say that, at a simple dinner at home on, say, a Thursday night, I would choose one of those over the Perrin & Fils. Context is crucial.

The Perrin & Fils reminds me of an old cartoon, from Mad magazine, if I remember correctly. Four pizza parlors are side by side on the same city block. The first one’s sign says, “Best Pizza in the City.” It has only one table of customers inside. The second says, “Best Pizza in the Country.”

It has just two full tables. The third says,

Petit Chapeau, $11, ✩✩✩ Côtes du Rhône 2009 Surprising complexity, with restrained flavors of smoky, earthy fruit and herbs. (A Daniel Johnnes Selection/Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, N.Y.) Domaine de Marcoux, $23, ✩✩✩ Côtes du Rhône 2009 Lingering flavors of spicy red fruit, balanced by tannic structure. (An Eric Solomon Selection/European Cellars, Charlotte, N.C.) Jean-Pierre Boisson Domaine, $12, ✩✩ ½ du Père Caboche Côtes du Rhône 2009 Plush yet well balanced, with appealing blend of earthy fruit and herbal flavors.

(Monsieur Touton Selection, New York) Chapoutier Côtes du Rhône, $10, ✩✩ ½ Belleruche 2009 Like a mini-Châteauneuf, with plenty of sweet fruit and anise flavors. (Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, Ill.) Domaine les Grands Bois Côtes du Rhône, $16, ✩✩ ½ Cuvée les Trois Soeurs 2009 Nice blend of sweet fruit and pleasantly bitter flavors. (Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, Pa.) Domaine Patrice Magni, $17, ✩✩ Côtes du Rhône La Cueillette 2009 Soft, sweet red fruit and a touch of oak, held together by light tannins. (Domaine Select Wine Estates, New York) Domaine Gramenon, $30, ✩✩ Côtes du Rhône-Villages Les Laurentides 2009 Ultra-ripe and almost jammy, yet with an earthy aroma and pleasing tannins.

(Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, Calif.)

Perrin & Fils Côtes du Rhône, $13, ✩✩ Réserve 2009 Balanced, straightforward, enjoyable old-school bistro wine. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, Ala.) Domaine Beau Mistral Rasteau, $29, ✩✩ Côtes du Rhône-Villages Vieilles Vignes 2009 Direct, unmediated hit of deep, ripe raspberry fruit. (The Petit Pois Corporation, Moorestown, N.J.)

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

17

ART

Auguste Rodin’s

Gates of Hell

T

he Gates of Hell (French: ‘’La Porte de l’Enfer’’) is a monumental sculptural group work by French artist Auguste Rodin that depicts a scene from “The Inferno”, the first section of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. It stands at 6 m high, 4 m wide and 1 m deep (19.69’H × 13.12’W × 3.29’D) and contains 180 figures. The figures range from 15 cm high up to more than one metre. Several of the figures were also cast independently by Rodin.

History

The sculptural was commissioned by the Directorate of Fine Arts in 1880 and was meant to be delivered in 1885.

Rodin would continue to work on and off on this project for 37 years, until his death in 1917.

The Directorate asked for an inviting entrance to a planned Decorative Arts Museum with the theme being left to Rodin’s selection. Even before this commission, Rodin had developed sketches of some of Dante’s characters based on his admiration of Dante’s Inferno.

The Decorative Arts Museum was

never built. Rodin worked on this project on the ground floor of the Hôtel Biron.

Near the end of his life, Rodin donated sculptures, drawings and reproduction rights to the French government. In 1919, two years after his death, The Hôtel Biron became the Musée Rodin housing a cast of The Gates of Hell and related works.

Inspiration for The Gates of Hell

A work of the scope of the Gates of Hell had not been attempted before, but inspiration came from Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise at the Baptistery of St. John, Florence. The 15th century bronze doors depict figures from the Old Testament. Another source of inspiration were medieval cathedrals. Some of those combine both high and low relief. Also Rodin was inspired by Delacroix’s painting Dante and Virgil Crossing the Styx, Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment, Honoré de Balzac’s book La Comedié Humanine, and Baudelaire’s Les Fleurs du Mal. In an article by Serge Basset printed in Le Martin in 1890, Rodin Said: “For a

whole year I lived with Dante, with him alone, drawing the circles of his inferno.

At the end of this year, I realized that while my drawing rendered my vision of Dante, they had become too remote from reality. So I started all over again, working from nature, with my models.”

Outstanding figures

• The Thinker (Le Penseur), also called The Poet, is located above the door panels. One interpretation suggests that it might represent Dante looking down to the characters in the Inferno. Another interpretation is that the Thinker is Rodin himself meditating about his composition. Others believe that the figure may be Adam, contemplating the destruction brought upon mankind because of his sin.

Continues on page 74

ART

18

February 24 - March 2, 2011

The San Juan Weekly

Comes from page 73 • The Kiss (Le Baiser) was originally in The Gate along with other figures of Paolo and Francesca da Rimini. Rodin wanted to represent their initial joy as well as their final damnation. He removed the figure that became known as The Kiss because it seemed to contrast along with the other suffering figures.

• Ugolino and His Children (Ugolin et ses enfants) depicts Ugolino della Gherardesca, who according to the story, ate the corpses of his children after they died by starvation. (Dante, Inferno, Canto XXXIII) The Ugolino group was cast as a separate bronze in 1882.

• The Three Shades (Les trois Ombres), which was originally 98 cm high.

The over-life size group was initially made of three independent figures in 1899. Later on Rodin replaced one hand in the figures to fuse them together, in the same form as the smaller version. The figures originally pointed to the phrase “Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate” (“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here”) from Canto 3 of the Inferno.

• Fugitive Love (Fugit Amor ) is located on the right door pane, it is one of several figures of lovers that represent Paolo and Francesca da Rimini. The male

in 1882, is among the second set of figures on the extreme right portion of the door. figure is also called The Prodigial.

• Eternal Springtime was cast in • Paolo and Francesca is shown 1884. on the left door pane. Paolo tries to reach Francesca, who seems to slip away.

• Meditation appears on the rightmost part of the Tympanum, shown as an enlarged figure in 1896.

• The Old Courtesan is a bronze cast from 1910 of an aged, naked female body. The sculpture is also called She Who Was Once the Helmet-Maker’s Beautiful Wife (Celle qui fut la belle heaulmière).

This title is taken from a poem that was written by François Villon.

• I Am Beautiful (Je Suis Belle), cast

• Adam and Eve. Rodin asked the directorate for additional funds for the independent sculptures of Adam and Eve that were meant to frame The Gates of Hell.

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

19

New York Times Editorial 30 Steps to Better Government

By GENE L. DODARO

C

ALLS for greater government efficiency are nothing new in Washington. But with President Obama and Congress now debating budgets for both the rest of this year and the next, with the economy yet to fully recover from the recent recession and with our government’s finances still on an unsustainable longterm path, the need to wring every dollar out of the federal budget and ensure that taxpayers are getting their money’s worth has never been greater. How, though, do you find these savings?

Today, the Government Accountability Office is issuing its updated roadmap to confronting waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement. Since we started this list of programs at high risk of such problems two decades ago, our office has come to update it with each new Congress, and history shows that sustained, focused oversight from lawmakers and administration officials can save billions of dollars and improve services. But while over onethird of the programs we listed previously have come off the list over the years, dozens of others have moved onto it. The latest high-risk list presents 30 areas ripe for Congress and President Obama to take action.

One new area on the list is the Interior Department’s management of oil and gas leases and royalties, which are among the largest sources of non-tax revenue to the federal government. One reason this area is at risk is that the department does not have reasonable assurance that all revenues are being collected. Indeed, in 2008, the G.A.O. reported that the Interior Department had not conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the federal oil and gas revenue system in more than 25 years, despite significant changes in the oil and gas industry.

We have also pointed out that royalty collection relied too heavily on companyreported oil and gas production figures. In fiscal years 2006 and 2007 we found that much of the data reported by oil and gas companies appeared erroneous, resulting in millions in uncollected fees. And the proportion of revenues that the government collected for oil and gas produced in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a major study, was lower than for 93 of 104 other owners of such resources.

In recent years, the G.A.O. has made more than 50 recommendations to the interior secretary to improve the department’s revenue collection and hiring, training and retaining staff policies and modify its practices for managing oil and gas resources.

The Interior Department has been acting

on some of these recommendations — but there were many more that still need to be put into effect. As the G.A.O. and other institutions continue to examine these issues, additional problems and recommendations will likely be identified as well.

We are also dropping two issues from the high-risk list: the Department of Defense’s personnel security clearance program, which processes hundreds of thousands of security clearances annually for service members and civilians, and the 2010 Census. Both dealt sufficiently with identified vulnerabilities to warrant their removal. Three factors contributed to this success: high-level support from agencies, clear measures with which to gauge progress and strong Congressional oversight.

Credit goes to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for holding the agencies involved accountable.

Several other items remaining on the high-risk list illustrate the magnitude of the potential savings that are possible.

For example, the Medicare and Medicaid programs need to add better detection and controls to curtail billions of dollars in improper payments.

In fiscal year 2010 alone, Medicare had estimated improper payments of almost $48 billion; this estimate did not include improper payments in its prescription drug benefit program, for which the agency has not yet determined a total amount. And because Medicare remains on a path that is fiscally unsustainable over the long term, there is heightened pressure to improve its payment methods, as well as its management and oversight of program operations and patient care.

As for Medicaid, it has taken steps to improve transparency and reduce improper payments in recent years, but more can be done. Improper payments to providers that submit inappropriate claims can result in substantial financial losses to states and the federal government. The Department of Health and Human Services has estimated a national improper payment rate for Medicaid of 9.4 percent (with the federal share estimated at $22.5 billion) for fiscal year 2010.

Certain services may be more susceptible than others to improper payments.

For example, in 2009 the G.A.O. found that Medicaid beneficiaries and providers were involved in potentially wasteful or abusive purchases of controlled substances in five selected states. Specifically, we found that Medicaid paid over $2 million in controlled substance prescriptions during fiscal years 2006 and 2007 that were written or filled by 65 medical practitio-

ners and pharmacies barred, excluded or both from federal health care programs, including Medicaid.

As a result, the G.A.O. recommended that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issue guidelines to states for processes that better prevent payment of improper claims for controlled substances in Medicaid. The agency generally agreed with our recommendations — yet such guidance had not been issued by the end of last year.

Billions more could flow to the Treasury through better enforcement of the tax laws and closing the gap between taxes owed and paid. Typically, about 84 percent of owed taxes are paid voluntarily and on time; in its most recent estimate, for 2001, the I.R.S. said the resulting net gap was $290 billion. Congress and the I.R.S. have taken innovative actions aimed at further improving tax compliance. The I.R.S. last year began putting in place regulations covering paid tax return preparers, an important step given the critical role they play in helping taxpayers meet their tax obligations. Congress also passed laws that require financial institutions to report information on foreign bank accounts, the cost basis of securities and merchants’ credit card receipts.

Greater attention also needs to be paid to how the Pentagon acquires weapon systems. Each year, investments totaling hundreds of billions of dollars too often produce military equipment that is over budget, behind schedule or unable to meet the needs of our troops. The Government Accountability Office has previously reported that the growth in projected costs on the Defense Department’s fiscal year 2008 portfolio of 96 defense acquisition programs was more than $303 billion (adjusted for inflation). In addition, the average delay in delivering initial capability was 22 months.

For 42 programs the G.A.O. assessed in depth in 2010, there was continued improvement in the amount of knowledge the department had on the technology, design and manufacturing of these weapons programs at key points in the acquisition process. Most programs, however, were still proceeding with less knowledge than best practices suggest, putting them at higher risk for cost growth and schedule delays.

Congress and top officials responsible for programs on the high-risk list have been willing to address these issues. For example, in 2009, Congress required that the Defense Department’s weapons acquisition programs now reflect the basic elements of a knowledge-based acquisition approach and that programs with excessi-

ve cost growth be terminated. In addition, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has proposed canceling major defense acquisition programs that have been plagued with cost and schedule problems.

OUR list also includes programs that are at risk not for financial reasons but because they need better management or broad transformation. Take information security, which the G.A.O. first identified as a government-wide problem in 1997.

Our office in 2003 expanded this high-risk area to include critical elements — like power distribution, water supply, telecommunications and emergency services — that rely extensively on computerized information systems and electronic data to carry out their operations.

The security of these systems and data is essential to protecting national and economic security, and public health and safety; and at the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and numerous other federal agencies, progress is being made. But cyber threats are growing and evolving, reported security incidents are rising and significant security deficiencies pervade federal systems that jeopardize the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the federal government’s security and the information they process.

In addition, the administration and executive branch agencies have not yet fully carried out key actions that are intended to improve the current United States approach to cybersecurity: developing a comprehensive national strategy for addressing global cybersecurity and governance; creating a national and federal research and development agenda for improving cybersecurity; carrying out the near- and mid-term actions recommended by the 2009 cybersecurity policy review directed by the president and updating the national strategy for securing the information and communications infrastructure.

Top agency officials and the Office of Management and Budget have been working with the Government Accountability Office to make greater progress on the high-risk list, and continued Congressional oversight has been essential to this progress. By focusing on oversight and acting to reform these programs on the high-risk list, Congress and the White House send an important message: the public must receive the best possible return on every tax dollar spent. Closing our nation’s fiscal gap will require broader budgetary changes and shared contributions. Greater efficiency and effectiveness in government can help ease that burden on the American people while preserving vital programs of importance to us all.

20 February 24 - March 2, 2011

The San Juan Weeekly

LETTERS and the resulting 25,000 young corpses.

Puerto Rico TV Commercials

Ding Ochoa, Hato Rey

The general public in Puerto Rico who are football fans look forward to seeing the new and innovative commercials created for the Superbowl audience. Unfortunately they are interrupted by the poor quality local Puerto Rico commercials. If I had the means, the media and the money, I would launch a campaign againts Ford, KFC, Coors, Heineken, Triple SSS, AT&T, Toyota, Burger King, Interamerican Univeristy, Taco Maker, Taco Bell, Nissan, Doral Bank, 1stBank, and NY Pizza, asking them to stop their poor quality, lack of creativity, commercials, made for the Puerto Rico marke, during the Superbowl. It ticks us off and creates bad will.

Not that anyone enjoys commercial, but historically, during the superbowl, companies go all out to come up with some real quality, funny and innovative commercials that we like to see. In the USA they saw them. We got stuck with the crapy local commercials.

Joseph Ramos

Just Another Cop Story I have my own cop story to tell. But this happened some time ago.

Ashford Ave. had just been made one-way after 6:00 PM (our bureaucrats always complicating things). And police directing traffic turned cars back after that time. Sometimes drivers, usually teenagers or hooligan types, saw the cops on foot they pretended they didn’t see them and drove on. As you know, Puerto Rican police are megalomaniacs and their egos can’t handle such a slight.

One afternoon, I think it was a Sunday, an American in a japopy with three gorgeous blond children came up Ashford. A Neanderthal-faced cop pulled out his .38 and pointed it straight at them, some 20 people witnessed this, and kept it pointed at them till the fellow backed up and cleared out. If you don’t believe this, I don’t blame you. I still don’t believe it and I saw it with my own two eyes.

Ana Badillo, Hato Rey

Really Was the Pols It was undeniably murderous of the Catholic Church to advise the young against condoms in the midst of a fatal venereal pandemic. Yet kids who paid attention to the priests wouldn’t have had casual sex to begin with.

The true perps were the Legislature. They made OTC syringes illegal in the idiotic supposition that that would deter heroin use. Thus the shared needles

Egypt & Puerto Rico Yesterday Hosni Mubarak at long last resigned.

As did José de la Torre. It’s not been a good week for thugs. But what now? Power abhors a vacuum and like dissolves like. If you don’t want more of the same, now’s the time to make your move. Which is what makes the difference between the complacency that leads to even more tyranny, that allows the bloodsuckers, the Fortuños, and the goons, the Figueroa Sanchas, and the unprincipled do-as-they’re-told bureaucrats, the Ygrí Riveras, to thrive at the loss of the life essence of a people and of the edification of community, of a legacy of dignity and prosperity for our children and theirs. The good stuff in life doesn’t comes easily and the bad guys never budge unless shoved.

Eleuterio Serpieri, Santuce

Let Us Work Together Each day of our lives this dear island of ours appears to become more akin in manner and behavior to that of our brothers in Central and South America. Just the other day a lady from a Central American country who helps my daughter in the household chores, upon seeing the UPR riots on TV said to me: “This remind me so much of my country”. These words could well apply to nay Central American country, but this statement would not be well received by most Puerto Ricans because for many years we have come to believe that this country of ours far surpasses all other latin-american nations, not only of ours far surpasses all other latin-american nations, not only in the number of cars and roads, but also in the budget, and so many other material things.

Now, however, we are discovering that those material things are not so important as we had thought.

Every day we face the specter of chaos and despair in the newspaper headlines. If it isn’t the huge round-up of citizens, doctors, government employees resorting to fraud, illegal transaction and embezzlement it is an update on the current crime race, or so many other corrupt and ilegal actions which we are so accustomed to seeing. For these reasons, many of our good people are presently leaving the island in search of greener pastures and a better life.

We are living a state of chaos in Puerto Rico and it has served us to realize that human behavior is a highly contributing factor in the growth, progress and happiness of a country politicians as well as everyone else should become aware of the need for a better education as well as the strengthening of moral values in our generations. We most also realize that we all are children of God and should live in brotherhood.

When I was a child many homes had a piano in their living room. Have you seen any lately? I clearly remember my sister studying piano as many of my friends. What do they do now? Do they play chess or

collect stamps? No, what kind do nowadays is use the cell phone 24 hours and play computer games all day long, many times playing games that only teach you to shoot and kill. Is this educational?

We must embark in a huge movement to radically change our lifestyle.

Our first objective in this movement should be to restore our love for work and to perform it with pride and gusto. We must treat our fellowman with kindness, giving to the poor and helping our community. We should give a great emphasis to education making sure that every child becomes proficient in a trade and pursue what now appears unattainable.

We must try to return to that era, long gone, where our mothers ruled the lives of their children, making sure they behave, did their homework, went to school every day, were always courteous and dressed properly. All of this we must strive for. This huge task should be the guiding light of everyone who professes to love Puerto Rico.

It should be a great movement involving not only our government, but also citizens, organizations. social clubs and all entities interested in the welfare of our country. I cal on all politicians to redeem their lives working toward this meritorious goal for the good of their country and not for themselves. This task we must undertake! Let us work together-lest we sink together!

Gilberto Oliver Campos, Guaynabo

Time to Act Alternative Energy From “ENERGY AND CAPITAL” article in Seekingalpha.com, Feb.14, by Jeff Siegel: “If Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley is successful, his state may soon become home to a massive offshore wind farm — one that could end up generating up to 600 megawatts, or enough to power nearly 100,000 homes.

This would satisfy between 10% and 15% of Maryland’s renewable portfolio standard of 20 percent clean energy by 2022.”

WAKE UP, P.R. WE’RE SURROUNDED BY WIND AND OCEAN WAVES, ALL UNDER YEAR AROUND SUNLIGHT. EVEN THE COCONUTS COULD BE USED AS A SOURCE FOR DIESEL (IT’S BEING DONE ELSEWHERE RIGHT NOW) AND FOR THEIR OIL, OF WHICH THERE IS A TREMENDOUS SHORTAGE IN THE MARKET BECAUSE OF DEMAND IN THE TREATMENT OF ALZHEIMER’S). JUST HARNESSING THE POWER OF YEAR ‘ROUND SOLAR ENERGY IS WITHIN OUR REACH. EXPERTS IN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PREDICT THAT 2011 WILL BE A TURNING POINT FOR SOLAR ENERGY. WE COULD MAKE A CONTRIBUTION AND IN THE PROCESS MEET OUR ENERGY NEEDS AND CREATE JOBS. MAYAGUEZ IS EXPORTING BRAIN POWER WHICH MEANS A FUTURE DEFICIT IN QUALITY DNA. DON’T LET ROOSEVELT ROADS BECOME A BREEDING GROUND FOR THE USUAL PARASITES. AND PLEASE, LET’S TRY IT ALONE, WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM WASHINGTON. Ed Martinez, San Juan

San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

Would Hemingway Cry?

By MIKE IVES

T

EN years ago, my high school sweetheart and I liked to pretend we were disaffected expatriates living in some crumbly postwar foreign capital. In reality, we lived in an affluent New York City suburb.

Fortunately there was English class, where our teacher assigned “The Sun Also Rises,” Hemingway’s 1926 novel about American and British expats who booze their way through Parisian cafes and Spanish bullfights.

Devouring the book, we thought the protagonist, Jake Barnes, a twentysomething American reporter, and his hot-and-cold lover, Lady Brett Ashley, were pretty cool. They were always visiting interesting places and discussing the meaning of life, or lack thereof. And even though their lives were a little messy, they always spoke so insightfully!

Sure, we concluded, Barnes, Lady Brett and other Lost Generation all-stars had dependency, identity, and substance-abuse issues. But in other ways, they seemed like the sort of people we’d be happy to be like when we grew up. They were adults, but they were much cooler than most of the adults we knew.

The summer after my freshman year of college, my girlfriend and I traveled to France and Spain together, Hemingway style, picnicking on the Seine and sipping wine with Basques in San Sebastián. After the trip, we corresponded via telegram-style letters and e-mail messages that went something like this: Dearest Jake: Can’t bear staying apart. Stop. Please visit after exams. Brett.

Brett Darling: Will come on Greyhound Saturday.

Stop. Arriving 6:40 p.m. All my love. Jake.

I was pretty sure I would marry her, just not anytime soon. I also assumed — taking my cues from Hemingway, Maugham and Fitzgerald — that I had years of globetrotting to do before I’d consider settling down with anyone.

The next summer she and I worked in California. On weekends we’d cruise to the Henry Miller Library, an oceanside hangout named after the footloose novelist. It was fun to gaze at the Pacific and quote him to each other.

My own travels would begin to feel Milleresque: That fall I went to Buenos Aires; the following spring, I volunteered on a coffee farm in Mexico; that summer my girlfriend and I traveled to Montana, where I had landed a job baking pies at a roadside cafe.

Thinking of Hemingway’s Ketchum, Idaho, I had looked for a beautiful place where I could write and fish.

The cafe owners said they also had work for my girlfriend — they needed line cooks.

In Montana, we were happy living under big skies, among friendly strangers and away from the East Coast.

But our cabin was cramped and mouse-infested, and my girlfriend — a vegetarian — quickly tired of grilling burgers.

We quit after six weeks and headed east in her car.

The ride felt like a defeat. I broke off the relationship because I was restless. Stop.

More than a year passed before we met for pizza on a dreary November afternoon in Boston. I had come down for the weekend from Vermont, where I was starting to write for a newspaper, to attend a journalism conference.

She was thinking of applying to law school; I wanted to go abroad again. There was no spark between us, but I attributed that to bad timing, figuring we would eventually rekindle our romance in a different place and context.

The fact that I didn’t know where or how seemed kind of exciting.

Three springs later, I quit my newspaper job and spent

the summer wandering around China and Southeast Asia. I settled in Hanoi, Vietnam, partly because its sidewalk cafes, French-designed boulevards and bustling expat social scene reminded me of books I had read about postwar Europe.

I spent the fall and winter drinking coffee, writing travel stories, scratching away at a novel and dating women from other countries. Soon I would be learning the ropes at a European news agency, playing tennis with diplomats and feeling expatriated in a good, adventurous, Hemingway sort of way.

But I still thought fondly of my first love. From what she’d told me over the phone before I left the United States, I knew she had started law school. I resisted that plotline: I sensed that someday she would decide to come find me.

I hadn’t seen her in three years. Two months after my 26th birthday, I mailed her a letter: Living abroad was fun, I wrote, but I missed her, and I wanted to see her the next time I came home to visit.

She replied via e-mail that she couldn’t see me: she had a boyfriend, and she was happy.

Ouch. I hadn’t been pining for her per se, but I was upset that she didn’t seem to need to see me in the same way I felt I needed to see her. Also: what boyfriend? I had assumed that, like me, she had been drifting through lovers as one floats among so many ocean swells.

Then she e-mailed to say that she was in Washington, D.C. — Did I want to meet up?

I did. A few weeks later, I hoisted my backpack, hailed a motorbike taxi outside my apartment and began a fiveweek odyssey of work and travel that would take me from Hanoi to Moscow to Paris to Reykjavik to New York. Along the way I strolled the Luxembourg Gardens, ate crepes by the Seine, reported a story from Rouen, slept in departure lounges and on friends’ couches, rode Amtrak to Vermont, paddled a canoe across an Adirondack lake and caught a train back to the city, where in Chinatown I boarded a southbound bus.

The next day, a sweltering Wednesday, I finally arrived at my destination: the entrance of a Washington Metro station, where my high school sweetheart, in a black skirt and silver blouse, looked more beautiful than I remembered. We ducked into a Mexican restaurant and ordered beers to steady our trembling hands.

She said she had been dating the same guy for three years. I had met him once at a party but I wouldn’t remember. Anyway, now they were living together. She liked law school and had never felt so settled — in a good way.

“What about you?” she asked.

My throat crackled. I had been kidding myself assuming that I would marry this woman: We had each followed roads that the other had no interest in taking, and now she was in love with someone else.

Still: She was looking at me so prettily over the guaca-

21

modern love

mole that I felt like whisking her away. Dearest Brett: Let’s start over together in Mexico City. Jake.

“Let’s have another drink,” I said.

We split the bill — it was almost half a month’s rent in Hanoi — and found a table at a high-ceilinged German brewpub on the next block. The lighting was dimmer there.

Loosening up under the alcohol, I said the kind of playful, witty things I knew would make her smile.

Laughing, she said she wanted to hear more about my expat life. “A wire service in Southeast Asia?” I recall her saying. “I imagine you wearing one of those silly reporter hats with the wrap-around brim.”

We left the bar and walked toward the Metro. She pointed out that the station was closing in five minutes. She wasn’t inviting me to come home with her. She joked that she would be sure to send me one of those silly — — When she noticed that I was crying, she hugged me as one holds a child who has scraped a knee. I held her hands and realized that the next time I saw her — if I ever were to see her again — she would probably be wearing a ring. She might even be a mother.

I dried my eyes on my T-shirt. A janitor was cleaning up. Otherwise we were alone. I scratched my sandals against the pavement. Perhaps I wanted to keep standing there because I had been traveling too much. Or maybe I sensed that I wouldn’t be back. Two or three minutes passed.

FOR the first half of my 20s, the Rest of My Life had appeared to wait patiently. And time, like a gift certificate, seemed like something I could hold on to and cash in later.

But that night I felt as if the rest of my life was already upon me. Time was short, and I couldn’t think of anything to look forward to.

I grasped for something winning to say. Nothing came. I was drunk. She walked into the station and didn’t look back.

For a dizzy moment I considered chasing her down that escalator. Dearest Brett: Am lonely without you. Stop.

Come to Hanoi. Mike.

The escalator stopped and the trains left. I walked on.

I suppose I had my own connections to make.

Kitchen

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February 24 - March 2, 2011

The San Juan Weekly

Millionaire’s Meatloaf Time: 1 hour 30 minutes FOR THE MEATLOAF: 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 2 medium onions, finely chopped 6 cloves garlic, minced 2 pounds lean ground beef 2 large eggs 1/2 cup milk 1 cup fresh bread crumbs 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 1/4 cup barbecue sauce 1 tablespoon well-drained horseradish 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme 2 to 3 cups croutons, bought or homemade (see note) FOR THE CHILI SHRIMP: 1 1/2 teaspoons mild or hot chili powder 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika 1 1/2 tablespoons Wondra flour 4 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 teaspoon chili oil Mashed potatoes, for serving.

1. For the meatloaf: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a large skillet over medium heat, and add the olive oil, onions and garlic. Sauté until translucent and tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to

cool.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, eggs and milk. Mix well by hand, and add bread crumbs, mustard, barbecue sauce, horseradish, and cooked onions and garlic. Mix again, and add the parsley, salt, pepper and thyme. Mix well until thoroughly combined.

3. Spread the croutons across a shallow 8-inch-square baking dish. Top with the meatloaf mix, patting the surface so it is level. Bake until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and the top is nicely browned, about 1 hour.

Toward the end of baking, prepare the chili shrimp.

4. For the chili shrimp: In a small mixing bowl, combine the chili powder, cayenne pepper, paprika and flour. Dredge the shrimp in the mixture until well coated. Place a small skillet over medium heat, and add the chili oil. When it is hot, add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes a side.

5. To finish, cut the meatloaf into 4 slices. Place a slice on each of 4 plates, and top with a chili shrimp. If desired, serve with mashed potatoes.

Yield: 4 servings.

Note: To make croutons, toss cubes of white bread with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

February 24 - March 2, 2011

The San Juan Weekly

23

Kitchen

A Medley of Leftovers

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

W

hen I was a kid, hash meant one thing: roast beef hash.

My family ate a lot of beef — huge steaks, fat hamburgers and standing rib roasts. I have fond memories of the hash that always came a day or two after the big meal, crusty and savory and sweet with ketchup.

What tweaked my memory was a spicy lentil hash with farro that Dan Coudreaut, the executive chef at (are you ready?) McDonald’s, made in response to the following culinary challenge put to him at this year’s Worlds of Healthy Flavors conference at the Culinary Institute of America in Northern California: “What would you put on your breakfast menu if your V.P. of food and beverage said he wanted three new breakfast offerings that feature vegetables (including legumes)?”

Mr. Coudreaut’s idea was to offer three vegetarian hashes topped with poached

egg.

Those dishes were more focused on legumes and grains than the hashes I developed for this week’s column. One of them is made with ground turkey breast, but the others are mixtures of diced vegetables, sometimes bulked up with grains.

As I made these dishes, I sought the savory, caramelized crusty edge I so loved in the traditional hash of my youth.

Ketchup had a lot to do with it, and I’ve included ketchup in one of this week’s recipes. But you can also get the same caramelization with tomato paste, a concentrated source of wonderful antioxidants and vitamins. The vegetable hashes can be served as a main dish if topped with a poached egg, and they make great side dishes. Hash is usually made with leftover meat and potatoes, so use these recipes to figure out how to reuse your own leftovers — vegetables, grains, legumes, lean meats and even fish. Let me know what you come up with.

Vegetable Hash With Poached Egg

T

his is a clean-out-the-refrigerator sort of hash. I used red onion, red pepper, carrot, celery, kohlrabi and parsnip, all lingering in the produce drawer of my refrigerator. I like the texture of the root vegetables, and because they brown in the pan and there’s ketchup involved, this dish tastes like traditional hash to me.

2 tablespoons canola oil 1 medium red onion, finely diced 4 cups finely diced vegetables (I used a mix of red pepper, carrot, celery, kohlrabi and parsnip) Kosher salt to taste 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, coarsely ground 2 teaspoons sweet paprika 2 tablespoons ketchup Freshly ground pepper to taste 4 poached eggs 1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, about five minutes.

2. Stir in the ground cumin seeds and the paprika, and combine well with the vegetables. Continue to cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the ketchup, and continue to cook, stirring, for another five minutes.

3. Press the vegetable mixture down into a flat layer in the pan. Continue to cook on one side for five minutes. A crust should form on the bottom.

Stir, then press down again and cook for another five minutes, until a crust forms again. Stir, taste and adjust salt, and add pepper. The vegetables should be thoroughly tender and the mixture nicely browned with a sweet edge. Remove from the heat.

4. Spoon the hash onto plates, press down in the center, lay a poached egg on top and serve.

To poach an egg: Fill a frying pan with a tight-fitting lid (I use my omelet pan and a lid from a saucepan that fits perfectly), preferably nonstick, with water, and bring it to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of vinegar to the water. Break an egg into a teacup, and tip into the boiling water. Immediately cover tightly, and turn off the heat. Let stand for four minutes, then remove from the water with a slotted spoon and drain on a kitchen towel. Keep in a bowl of water until ready to use.

Yield: Serves four.

Advance preparation: The cooked vegetables keep well for three or four days. Reheat on top of the stove. I’ve stirred leftovers into a pot of beans, a great thing to do if you have only a small amount of hash left or if you want to dress up a can of beans. Poached eggs will keep for a day in the refrigerator if you put them in a bowl of water.

Nutritional information per serving: 195 calories; 2 grams saturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 186 milligrams cholesterol; 14 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 208 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 8 grams protein

Turkey and Red Pepper Hash

T

his sweet and spicy turkey and red pepper hash is much like a beef picadillo that might be used to fill an empanada or to stuff a chili pepper. I make quick soft tacos most often with warm corn tortillas.

1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes, with juice 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 medium red onion, finely chopped 2 red bell peppers, cut in small (1/4 inch) dice 2 large garlic cloves, minced Salt to taste 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey 10 black peppercorns, ground in a spice mill 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons medium-hot chili powder 4 cloves, ground in a spice mill (1/2 teaspoon ground cloves) 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rice vinegar For serving: 12 to 16 corn tortillas 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1. Blend the tomatoes with their juice until smooth in a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in a blender. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, three to five minutes. Add the bell peppers, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about five minutes.

3. Add the turkey to the pan and season with salt, ground pe-

pper, cinnamon, chili powder and cloves. Raise the heat to mediumhigh, and press the turkey into a layer in the pan. Let it brown for a minute or two. Continue to stir, press down into the pan and cook until all of the meat is nicely browned.

4. Stir in the puréed tomatoes and vinegar, and bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and caramelized slightly, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from the heat, serve on hot corn tortillas and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Alternatively, use as a filling for enchiladas, quesadillas or vegetables.

Yield: Serves six to eight.

Advance preparation: This dish will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information per serving (includes two corn tortillas per serving): 245 calories; 2 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 49 milligrams cholesterol; 22 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 276 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 19 grams protein

Kitchen

24

February 24 - March 2, 2011

The San Juan Weekly

Beet Greens and Potato Hash

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

T

his recipe begins as if you were making hash brown potatoes, but then you add beets and their greens and end up with a much more nutritious, and decidedly pink, dish. If you have leftovers and want to do something different with them, warm and toss this hash with a vinaigrette for a delicious potato salad.

1 pound red boiling potatoes or baby Yukon golds, cut in small dice (about 1/2 inch) 1 bunch beets, roasted, peeled and cut in small dice (about 1/2 inch) 1 generous bunch of beet greens, stemmed and cleaned in 2 changes of water 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon vinegar — sherry, red wine or Champagne (optional) Poached eggs, if desired, for serving (optional) 1. Place the diced potatoes in a steamer above an inch of boiling

water. Cover and steam for 10 minutes. Add the beet greens to the steamer, and steam for five minutes until wilted; turn them halfway through so they cook evenly. Turn off the heat underneath the steamer. With tongs, remove the greens to a bowl, and rinse them with cold water. Drain, squeeze out excess water and chop.

Set the potatoes aside.

2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the potatoes, turn the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring from time to time, until the potatoes are lightly browned, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic, beets, greens, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for another five minutes, pressing the mixture down into the pan so the edges brown. Taste, and adjust salt and pepper. Stir in the vinegar if using. Serve, topped with a poached egg if desired.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Advance preparation: This will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator, and it reheats well.

Variation: You can add a finely chopped onion to this dish to make

Mushroom Hash With Black Rice

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

W

hen I made this hash, I thought hard about adding cooked grain to the chopped mushrooms, as they’re so good on their own. You may choose to serve this without the black rice, but add it if you want a more substantial dish.

it more like a traditional hash. Cook for about five minutes in the oil, until tender, before adding the potatoes in Step 2.

Nutritional information per serving (four servings): 221 calories; 1 gram saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 36 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 295 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 6 grams protein Nutritional information per serving (sox servings): 147 calories; 1

2 tablespoons tomato paste, dissolved in 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 cup cooked black rice (optional but 2 shallots, finely chopped recommended) 2 stalks celery, finely chopped 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 pounds mushrooms, stems trim- Poached eggs for serving (optional) med, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1. Heat the olive oil over me1/4 cup dry white wine dium heat in a large, heavy nons1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves tick skillet. Add the shallots and Salt and freshly ground black pe- celery. Cook, stirring, until tender, pper about three minutes. Raise the heat to high, and add the mushrooms.

Cook, stirring often, until they begin to color and stick to the pan, about five minutes. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, until the shallots and celery are tender, juicy and fragrant, five to eight minutes.

2. Add the garlic and stir for a minute, then add the wine, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for five minutes. Add the diluted tomato paste, and cook for about five minutes, pressing the mixture down into the pan, then waiting for a minute until the surface begins to brown, then stirring and

gram saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 24 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 197 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 4 grams protein Nutritional information per poached egg: 71 calories; 2 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 186 milligrams cholesterol; 0 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 81 milligrams sodium; 6 grams protein

pressing it down until the surface browns again. The mixture should be lightly colored and the tomato paste no longer discernible. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the rice and parsley, heat through and serve — topped with a poached egg if desired — with crusty bread and a salad.

Yield: Serves four.

Advance preparation: The hash will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information per serving (without poached egg): 192 calories; 1 gram saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 23 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 54 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 9 grams protein Nutritional information per poached egg: 71 calories; 2 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 186 milligrams cholesterol; 0 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 81 milligrams sodium; 6 grams protein

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

25

Leonardo Da Vinci: Artist, Scientist, Inventor L

eonardo was named after the place he was born on 15 April 1452 in a little place a few miles outside Florence. Florence was already a great art centre of Italian art and culture. It is assumed that Leonardo was surely an apprenticed to the famous Florentine master, Andrea del Verrochio. He was allowed to paint two angels in a painting ‘The Baptism of Christ’. A story circulated around that Leonardo’s angels were so skillfully painted that Verrocchino decided to change over to sculpture. Leonardo was a qualified Master at the age of only 20 years . He also became a full member of the painters’ guild, the Company of St. Luke.

In 1483 he went into service with Lodovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. He was a very cultured man. Leonardo wrote a letter asking for a position at court. In his

letter he mentioned his ability as a military engineer and then, towards the end of his letter, he wrote, ‘in painting I can do as much as anyone, whoever he may be!’

He received a commission from a chapel. Leonardo painted ‘The Virgin of the Rocks’ which was his first masterpiece. It is not known why but he never delivered it. It hangs now in the Louvre Museum in Paris. After twenty years he finally painted, just as beautiful, a masterpiece of the the subject but different. With that he fulfilled his obligation of the com-

mission. This painting hangs now in the National Gallery of London.

Leonardo moved to Milan and held a position as designer-in-chief. It mend that he had to organize court entertainments and painted a number of portraits. When he was there he made a complete full-size clay model of a horse. It was announced as a masterpiece. However, it was never cast in bronze. When in 1499 the French soldiers conquered Milan, it was destroyed.

Another great achievement was the oil-based painting of ‘The Last Supper’ in 1498 which brought him to his height of his fame. Unfortunately, the paint flaked from the wall, even during his lifetime. and for many centuries the paintTHE LAST SUPPER 1498 After the French invasion of Milan and the dethroning of Lodovico,Sforza, Duke of Milan, Leonardo went back to

Continues on page 26

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Comes from page 25 Florence. He spent a few years there. He must have been a restless person because he found it hard to complete his projects. Yet, he could work on details for hours until he got it right.

He made a full-scale preliminary drawing of a Madonna and Child and St. Anna and it was such masterpiece that when it was put on display it drew the biggest crowd ever..

Leonardo was intrigued, for several year, about this subject. Therefore he done a chalk drawing and it was supposed to be for a painting to follow. However, he never done it. Later on he done a similar painting but without St. John.

In 1503 Leonardo painted the famous ‘Mona Lisa’. It became so famous because

February 24 - March 2, 2011

Leonardo could put in the mystery of a personality and his great skill in present subtle changes.in melting tones. A merchant of Florence had commissioned this painting, a portrait of his wife but Leonardo never parted with it and it is assumed that he fell in love with either the painting or the Lady.

Apparently, the Leonardo kept the sitter amused with music and reading. This supposed to have brought up the enigmatic smile.

Leonard da Vinci (1452-1519) lived in one of the greatest history of art: The Italian Renaissance. Although Italy manage to produce one genius after another for three centuries Leonardo was acknowledged during

his lifetime. He was a genius amongst genius. Michelangelo and Raphael who were younger than Leonardo nearly had the same reputation at that time. During the years of 1500 to 1527 when all three were working there it is recognized as the High Renaissance.

In those year the artist were not to expected to be specialists but able to cope with anything. Such as stage set, fancy helmet, an inn-sign or building. Leonardo was capable of doing anything and much more.

Today he admired for paintings, science, mathematic, anatomy, military engineering and inventor. His notebooks are full with extra-ordinary observations and beautiful drawings.

However, the most amazing facts is that his notebooks are written backwards. It can only be read with a mirror. Whether it was secrecy or since he was left handed he could have found that it was easier to write that way.

Leonardo in his old age became very restless. He moved to Florence, then to Milan and then to Rome. He was also ageing rapidly and that made him even more eager to work hard. He kept on trying to get the full knowledge of anatomy. We can only read between the lines in his notebook and draw

The San Juan Weekly

some conclusion. He seemed to have grown more and more pessimistic.

In 1516 he finally received and accepted an invitation to France. He received a position of ‘first painter and engineer and architect’ on the court of the very cultured King Frances I. He was held in such honour, the legend grew, that he died in the King’s arms on 2 May 1519. However, it is suppose only a legend.

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

27

Ecuadoreans Plan to Pursue Chevron in Other Countries

By SIMON ROMERO and CLIFFORD KRAUSS

A

rmed with a $9 billion ruling against Chevron in Ecuador but little chance of collecting it there, representatives for Ecuadorean villagers said Tuesday that they were looking at waging legal battles against the company in more than a dozen countries where it operates, hoping to force Chevron to pay.

The latest salvo, coming only a day after an Ecuadorean judge ordered Chevron to pay one of the largest environmental awards ever, suggests that the legal battle between villagers and oil executives, which began in 1993, is far from over.

The case stems from oil pollution in the Ecuadorean rain forest, but Chevron does not operate there and has no significant assets in the country. It was Texaco, which Chevron acquired in a merger in 2001, that was accused of widespread environmental damage before pulling out of Ecuador in the early 1990s.

Chevron has much larger operations elsewhere in Latin America, and the plaintiffs’ strategy of pursuing the company across the region could open a contentious new phase in the case — one that would test Ecuador’s political ties with its neighbors and involve some of Washington’s most prominent lobbyists and lawyers.

Advisers to the plaintiffs said Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela would be obvious candidates to pursue Chevron assets, but they acknowledged it would not be easy. Venezuela, for instance, is a close Ecuadorean ally and its president, Hugo Chávez, is a frequent critic of the United States. But Chevron has extensive operations in Venezuela and enjoys warmer ties with Mr. Chávez’s government than just about any other American company.

The plaintiffs also face an uphill struggle collecting damages in the United Sta-

tes, at least immediately, given that a judge in New York this month temporarily prevented enforcement of the Ecuador awards.

Still, legal advisers said they were prepared to try to collect damages in the United States as well.

A confidential memo prepared by the Washington law firm Patton Boggs recently released under court order laid out the plaintiffs’ strategy, which foresees using a European industrial espionage firm to investigate Chevron’s assets around the world.

“The fact that Chevron has agreed to ‘play ball’ in Venezuela, while the company’s peers have universally rejected the unfavorable contract terms imposed by the Chávez government, may portend difficulty there,” said the memo, code-named “Invictus.”

“Nonetheless, the populist Chávez government remains a natural ally” of the plaintiffs.

In the memo, lawyers also identified the Philippines, Singapore, Australia, Angola, Canada and several other countries where Chevron has significant assets as potential targets. In the Philippines, it even suggested using the services of Frank G. Wisner, the retired diplomat and a foreign affairs adviser for Patton Boggs, who recently waded into the crisis in Egypt as an envoy for the Obama administration.

Citing the Invictus memo, Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York argued that the plaintiffs were seeking to use a “worldwide, full-court press” to extract a settlement against a company of considerable importance in providing energy supplies to the United States economy.

Chevron said it did not intend to pay a dime. “We intend to resist enforcement anywhere where the plaintiffs seek to take what we perceive to be a fraudulent judgment,” said Kent Robertson, a Chevron spokesman.

Beyond the temporary protection is-

Israel: Four Foreign Missions Closed

By ISABEL KERSHNER

I

srael temporarily closed four of its diplomatic missions abroad in recent days because of suspicions that they were under threat of attack, an Israeli official said on Tuesday. He refused to specify their locations, for security reasons, but he said that two had partially reopened.

The precautions were taken after “unusual occurrences were identified recently around a few missions abroad,” the Israeli government said in a statement. The Israeli Counter-Terrorism Bureau had issued a travel advisory on Friday warning of a heightened threat against Israeli and Jewish targets abroad because of anniversaries this week of the deaths of two senior Hezbollah figures. It listed Egypt, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania and Venezuela as countries with a heightened risk. Imad Mugniyah, a Hezbollah commander, was killed by a bomb in Damascus in February 2008, and Hezbollah blamed Israel for his death. Sheik Abbas Musawi, a leader of Hezbollah, was killed by Israeli forces in February 1992.

Pablo Fajardo, the lead lawyer representing the Ecuadorean villagers at a news conference in the capital, Quito. sued by Judge Kaplan, Mr. Robertson noted a decision by a panel of international arbitrators in The Hague that granted the company a preliminary injunction that might also block enforcement of the judgment.

But Ecuadorean lawyers said they did not consider themselves under the jurisdiction of either the American court or the arbitrators.

Referring to the arbitration process, one of the lawyers, Pablo Fajardo, said, “This is part of the Chevron legal strategy to delay and obstruct.”

Duncan Hollis, associate dean of the Temple University law school, said it was logical for the plaintiffs to take their battle to other countries in the region because “there is some commonality in Latin American legal systems.” But, Mr. Hollis added, “there is no international law about how one court is supposed to enforce the judgments from another nation’s court.”

For now, the case moves forward in the Ecuadorean courts. Three judges will hear appeals from both sides. The Amazon coalition intends to appeal the amount of

the damages, while Chevron will appeal the entire ruling.

“I don’t know if we will be broadcasting” our legal argument, Mr. Robertson said. But he added: “It is the illegitimate nature of the ruling. The scientific evidence demonstrates that this is a meritless outcome.”

The final appeal will go to a national appeals court, a process that could take months. Then the fight may move to several countries simultaneously. Advisers to the villagers and forest tribes said they hoped to extract Chevron money from many countries until they reach the final judgment total.

The ruling’s impact is already being felt in Ecuador and beyond as a cautionary tale of the environmental and legal aftermath of oil exploration. Alberto Acosta, a former oil minister in Ecuador, called the ruling “a historical precedent.”

It is “a reminder that we have to defend ourselves from the irresponsible activity of extraction companies, both oil and mining,” Mr. Acosta said.

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Cry for Freedom

February 24 - March 2, 2011

The San Juan Weekly

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

29

Russia Embraces Offshore Arctic Drilling

By ANDREW E. KRAMER and CLIFFORD KRAUSS

T

he Arctic Ocean is a forbidding place for oil drillers. But that is not stopping Russia from jumping in — or Western oil companies from eagerly following.

Russia, where onshore oil reserves are slowly dwindling, last month signed an Arctic exploration deal with the British petroleum giant BP, whose offshore drilling prospects in the United States were dimmed by the Gulf of Mexico disaster last year. Other Western oil companies, recognizing Moscow’s openness to new ocean drilling, are now having similar discussions with Russia.

New oil from Russia could prove vital to world supplies in coming decades, now that it has surpassed Saudi Arabia as the world’s biggest oil producer, and as long as global demand for oil continues to rise.

But as the offshore Russian efforts proceed, the oil companies will be venturing where other big countries ringing the Arctic Ocean — most notably the United States and Canada — have been wary of letting oil field development proceed, for both safety and environmental reasons.

After the BP accident in the gulf last year highlighted the consequences of a catastrophic ocean spill, American and Canadian regulators focused on the special challenges in the Arctic.

The ice pack and icebergs pose various threats to drilling rigs and crews. And if oil were spilled in the winter, cleanup would take place in the total darkness that engulfs the region during those months.

Earlier this month, Royal Dutch Shell postponed plans for drilling off Alaska’s Arctic coast, as the company continued to face hurdles from wary Washington regulators.

The Russians, who control far more prospective drilling area in the Arctic Ocean than the United States and Canada combined, take a far different view.

As its Siberian oil fields mature, daily output in Russia, without new development, could be reduced by nearly a million barrels by the year 2035, according to

the International Energy Agency. With its economy dependent on oil and gas, which make up about 60 percent of all exports, Russia sees little choice but to go offshore — using foreign partners to provide expertise and share the billions of dollars in development costs.

And if anything, the gulf disaster encouraged Russia to push ahead with BP as its first partner. In the view of Russia’s prime minister, Vladimir V. Putin, BP is the safest company to hire for offshore work today, having learned its lesson in the gulf.

“One beaten man is worth two unbeaten men,” Mr. Putin said, citing a Russian proverb, after BP signed its Arctic deal with Rosneft, the Russian state-owned oil company. The joint venture calls for the companies to explore three sections in the Kara Sea, an icebound coastal backwater north of central Russia.

The BP agreement touched off little public reaction in Russia, in part because the environmental movement is weak but also because opposition politicians have no way to block or hinder the process.

The Arctic holds one-fifth of the world’s undiscovered, recoverable oil and natural gas, the United States Geological Survey estimates. According to a 2009 report by the Energy Department, 43 of the 61 significant Arctic oil and gas fields are in Russia. The Russian side of the Arctic is particularly rich in natural gas, while the North American side is richer in oil.

While the United States and Canada balk, other countries are clearing Arctic space for the industry. Norway, which last year settled a territorial dispute with Russia, is preparing to open new Arctic areas for drilling.

Last year Greenland, which became semi-autonomous from Denmark in 2009, allowed Cairn Energy to do some preliminary drilling. Cairn, a Scottish company, is planning four more wells this year, while Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Shell are also expected to drill in the area over the next few years.

But of the five countries with Arctic

Ocean coastline, Russia has the most at stake in exploring and developing the region.

“Russia is one of the fundamental building blocks in world oil supply,” said Daniel Yergin, the oil historian and chairman of IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates. “It has a critical role in the global energy balance. The Arctic will be one of the critical factors in determining how much oil Russia is producing in 15 years and exporting to the rest of the world.”

Following the template of the BP deal, Rosneft is negotiating joint venture agreements with other major oil companies shut out of North America and intent on exploring the Arctic continental shelf off Russia’s northern coast. That includes Shell, its chief executive said last month. Rosneft’s chief executive, Eduard Y. Khudainatov, said other foreign oil company representatives were lining up outside his office these days.

Artur N. Chilingarov, a polar explorer, has embodied Moscow’s sweeping Arctic ambitions ever since he rode in a minisubmarine and placed a Russian flag on the bottom of the ocean under the North Pole, claiming it for Russia, in a 2007 expedition.

“The future is on the shelf,” Mr. Chilingarov, a member of Russia’s Parliament, the Duma, said in an interview. “We already pumped the land dry.”

Russia has been a dominant Arctic oil power since the Soviet Union began making important discoveries in the landbased Tazovskoye field on the shore of the Ob Bay in Siberia in 1962. The United States was not far behind with the discovery of the

shallow-water Prudhoe Bay field in Alaska five years later.

What is new is the move offshore.

The waters of the Arctic are particularly perilous for drilling because of the extreme cold, long periods of darkness, dense fogs and hurricane-strength winds. Pervasive ice cover for eight to nine months out of the year can block relief ships in case of a blowout. And, as environmentalists note, whales, polar bears and other species depend on the region’s fragile habitats.

Such concerns have blocked new drilling in Alaska’s Arctic waters since 2003, despite a steep decline in oil production in the state and intensive lobbying by oil companies.

In Canada, Arctic offshore drilling is delayed as the National Energy Board is reviewing its regulations after the gulf spill.

Russia is pressing ahead. The central decision opening the Russian Arctic easily passed Parliament in 2008, as an amendment to a law on subsoil resources. It allowed the ministry of natural resources to transfer offshore blocks to state-controlled oil companies in a no-bid process that does not involve detailed environmental reviews.

Until recently Russia regarded the Kara Sea, where BP and Rosneft intend to drill, as primarily an icy dump. For years, the Soviet navy released nuclear waste into the sea, including several spent submarine reactors that were dropped overboard at undisclosed locations.

Rosneft executives say their exploration drilling will not stir up radiation.

FASHION & BEAUTY

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February 24 - March 2, 2011

San Juan Weekly

Feeding Dreams of a Better Life

By CATHY HORYN

A

FRENCH women’s magazine editor, hearing that I had spent the weekend at the fall men’s shows, reacted as if I had been marooned in an airport. She shuddered at the thought. “I don’t like going to men’s shows,” she said. “They’re too ridiculous.”

Her husband would never be caught dead in some of those get-ups.

Paris is full of wonderful men’s shops; there seem to be streets with nothing but small tailors and shoemakers, and they would restrain a man from putting on a black lambskin jumpsuit, a style that Hermès, of all establishments, showed this season. My German editor friends, no strangers to lederhosen, were puzzled that Véronique Nichanian, the Hermès designer, made such a statement with leather. (There were trousers, too, as well as chunky, threequarter-length coats.) I admit that I was surprised, too. It didn’t seem consistent with the Hermès image of quiet luxury.

The usual explanation for this kind of change is that it’s modern. But what’s modern about black leather pants? In a different cut, the jumpsuit could have been a Versace. A more plausible explanation is that Hermès wants more of those brand-driven customers with money to throw around, and is willing to strain its image to get them.

For years, the Paris men’s collections have provided relief from Milan’s

commercial steamroller. Some of that relief is purely and deliberately comic, like Jean Paul Gaultier’s trashy “James Blonde” show (featuring the latest crossover model, Andrej Pejic, in heels and a slinky cocktail dress), but some of it is creative and the best is always effortlessly relevant. The strongest collections this season were by Raf Simons and Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy, with worthwhile looks by Dries Van Noten, especially his take on uniforms, and Lanvin, with its toughened elegance.

But despite the trappings of big shows and virtuous-sounding references, many labels seem creatively empty. Either designers don’t know how to relate their designs to the street so that those ideas feel urgent, or, more likely, they are tranquilized by the luxury brands they serve.

Whatever the explanation, the ideas expressed in the collections of Yves Saint Laurent, Dior Homme and Thom Browne seemed very slight — more noise than substance, especially from the American Mr. Browne, who staged an elaborate banquet scene in homage to Thomas Jefferson. Unfortunately, the clothes — breeches, puff-sleeved blouses — had the flavor of hardtack.

Plain, fluid, monochromatic clothes were a trend of the shows, offered

by Rick Owens, Kris Van Assche of Dior, and Louis Vuitton, where the designer Paul Helbers mimicked Amish simplicity. One could make a case that these styles give the wearer a kind of invisibi-

lity and are a response to psychological pressures of the times. But they may just reveal a lack of ideas, a profound sense of inertia.

As everybody knows, this has been a winter in Europe of grim and grimmer news — the debt crisis, protests over austerity measures. Many educated young people, as well as tens of thousands of immigrant poor, question whether the dream of a better life will be available to them. I hate, hate, the idea that the dream will find its greatest proselytizers in bland luxury products and their promoters. Don’t get me wrong — people deserve to have nice things, and the industry provides employment.

But fashion also has a creative responsibility to reflect these chaotic times, to oppose the status quo. It is as though a lot of designers at luxury brands have swallowed a pill or something.

That’s why I was impressed with Mr. Tisci’s Givenchy show. Though romantic in part, with its dark and densely layered furs and knits — and its superbly diverse casting by Daniel Peddle and Drew Dasent — it had a chilling edge that made me uncomfortable. Maybe it was those black and tartan tops with a pattern formed by images of snarling attack dogs. Maybe it was the tension between beautiful and coarse styles, which suggested to me different identities unrecognized by the fashion industry. Mr. Tisci doesn’t always get it right, but he is abundantly aware of movements beyond Avenue George V. A goal of Mr. Simons is to make his fashion believable in the street. It must expand our sense of what is possible in dressing — and this season he continued to explore shapes and fabrics more commonly associated with haute couture — but it must also be relevant.

Throughout, there was a subtle play between men’s classics, like the stadium toggle coat and the anorak, and the roundness and loft that can be achieved in couture. Mr. Simons has become the young man’s guide to what’s cool in a suit. His were without trendy effect, like too-narrow lapels.

Suits were a strong story of the collections — nipped, casually elegant — and stood out at Hermès, Lanvin and Dries Van Noten. Other trends included toggle coats (in mustard at Paul Smith), thick-soled shoes (Mugler, YSL) and more romancing of gender (Comme des Garçons), which is now feeling henpecked.

San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

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FASHION & BEAUTY

Narciso Rodriguez: Not Trying to Be Groovy

By CATHY HORYN

T

he music for Narciso Rodriguez’s show on Tuesday night was throbbing, layered, with a kinky voiceover breaking into the beat. I was compelled to listen, just as I was interested at all times in the clothes. This was a terrific collection, different than what he has done in several years. It was looser, more abstract, with a downbeat attitude that felt true and fresh, and masculine elements that worked so smoothly into the collection that you didn’t really notice them at first.

But then there was a lot of illusion in this show. The most obvious were collaged chiffon shirts in co-

lors like pink, coral and black layered over silk slips and worn with flat suede booties. Other colors included red, lavender and cobalt. Even more effective were plaid dresses in which the gray and charcoal squares were pieced together, creating more depth and shadow, and piped along the side seams in black leather.

There were tops in a wool and silk blend that had the luster and weight of glove leather. One top, in cobalt and lavender, was shown with slim wool trousers in two shades of light gray (front and back) and a charcoal overcoat. Again, the coat was a subtle composition of dark English wool tweeds with an off-white wool lining

inside the stand-up collar. The cut was masculine, yet loose and lanky, with a crisp line across the shoulders. Mr. Rodriguez used a similar fabric for a gray mélange blazer — basically, a pantsuit — with two-toned trousers.

And all the pants had smooth, flat pockets that were set a little more to the

Rodarte on the Prairie

By ERIC WILSON

T

he Mulleavy sisters of Rodarte, in their fall collection, picked up in much the same place as they left off in their hit spring collection.

Some of the shapes, like high-waist pants with crisscross tops, and dresses with paneled overlays, were reprised here in new fabrics, embroideries, tablecloth lace and dotted prints that suggested they were looking again to the homespun corners of Americana for their ideas, and had settled somewhere in prairie life and the great

migration to California in the 1930s.

One print, shown on five different dresses with draped shoulders, was of wheat fields. Strands of wheat appeared along the hem of the long dresses, the rest of which were covered with an expansive view of the sky, which was shown in ivory, blue or acid yellow. Some of the dresses had patterns in crewel embroidery, and some of the shoes, by Nicholas Kirkwood for Rodarte, were shown in pony hair, with cutouts and Deco beading that almost looked based on cowboy boots.

side, so that the models’ hands went straight into them as they walked.

Mr. Rodriguez obviously had to make a lot of choices for this collection, as well as work out some design puzzles, but the results looked so effortless — and, this season, completely individual.

FASHION & BEAUTY

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February 24 - March 2, 2011

The Ghost of Bill Blass

By RUTH LA FERLA

M

ortimer’s glory years are long gone, and with them the hope of spying Gloria Vanderbilt or Anne Slater in her blue-tinted shades, seated at a window looking out on Lexington Avenue. But the passing of that fabled society haunt — it shuttered a dozen years ago — has not deterred young designers from drawing on its patrician charms. In Mortimer’s heyday, those charms were conferred by its patrons, and not less by their chum Bill Blass, who swathed his ladies in fox and the witty pinstripes and foulards that were the genteel uniforms of the Uptown set.

Mr. Blass and his style-besotted entourage— the likes of Nan Kempner and Nancy Reagan in her White House years — are exerting a ghostly presence on the runways this week, as a handful of hopefuls try to fill the designer’s tall shoes.

While the house that bears his name is ironically not among them — the label has yet to find a credible identity — Mr. Blass, who died in 2002, is gathering acolytes. Jason Wu, Thakoon Panichgul and Prabal Gurung — each of whom, not

incidentally, sealed his reputation by dressing Michelle Obama — are among those turning out polished, mannerly looks that seem destined for Beekman Place or, for that matter, the Beltway.

Mr. Wu drolly flaunted his Reagan-era leanings by paving his runway in gilt-edged mirrors, a nod to, of all things, Versailles. Mr. Panichgul sent an even more pointedly elitist message by parading his collection in the Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel, once the scene of fashion shows and society galas presided over by Mr. Blass himself.

And Wes Gordon, a 24-year-old native of Atlanta, tapped a similarly fancy vein by staging his show of silver fox-trimmed toppers and cashmere camel coats in the filigreed Fontainebleau Room of the St. Regis hotel.

What were their aims? Well, someone has to dress the next generation of aspiring Missy Bancrofts.

How better to cater to those caviar tastes — and to mine a ripening nostalgia for the Reagan years — than by revisiting the ’80s, the era that spawned the Ladies who Lunch.

Ten years ago Michael Kors courted a new generation of ladies by trotting out on his runway an

unabashed homage to Mr. Blass, set to a medley of Gershwin tunes.

At the time, his opulent furs and tweeds were skewered by critics, who found them overwrought. Today his young peers are faring well.

As they say in the rag trade, timing is everything.

San Juan Weekly

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

By: Daniel Morales Pomales

H

is career began in the late 60’s when he integrated “Los Duendes”. In one of his performances in the western area of Puerto Rico, cuban producer Gaspar Pumarejo, discovered his artistic potential and recruited him to act immediately on television.

He struck his first homerun when, under the direction of Alfred D. Herger, joined the New Wave movement and became one of the first Puerto Rican rock idols with his first hit, “Fugitiva” Integrating clan artists Canta la Juventud, the singer began to transcend Mayagüez abroad.

He successfully starred in Peru. He performed in Argentina, Guatemala, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Crowding theaters in the Hispanic communities in the United States. And in Venezuela, where he became a true hero, topped the lists for 17 weeks with “Jamás te olvidaré.”

Chucho Avellanet

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The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

In the aftermath of the 60’s, Chucho became part of the group of artists who recorded for United Artists label in the United States. United Artists produced more than 15 recordings, among them “In a Little Spanish Town” album recorded entirely in English and the classic of his career, “Love & Violins,” recorded with Leroy Holmes Orchestra. In it is his unforgettable rendition of “One Thousand Violins.”

With UA Latino their successes were innumerable, “Canta muchachita,” Se acabó, “Ya no existe el amor,” “La primera novia,” Si yo fuera rico, “” Manolo, “” Love Story “ “Por ti”, among others.

In 1972 Chucho competed in the first edition of the OTI Festival, held in Spain. Represented Puerto Rico playing the song “Por ti”, the late composer Guillermo Venegas Lloveras, earning an honorable fourth place.

That same year, the Puerto Rican singer became the first Latin American to serve as guest star on the Miss Universe contest, held at the Hotel Cerromar of Dorado, Puerto Rico. With his performance, Chuck opened the door to be presented later in this international program figures like José Luis Rodríguez and Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine.

Transcending from decade to decade, Chucho focused on his work in television. Since the 60’s to 80’s, his work on the small screen is summarized in his performances in shows like “Show Ford”, “El Show de Chucho and Lissette”, “Señoras y Señores”, “Con Chucho Avellanet” and in its last stage television, “El Show de Chucho Avellanet.”

Simultaneously, Chucho remained a musical attraction in the main hotel of the country. Also participated in eight film productions among which are “Libertad para la juventud” and “Un amante anda suelto” Entering a new stage record, Chucho produced numerous hits in the 80’s as “Que mal amada estás” “Será varón, será mujer,” “Hoy me recuerdas,” “Se me secó la piel” and “Abeja reina”. At this stage he recorded one of his classics, “Recordando a Tito Rodriguez.” Also, as producer of their own records under the Unicorn label.

For him, his first project was supported by the Argentine songwriter Alberto Cortez.

Upon entering the 90’s, Chucho launched his production “Estoy de vuelta.” With it came to the Expo ‘92, held in Seville, Spain, where his performance in the Pavilion of Seville was one of the most acclaimed.

After a period of apparent inactivity, his career took a new momentum following the presentation at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente nostalgic entertainment: “Chucho, Lucecita and Lissette: El Encuentro, held in August 1994 and which the multinational WEA Latina released a recording.

Back to the world of recordings, the famed singer appeared in 2003, production yesterday, today and always that includes duets with the likes of Danny Rivera, Blanca Rosa Gil, Dagmar and Lissette. Three years later, again celebrated popularity with the launch of production “Tonight is for boleros.” The CD, produced by Roberto Livi, ranked as one of the most outstanding productions of the year, according to the National Foundation for Popular Culture. Likewise, the record earned him his first nomination for a Latin Grammy.

A sequel to the successful production was released in December 2007 with the launch of production “Bohemios.” In it, the singer has the accompaniment of the Trío Los Andinos.

Beyond its new releases and personal presentations-one of the successful series of concerts with Gilberto Santa Rosa - Chucho has been active on the airwaves featuring a weekly PRTV, Channel 6 show.

In 2010 he had a series with Lissette Alvarez concerts entitled “Acompáñame” with a double CD and a DVD. Recently the singer detected a cancerous condition which had to undergo chemotherapy. The municipality of Bayamón exalted his career in the Hall of Fame of Music and became his first start after months of treatments and care.

After five decades of intensive work,

Chucho Avellanet had a solid career that keeps him as one of the most acclaimed and beloved voices of Puerto Rico.

“Bug” Attacks Again at the Tapia B

ug” came back to the Tapia and did it again. The public responded. It had a good house to please. Bound less Theatre. This play by Tracy Letts is not as light as it seems. It can be taken as a light comedy, but it isn’t. It is more than that.

It is a phsycological drama with deep roots in spite of the comedy of the first act. Which is the best of the whole play. Agnes White, who actually is no lady, actually she is the tramp, vulgar and uncouth, is involved with Jerry, who is shaking up with her..

In all plays, the first act introduces the conflict to bee n developed. So in this play the conflict comes up when is Peter Evans steps in. Peter, Agne’s husband lost his nmind as a run away veteran of the Persian Gulf conflict. He projects his paranoia in the illusory attack of ed, insects. Millions of bugs, actually crawling in the bed, y is hiding under the sheets. Peter claims that the Army estito be blamed. He has been the victim of certain investiinea gation and experiments and he has been taken as guinea orld; pig. There is a big conspiracy involving the whole world; ng to politics and government being responsible; according Peter’s rotten mind.

The first scene of the first act, was kind of boring g betd Roween Agnes played by Marian Pabón and her friend nes so nie, played by Tensy Ann Vela. They both ran the lines he text fast; Why such a hurry? diction sounds messy and the

“

is hurt. Most Mo of the time, they all seemed to have a competition; wh who delivers the lines faster. Jorge Luis Ramos, who played playe the doctor in the last act was not taken into this speed race. His diction, clear and precise.

The second act and the last, was divided in three scenes. in the last one, lights and the tin foil paper background in darknes, is relevant to the physychodelic atmosph of the plot. atmosphere Mi Pabón, did her best to cope up with such Miss demand demanding role in regard to acting maye some moments rrequired voice inflections, this she could nor afford. Ernesto Concepción as Peter Evans was convincing in his ordeal fighting back the insects that s were supposed to have invaded the motel room.

T closing scene came up as a good rendeThe i dramatic effect as well as the acting. The ring in clima to Peter’s paranoia is the murder of the climax docto who is the symbol to the crisis. He turns doctor t be an inhuman robot, so to speak Agnes has out to been polluted by Peter’s insanity. She proclaims hers as the Queen, thus, following Peter in his herself com compulsive tragic behavior.

Carlos Esteban Fonseca played Jerry and Gr Gregorio Barreto, as the pizza Boy.

By Max González

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

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Scientists See Success in Flu Vaccine Made Faster

By ANDREW POLLACK

A

flu vaccine made by a new, faster method works just as well as existing products, researchers reported.

The finding clears a hurdle in the government’s effort to move toward a manufacturing process that could allow for a more reliable supply of seasonal flu shots.

The new vaccine, could become available in United States in the next few years, is made by growing influenza virus in cultures of animal cells rather than in chicken eggs that have been used for more than half a century.

Using animal cells could shave weeks off six months now required to produce vaccine for a pandemic. In the 2009 swine flu pandemic, large quantities of vaccine were not ready until after wave of disease.

Using animal cells grown in enclosed steel tanks, reduces risk of bacterial contamination, which led to shortages of seasonal vaccines in some years.

“I just think it’s an improvement in vaccine production that has been warranted for a long time,” said Dr. W. Paul Glezen, an influenza expert. “I just feel we’ve been sort of slow in implementing it.”

Dr. Glezen said shorter production times allow health officials to wait longer before deciding strains to include in next

winter’s flu vaccine, a decision now has to be made February. That would increase the chance strains in vaccine match strains in circulation.

Dr. Glezen said, when the virus grows in chicken eggs, it undergoes changes. “It may not match the circulating virus as much as vaccine made in mammalian cells.”

In a large clinical trial involving 7,250 healthy adults, the new vaccine was more than 70 percent effective in preventing the seasonal flu, according to researchers from Baxter International, the developer of the new vaccine. That rate is similar to what egg-based vaccines have demonstrated in past studies, the researchers wrote.

The clinical trial was paid for by the Department of Health and Human Services, which awarded $1.3 billion to six companies in 2006 to develop cell-culture flu vaccines, including $242 million to Baxter and its partner, the DynPort Vaccine Company.

The trial is the second to show a cellculture influenza vaccine to be as effective as conventional ones. In November, a study involving a Novartis vaccine was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Experts say it is no surprise that the vaccines work. Still, proof is needed for them to win regulatory approval.

Baxter began selling the vaccine in parts of Europe last October. The company,

which is based in Deerfield, Ill., would not say when it would apply for approval in the United States.

P. Noel Barrett, vice president for research and development in Baxter’s bioscience division, said the company was in discussions with the Food and Drug Administration about what kind of data would be needed for approval.

The main issue, Dr. Barrett said, was that the clinical trial involved healthy volunteers ages 18 to 49 and compared the vaccine with a placebo. Yet children and the elderly are more vulnerable to severe problems from the flu, so for those populations it might be unethical to conduct trials using a placebo.

Baxter therefore wants to show that the vaccine produces antibodies in children and the elderly at levels that correlate with those in the adults.

“We are certainly committed to moving this forward into the U.S. as fast as possible,” Dr. Barrett said.

Novartis won approval for its cellculture vaccine in Europe in 2007 and plans to start the process leading to F.D.A. approval this year. With help from a nearly $500 million federal contract, the company has built a cell-culture vaccine factory in Holly Springs, N.C. Robin Robinson, the director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Deve-

lopment Authority in the Department of Health and Human Services, said cell cultures would never completely supplant eggbased production. Two of the six companies that received the federal cell-culture awards in 2006 have dropped their efforts and given back the money, he said.

Dr. Robinson said cell culture was an “interim solution” until even faster techniques come along that do not require growing the virus at all.

Baxter’s flu vaccine is made in socalled Vero cells, derived from the kidneys of African green monkeys. The cells are already used to make other vaccines, including those for polio and rabies.

The clinical trial was conducted in the United States during the flu season of 2008-9. Only 13 people, or 0.4 percent, of those getting the vaccine became infected with a flu virus matching one of the three strains in the vaccine, compared with 60 people, or 1.7 percent, of those getting the placebo. That translates to an effectiveness of 78.5 percent.

Counting all strains of flu, even those not in the vaccine, the infection rates were 0.6 percent with the vaccine and 2.2 percent with the placebo, making the vaccine 71.5 percent effective. Side effects were similar to those of conventional vaccines, the researchers said.

For Cold Virus, Zinc May Edge Out Even Chicken Soup

By TARA PARKER-POPE

S

cientists haven’t discovered a cure for the common cold, but researchers say zinc may be the next best thing.

A sweeping review of medical research on zinc shows sniffing, sneezing, coughing and stuffy-head cold sufferers finally have a better option than tissue and chicken soup. When taken within 24 hours of the first runny nose or sore throat, zinc lozenges, tablets or syrups cut colds short by a day or more and sharply reduce severity of symptoms, according to Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, a respected medical clearinghouse.

Benefits of zinc were significant. A March 2008 report in Journal of Infectious Diseases found zinc lozenges cut duration of colds to four days from seven days, and reduced coughing to two days from five.

While the findings are certain to send droves of miserable cold sufferers to the drugstore in search of zinc treatments, the study authors offered no guidance on what type of zinc product to buy. The authors declined to make recommendations about the optimal dose, formulation or duration of zinc use, saying that more work was needed before they could make recommendations.

“Over all, it appears that zinc does have an effect in controlling the common cold,”

said Dr. Meenu Singh, the review’s lead author and a professor in the department of pediatrics at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research.

Zinc experts say that many over-thecounter zinc products may not be as effective as those studied by researchers because commercial lozenges and syrups often are made with different formulations of zinc and various flavors and binders that can alter the effectiveness of the treatment.

“A lot of preparations have added so many things that they aren’t releasing zinc properly,” said Dr. Ananda Prasad, professor in the department of oncology at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit and an early pioneer of research into zinc as an essential mineral. Two of Dr. Prasad’s studies were included in the Cochrane report.

“The public is confused because people have used the wrong dose, they have used the wrong sort of zinc or they have not started the treatment within 24 hours of onset,” he said.

Even so, the new report gives credence to the long-debated theory that zinc can be an effective treatment for colds. While it’s not certain how the mineral curbs colds, it appears to have antiviral properties that prevent the cold virus from replicating or attaching to nasal membranes.

The first study to show that zinc might be a useful treatment for the common cold was published in 1984, but the research was criticized for its poor methods. Since that study, 18 more trials of zinc for colds have been conducted: 11 of them showed it to be a useful treatment, while seven of them showed no benefit, according to the review.

Although a majority of trials have shown some benefit from zinc, many of them have been criticized for failing to “mask” the treatment, meaning the participants most likely knew they were using zinc, which may have skewed the results.

At the same time, many of the trials that showed no benefit from zinc have been criticized for using formulations that may have contained ingredients that blunted the effectiveness of zinc.

The Cochrane reviewers selected 15 studies that enrolled a combined 1,360 participants. The studies were all considered to have good methodological quality with a low risk of bias, but they were far from perfect. All the studies compared zinc use with a placebo, but in several studies the zinc users complained about the taste of lozenges, suggesting that some people may have known that they were using zinc rather than a placebo.

Even so, when the data was pooled, the effect shown was strong. The review found

that not only did zinc reduce the duration and severity of common cold symptoms, but regular zinc use also worked to prevent colds, leading to fewer school absences and less antibiotic use in children. People who used zinc were also far less likely to have a cold that lasted more than seven days.

The studies used various forms and doses of zinc, including zinc gluconate or zinc acetate lozenges and zinc sulfate syrup, and the dose ranged from 30 to 160 milligrams a day. Several studies in the Cochrane review used zinc acetate lozenges from the Web site ColdCure.com, created by George Eby, the researcher who wrote the first zinc study in 1984.

Dr. Prasad said his studies have used zinc acetate lozenges from ColdCure.com that contained about 13 milligrams of zinc.

Study participants took a lozenge every three to four hours during the day for four consecutive days, resulting in a daily dose of 50 to 65 milligrams a day, he said.

Some cold sufferers have been wary about using zinc since the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers to stop using Zicam nasal sprays and swabs, which contain zinc, after numerous reports that some users lost their sense of smell after using the product. The Cochrane report did not review any studies of nasal zinc products.

36 February 24 - March 2, 2011

The San Juan Weekly

What Really Causes Runner’s High?

By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS

F

or decades, endorphins have hogged the credit for producing “runner’s high,” that fleeting sense of euphoria and calm many people report experiencing after prolonged exercise. Who among us, after an especially satisfying workout, hasn’t thought, “ah, my endorphins are kicking in.” Endorphins are the world’s sole celebrity peptide.

Endorphins gained notoriety in exercise in 1980s when researchers discovered increased blood levels of the substance after prolonged workouts. (Endorphins are the body’s home-brewed opiates, with receptors and actions like those of pain-relieving morphine.) Endorphins are composed of large molecules, “which are unable to pass the blood-brain barrier,” said Matthew Hill at Rockefeller University. Finding endorphins in bloodstream after exercise could not constitute proof the substance was having effect on the mind. Researchers started to look for other candidates to explain runner’s high. Now an emerging field of neuroscience indicates an altogether-different neurochemical system within the body and brain, the endocannabinoid system, may be responsible for that feeling.

In a groundbreaking 2003 experiment, scientists found 50 minutes of hard running on a treadmill or riding a stationary bicycle significantly increased blood levels of endocannabinoid molecules in a group of college students. The endocannabinoid system was first mapped years before when scientists set out to determine how cannabis, a k a marijuana,

acts upon the body. They found a group of receptors, clustered in the brain allow the active ingredient in marijuana to bind to the nervous system and set off reactions that reduce pain and anxiety and produce a floaty, free-form sense of well-being. Even more intriguing, researchers found with the right stimuli, the body creates its own cannabinoids (the endocannabinoids). These cannabinoids are composed of molecules known as lipids, which are small enough to cross the blood-brain barrier, so cannabinoids found in the blood after exercise could be affecting the brain.

Since that 2003 study, flurry of research has been teasing out role endocannabinoids play in reaction to exercise rats treated with drug that blocked endocannabinoid receptors did not experience increase in new brain cells suggesting a well-functioning endocannabinoid system may be required for cognitive improvements from exercise. OEndocannabinoids may be what nudge us to tolerate or enjoy exercise in the first place. In an experiment groups of mice were assigned either to run on wheels or sip a sweetened drink. Running and slurping sugar previously were identified as pleasurable behaviors in animals. Now the researchers saw that both activities lit up and sensitized portions of the animals’ endocannabinoid systems, intimating the endocannabinoid connection may lend both exercise and dessert their appeal.

Researchers in France bred mice with no functioning endocannabinoid receptors. Mice usually love to run, but the genetically modified animals, given free access to running wheels, ran about half as much as usual. Although

the full intricacies of the endocannabinoid system’s role in motivating and rewarding exercise is not yet understood, it seems the cannabinoid-deprived mice were not getting some necessary internal message. The endocannabinoid system impact onto central reward networks”. Without it, exercise seemed to provide less buzz, and the animals didn’t indulge as much.

Whether endocannabinoids are behind runner’s high, is uncertain. Rodents “do not fill questionnaires to express their feelings related to running,” and runners’ high is a subjective human experience. Endocannabinoids are a persuasive candidate, given overlap between high associated with marijuana and descriptions of euphoria associated with strenuous exercise. One recent article described them: “pure happiness, elation, a feeling of unity with one’s self and/or nature, endless peacefulness,” and “inner harmony.” Ahhhh.

A Simple Map to Wholesome

By JANE E. BRODY

F

or the first time since it began issuing dietary guidelines, government offered new recommendations that clearly favor health and well-being of consumers over hard-lobbying farm interests.

The new science-based Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released Jan. 31 by the Departments of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services, are comprehensive, sensible, attainable and affordable.

They offer a wide variety of dietary options to help you eat better for fewer calories without undue sacrifice of dining pleasure.

It’s up to consumers to act and put brakes on runaway obesity and chronic diseases that cost billions of dollars before they kill.

Moderation, rather than deprivation and denial, is key to a wholesome diet you can stick with and enjoy. I say this with confidence because I’ve lived this way for most of my adult life.

The guidelines, which combine goals of fewer calories — and especially nutrientpoor calories from sugars, fats and refined grains — with more emphasis on nutrientdense foods: • Eat more vegetables and fruits, filling half your plate.

• Choose lean meats and poultry, and replace some of them with seafood.

• Consume mainly nonfat or low-fat milk and other dairy products.

• Choose low-sodium products and use less

salt in food preparation.

• Eat more fiber-rich foods; replace most refined grains and grain-based foods with whole-grain versions.

• Use vegetable oils like olive and canola oil instead of butter and margarine, but remember all fats have lots of calories.

• Eat out less; cook at home more often.

• Drink water, calorie-free beverages like coffee and tea, and 100 percent fruit juice instead of regular sodas, fruit drinks and energy drinks; limit alcoholic drinks to one a day for women, two for men.

• Eat less and exercise more to achieve a better balance of caloric intake and output.

Before you make changes in your eating habits, keep a detailed food diary for a week. Write down everything you eat and drink, listing amounts, circumstances, emotional state and anything else relevant.

Make less seem like more by eating on smaller plates. Pay attention to what you’re eating and eat slowly. Avoid distracted eating, while watching television for example.

Eat only until you are satisfied, not full.

Eat beans and peas, nuts and seeds for protein. Bake, broil or grill meats, poultry and fish. Discard skin and avoid breading. If I had to choose one pan, a stove-top grill pan with a nonstick surface. If two, a nonstick wok-type skillet for stir-frying vegetables in a small amount of olive or vegetable oil. If three a steamer.

When fresh vegetables and fruits are out of season and expensive, switch temporarily to frozen ones (plain, not packaged in sauces or sugary syrup). Make sandwiches on those new whole-wheat or multigrain sandwich thins, only 100 calories each.

Don’t be fooled by advertising. Read nutrition facts on food packages (you may want to take a magnifying glass to the store). Note serving size, calories per serving, amounts of sugars, saturated and trans fats, and sodium in a serving, as well as healthpromoting dietary fiber, protein and potassium. Check the ingredients; contents are listed in order of amount (highest first). For desserts, rely more on fruits (fresh or dried), perhaps with nonfat or low-fat vanilla yogurt, than on ice cream or baked goods.

Bake your own with whole-grain flour, fruit

purée and oil.

Snacks can undo an otherwise healthful diet. Nutritious choices include unsalted nuts, in moderation, and cut-up vegetables with a yogurt dip or hummus.

Satisfy a sweet craving with fresh fruit, unsweetened dried fruit or a small bowl of lightly sweetened whole-grain dry cereal.

When dining out, consider choosing two appetizers instead of a main course, or share an entree with a dining partner. If restaurant portions are over the top, take half home.

Adjust your caloric intake to your needs. The average sedentary man in his 40s needs 2,200 calories a day; one who is active needs 2,800. Comparable numbers for women are 1,800 and 2,200.

If you are sedentary, start with 10-minute bouts of activity a couple of days a week and gradually build up to longer bouts more often and at a faster pace. (For an activity guide, go to www.presidentschallenge. org, click on “download tools and resources,” then on “fitness guides.” Or track your progress at www.health.gov/paguidelines, click on “be active your way,” then “keeping track of what you do each week.”)

The best way to know whether you are consuming too many calories is to monitor your weight — if it’s creeping upward, you need to eat less or move more, preferably both. I weigh myself every day to keep within a range of two pounds up or down — a strategy favored by the “successful losers” in the National Weight Control Registry, a long-term study of how people stay trim.

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

37

Wariness on Surgery of the Mind

By BENEDICT CAREY

M

any psychiatrists believe the best chance for some people with severe and intractable mental problems is psychosurgery, an experimental procedure in which doctors operate directly on the brain.

Hundreds of people undergone brain surgery for psychiatric problems, most in experimental trials, with encouraging results. In 2009, the government approved one surgical technique for severe cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder, O.C.D. The first time since frontal lobotomy fell into disrepute in the 1950s, surgery for behavior problems seemed back to the medical mainstream.

But now some of the field’s most prominent scientists are saying, “Not so fast.”

In the journal Health Affairs, experts say approving the surgery for O.C.D. was a mistake — and a potentially costly one. They argue the surgery has not been sufficiently tested, neither its long-term effectiveness nor its side effects are well known and that even calling it “therapy” raises people’s hopes well beyond what is scientifically supportable. “We’re not against the operation, we just want to see it tested adequately before it’s called a therapy,” said Dr. Joseph J. Fins, chief of medical ethics at NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell hospital.

Doctors who run programs offering the operation strongly object. “These pa-

tients are very capable of making informed decisions based on our experience with the surgery,” said Dr. Wayne K. Goodman, chairman of psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, “and I would not want to deprive them of the option, any more than I would deny someone with AIDS access to a promising therapy that has not been established yet. Their life has been so destroyed by O.C.D. that they might contemplate suicide” if the surgery were not available.

Should experimental surgery be allowed, before long, costly trials are completed? — will largely set the future course of modern psychosurgery. It may turn on the interpretation of an arcane Food and Drug Administration regulation that allows manufacturers to put a device on the market without rigorously proving its effectiveness when it is intended to treat or diagnose a fairly rare condition.

It was this exemption the agency applied in 2009 to a device used to perform so-called deep brain stimulation, or D.B.S., for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder who had not been helped by other treatments. A surgeon sinks wires deep into the brain and leaves them in place; a device like a pacemaker sends a current to the electrodes, interfering with circuits that appear to be hyperactive.

Deep brain stimulation has a proven track record in reducing the tremors and stiffness of Parkinson’s disease; and doctors

have performed the operation on people with depression and Tourette’s syndrome.

It is most common of several psychosurgery techniques available, most familiar to doctors, and experts say is likely to set expectations and public image of modern psychosurgery.

The authors in Health Affairs say this is all the more reason to revoke the exemption and subject the technique to proper testing in studies of O.C.D. patients. Even if the device is the same, its effects on different diseases must be studied separately.

Studies must look at quality of life, not just severity of the disease. In 2008 study, researchers found patients who had another type of surgery for O.C.D., called a capsulotomy, had symptoms of apathy and poor self-control for years after the procedure.

“Because we recognize there is a need for this doesn’t mean we don’t have to proceed in an agnostic, scientific manner to see whether it improves people’s lives,” said a co-author of the Health Affairs paper, Dr. Helen S. Mayberg of Emory University.

She and many of the other authors — including Dr. Bart Nuttin of the University Hospitals, who published the first report of using deep brain stimulation for O.C.D. about a decade ago — hold patents related to the procedure or have received industry support for their work The new paper argues commercial interest push D.B.S. into psychiatric market ahead of the science.

Yet doctors who offer the surgery say most of the paper’s authors do not work extensively with obsessive-compulsive disorder. “I believe the F.D.A. acted correctly,” Dr. Benjamin D. Greenberg, a Brown University psychiatrist who directs the O.C.D. surgery program at Butler Hospital. “The data on effectiveness are not perfect. But they are substantial.”

Whether surgery for behavior problems is confined to studies or continues to be offered through a regulatory exemption, everyone agrees that the field should set up a registry of all patients who have had surgery for psychiatric problems. Some patients may do better with time, for instance, and others crash: no one knows, because no one is systematically following a large enough group of patients for years.

38 February 24 - March 2, 2011

The San Juan Weekly

Shedding a Protective Cocoon, Woven by Delusions

By MARC E. AGRONIN, M.D.

T

he woman described the sensation as a delicate flicker, like a moth trapped in a small gauze bag.

She ran her slender fingers repeatedly over the spot in her slightly distended abdomen and said, “Doctor, right here.”

Sometimes, she told me, the flicker gave way to a more forceful kick that rippled beneath her hand and then spread like a warm tide over her body. She felt contented and soothed as she imagined the baby growing inside.

I was tempted to smile, but I kept still. An actual pregnancy would have been international news: the woman was 83 years old, recovering from a hip fracture and pneumonia. But her delusion was not unique.

Indeed, our nursing home was having something of a baby boom.

Just the day before, another woman who had recently suffered a stroke insisted that she had given birth to twin boys, who were now crying in the adjacent nursery. I reminded her that she was 90, but my words were no match for the force of her belief. She looked at me blankly and called again for her babies.

Her husband, distraught, begged me to consider some pharmacologic remedy. But I was struck not by any mental suffering on the woman’s part, but by the opposite.

In the face of terrible losses and confusion, her mind had found refuge in imaginary children. Their coos and cries brought comfort and hope.

Pseudocyesis, as delusional pregnancy is called, is neither common late in life nor a normal response to aging or illness. It is a form of psychosis, and it can lead to severe anxiety or disruptive behavior that must be treated.

But it is too easy to see pathology in what may actually be a protective mechanism in the aging brain.

What a psychiatrist might call a symptom held deep me-

aning for each woman, and prompted them to focus on recovering from severe illness.

In each case, I had to act in the opposite direction of my instinct as a doctor. Medication might have only sedated them and even taken away a protective cocoon.

Instead I let time do its work: the delusions faded, and physical and mental recovery took hold.

Such examples are relatively rare and, one might argue, easily romanticized. But they hold a larger lesson about the aging brain.

What we perceive as a brain in flight or decline, disengaging from the world or tumbling into a netherworld of oldness, might actually be a more selective, creative and wiser brain.

The paradox is that even as the normal aging brain loses capacity across numerous discrete skills — memory-processing speed, verbal reasoning and visuospatial ability, to name a few — it is simultaneously growing in knowledge, emotional maturity, adaptability to change and even levels of well-being and happiness.

I witnessed this common phenomenon in a couple I know well. The woman is a sharp and active 82-yearold who only recently retired as a social worker. Her new husband, now 92, was a World War II bomber pilot and

retired marketing genius who always prided himself on his mental discipline and physical stamina.

Recently he began to complain bitterly of creeping short-term memory impairment and a general slowing of his motor functions. Both factors can bring him great unhappiness. During a recent meeting, however, I pressed him on his complaints, asking, “Is that all there is to growing old — decline, slowing and loss?”

His bride interrupted and told how their relationship was unique because of old age, in many ways deeper and more intimate than either had experienced as younger people.

Even as his memory declined, she said, his emotional maturity and wisdom had increased, opening perspectives and relationships he had never had before.

Here was old age — and an aging brain — acting as a force that added even as it took away.

In telling this tale as a relatively young doctor who works primarily with older individuals, I could easily be accused of painting an overly rosy picture of what I want growing old to be.

If so, I plead guilty. But I do so in the spirit of the gerontologist Thomas Cole, who suggests that the ways in which we look at old age begin to constitute its reality.

We will all grow old, and despite the inevitable changes we do have choices. Indeed, growing evidence suggests that the aging brain retains and even increases the potential for resilience, growth and well-being.

I have seen this lesson lived in my friends, loved ones and older patients, whether free of illness or fettered by it. I saw it in the two older women whose imagined pregnancies brought needed hope at a time of threatened despair. Their fervent wishes, though unattainable, allowed them to achieve something better.

Similarly, we can all hope for a vital and meaningful old age — for our elders, ourselves and our children. In the end, we may actually get what we wish for.

Probiotics Can Soothe a Colicky Baby

By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

C

olic is one of the most prevalent conditions of infancy: about 20 percent of all babies suffer the inconsolable bouts of crying that characterize

it.

Yet no one really understands what makes a baby colicky. Scientists have investigated a number of causes — allergies, hormones in milk, even stress in the womb. But some now think it may stem from inflammation in the gut, perhaps a result of too many harmful bacteria and not enough beneficial ones.

A 2009 study, for example, found that colicky babies had gastrointestinal inflammation and traces of a bacterium in their guts that may have prompted it.

Babies without colic had no inflammation and a greater diversity of beneficial bacteria.

So could higher levels of gut-friendly bacteria make a difference?

In a 2007 study, Italian researchers looked into this by examining 83 colicky babies who were breastfed. Over 28 days, some of the infants were given simethicone, a medication that reduces gas; the others were given a supplement containing L. reuteri, one of the beneficial bacteria known as probiotics and often

found in yogurt. At the end of the study, the babies who received the probiotic cried an average of 51 minutes a day, compared with about two and a half hours in the other group. A 2010 study had similar results.

“Gut microbiota changes induced by the probiotic could be involved in the observed clinical improvement,” the researchers wrote. Still, experts say they would like to see more studies.

There is evidence that probiotics may help relieve colic.

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

39 SCIENCE / TECH

NASA Grabs a Second Look at a Comet Schultz said. “We saw the crater.”

Dr. Veverka interjected, “Yeah, we really did see the crater.”

Later in the news conference, NASA was able to display a comparison between what Deep Impact saw five-and-a-half years ago and what Stardust saw Monday. The images can also be seen at nasa. gov.

Donald E. Brownlee of the

University of Washington, another co-investigator, described the rattat-tat of dust particles that hit the spacecraft. “Like a B-17 in World War II flying through flak,” he said.

An instrument on Stardust was able to do chemical analysis on the dust particles, finding carbon and carbon-nitrogen fragments, Dr. Brownlee said.

Lucy Walked Tall, a Foot Bone Suggests

By SINDYA N. BHANOO

By KENNETH CHANG

N

ASA’s Valentine’s Day date with a comet went flawlessly. The day after was somewhat more problematic, although scientists were still ecstatic.

The Stardust spacecraft, traveling 24,000 miles per hour, passed 110 miles from the comet Tempel 1 at 11:40 p.m. Eastern time on Monday. This was the first time a comet had been seen close up twice. A different NASA spacecraft, Deep Impact, visited in 2005.

“If you ask me, was this mission a hundred percent successful in terms of the science, I would have to say no,” said Joseph Veverka, a professor of astronomy at Cornell and principal investigator for the mission, at a news conference on Tuesday.

He added brightly, “It was a thousand percent successful.”

The visit to Tempel 1, an extension of Stardust’s original mission, cost $29 million, a fraction of the $300 million to $500 million that would be needed to send a new spacecraft.

Scientists wanted to see how parts of Tempel 1’s surface seen by Deep Impact have changed, they wanted to see new swaths that Deep Impact did not take pictures of, and they wanted to see the impact crater created by an 820-pound copper

slug unleashed by Deep Impact.

To ensure that the desired parts of Tempel 1 would be facing Stardust as it passed, scientists had to precisely track the comet’s rotation, and NASA had to precisely navigate the spacecraft.

Dr. Veverka said the orientation of Tempel 1 turned out to be within a couple of degrees of the predictions.

But the scientists had to wait to see the results. The spacecraft had been commanded to first send back five photographs taken at closest approach, but because of a software glitch, it instead sent back the images in the order they had been taken, starting with faraway ones.

When the close-up images arrived, they covered everything on the checklist.

Peter H. Schultz, a professor of geological sciences at Brown University and a co-investigator, said the Deep Impact crater, about 500 feet across, was “more subdued” than had been expected. Material that was kicked up by the collision then fell back. “The crater partly healed itself,” Dr. Schultz said.

The scientists actually had more trouble showing the images than the spacecraft had taking them; the picture of the impact crater was left out from the presentation slides shown at the news conference.

“Let me just tell them,” Dr.

L

ucy may well be the world’s most famous fossil hominid. She is the best-known specimen of the species Australopithecus afarensis, and her partial skeleton, found in 1974, revealed that she and her kin could walk upright.

But because of a lack of foot bone specimens, scientists have long debated how well she walked — that is, whether A. afarensis also used a grasping movement with the feet, as apes do when they grab tree branches.

Now, a fossilized foot bone from Hadar, Ethiopia, reveals that A. afarensis had arched feet, as do modern humans, and was fully committed to walking upright. The species lived between 3.7 million and 2.9 million years ago.

Researchers from the University of Missouri and Arizona State University report these fin-

dings in the journal Science.

The newly found specimen is a well-preserved fourth metatarsal, one of the long bones that connect the toe to the base of the foot.

The bone is more similar to the modern human foot than to that of apes, and it suggests that the A. afarensis foot had a wellformed arch that was shock-absorbing.

“One little tiny bone of the foot tells us a good, long story,” said Carol V. Ward, the study’s lead author and a biologist at the University of Missouri. “They couldn’t grab on to much, and they were walking just like we were.”

Until two years ago, Lucy was the earliest known skeleton from the human branch of the primate family. She was replaced

by Ardi, who belongs to the species Ardipithecus ramidus and lived 4.4 million years ago. Unlike Lucy, Ardi most likely walked both upright and on all fours.

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

40 SCIENCE / TECH

A Fight to Win the Future:

Computers vs. Humans

By JOHN MARKOFF

A

t the dawn of the modern computer era, two Pentagon-financed laboratories bracketed Stanford University.

At one laboratory, a small group of scientists and engineers worked to replace the human mind, while at the other, a similar group worked to augment it.

In 1963 the mathematician-turnedcomputer scientist John McCarthy started the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. The researchers believed that it would take only a decade to create a thinking machine.

Also that year the computer scientist Douglas Engelbart formed what would become the Augmentation Research Center to pursue a radically different goal — designing a computing system that would instead “bootstrap” the human intelligence of small groups of scientists and engineers.

For the past four decades that basic tension between artificial intelligence and intelligence augmentation — A.I. versus I.A. — has been at the heart of progress in computing science as the field has produced a series of ever more powerful technologies that are transforming the world.

Now, as the pace of technological change continues to accelerate, it has become increasingly possible to design computing systems that enhance the human experience, or now — in a growing number of cases — completely dispense with it.

The implications of progress in A.I. are being brought into sharp relief now by the broadcasting of a recorded competition pitting the I.B.M. computing system named Watson against the two best human Jeopardy players, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter.

Watson is an effort by I.B.M. researchers to advance a set of techniques used to process human language. It provides striking evidence that computing systems will no longer be limited to responding to simple commands. Machines will increasingly be able to pick apart jargon, nuance and even riddles. In attacking the problem of the ambiguity of human language, computer science is now closing in on what researchers refer to as the “Paris Hilton problem” — the ability, for example, to determine whether a query is being made by someone who is trying to reserve a hotel in France, or simply to pass time surfing the Internet.

If, as many predict, Watson defeats its human opponents on Wednesday, much will be made of the philosophical consequences of the machine’s achievement. Moreover, the I.B.M. demonstration also foretells profound sociological and economic changes.

Traditionally, economists have argued that while new forms of automation may displace jobs in the short run, over longer

periods of time economic growth and job creation have continued to outpace any jobkilling technologies. For example, over the past century and a half the shift from being a largely agrarian society to one in which less than 1 percent of the United States labor force is in agriculture is frequently cited as evidence of the economy’s ability to reinvent itself.

That, however, was before machines began to “understand” human language.

Rapid progress in natural language processing is beginning to lead to a new wave of automation that promises to transform areas of the economy that have until now been untouched by technological change.

“As designers of tools and products and technologies we should think more about these issues,” said Pattie Maes, a computer scientist at the M.I.T. Media Lab. Not only do designers face ethical issues, she argues, but increasingly as skills that were once exclusively human are simulated by machines, their designers are faced with the challenge of rethinking what it means to be human.

I.B.M.’s executives have said they intend to commercialize Watson to provide a new class of question-answering systems in business, education and medicine. The repercussions of such technology are unknown, but it is possible, for example, to envision systems that replace not only human experts, but hundreds of thousands of wellpaying jobs throughout the economy and around the globe. Virtually any job that now involves answering questions and conducting commercial transactions by telephone will soon be at risk. It is only necessary to consider how quickly A.T.M.’s displaced human bank tellers to have an idea of what could happen.

To be sure, anyone who has spent time

waiting on hold for technical support, or trying to change an airline reservation, may welcome that day. However, there is also a growing unease about the advances in natural language understanding that are being heralded in systems like Watson. As rapidly as A.I.-based systems are proliferating, there are equally compelling examples of the power of I.A. — systems that extend the capability of the human mind.

Google itself is perhaps the most significant example of using software to mine the collective intelligence of humans and then making it freely available in the form of a digital library. The search engine was originally based on a software algorithm called PageRank that mined human choices in picking Web pages that contained answers to a particular typed query and then quickly ranked the matches by relevance.

The Internet is widely used for applications that employ a range of human capabilities. For example, experiments in Webbased games designed to harness the human ability to recognize patterns — which still greatly exceeds what is possible by computer — are generating a new set of scientific tools. Games like FoldIt, EteRNA and Galaxy Zoo make it possible for individuals to compete and collaborate in fields like astronomy to biology, medicine and possibly even material science.

Personal computing was the first step toward intelligence augmentation that reached a broad audience. It created a generation of “information workers,” and equipped them with a set of tools for gathering, producing and sharing information. Now there is a cyborg quality to the changes that are taking place as personal computing has evolved from desktop to laptop and now to the smartphones that have quickly become ubiquitous.

The smartphone is not just a navigation and communication tool. It has rapidly become an almost seamless extension of almost all of our senses. It is not only a reference tool but is quickly evolving to be an “information concierge” that can respond to typed or spoken queries or simply volunteer advice.

Further advances in both A.I. and I.A. will increasingly confront the engineers and computer scientists with clear choices about how technology is used. “There needs to be an explicit social contract between the engineers and society to create not just jobs but better jobs,” said Jaron Lanier, a computer scientist and author of “You are not a Gadget: A Manifesto.”

The consequences of human design decisions can be clearly seen in the competing online news systems developed here in Silicon Valley.

Douglas Engelbart is a proponent of Each day Katherine Ho sits at a comintelligence augmentation. puter and observes which news articles mi-

STANFORD John McCarthy started an artificial intelligence lab. llions of Yahoo users are reading.

Her computer monitor displays the results of a cluster of software programs giving her almost instant updates on precisely how popular each of the news articles on the company’s home page is, based on her readers’ tastes and interests.

Ms. Ho is a 21st-century version of a traditional newspaper wire editor. Instead of gut and instinct, her decisions on which articles to put on the Yahoo home page are based on the cues generated by the software algorithms.

Throughout the day she constantly reorders the news articles that are displayed for dozens of demographic subgroups that make up the Yahoo readership. An article that isn’t drawing much interest may last only minutes before she “spikes” it electronically. Popular articles stay online for days and sometimes draw tens of millions of readers.

Just five miles north at Yahoo’s rival Google, however, the news is produced in an entirely different manner. Spotlight, a popular feature on Google’s news site, is run entirely by a software algorithm which performs essentially the same duties as Ms. Ho does.

Google’s software prowls the Web looking for articles deemed interesting, employing a process that is similar to the company’s PageRank search engine ranking system to make decisions on which articles to present to readers.

In one case, software-based technologies are being used to extend the skills of a human worker, in another case technology replaces her entirely.

Similar design decisions about how machines are used and whether they will enhance or replace human qualities are now being played out in a multitude of ways, and the real value of Watson may ultimately be in forcing society to consider where the line between human and machine should be drawn.

Indeed, for the computer scientist John Seely Brown, machines that are facile at answering questions only serve to obscure what remains fundamentally human.

“The essence of being human involves asking questions, not answering them,” he said.

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

41 SCIENCE / TECH

Soaking Up the Sun to Squeeze Bills to Zero

By KIRK JOHNSON

T

he west-facing windows by Jim Duffield’s desk started automatically tinting blue at 2:50 p.mA. on a recent Friday as the midwinter sun settled low over the Rocky Mountain foothills.

Around his plant-strewn work cubicle, low whirring air sounds emanated from speakers in the floor, meant to mimic the whoosh of conventional heating and airconditioning systems, neither of which his 222,000-square-foot office building has, or needs, even here at 5,300 feet elevation. The generic white noise of pretend ductwork is purely for background and workplace psychology — managers found that workers needed something more than silence.

Meanwhile, the photovoltaic roof array was beating a retreat in the fading, low-angled light. It had until 1:35 p.m. been producing more electricity than the building could use — a three-hour energy budget surplus — interrupted only around noon by a passing cloud formation.

For Mr. Duffield, 62, it was just another day in what was designed, in painstaking detail, to be the largest net-zero energy office building in the nation. He’s still adjusting, six months after he and 800 engineers and managers and support staff from the National Renewable Energy Lab moved in to the $64 million building, which the federal agency has offered up as a template for how to do affordable, super-energy-efficient construction.

“It’s sort of a wonderland,” said Mr. Duffield, an administrative support worker, as the window shading system reached maximum.

Most office buildings are divorced, in a way, from their surroundings. Each day in the mechanical trenches of heating, cooling and data processing is much the same as another but for the cost of paying for the energy used.

The energy lab’s Research Support Facility building is more like a mirror, or perhaps a sponge, to its surroundings. From the light-bending window louvers that cast rays up into the interior office spaces, to the giant concrete maze in the sub-basement for holding and storing radiant heat, every day is completely different.

This is the story of one randomly selected day in the still-new building’s life: Jan. 28, 2011.

It was mostly sunny, above-average temperatures peaking in the mid-60s, light winds from the west-northwest. The sun rose at 7:12 a.m.

By that moment, the central computer was already hard at work, tracking every watt in and out, seeking, always, the balance of zero net use over 24 hours — a goal that managers say probably won’t be attainable until early next year, when the third wing of the project and a parking complex are completed.

With daylight, the building’s pulse

quickened. The photovoltaic panels kicked in with electricity at 7:20 a.m.

As employees began arriving, electricity use — from cellphone chargers to elevators — began to increase. Total demand, including the 65-watt maximum budget per workspace for all uses, lighting to computing, peaked at 9:40 a.m.

Meanwhile, the basement data center, which handles processing needs for the 300-acre campus, was in full swing, peaking in electricity use at 10:10 a.m., as e-mail and research spreadsheets began firing through the circuitry.

For Mr. Duffield and his co-workers, that was a good-news bad-news moment: The data center is by far the biggest energy user in the complex, but also one of its biggest producers of heat, which is captured and used to warm the rest of the building.

If there is a secret clubhouse for the world’s energy and efficiency geeks, it probably looks and feels just about like this.

“Nothing in this building was built the way it usually is,” said Jerry Blocher, a senior project manager at Haselden Construction, the general contractor for the project.

The backdrop to everything here is that office buildings are, to people like Mr. Blocher, the unpicked fruit of energy conservation. Commercial buildings use about 18 percent of the nation’s total energy each year, and many of those buildings, especially in years past, were designed with barely a thought to energy savings, let alone zero net use.

The answer at the research energy laboratory, a unit of the federal Department of Energy, is not gee-whiz science. There is no giant, expensive solar array that could mask a multitude of traditional design sins, but rather a rethinking of everything, down to the smallest elements, all aligned in a watt-by-watt march toward a new kind of building.

Managers even pride themselves on the fact that hardly anything in their building, at least in its individual component pieces, is really new.

Off-the-shelf technology, cost-efficient as well as energy-efficient, was the mantra to finding what designers repeatedly call the sweet spot — zero energy that doesn’t break a sweat, or the bank. More than 400 tour groups, from government agency planners to corporations to architects, have trouped through since the first employees moved in last summer.

“It’s all doable technology,” said Jeffrey M. Baker, the director of laboratory operations at the Department of Energy’s Golden field office. “It’s a living laboratory.”

Some of those techniques and tricks are as old as the great cathedrals of Europe (mass holds heat like a battery, which led to the concrete labyrinth in the subbasement).

Light, as builders since the pyramids have known, can be bent to suit need, with louvers that fling sunbeams to white panels over the office workers heads’ to minimize

electricity use.

There are certainly some things that workers here are still getting used to. In nudging the building toward zero net electricity over 24 hours, lighting was a main target.

That forced designers to lower the partition walls between work cubicles to only 42 or 54 inches (height decided by compass, or perhaps sundial, in maximizing the flow of natural light and ventilation), which raised privacy concerns among workers. Even the managers’ offices have no ceilings — again to allow the flow of natural light, as cast from the ceiling.

“The open office is different,” said Andrew Parker, an engineer. “You want to be next to someone quiet.”

Getting to the highest certification level in green building technology at reasonable cost also required an armada of creative decisions, large and small. The round steel structural columns that hold the building up? They came from 3,000 feet of natural gas pipe — built for the old energy economy and never used. The wood trim in the lobby? Lodgepole pine trees — 310 of them — killed by a bark beetle that has infested millions of acres of forest in the West.

Ultimately, construction costs were brought in at only $259 a square foot, nearly $77 below the average cost of a new superefficient commercial office building, according to figures from Haselden Construction, the builder. Other components of the design are based on observation of human nature.

People print less paper when they share a central printer that requires a walk to the copy room. People also use less energy, managers say, when they know how much they’re using. A monitor in the lobby offers real-time feedback on eight different measures.

The feedback comes right down to a worker’s computer screen, where a little icon pops up when the building’s central computer says conditions are optimal to crank the hand-opened windows. (Other windows, harder to reach, open by computer command.)

Rethinking work shifts can also contribute. Here, the custodial staff comes in at 5 p.m., two or three hours earlier than in most traditional office buildings, saving on the use of lights.

The management of energy behavior, like the technology, is an experiment in progress.

“Right now people are on their best behavior,” said Ron Judkoff, a lab program manager. “Time will answer the question of whether you can really train people, or whether a coffee maker or something starts showing up.”

If Anthony Castellano is a measure, the training regimen has clearly taken root.

Mr. Castellano, who joined the research laboratory last year as a Web designer after years in private industry, said the immersion in energy consciousness goes home with him at night.

“My kids are yelling at me because

I’m turning off all the lights,” Mr. Castellano said.

At 5:05 p.m., the solar cells stopped producing. Declining daylight in turn produced a brief spike in lighting use, at 5:55 p.m. Five minutes later, the building management system began shutting off lights in a rolling two-hour cycle (the computer gives a few friendly blinks, as a signal in case a late-working employee wants to leave the lights on.)

Mr. Duffield, whose work space is surrounded by a miniature greenhouse of plants, said his desk has become a regular stop on group tours.

Duffield’s babies amaryllis, African violet, pink trumpet vine are very happy with the refracted, reflected light.

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The San Juan Weekly

Shaken-Baby Syndrome Faces New Questions in Court

By EMILY BAZELON

A

t 4 months, Noah Whitmer was an easy baby. Super tranquilo, remembers Trudy Eliana Muñoz Rueda, who took care of Noah at her home day care center in Fairfax County, Va. Rueda and Noah’s mother, Erin Whitmer, both noticed when he stopped taking his bottle well and napping as usual in the middle of his fifth month, in April 2009. Whitmer thought this was because Noah had just started eating solid food. She and Rueda talked about it early on April 20, both of them hunched over Noah in his car seat when Whitmer dropped him off.

That afternoon, after a morning in which Noah didn’t nap and drank only a couple of ounces of formula, Rueda says she prepared a bottle for him while he lay on a mat. In her native Peru, Rueda, who is 46, ran a travel agency and taught college courses for prospective tour guides. Her husband was trained as a lawyer.

After they moved to the United States in 2001, the couple had a second child, and three years later Rueda converted her basement into a home day care center so she could work while spending time with her two kids. When Rueda sat down to feed Noah, her 13-year-old daughter was at school, her 5-year-old was upstairs watching TV and the four other children in her care were taking naps. Rueda’s sisterin-law, who spent the morning with the children while Rueda was at a doctor’s appointment, had just left the house.

“Everything was calm and quiet,” Rueda, who has soft features and dark hair, told me in Spanish while her lawyer translated.

There are two irreconcilable versions of how that calm shattered. Rueda says that Noah was crying, and she picked him up, sat on the couch and gave him the bottle to help put him to sleep. While she was feeding him, she felt Noah’s arm go limp, and when she moved to take the bottle out of his mouth, he made a sound that she didn’t recognize. “I could tell something was happening,” she says. She stood up and put Noah on her shoulder, patting him on the back. “As I did this, his body tensed up in a ball. It was as if he was looking for air, and he couldn’t breathe.”

Rueda put Noah on the floor and started C.P.R., at the same time reaching for her phone to call 911. She put the dispatcher on speakerphone so she could keep tending to Noah. “I said, ‘Please, please get someone here,’ ” she said. “I knew it could hurt him if there wasn’t enough oxygen going to his brain.”

Erin Whitmer’s account of the moments before Noah lost consciousness is

Noah Whitmer, now 2, with his parents, Erin and Michael Whitmer, can nod his head “yes,” but he is not yet talking. He wears a patch for a period of time each day to correct his vision. entirely different. “Around 2:30 on April 20, 2009, Noah was shaken,” she wrote on her blog Noah’s Road, on the one-year anniversary of the incident. “He’d been crying. He needed something that his day care provider wasn’t providing him. Maybe he was tired of lying on the mat where she’d had him. Maybe he needed a hug, a laugh, a kind touch. Instead, she picked him up, her fingers gripping him tightly, feeling the softness of his velour pants and his cotton onesie under her fingers, and she shook him.”

Whitmer’s account of what Rueda must have done to Noah was based on evidence presented at Rueda’s trial and information from the doctors who treated him after he was rushed to Inova Fairfax Hospital. The doctors gave Noah a CT scan, which showed subdural hemorrhaging (bleeding in a space between the skull and the brain) and an ophthalmological exam revealed retinal hemorrhaging (bleeding at the back of the eyes). Also, his brain was swelling. For decades, these have been the three telltale signs linked to the kind of child abuse commonly called shaken-baby syndrome.

Noah had no external marks on his body — no bruises or cuts or fractures, no sign that he was forcefully gripped and no evident neck injury that would seem to result from vigorous shaking. But an M.R.I. confirmed the CT scan findings and showed that the subdural bleeding was extensive. The doctors at Inova Fairfax tested Noah for clotting disorders that can cause these kinds of hemorrhages.

The tests came back negative. The doctors told Erin and Michael Whitmer, who are both 32, that they strongly suspected

Noah was violently shaken in the moments before he stopped breathing. While Noah lapsed into a coma, police went to question Trudy Rueda. A day later, Rueda was arrested. She was charged with two felony counts: abuse of a child causing serious injury and cruelty to a child.

Before April 20, 2009, Noah was a healthy baby. Trudy Rueda also had nothing suspect in her past. In five years as a day care provider, she had a pristine record with state regulators — she had taken the classes required for her license and extra ones as well. She cared for a boy with autism and a girl with one arm, reportedly with calm and assurance. “She was more patient than all of us,” one mother testified at Rueda’s trial. A second said, “What she’s accused of now I could not begin to imagine Trudy doing.” And yet Noah emerged from her home with terrible and permanent injuries.

Between 1,200 and 1,400 children in the United States sustain head injuries attributed to abuse each year. Most of them are less than a year old. Usually, there’s not much dispute that these children were abused, because doctors discover other signs of mistreatment — cuts, bruises, burns, fractures — or a history of such injuries. There is no exact count of shakenbaby prosecutions, but law-enforcement authorities think that there are about 200 a year. In an estimated 50 percent to 75 percent of them, the only medical evidence of shaken-baby syndrome is the triad of internal symptoms: subdural and retinal hemorrhage and brain swelling.

For a year after Noah came out of his coma, he had as many as 32 seizures a day. Now he is 2, and his parents watch as

his 1-year-old brother surpasses him developmentally. Noah sometimes nods his head “yes” and gives high fives, but he is not yet talking; doctors are not sure of his cognitive prognosis. Erin Whitmer, a slender woman with large brown eyes who chose Rueda for part-time day care after a careful search, cried when she found out that Rueda had been arrested. Now she says, “It will never completely leave me, the horror that I trusted my son with someone and she did this to him.”

At Rueda’s trial in January 2010, the prosecutor presented six doctors who testified that Noah’s brain scans showed he had been abused. The doctors’ reading of the scans were the main evidence that a crime had taken place, of its timing and even of Rueda’s state of mind, since they agreed that only an act of great violence could inflict such injuries. Two doctors who treated Noah in the hospital said that the baby’s scans showed that he had an acute subdural hemorrhage — the bleeding had begun suddenly — which was, as one doctor stated, “inconsistent with accidental trauma.” Another witness, Craig Futterman, a doctor at Inova Fairfax and president of the board of the Shaken Baby Alliance, put it more bluntly, “This child was shaken, or shaken and slammed against something.”

The usual explanation for how a caregiver can become an abuser is that in a moment of intense frustration, she snaps.

The prosecutor, Gregory Holt, imagined for the jury a scenario in which Rueda was aggravated that she could not get Noah to stop crying: “Put him on the mat, put him on the chair, he’s not drinking his milk. Getting a little bit frustrated?” And he claimed that Rueda confessed to shaking Noah.

On the day of Noah’s injuries, Rueda spoke to the police without a lawyer and denied hurting him. The next day, Joslyn Waldron, a social worker for Virginia’s Child Protective Services, visited Rueda at home. Waldron knew that Noah’s doctors at Inova Fairfax suspected that he had been abused because of his symptoms. She and Rueda spoke together in Spanish while a detective, who did not speak Spanish, was present. At the trial, Waldron testified that Rueda confessed to shaking Noah when he was crying and before she gave him a bottle. The social worker said she wrote in her notes, “Might have shaken him about three times, but not sure” (using a standard Spanish word, sacudir, for shake).

As is protocol in her department, Waldron offered to tape the interview; Waldron says Rueda declined. Rueda has denied telling Waldron that she shook Noah. At the trial, she testified in heavily accented, halting English, frequently interrupting herself because she didn’t understand the questions. Rueda said that she told Waldron, “I probably moved kind of rough with Noah,” at the moment that she lifted him to give him the bottle, but that she had not gotten frustrated with the baby or harmed him.

When her lawyer asked her what

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The San Juan Weekly she thought happened to Noah, Rueda answered: “I imagine the parents, we all want to know what happened. But I cannot give you an explanation about what I don’t know.”

The Whitmers dismissed Rueda’s denials of guilt. “It’s a complicated thing to look at someone who always smiled at you, to know that your baby loved her, and to know that your baby loved her, and to know that because of her, you struggle each day to adapt to a new sense of reality,” Erin Whitmer wrote on her blog, which has had more than a million visits, after Rueda’s first criminal hearing. Michael Whitmer expressed his rage at Rueda’s next hearing by wearing a T-shirt he made. On the back is a picture of Noah taken in the hospital, with tubes coming out of his mouth and the words: “Ask me what happens when you shake a baby.”

At the trial, the prosecution presented one more piece of testimony against Rueda. The pediatrician who saw Noah in the I.C.U. told the jury that given the severity of the baby’s injuries, their “onset would have been very rapid, so it would have been within minutes of when the injury occurred.” This meant that the person with the baby right before he stopped breathing — Rueda — was necessarily the guilty party.

Rueda’s lawyer didn’t challenge this assumption directly. Medical experts, however, have begun to point out that clinical observations show that it’s possible for a child to have a brain injury and still remain conscious. The child may be lethargic or fussy or may not eat or sleep normally for hours or days, while the subdural hemorrhage and other injuries become more serious, ending in acute crisis. This has made some doctors wary of pinpointing the timing of a child’s injury — even when they are sure that abuse occurred — lest the wrong adult take the blame. “The police want us to time it within one to three hours,” says John Leventhal, a Yale pediatrics professor and medical director of the child-abuse programs at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital. “But sometimes we can only time it to within days.”

In this case, because Rueda had been at the doctor that morning and her sister-in-law stayed to help with lunch, she spent only about an hour alone with the children in the day care center before calling 911. Arguing that another adult had harmed Noah would have meant implicating Rueda’s sister-in-law, whom Rueda says she has never suspected, or the Whitmers, whom no one has accused.

Rueda, her husband and their lawyers decided not to take this tack. The defense relied primarily on Ronald Uscinski, a neurosurgeon on the faculty of the medical schools of George Washington University and Georgetown. When he took the stand, Uscinski refuted all the prosecution experts who said that Noah’s hemorrhaging was acute — the sudden result of a new injury. Uscinski testified

that he saw chronic subdural bleeding on the scans, which he said was the result of trauma at birth. “Rebleeds” like Noah’s, he testified, “can occur with minimal or no trauma. They can occur spontaneously.”

On cross-examination, Uscinski said that he earned approximately $200,000, which was about 30 percent of his income, as an expert witness in 2009.

For the prosecution, Cindy Christian, a pediatrics professor at the University of Pennsylvania, who has published extensively about shaken-baby syndrome, rejected Uscinski’s reading of Noah’s brain scans. “That’s false, he did not have a rebleed from a chronic hematoma from birth,” she said. “There was no evidence of that.”

After five days of testimony, the jury deliberated for five hours and voted to convict. Virginia’s sentencing guidelines called for a minimum sentence of 3 years and a maximum of 15. The jury recommended 10½ years and Erin and Michael Whitmer took the stand in support of that punishment. “This is a life sentence for my son, for my wife, for me, and for our family,” Michael Whitmer told the jury.

“Really still, now, I can’t comprehend it,” Rueda told me, looking wan and bereft when I visited her at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women in Virginia. Rueda’s daughters have gone to live with her older sister in Peru while her husband works extra hours to support the family and pay for her appeal.

Rueda can rarely speak to her children.“It is so hard to talk about this separation,” she said, and started to cry.

A dozen years ago, the medical profession held that if the triad of subdural and retinal bleeding and brain swelling was present without a fracture or bruise that would indicate, for example, that a baby had accidently fallen, abuse must have occurred through shaking. In the past decade, that consensus has begun to come undone. In 2008, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, after reviewing a shaken-baby case, wrote that there is “fierce disagreement” among doctors about the shaken-baby diagnosis, signaling “a shift in mainstream medical opinion.” In the same year, at the urging of the province’s chief forensic pathologist, the Ontario government began a review of 142 shaken-baby cases, because of “the scientific uncertainty that has come to characterize that diagnosis.” In Britain, after one mother’s shaken-baby conviction was overturned, Peter Goldsmith, then attorney general, reviewed 88 more cases. In 2006, he announced doubts about three of the convictions because they were based solely on the triad; in the other cases, Goldsmith said, there was additional evidence pointing to the defendant’s guilt.

A small but growing number of doctors warn that there can be alternate explanations — infections or bleeding disorders, for example — for the triad of symptoms associated with shakenbaby syndrome. Across the country, the

group of lawyers that has succeeded in exonerating hundreds of people based on DNA evidence is now mounting 20 to 25 appeals of shaken-baby convictions.

“No one wants child abuse,” says Keith Findley, a lawyer for the Wisconsin Innocence Project. “But we should not be prosecuting and convicting people in shaken-baby cases right now, based on the triad of symptoms, without other evidence of abuse. If the medical community can’t agree about all the conflicting data and research, how is a jury supposed to reach a conclusion that’s beyond a reasonable doubt?”

Much of the science of shaken-baby syndrome dates from the late 1960s, when a neurosurgeon named Ayub Ommaya conducted a brutal animal experiment to figure out how much acceleration it took to cause a head injury. Ommaya took more than 50 rhesus monkeys and strapped each one into a chair mounted on wheels, leaving their heads unsupported. He placed the chair on a 20-foot-long track, and an air-powered piston sent the monkeys zooming into a wall. Fifteen emerged with some kind of cerebral hemorrhage. Eight of those also had injuries to the brain stem or cervical cord.

Ommaya’s experiment involved neither shaking nor infants. Still, two pediatric specialists, John Caffey and A. Norma Guthkelch, each wrote a paper that pointed to the work as evidence that unexplained subdural bleeding in babies could occur without direct impact to the head and with or without a visible neck injury. In the 1980s, the term “shaken-baby syndrome” came into broad use, and a national prevention and awareness campaign was set in motion.

As the diagnosis of shaken-baby syndrome took hold in medicine, and prosecutors began to bring charges based on it, doctors testified that shaking could generate the same terrible force as throwing a child from a second-story window. It turned out they were wrong.

In 1987, a neurosurgeon named AnnChristine Duhaime published a paper that included the autopsy results of 13 babies with symptoms associated with shaken-baby syndrome. In all of them she found evidence of trauma that was actually caused by impact. She teamed up with biomechanical engineers to create infantsized dummies equipped with sensors to measure acceleration.“We shook them as hard as we could, and we thought something was wrong, because the accelerations we measured were unexpectedly low,” Duhaime says. Instead, the force level shot up when the testers released the dummies after shaking them, even if they hit a soft surface like a bed or a couch.

Later experiments confirmed this finding and have made some doctors and biomechanical engineers skeptical that shaking alone can cause severe brain damage or death. At the same time, the experiments have not ruled this out, Duhaime says. Among other things, the dummies are not live children, and whi-

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le their heads and necks can exhibit the effects of acceleration, impact on brain tissue is still hard to model.

Many doctors who treat child abuse say that decades of clinical observation, as well as confessions, show that it’s possible for shaking alone to cause the triad of subdural and retinal bleeding and brain swelling. A 2009 position paper from the American Academy of Pediatrics, written by Cindy Christian, recommends that doctors use the more general term “abusive head trauma” but also calls shaking an “important mechanism” of such trauma. Many doctors who testify for the defense agree that shaking could in theory cause the triad of symptoms but only if there is an injury to the neck or spinal cord, “where the breathing center is,” as one doctor puts it. It’s the absence of signs of this kind of an injury that makes some shaken-baby cases particularly fraught.

In 1993, Audrey Edmunds left her job as a secretary and started caring for children in her home near Madison, Wis. Like Trudy Rueda, Edmunds says that a baby she was taking care of, 7-monthold Natalie Beard, suddenly collapsed while drinking a bottle of milk; Natalie was propped up with the bottle in a car seat while Edmunds was out of the room getting her two daughters and another child ready for preschool. In the hospital, a CT scan showed that Natalie had the triad of shaken-baby symptoms but no spinal-cord injury. The baby died, and the doctors agreed that Edmunds, who was pregnant with her third child, had to be responsible. She was charged with firstdegree reckless homicide.

At Edmunds’s trial, a librarian testified that she once heard a thump and then the cries of a child who was with Edmunds, but she didn’t see what had happened. Edmunds denied ever harming a child in her care. Her neighbors testified to her calm around children. Natalie “was a real fussy baby,” one said, “but Audrey was very patient with her.” Another day care provider in the neighborhood said, “I looked up to Audrey . . . when I started doing my day care.”

Still, the prosecution’s medical experts said that only Edmunds’s violence could explain Natalie’s injuries. A forensic pathologist, Robert Huntington, testified that the baby most likely had been abused at some point during the two hours before her collapse — which was when she was with Edmunds. The jury convicted Edmunds, and she was sentenced to 18 years; she went to prison two days after her youngest daughter’s first birthday.

A decade later, Edmunds had a hearing to determine whether she should have a new trial. Huntington this time took the stand on her behalf. When Keith Findley, her lawyer, asked whether Huntington was comfortable with his 1996 testimony, the pathologist said,

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February 24 - March 2, 2011

ok Matthew lightly when she couldn’t wake him from a nap. Prosecutors decided that the shaking must have been violent. They also said that to cause the skull fracture, Woodward must have smashed Matthew’s head on a hard surface at a velocity of more than 25 miles per hour.

Woodward’s lead counsel was Barry Scheck, who went on to found the Innocence Project at Cardozo law school with Peter Neufeld. He enlisted seven medical experts, including Ommaya, the neurosurgeon who experimented with the rhesus monkeys, and Ronald Uscinski, a colleague. The defense’s theory was that Matthew’s skull fracture was three weeks old when he died, and that because of it, a slight jarring could have caused his fatal bleeding. Scheck didn’t try to explain how the fracture happened. “We didn’t know, so we didn’t claim anything,” he told me.

But the defense experts testified that because tests showed no swelling at the site of the fracture, it had to be old.

The prosecution, for its part, lined up the doctors who treated Matthew at Children’s Hospital in Boston. Among them was Patrick Barnes, then a pediatric radiologist at Children’s. He had written, with another doctor, a chapter in a textbook that embraced the traditional theory of shaken-baby syndrome and shared the assumptions that pointed to Woodward’s guilt.

Barnes testified for the prosecution at the trial, saying Matthew’s brain scans showed his injuries were a result of shaking as well as a skull fracture. The prosecutors also asked Barnes to help them

prepare for their cross-examination by briefing them on what to expect from the defense’s doctors. He spent evenings watching Court TV tapes of their testimony.

He heard doctors from fields other than pediatrics — biomechanics, neurosurgery and neuropathology — discuss scientific findings about traumatic brain injury that contradicted his belief in the traditional method for diagnosing shaken-baby syndrome. He started to question his assumptions. “I’d been in lockstep with the childabuse establishment for 20 years,” he told me. “For the first time, I saw that there were well-qualified experts on the other side giving opinions I’d never heard, that I knew nothing about.”

Woodward’s case ended in a stalemate. After the jury found her guilty of second-degree murder, the judge reduced the conviction to involuntary manslaughter and released her for time served.

But a lasting legacy of that case was the eventual conversion of Patrick Barnes from an upholder of the medical orthodoxy surrounding shaken-baby cases to one of its strongest critics.

After Woodward’s trial, Barnes continued to think about his newfound doubts. He read widely in the medical literature. He started to look at brain scans brought to him by defense lawyers. In a New York case in which a father was being prosecuted, Barnes says, he found strong support in the medical literature for a diagnosis of infant stroke, which he thought was likely related to an infection like meningitis. Now he says that he sometimes sees other explanations for the

triad of symptoms. “There are a number of things you have to look for in these children — infections, bleeding and clotting problems,” Barnes says. “Even now, I am most concerned about looking very carefully for predisposing or complicating medical conditions, in particular for infants younger than 6 months.”

Trudy Rueda’s lawyer asked Barnes to review Noah Whitmer’s brain scans before her trial. Barnes wasn’t able to testify because of a scheduling conflict, but he says the scans indicate that the baby had a thrombosis — a blood clot within a blood vessel. The prosecution’s doctors saw the thrombosis, too, but they claimed it was a result of abuse. To Barnes, the clotting suggested infant stroke, which can be triggered by an infection. He says the fact that Noah was not taking a bottle or napping normally in the days before he was hospitalized suggests that his condition could have been subtly deteriorating during that time. “It’s a very striking pattern,” Barnes says of the thrombosis. “The baby not eating well may reflect the process which starts this. Usually, it’s not a process that happens acutely and the baby crashes. It can start relatively slowly.”

Barnes also testified at Audrey Edmunds’s hearing challenging her conviction. He said that it was difficult to know for sure what had happened to Natalie Beard based on her scans; at the time of her death, hospitals were using CT scans, rather than also using M.R.I.’s, which provide more detail. But he did say that he saw the possibility of a thrombosis.

“No, sir, no I am not.” He explained that in the years since her trial, he observed a child with subdural and retinal bleeding who was lucid for a period between her brain injury and her collapse. After that, he returned to the medical literature and found research to support this possibility.

Huntington now believed that a “lucid interval is a distinct, discomforting but real possibility.” He said he could no longer precisely time the injury that caused Natalie’s death. For how long could Natalie have appeared relatively normal — fussy, but not obviously in crisis? “I’m sorry, I just don’t know,” Huntington said.

Huntington’s change of heart reflects a new explanation for the manifestation of brain injury in babies. In a 2001 study, the British neuropathologist Jennian Geddes found that most babies with the triad of shaken-baby symptoms suffered not from a rupture of the nerve fibers of the brain but rather from a lack of blood caused by oxygen deprivation to the brain’s cells.

The rupture of the brain’s nerve fibers is immediate and produces instant coma; the effects of oxygen deprivation can be slower and more subtle. This can explain how a child with the triad of shaken-baby symptoms could, for some period of time, seem fussy or lethargic or stop eating or sleeping well. In 2005, Christian co-wrote a study that concluded, “Although infrequent, young victims of fatal head trauma may present as lucid before death.”

This possibility introduces questions about whether the last person to care for a child before he or she stops breathing is necessarily guilty of abuse. In most cases of assault or murder, jurors could weigh AFTERLIFE Audrey Edmunds, a mother of three, was in prison 11 years before her conviction for shaking and killing a 7-month-old baby was overturned. She now lives apart from her children in the lower level of a friend’s home. this doubt in light of other evidence — witness testimony, perhaps, or the motive the defendant would have had to commit the crime. In shaken-baby cases, however, this kind of additional evidence is often absent. Doubts raised about the medical testimony loom large because it’s so central to the prosecution.

At Edmunds’s hearing for a new trial, five doctors joined Huntington on the side of the defense. Opposing them were four doctors for the prosecution. The Wisconsin Court of Appeals ruled in January 2008 that the disagreement among the physicians represented a shift in medical opinion and warranted a new trial: a jury would have to hear both sides. Edmunds called her daughters to tell them she was coming home. Six months later, prosecutors dropped the charges against her.

Audrey Edmunds’s successful appeal was built on a foundation laid by defense lawyers a decade earlier in the first big courtroom fight over shakenbaby syndrome. In that case, prosecutors in Massachusetts charged an English au pair, Louise Woodward, with the murder of 8-month-old Matthew Eappen, who stopped breathing in her care. Matthew had the triad of shaken-baby symptoms, along with a skull fracture. Woodward, who was 19, told the police that she sho-

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The San Juan Weekly To a degree, some of the alternative explanations from defense-side doctors are accepted in the child-abuse field. A 2009 textbook that Cindy Christian coedited includes a discussion of diseases and accidental injuries that can mimic the effects of abusive head trauma. Leventhal, the Yale pediatrician, told me about an unusual case involving an accidental fall. “A child who was sitting in a highchair and put his feet up on the table in front of him and rocked himself backward,” Leventhal said. “When the child was taken to the hospital, the ophthalmologist said, ‘This is shaken baby,’ because of the massive retinal bleeding. Luckily, there were seven people playing cards in the room when the baby fell.” Leventhal continued, “The subdural hematoma continued to bleed, and it turned out he had a previous bleeding disorder, a clotting problem.”

Leventhal and others in the childabuse field emphasize that such hemorrhaging as a result of a fall is very rare. In order for doctors to determine what caused an injury, they begin with a list of alternatives, ruling out the ones that don’t match a patient’s symptoms until they arrive at a diagnosis, with a reasonable degree of medical certainty. But defenseside doctors like Barnes say that in a criminal case, physicians should be more careful about testing their assumptions, and they should give the possibility of an alternative explanation — a stroke, say, caused by an infection — more weight.

It’s on this question of probable causes that the doctors who testify in these cases split. Prosecution-side experts rely on a set of studies that indicate that when children have subdural bleeding and extensive retinal hemorrhaging, they are far more likely to have been abused than injured in any other way. In a 2010 paper in Pediatrics, Christian and the pediatric ophthalmologist Alex Levin concluded that the evidence supporting the “diagnostic specificity” of “severe” retinal hemorrhaging has significantly increased.

“Some children have such severe retinal hemorrhaging that it is much more likely to be from abusive head trauma,” Christian told me. She testified to this at Rueda’s trial, because Noah Whitmer had severe retinal hemorrhaging. Levin similarly called Natalie Beard’s retinal bleeding “textbook severe” when he testified for the prosecution at Audrey Edmunds’s 2007 hearing. When the prosecutor asked him how significant these findings were for diagnosing shaken-baby syndrome, Levin answered: “Very important. We really don’t have any other cause for this particular kind of hemorrhaging and retinal findings.”

Defense experts, however, criticize the methodology of these studies. And even taken at face value, they say, the studies show that severe retinal hemorrhaging is far more common in abuse cases, not that it’s never found in any other circumstance. At the 2010 meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences,

the Canadian forensic pathologist Evan Matshes presented the results of a study, under peer review, of 123 autopsies performed on infants in Miami-Dade County who died under natural or accidental circumstances, or from homicides. Of the children with retinal hemorrhages, 53 percent died from accidental or natural causes, and 47 percent died as a result of homicide. Severe retinal hemorrhages were identified in some of the children in the accident group. Although the children in the homicide group were more likely to have severe retinal hemorrhages than the other groups, this finding could be explained by factors other than abuse, according to Matshes. The children in the homicide group had isolated head injuries and were more likely to be resuscitated for a period of time, he says. In the aftermath, they were more likely to develop brain swelling and bleeding disorders that may explain the severe retinal hemorrhaging. Matshes puts his conclusions like this, “It is simply incorrect to state that severe retinal hemorrhaging is diagnostic of abuse or shaking.” He is now working on a study that looks at whether infants with subdural and retinal hemorrhaging might in fact have neck injuries, which could indicate shaking, that go undetected, because doctors haven’t looked in the right place for them. Matshes and his team are conducting autopsies of the entire cervical spinal column, which is not usually dissected in shaken-baby cases. The goal is to determine whether injuries there could explain how shaking can cause brain damage or death — and whether this additional diagnostic tool might one day help distinguish which babies have in fact been abused, and which have subdural and retinal bleeding from other causes.

Underlying the clash over the medical research on shaken-baby syndrome is another one about human nature.

How likely is an adult with no history of wrongdoing to do terrible harm to a child by violently shaking it? To pediatricians like Leventhal and Christian, the sad answer, born of experience, is that such a lapse is all too possible. When I described Trudy Rueda’s case to Leventhal, he told me about cases in which he had met and liked a parent or caregiver who ended up confessing to harming a child. Was there truly no indication that the adult in question was capable of such an act? The doctors who treat abused children insisted that sometimes, there isn’t. They described disturbing confessions, like one that made headlines in Florida last year after a 22-year-old mother told the police that she had shaken her 3-month-old baby and perhaps caused him to hit his head, because he wouldn’t stop crying while she was playing FarmVille. Leventhal cites a 2010 study that included 29 people who confessed in the French courts to shaking infants and who described the abuse as extremely violent.

Doctors like Barnes, on the other hand, emphasize that confessions are not

SISTERS Julie Baumer with a photo of her parents and her sister, Victoria. Baumer, who was caring for Victoria’s son, was convicted of child abuse but later found not guilty at a second trial. always reliable. The exonerations of recent years have shown that people sometimes falsely admit to crimes because of police pressure or the promise of a plea bargain.

In the first case from Canada’s shakenbaby inquiry to reach the Ontario Court of Appeal, the judges overturned the conviction of Dinesh Kumar, a 44-year-old father who pleaded guilty to shaking his 5-week-old son to death. Kumar says now that at the time of his guilty plea, he believed he had no hope of prevailing against the damning testimony of the state’s pathologist, who has since been discredited for giving error-riddled testimony based on botched autopsies.

In response to the critics who question the basis for some shaken-baby convictions, many in the child-abusetreatment field have fired back with a critique of their own. Christian and Leventhal dismiss defense-side experts’ alternate explanations, like Uscinski’s theory that children suffer spontaneous rebleeds from birth injuries. “Every year they come up with a new alternate theory that we have to refute,” Christian says.

Normally, of course, this is how science progresses: One researcher comes up with a hypothesis, which others question and test. But shaken-baby cases are haunted by the enormous repercussions of getting it wrong — the conviction of innocent adults, on the one hand, and on the other, the danger to children of missing serious abuse. In one study, researchers looked into the deaths of five children who had head injuries that initially were misjudged to be accidents and found that four of them could have been prevented if an earlier pattern of abuse had been detected. If parents are the focus of a shaken-baby investigation, doctors must weigh this risk in helping the state determine whether a child should be removed from the home. “When babies are sent home with an injury that’s misattributed to an accident, we know that one-quarter

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to one-third of them will come back with another serious injury or, in some cases, death,” Leventhal says.

Barnes, who is now part of a childabuse-protection team at Stanford, doesn’t dispute the need to investigate shakenbaby symptoms. But he says that most of his colleagues don’t present the science dispassionately. “They have built their careers, their entire standing on this issue.”

His opponents, for their part, dismiss the defense experts as hired guns. “They’re aggrandizing themselves and making a lot of money testifying,” says Robert Block, the president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics. While it’s true that experts like Uscinski can make six figures a year testifying (he says he testifies free when a defendant cannot afford to pay him), it’s also the case that some witnesses for the prosecution are paid. Barnes no longer takes fees to testify in either criminal or custody cases. Neither did four of the other five defense experts who testified for Audrey Edmunds.

Last September, the fight among the doctors broke out in public on the Web, after Deborah Tuerkheimer, a former prosecutor and a law professor at DePaul, wrote a New York Times Op-Ed warning of wrongful convictions and calling on the National Academy of Sciences to referee the shaken-baby-syndrome dispute.

On the Web site CommonHealth, about 20 doctors commented, mostly to express outrage. One of them was Block. He wrote that Tuerkheimer had “been beguiled by a group of physicians who are using the courtroom to distort science, facts and reality.” And he denounced her for “furthering the cause of the so-called innocence project.”

Philipp Baumer was born after a difficult delivery and spent his first week in the newborn-intensive-care unit. His mother, Victoria, who had given up her last baby for adoption, struggled with drug addiction. Her sister Julie, who was 27 and a loan officer for a mortgage company, was helping take care of Victoria’s oldest child. She volunteered to adopt Philipp. “I didn’t want to see anyone else leave the family,” she told me in November when I met her in Ann Arbor, Mich.

When Philipp came home, neither Julie Baumer nor her parents could get him to take a bottle regularly. On Oct. 3, 2003, when he was 6 weeks old, Philipp was not able to keep down food for 12 hours, Baumer says. She called his pediatrician, who sent her to the emergency room at Mount Clemens Regional Medical Center outside of Detroit.

The E.R. doctor who saw Philipp found he was dehydrated and septic, gave him fluids and antibiotics and ordered a CT scan. But the test was canceled when Philipp was scheduled for transfer to the region’s specialty facility for pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit. At Children’s, Philipp went straight to intensive care. But he waited 28 hours

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Comes from page 45 for the CT scan. By then, Philipp had been in the hospital for a total of 33 hours. The scan showed subdural bleeding, which was so extensive that his fontanelle (the soft spot on a baby’s head) was bulging.

An ophthalmologist saw retinal bleeding. Philipp also had a skull fracture, although it was not near the site of the hemorrhage. In an emergency operation, a shunt was placed to relieve the pressure on Philipp’s brain, but it was too late to prevent severe damage. Philipp, who is now 7, has cerebral palsy; he cannot walk on his own, talk or see.

Four months after Philipp’s injuries occurred, Julie Baumer was charged with child abuse in the first degree. The prosecutor didn’t present a theory about why Baumer would have harmed Philipp, saying that it was the state’s job to show that Baumer intended to shake the baby, not what motivated her. Two doctors from Children’s Hospital testified for the prosecution: Steven Ham, the neurosurgeon who put in the shunt; and Cristie Becker, a radiologist who treated Philipp later. Becker said Philipp’s injuries were inflicted by shaking and timed them to “likely within 24 hours” of the CT scan.

She said the skull fracture may have been an old birth-related injury. Looking at the scan, Ham said the fracture was new and that Philipp’s injuries were the result of blunt-force trauma that occurred “within the previous 12 to 24 hours.” He said he could pinpoint the timing based on “how sick the child was, and then the fact that in looking at the scan we could see fresh blood in the scan.”

Becker and Ham didn’t note in court that their 24-hour time frame meant that Philipp would have started hemorrhaging while he was at Children’s — and no longer in Baumer’s care. (When I called Becker, she said, “I don’t care to revisit that issue, and best of luck trying to find the truth in the midst of that trial.”

Ham did not return my calls.) Baumer’s trial lawyer failed to point out this flaw in the prosecution’s case. The lawyer also did not find a defense expert who could read Philipp’s brain scans. Baumer had no money to hire one, and her lawyer didn’t know that he could have asked for court funds to cover the expense. In 2005, Baumer was convicted and sentenced to 10 to 15 years.

Baumer was raised Catholic, and in 2007, a nun saw her name on a prayer list and came to visit her in prison.

When she heard her story, the nun asked Baumer if she needed a new lawyer and wrote on her behalf to Charles Lugosi, then a professor at the Catholic law school Ave Maria. Lugosi agreed to take Baumer’s case and enlisted the help of a former prosecutor, Carl Marlinga, who had opened a defense practice. Later, the University of Michigan Innocence Project joined the defense.

The defense team sent Philipp’s brain scans to Patrick Barnes. At the bottom

of the images, Barnes saw a distinctive bright triangle surrounding the major vein that brings blood in and out of the brain. To Barnes, the triangle clearly pointed to a diagnosis unrelated to abuse: Venous sinus thrombosis, or stroke, probably from an infection — an explanation similar to the one Barnes gave for Noah Whitmer’s injuries. Another radiologist and a forensic pathologist concurred with Barnes’s reading of Philipp’s scans.

The defense experts also saw suggestions of an earlier smaller stroke, which could have triggered the feeding problems that led Julie to call Philipp’s pediatrician.

This reading of the scans matched the time frame Becker and Ham had given at trial: Philipp could have started to show some symptoms, and then had a major stroke after he was admitted to the hospital. The defense experts agreed with Becker that the skull fracture was old. They said it was likely the result of Philipp’s difficult birth.

This testimony won Baumer a new trial. It also gave the defense team an answer to the question that hovers over every shaken-baby prosecution: What happened to hurt the child? During a trial, solving that mystery isn’t supposed to be the defense’s responsibility — the burden of proof rests with the prosecution. But a credible response makes it easier to lift the weight of the medical evidence from the shoulders of the defendant.

At Baumer’s second trial, which took place in October, the defense called neighbors and friends who testified that she was gentle and loving with children. The prosecution introduced no evidence to the contrary. Baumer has two drunken driving offenses on her record from the late 1990s, but they weren’t introduced at the trial.

Back on the stand, Ham and Becker now said they had misspoken about the time frame, and came up with new estimates: Becker said that Philipp’s internal bleeding could have begun five days before the CT scan, and Ham said

one or two days. They both remained convinced that Philipp’s hemorrhages were inflicted. “Before they testified, they both said that it was their opinion from the beginning that the injuries occurred before Philipp came to the E.R.,” Richard Goodman, the prosecutor at the second trial, says. And the prosecution’s doctors disagreed with Barnes and the other defense-side experts that Philipp’s scans showed a thrombosis. On crossexamination, Baumer’s lawyer, Marlinga, asked Ham and Becker if they were trying to deflect criticism of the hospital for failing to give Philipp the care he needed because of the delay of his CT scan. The doctors denied that their revised testimony had anything to do with protecting the hospital.

The jurors began their deliberations by taking a poll. Nine out of 12 thought Baumer should be found not guilty. “For me, it came down to this: For the prosecution to be right, I was required to believe that a woman with no history or indication of violent tendencies or instability hit this baby’s head so hard that she fractured his skull, and shook him so hard that she caused extensive brain damage, while leaving no marks on him,” says Carman Minarik, a juror who is a minister at First United Methodist Church in Mount Clemens. “That just didn’t make a lot of sense to me.”

Sera Miller, a claims representative for the Social Security Administration, was one of the three jurors who thought at first that Baumer was guilty. She found the medical testimony dense and confusing. “I think we needed 12 doctors on that jury,” she said. After an afternoon of deliberations, she went home and couldn’t sleep. In the morning she decided that the defense had done enough to introduce reasonable doubt. The jury found Baumer not guilty.

When Philipp was 3 months old and ready to leave the hospital, he was put into foster care with Debi and Phil Zentz, who later adopted him and chan-

ged his name to Ben. When the second jury announced that it found Baumer not guilty, the Zentzes were in court.

Baumer looked at Debi. “I was hoping for a bridge between the families,” Baumer says. Instead, Debi Zentz gave this statement to the press: “The verdict does not change our belief. Reasonable doubt does not equate to innocence.” When I called her in January, she said, “I have absolutely no doubt that Julie Baumer shook and horribly injured my son.”

The Whitmers also feel certain that Trudy Rueda harmed their son and that she wronged them by putting them through a trial. “We got to a point where we said that if she stands up and admits what she did, we might be able to put this behind us,” Michael Whitmer said.

“But now, how do you forgive?”

He and his wife were sitting on a couch in their living room, in the Cape Cod-style house in Alexandria, Va., that Michael renovated by hand. Noah, his blue eyes sometimes focused and sometimes vacant, walked a bit unsteadily on the floor in front of us, picking up books and toys and putting them in his mouth.

Noah can see now because a few months after his injury, he slept standing up for weeks to drain the blood from behind his eyes. His seizures have stopped, but only thanks to a strict and laborintensive ketogenic diet. How could the Whitmers forgive, given the medical testimony from doctors they trust? Rueda’s conviction is now on appeal, with a hearing scheduled for mid-February.

As for Audrey Edmunds, she has been out of prison for about three years.

Now 49, she is blond and slim, and when I met her at a mall near her home outside Minneapolis, she talked to me about her three daughters. She wore jeans and open-toed sandals and showed me pictures of her children at a Twins game and talked about the delight she takes in taking snacks to her youngest girl’s soccer practice. For a few minutes, her 11 years in prison seemed like a balloon she has let go.

But Edmunds does not live with her children. Her husband divorced her four years into her sentence; she says the separation was just too much for him.

He stopped taking the girls to see her every week. When she got out of prison, she moved in with a friend and took a job at a Kwik Trip convenience store.

Better work is hard to come by because of the time Edmunds served in prison.

She also wants the early shift so she can see her kids in the afternoons. Sometimes, though, they go on a trip with their father and forget to call. “I was gone for so long,” she says.

Edmunds said, however, that she had to come to terms with the drive to prosecute her. As we walked through the mall, she pointed out a Dora the Explorer display she thought young kids would like. Then she turned away from it. “A baby has died,” she said simply.

“They want to blame somebody.”

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February 24 - March 2, 2011

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Serrallés Castle Museum S

errallés Castle (El Castillo de Serrallés, or simply, Castillo Serrallés in Spanish) is a mansion located in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico overlooking the downtown area (Ponce Pueblo). It was built during the 1920s by Juan Eugenio Serrallés, son of businessman Juan Serrallés, founder of Destilería Serrallés. Nowadays, the castle is a museum with information about the sugar cane and rum industries and its impact in the economy of Puerto Rico. The structure sits on a 2.5-acre (10,000 m2) exceedingly manicured property. The property was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

History

The house was purchased by the city of Ponce from the Serrallés heirs. While the castle was valued at $17-$25 million dollars, it was purchased for a mere $350,000 and included much of the furniture in the sale.The city’s initial intent was to turn it into a museum of Puerto Rican music. The Museum of Puerto Rican Music was eventually established elsewhere in the city.

The mansion was emptied in 1956, and while the structure kept in very good shape, the grounds were overgrown by weeds to the point that a total landscaping plan was needed to return the estate to its past glory.

In 1980, the property was still owned by Rosa Serrallés Torruella and Felix J. Serrallés Sanchez. hill makes it visible from nearly every part of the city of Ponce, “as a constant reminder to Location all Ponceños of their heritage”. The building’s The mansion was built on the south location, coupled with its “Y” shape form, side of El Vigia hill, which is the most pro- allows for an impressive and breath-taking minent and nearest hill to the Ponce Historic view of the city of Ponce from any one of its Zone. Its location has the mansion overloo- eastern, southern, or western elevations. king the city of Ponce. El Vigia is the name of one of the hills to the north of the city of Pon- Significance ce that make up the foothills of the Cordillera The Serrallés mansion was built as the Central found further inland. The location of exclusive residence of Don Juan Eugenio Sethe mansion, together with its magnificent rrallés, a leader in the sugar cane industry landscape, and many architectural details, during the early part of the 20th century. The have made it unique among other Puerto building is significant from both the archiRico mansions. Its location atop the El Vigia tectural and historical perspectives.

Architecturally, the building represents an example of Spanish Moroccan architecture, the style first introduced in Puerto Rico by the architect Pedro Adolfo de Castro. Three examples of this style of architecture were: El Castillo de Valdes in Mayagüez, el Castillo de Mario Mercado Montalvo in Guayanilla, and el Castillo de Serrallés. In the 1920s, other similar mansions were built in Puerto Rico, but Castillo Serrallés is the best preserved. Historically, the building is a reminder of the cultural and economic changes that southern Puerto Rico experienced in the 1920s. “Ponce’s dependence on the sugar cane industry at the close of the nineteenth century, created an atmosphere of development from which evolved a series of intrinsic cultural characteristics and afforded great wealth to many families involved in the industry. The wealthy families generally chose Europe as the model for the direction that cultural endeavors would take.”

According to the Puerto Rico State

Historic Preservation Office, “European fashions and lifestyles were usually preferred in this part of the Island...The result of [the] intense cultural interest [of the time] provided work for artists, artisans, and architects whose creations tended to strengthen the image of the ethnic identity...Even though El Castillo Serralles is not based on an indigenous design, its architectural significance lies in the fact that is was designed to adapt well with Caribbean climatic conditions. Its workmanship, its interior decorations, its furniture, and even its floor plan, reflect the cultural attitudes of the times”.

Physical characteristics

The castle was built in 1926 by local architect Pedro Adolfo de Castro y Besosa. It includes two huge terraces, an outside fountain, and a symmetrical backyard garden. Its interior includes a luxurious hall, a spacious dining room, and an interior courtyard.

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Comes from page 47 The house has four floors. The ground floor houses the garage and a basement used as service quarters. The second floor contains the library, a central patio, a solarium, the living room, dining room, and

the kitchen. The third floor contains all the sleeping quarters. The fourth floor is the terrace, from where the most impressive and commanding views of the city are possible.

Intended as a relaxed entertainment space, the terrace has both covered and uncovered areas. Its flooring is all tiled.

The San Juan Weekly

Access to the main entrance to the house from the front street, and leading to the second level of the north elevation, is by way of either of two semi-circular stairways which run from the covered carriage entrance on the ground level of the north elevation. This leads to double French doors which open into a large vestibule reception area with a ceramic tile floor. The view from this room reveals an open courtyard patio with a fountain. The formal living room is located to the left of the vestibule. The living room is the only room with a parquet floor.

The building was constructed entirely of concrete. The mansion was designed in a style popular in the 1920s for representing Spanish Mediterranean influence. Prominent throughout the building is the use of wooden round arches over the building’s large windows and doorways, many of them adorned with small stained glass panes. Some openings are also decorated in ornate iron work. The two towers that accentuate the building’s eastern and western sides have red roof tiles. This accent is also present on all other rooftops. The exterior of the buildings is finished in stucco.

Museum

When the city turned the estate into a museum, the entire basement was remodeled. The four original water storage tanks located in the basement were removed, as were the workers’ quarters and the car garage. The space was used to build several offices, an auditorium, and a restaurant. The city also rejuvenated the surrounding landscape. The backyard now consists of lush green grass, fountains, manicured shrubs, and lights. The first floor also houses an outdoor square that is covered by the roof over the second floor.

The city uses this area to showcase the work of local artists and photographers. The area is now used for private weddings, quinceañera celebrations, and other similar social events.

The Serrallés mansion opened as a public museum in February 1991. Visitors can tour the refurbished home, which has been furnished to appear as it did in the 1930s.

There is also a temporary exhibit area for local artists. The Serrallés Castle is now part of a large complex that includes the Cruceta El Vigía, and a Japanese Garden. There are plans to also add a butterfly garden. By September 2010, the museum was receiving around 200,000 visitors per year.

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February 24 - March 2, 2011

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14 New Cruises for 2011

By ELAINE GLUSAC

I

F your mental image of a cruise conjures a party boat island-hopping in the Caribbean with little passenger interest in its ports of call, think again. Though the Caribbean remains the most trafficked destination for cruise ships, cruise lines are now piloting trips to more remote destinations both at home and abroad. They are also staying in port longer and designating theme cruises that are far from singles mingles.

The following is an overview of some of 2011’s most interesting new sailings.

River Cruises River-based cruise lines are forging inland pleasure routes that go well beyond the tried-and-true to waterways in Africa and Asia.

WEST AFRICA

The abundant wildlife found along the Gambia River, main artery of Gambia, is the focus of a new Rivers of West Africa trip from the Greece-based company Variety Cruises. The eight-day cruise departs from Dakar, Senegal, and travels down the Atlantic Coast to the Gambia River, where ports of call and excursions include trips to Kiang West National Park, which has more than 250 species of birds; the Bao Bolong Wetland Reserve, home to Nile crocodiles and West African manatees; River Gambia National Park, a refuge for hippos; and the Makasutu nature reserve, home to Guinea baboons and antelopes. Some excursions explore local culture as well. Passengers will be able to visit Joal Fadiouth, a Senegalese fishing village partly set on a shell-covered island, and the Gambia National Museum in Ban-

jul, the capital. Fares start at $2,240 a person, double occupancy, aboard the 49-passenger yacht Pegasus, featuring both indoor and outdoor dining areas. Departures run weekly through March 4, and the itinerary will be repeated December through March 2012.

(800) 319-7776; varietycruises.com.

MEKONG RIVER AmaWaterways launched its Mekong River cruises in the fall of 2009 with the 92-passenger La Marguerite. Responding to surging interest in Asia, this United States-based river specialist is expanding its offerings there, with a launch of the larger, 124-guest AmaLotus coming on Sept. 5. The onboard amenities include a new Vietnamese hot pot dining room and a spacious sun deck with a fitness room and swimming pool. But it’s the stops that distinguish this trip. The ship will alternate seven-night upstream and downstream itineraries between Siem Reap, Cambodia, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In Cambodia the ship overnights in Phnom Penh after visits to rural pagodas and a Buddhist monastery.

Vietnam highlights include a floating market, the town of Sa Dec where the author

Marguerite Duras once lived, and Xeo Quyt, a canal-ridden jungle that once served as a base for the Vietcong during the Vietnam War. Fares from $1,799 a person, double occupancy. (800) 626-0126; amawaterways. com.

Themed Trips

Themed cruise departures appeal to travelers interested in art and photography, climate science and cartoons.

CLIMATE CHANGE CRUISE

Few regions are as illustrative of global warming as the Arctic, with its retreating glaciers. But those attracted to snowcapped landscapes and drifting icebergs, with an interest in the forces that create — or imperil — them, are the target of the eight-day Climate Pilgrimage offered by the Norway-based company Hurtigruten. The line has offered a scientifically oriented departure for the past two years; the July 21 iteration covers some new ground in the Svalbard Archipelago, the Norwegian island chain that stretches roughly halfway from mainland Norway to the North Pole. The ship will visit Ny Alesund, a field station for climatologists on Spitsbergen Island, the research-oriented University Center in Longyearbyen, also on Spitsbergen, and make its first call ever at Jan Mayen, an isolated Arctic island that is home to one of Norway’s radio and meteorological stations. Zodiacs shuttle between the 318-passenger Fram and the shore, offering opportunities to meet with scientists as well as to explore the remote Arctic region on foot. Natural attractions include glaciers, icebergs and possible sightings of walruses and polar bears during the long days of Arctic summer. Fares start at $3,763 a person, double occupancy. (866) 552-0371; hurtigruten.com.

IMPRESSIONISM CRUISE

Claude Monet’s home and gardens in Giverny has long been a popular stop on Seine River cruises in France. This November, Avalon Waterways aims to boost its appeal to art fans with an Impressionism-themed cruise. The eight-day trip, departing Oct. 31, starts with a visit to the Impressionist-rich Musée d’Orsay in Paris, followed by a walking tour of Montmartre, where many painters resided. From Paris, the 140-passenger

Avalon Creativity cruises north on the Seine with an art historian who will lecture on the artistic movement, its innovators and its evolution beyond France. In addition to stopping at Giverny, also home to the Musée des Impressionnismes, the ship stops at Rouen, whose cathedral was a frequent subject of Monet’s, and Le Havre, home to the Musée d’Art Moderne André Malraux, which houses an important collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works.

Prices start at $2,349 a person, double occupancy. (877) 797-8791; avalonwaterways. com.

NICKELODEON CRUISE

All aboard, SpongeBob fans. Norwegian Cruise Line and Nickelodeon are linking up to offer two new network-themed family cruises this year. The first departs Feb. 20 for a seven-day tour of the Caribbean round trip from New York aboard the 2,376-passenger Norwegian Jewel, calling at Port Canaveral near Orlando, Nassau and the line’s private island. The second, aboard the 4,100-passenger Norwegian Epic, leaves July 24 roundtrip from Barcelona for a seven-day tour of the Mediterranean, with excursions to Florence, Pisa, Rome, Naples and Majorca. Both feature live game shows, breakfasts with network characters like Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants, viewings and premieres of Nickelodeon series such as “iCarly,” and appearances by live actors starring in the shows. The Caribbean cruise starts at $949 a person, the European tour from $1,149 a person, both rates based on a family of four traveling. (866) 234-7350; ncl. com/nickallaccess.

CHINESE MEDICINE CRUISE

Rather than trumpeting abundant buffets, the London-based Sanctuary Retreats is offering new wellness- and Chinese medicine-focused launches on the Yangtze River.

Operating between Chongqing and Yichang through the scenic Three Gorges region, the 124-passenger Sanctuary Yangzi Explorer will host on-board lectures on Chinese healing, treatments in acupuncture and cupping (a form of acupressure), a tea tasting, a healthy cooking demonstration and tai chi sessions on the outdoor deck. In addition

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February 24 - March 2, 2011

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diac excursions, gratuities and parkas given to each guest, who can also warm up in the viewing the gorge viewing and visiting the ship’s heated seawater pool and sauna. (800) Three Gorges Dam, guests can debark for an 782-3924; hl-cruises.com. excursion in a river longboat poled by tradi- BORNEO tional boatmen. Nine departures throughout From its ocean reefs to its lush rain June include either three-night downstream forests, Borneo will be the focus of new itior four-night upstream cruises. Fares start at neraries offered by the Australia-based com$1,200 a person, double occupancy. (44-20) pany Orion Expedition Cruises. Among four 7190-7728; sanctuaryretreats.com.

10-night itineraries, Secrets of Sabah, beginPHOTOGRAPHY ning Sept. 10, travels to the wild north of the CRUISE island with snorkeling excursions in the coShutterbugs have long found Alaska ral-rich Sulu Sea; Zodiac expeditions in the photogenic. To help them get better pictu- Klias Wetlands to spot proboscis monkeys, res, Lindblad Expeditions has designated its long-tailed macaques and hornbills; and an eight-day May 1 departure in the 49th state as a photography cruise, featuring photojournalists associated with National Geographic magazine including Linda Burback and the Pulitzer Prize winner Jay Dickman.

They and other experts will participate in wildlife watches and shore excursions along with guests, offering tips on nature photography as the ship cruises between Juneau and Sitka. Back on the 62-passenger National Geographic Sea Bird, experts will run photography presentations and workshops, and an instructor from B&H, a camera re- overnight in a rain forest lodge near the Kitailer, will offer still and video cameras for nabatangan River, habitat of wild oranguguest use. Among beauty spots on the itine- tans and pygmy elephants. Sept. 30 and Dec. rary: Glacier Bay National Park and excur- 29 trips, also 10 days, ply the south and west sions via Zodiac boat to watch for whales. coasts of Borneo with visits to Camp Leakey, Fares from $5,990 a person, double occupan- where staff members rehabilitate formerly cy. (800) 397-3348; expeditions.com. captive orangutans in Tanjung Puting NaAdventure Frontiers tional Park. All trips take place aboard the Several new departures explore remo- 100-passenger Orion II, which joins the line te regions from the Arctic to the tropics. in June and will feature two restaurants, a NORTHWEST PASSAGE gym and massage services. Fares from $6,930 It took the explorer Roald Amundsen a person, double occupancy, including shothree years to navigate the Northwest Pas- re excursions. (877) 674-6687; orionexpedisage through the Arctic Ocean, a Norway- tions.com. to-Yukon feat he accomplished in 1906.

American Launches This summer the German line Hapag-Lloyd Two new boutique cruise lines will Cruises offers an abbreviated 19-day tour of ply Alaska in their inaugural seasons this the route from Greenland to Canada before summer, both offering itineraries to off-thedoubling back to Iceland. The 184-passen- beaten-path destinations, while Hawaii gets ger Hanseatic will not precisely retrace the a new ship. complete route pioneered by Amundsen, WILD ALASKA but travelers will get a glimpse of it when InnerSea Discoveries launches in May they depart on Aug. 14 from Kangerlussuaq, with two 49-passenger ships, the Wilderness Greenland, and head up the west coast to the Discoverer and Wilderness Adventurer, exiceberg-filled Disko Bay before crossing Ba- ploring southeast Alaska with emphasis ffin Bay to the Canadian Arctic. Highlights not on ports but on the wilds. Seven-night include visiting the wreck of the Maud, one trips through September run between Ketof Amundsen’s Arctic ships, viewing po- chikan and Juneau, surveying channels larlar bears in the Franklin Strait and beluga ger ships can’t reach and offering guests the whales in Peel Sound. Rates start at $14,549 opportunity to hike in the Tongass National a person, double occupancy, including Zo- Forest, as well as kayak, paddle board and

fish using gear stocked on the boats. Both itineraries include a stop in a native Tlingit village to learn about totem pole carving.

Life onboard features comforts like a sauna, yoga classes, massage services and DVD players and iPod docks in the staterooms.

In addition to its adventure orientation, this cruise line distinguishes itself with relatively affordable rates, from $1,795 a person, double occupancy. (877) 901-1009; innerseadiscoveries.com.

CULTURAL ALASKA

The new Alaskan Dream Cruises emphasizes culture along with adventure in itineraries that cruise into Glacier Bay National Park with an on-board park ranger and a First Nations native guide. Other attractions include a performance by a tribal theater group in Icy Strait Point and kayak outings and sea otter and whale watches. Launching May 14, it is the first overnight cruise endeavor from Sitka-based Allen Marine Tours, which offers day trips to larger cruise ships on 28 boats stationed throughout Alaska.

The line’s 78-passenger Admiralty Dream and 42-passenger Alaskan Dream will offer regularly scheduled seven-night departures in and out of Sitka (a third, 78-passenger ship is reserved for charters). The ships feature native Alaskan Tlingit artwork in the cabins, Sitka-made bath amenities and Alaskan-raised food when possible. Fares start at $1,895 a person, double occupancy, on the larger ship, including excursions. (855) 747-8100; alaskandreamcruises.com.

HAWAII BY YACHT

Though Hawaii seems a natural for cruising, few lines operate regular departures from the islands. An exception is Norwegian’s Pride of America, departing weekly from Honolulu for interisland tours (from $999 a person). In October, it will be joined by American Safari Cruises, which will station the 36-passenger Safari Explorer in the islands into May 2012. Eight-day tours will travel from Maui to the Big Island via Lanai and Molokai, with bike rides on Lanai, mule descents into the Kalaupapa Peninsula on Molokai, and night snorkeling among manta rays off the coast of Hawaii.

Eleven-day trips follow the reverse course at a more leisurely pace, with a day set aside for whale and dolphin watching. The megayacht will carry surfboards, paddle boards

and snorkeling gear for guest use en route.

Fares from $4,995 a person, double occupancy, all inclusive. (888) 862-8881; americansafaricruises.com.

Overnight Port Stays Several cruise lines are enhancing their visits to vibrant capitals with overnight port calls, allowing passengers opportunities to enjoy dining and night life in port or see more than one attraction.

BALTIC CAPITALS

With nearly half of its port calls involving overnight or late evening departures, the two-ship line Azamara Club Cruises combines port-hopping with in-depth touring.

Its July 28 11-day Scandinavia-Russia sailing from Stockholm to Copenhagen begins with two nights in the Swedish capital and ample time to explore Gamla Stan, the old town.

Two days later the 694-passenger Azamara Journey, which provides a butler to each room and features a spa and piano bar on board, arrives at St. Petersburg, Russia, at 8 a.m. and doesn’t leave until two days later at 7 p.m. Optional excursions include behindthe-scenes tours of the Hermitage museum and a classical ballet performance in St. Petersburg. The ship makes standard daylong stops at Helsinki and Tallinn, Estonia, but at Warnemunde, the port near Berlin, the ship doesn’t depart until 10 p.m. Rates start at $2,949 a person, double occupancy. (877) 999-9553; azamaraclubcruises.com.

SOUTH AFRICA

In a variety of itineraries, Crystal Cruises offers overnight stays in Melbourne, Barcelona, Cannes, Istanbul, New York and other cities. During its March 29 19-day cruise from Mumbai, India, to Cape Town via the Maldives and Mauritius, the 1,070-passenger Crystal Serenity will spend the final two nights in Cape Town, offering passengers excursions to area attractions ranging from Stellenbosch winery tastings to cage diving among great white sharks. Fares from $13,045 a person, double occupancy, including airfare from many American cities and a $500 shipboard credit, which can be spent at one of the ship’s three boutiques, the fullservice spa, computer lab or optional shore excursions. Other double overnights take place in St. Petersburg, Montreal, Yangon and Stockholm on various departures. (888) 722-0021; crystalcruises.com.

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

51

Borders Files Bankruptcy Closing Carolina & Mayaguez Stores

BY JULIE BOSMAN AND MICHAEL J. DE LA MERCED

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orders, the 40-year-old chain that helped define the age of the book superstore, filed for bankruptcy protection, a widely expected move after years of increased competition, declining sales and months of missed payments to its vendors.

Publishers, who have anticipated the bankruptcy filing for months, said they hoped that it would be a chance for the beleaguered bookseller to reinvent itself. But they were also skeptical that the company’s deep-rooted problems could be overcome.

Borders, which began in 1971 as a used-book store in Ann Arbor, Mich., will close some 200 stores including Carolina & Mayaguez. The company currently operates more than 650 stores, including about 500 superstores, and employs 19,000 people.

Publishers were told that Borders had secured debtor-in-possession financing and that a meeting to form a creditor committee would most likely occur next week.

The company listed $1.29 billion in debt and $1.27 billion in assets in a filing in United States Bankruptcy Court.

Borders said that its stores would remain open during the bankruptcy process and that its rewards program would remain in effect. The company said it would continue to honor gift cards and coupons.

At its peak, Borders was the more brainy and cool of the book chains, holding onto college-town culture of its roots. In 1990s, image began to fade as the chain expanded wildly and helped snuff out momand-pop independent stores.

Company’s troubles can be traced to series of strategic missteps, executive tur-

nover and general failure to keep up with evolving retail climate. Borders was hurt by pressure from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and big-box stores like Wal-Mart that began selling large numbers of best sellers.

Borders badly lagged behind Barnes & Noble in establishing a viable online book business, and in 2001, it linked its online store to Amazon, waiting until 2008 to restart its own e-commerce site.

Shake-ups at the top of the Borders corporate structure contributed to an overall sense of instability for the last several years, and publishers said it was difficult for the company to recruit talent to its Ann Arbor headquarters. (Barnes & Noble is based in Manhattan.) When other stores were downsizing or eliminating their music and DVD sections, Borders delayed scaling back.

Borders opened stores overseas, a move analysts said stretched the company.

E-reading began to take off, Barnes & Noble created its own signature product, Nook, to compete against Amazon’s Kindle.

Borders tried a more comprehensive approach, stocking at least six devices in its stores, including the Kobo ($99.99), the Velocity Micro Cruz tablet ($119.99), the Sony Pocket Edition ($129.99) and the Franklin AnyBook, an audio-only reader shaped like a remote control ($59.99).

None of them have gained significant traction with consumers, compared with the more popular Kindle and Nook.

For the last five years, Borders stock has drifted downward, while the number of employees has fallen to 19,000 from 35,000.

Sales were down 12 percent in third quarter 2010, reported loss of $74.4 million.

Yet to release holiday sales data. Borders reported total operating loss $143.7 million in

first nine months of 2010.

Last year, top executives at Borders said they were confident the troubled company could reinvent itself, even suggesting some stores would be outfitted with wine bars to offer a more social atmosphere. The executives said they believed there was a strong possibility Borders could eventually merge with Barnes & Noble.

Borders has been in crisis mode since December, it stopped paying publishers for books shipped the holiday season. Company asked publishers accept i.o.u.’s for missed payments, a proposal publishers rejected.

One major concern is whether Borders will receive shipments. Ingram Book Group, one of the country’s biggest book distributors, said the company was no longer shipping books to Borders.

Large publishers already have accepted that they will lose millions on books they shipped to Borders throughout the holidays. Wiley, for instance, has already written off $9 million in debt.

Penguin Putnam is owed $41.1 million, according to the bankruptcy filing.

Other publishers owed money include Hachette, Simon & Schuster, Random House, Harper Collins and Macmillan.

Borders secured $505 million from lenders led by GE Capital to keep it operating through the court process.

Last month, GE Capital had offered Borders a $550 million loan commitment, but one that was dependent on the company reaching certain milestones, including securing $125 million in junior debt. That money would have come in large part from convincing publishers to accept interestbearing i.o.u.’s in lieu of missed payments.

The two biggest equity holders — William A. Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management and the Borders Group chairman and chief executive, financier Bennett S. LeBow — may suffer the most from the bankruptcy filing. Neither Mr. Ackman nor Mr. LeBow has made additional investments in Borders since the company began looking for new financing.

Last year, Mr. Ackman had proposed lending Borders up to $960 million to finance a merger of the company with its larger rival, Barnes & Noble. He still supports a deal, but only if Borders is able to shed enough underperforming stores to return to financial health, a person briefed on the matter told DealBook.

Many retailers, including Amazon. com and independents, stand to benefit from a reduction in Borders stores. And Barnes & Noble, the nation’s largest book chain, will be the biggest beneficiary from the widespread closing of Borders stores, said Peter Wahlstrom, a retail analyst with Morningstar Equity Research, who suggested that customers would move their shopping dollars to the next-closest retailer.

It also gives Barnes & Noble the chance to use its position as leverage with publishers and landlords.

“Does it provide an opportunity for Barnes & Noble to go back and fight for lower rates with their real estate owners?”

Mr. Wahlstrom said. “Or, No. 2, does it provide a catalyst for Barnes & Noble to go back and get better terms from publishers and distributors?”

Borders has retained Jefferies & Company, the law firm Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman and the consulting firm AlixPartners as advisers.

Producer Prices Rise on Higher Energy Costs C

ore producer prices rose in January to highest rate in two years, hinting at a build up in inflation pressures as recovery gathers pace, potentially troubling for Federal Reserve.

Core producer price index, excluding food and energy, rose 0.5 percent, highest since October 2008.

The rise, which exceeded economists’ expectations for a 0.2 percent gain, reflected a jump in pharmaceutical preparations, which accounted for 40 percent of the increase.

“If you print money and have a stronger economy you’re going to have some inflationary pressures”.

Rise in core index at time surge in commodity prices caused advanced economies to raise red flags on inflation.

Federal Reserve has shown little concern about price pressures and officials said core consumer inflation remains too low for comfort.

“The Fed’s contention that although inflation has been seen overseas, it’s not

yet impacted the U.S. Fed is not going to be concerned until it spills over into the core reading,” said Michael Woolfolk, senior currency strategist at BNY Mellon.

“What we see is it has indeed spilled into core and could force Fed to rethink outlook for remainder of year.”

The government is expected to report core consumer price index, excluding food and energy, rose 0.1 percent in January from December. Over all, the consumer price index is predicted to have risen 0.3 percent after rising 0.5 percent in December.

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that industrial output unexpectedly fell in January as a return to normal winter temperatures caused a sharp fall in utility output, and production from mines also fell.

Industrial production fell 0.1 percent in January after an upwardly revised 1.2 percent jump in December, which had been driven by unseasonably cold weather that spiked heating demand.

The drop was the first decline in output

since June 2009 and was well below the median forecast for a 0.5 percent increase in a Reuters poll of economists after December’s originally reported 0.8 percent gain.

Utility output fell by 1.6 percent in January after a 4.1 percent leap in December, while mining output fell 0.7 percent.

Manufacturing output in January grew just 0.3 percent after an upwardly revised 0.9 percent gain in December.

Capacity use, a measure of how fully firms are using their resources, dipped to 76.1 percent from an upwardly revised 76.2 percent. Economists polled by Reuters had predicted a 76.3 percent capacity use rate.

A third report, this one from the Commerce Department, showed housing starts jumped 14.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 596,000 units, the highest since September, from 520,000 units in December.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast housing starts edging up to a 554,000-unit rate. Compared to January last year, residential construction was down 2.6

percent.

Groundbreaking last month was lifted by a 77.7 percent jump in volatile multi-family homes. Single-family home construction fell 1.0 percent.

The housing market recovery is being hobbled by an over-supply of homes depressing prices. High unemployment rate means sector, at the heart of worst recession since 1930s, will struggle to recover even as broader economy gains momentum.

New building permits dropped 10.4 percent to 562,000-unit last month, reversing December’s 15.3 percent surge ahead of changes in building codes in three states.

Permits were down last month by a 23.8 percent plunge in the multi-family segment. Single-family unit permits fell 4.8 percent.

Analysts had expected building permits to fall to a 560,000-unit pace in January.

New home completions fell 9.5 percent to a record low 512,000 units in January.

52

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

Companies Warn That Higher Prices Are Looming

By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD, MOTOKO RICH and WILLIAM NEUMAN

A

package of Oscar Mayer cold cuts. A pair of Nine West boots. A Whirlpool washing machine.

By the fall, people will most likely be paying more for each of them, as rising prices hit most consumer goods, say retailers, food companies and manufacturers of consumer products.

Cotton prices are near their highest level in more than a decade, after adjusting for inflation, and leather and polyester costs are jumping as well. Copper recently hit its highest level in about 40 years, and iron ore, used for steel, is fetching extremely high prices. Prices for corn, sugar, wheat, beef, pork and coffee are soaring. Labor overseas is becoming more expensive, meanwhile, and so are the utility bills to keep a factory running.

“There are cost pressures from virtually everywhere,” said Wesley R. Card, the chief executive of the Jones Group, whose brands include Nine West and Anne Klein.

After trying to keep retail prices flat or even lower during the recession, Jones says prices for its brands will climb 15 to 20 percent by autumn.

When commodity prices started to rise last summer, many manufacturers and retailers absorbed the costs, worried that shoppers would not pay higher prices during the competitive holiday season or while the economy was still fragile.

Many big companies, including Kraft, Polo Ralph Lauren and Hanes, say they cannot hold off any longer and must raise prices to protect some profits.

Whether shoppers will pay is unclear.

“Consumers are not exactly in the frame of mind or economic circumstances to say ‘Oh, pay whatever they ask,’ ” said Joshua Shapiro, chief United States economist at MFR Inc. “There’s going to be pushback.”

Economists say the increases may eventually show up as inflation, though

they are not yet projecting rates that would set off alarms. Despite some fears, inflation has been extremely low, at a rate of just 1.4 percent annually in December. Data for January will be released Thursday, but economists expect inflation will run about 2.5 percent this year.

Some do see the creeping signs of higher inflation, and warn that the Federal Reserve will need to raise interest rates or at least stop pumping more money into the economy. Others argue that such moves would choke off economic growth sorely needed to get companies hiring again.

For consumers, higher prices in stores means there will be a little less extra cash to spend. For companies, profits may be squeezed, making them a little less likely to invest in equipment or to hire aggressively.

“One has to think about these higher prices not as a reason for economic activity to get derailed,” said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics, “but as a reason why the recovery is slower than might otherwise be the case.”

Given that the price of a gallon of gas is now well over $3 on average, Americans may feel that they are already dealing with higher prices.

Adding to the cost of food won’t greatly distort most household budgets.

Food, gas, clothing, personal care products and cleaning and laundry supplies make up less than a quarter of household spending in the United States, according to government data.

People at the bottom of the income scale struggle more as these prices rise, of course, because a larger share of their spending is on such essentials.

To some, the prospect of modestly higher prices is no reason to worry. In fact, rising prices can indicate improving economic conditions. Greater demand from fastgrowing countries like China has helped push up the costs of many raw materials — though officials there are worried about inflationary pressures, as are some officials in Europe.

In the United States, the willingness of companies to raise prices shows they are feeling better about the domestic recovery.

The sharp rise in commodity prices since last year has not translated into all new records. Food commodity prices are about 8 percent below the high in the summer of 2008, while energy prices are less than half their zenith. Prices of a basket of other commodities are about 4 percent below the heights of mid-2008.

The cost of raw materials accounts for a small portion of the cost of most consumer goods, as labor, processing and packaging tend to make up a larger share of the price at the cash register. Foods like coffee, meat and milk, which are closer to raw materials, will probably show some of the biggest price jumps.

Companies that try to pass on all their costs could meet resistance. Although consumer spending has risen, unemployment remains at 9 percent, and average hourly earnings are up less than 2 percent over the last year.

“These companies are constantly walking a tightrope on how far do I go,” said Jack Russo, a consumer goods analyst at Edward Jones. “Do I offset with price or other cost cuts, or do I just take it and have it eat into my profit margins?”

Already, rising raw material costs have cut into corporate profits. KimberlyClark, which makes Kleenex tissues and Huggies diapers, said fiber- and oil-based products had contributed to a small dip last quarter. Procter & Gamble said earnings fell slightly in the division that makes Crest toothpaste, as well as in its household brands unit, which makes Tide and Cascade.

Plenty of companies are indicating they will push up retail prices. Kraft, the largest United States food manufacturer with brands like Oscar Mayer, Velveeta and Ritz crackers, said it would raise prices on many products this year without saying which ones or how much.

Soaring prices for coffee have pushed up costs at the coffee shop. Starbucks said last fall that it would raise some prices. Sara

Lee, which sells Hillshire Farms meat and Senseo coffee, said that it would, too, on many items.

Restaurants, which resisted raising prices to keep customers coming through the doors last year, are also fretting. They may take other steps too, like lowering thermostats, shrinking packaging or reducing portion sizes to minimize the sticker shock.

Meat prices have surged because of the cost of feed, a decision by farmers to raise fewer cattle and pigs, and strong demand worldwide as living standards rise. An epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease that devastated South Korean hog farms has led to a recent surge in orders for American pork.

This year, “you’re going to have to raise prices to stay in business,” said Len M. Steiner, owner of the Steiner Consulting Group, which works with restaurant companies on ingredient purchasing.

Whirlpool says consumers can expect to pay 8 to 10 percent more for its products starting April 1. Apparel companies like Polo Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers said they would raise prices this year. Hanes Brands, which has already done so, said prices on cotton-heavy products would rise again at the end of summer. If cotton costs stay high, Hanes products could have a cumulative 30 percent increase.

Some companies don’t think they can get away with charging more. PepsiCo, which makes soft drinks and snacks, like Fritos, said it would be cautious.

Victoria’s Secret is nudging prices ever so slightly, with panties rising from five for $25 to five for $25.50.

John D. Morris, an analyst with BMO Capital Markets, said retailers would probably try to manage costs in myriad ways.

Prices rose significantly in the apparel sector from 1972 to 1974, driven by labor costs and commodity prices, he said.

“The retailers went on to have a pretty good year in ’73,” Mr. Morris said. “Sales were up, gross margins were flat, and profit margins were up a little bit. Retailers found a way.”

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

53

U.S. Sets 21st-Century Goal: Building a Better Patent Office

By EDWARD WYATT

P

resident Obama, who emphasizes American innovation, says modernizing the federal Patent and Trademark Office is crucial to “winning the future.” So at a time when a quarter of patent applications come from California, and many of those from Silicon Valley, the patent office is opening its first satellite office — in Detroit.

That is only one of the signs that have many critics saying that the office has its head firmly in the 20th century, if not the 19th.

Only in the last three years has the office begun to accept a majority of its applications in digital form.

Mr. Obama astonished a group of technology executives last year when he described how the office has to print some applications filed by computer and scan them into another, incompatible computer system.

“There is no company I know of that would have permitted its information technology to get into the state we’re in,” David J. Kappos, who 18 months ago became director of the Patent and Trademark Office and undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property, said in a recent interview. “If it had, the C.E.O. would have been fired, the board would have been thrown out, and you would have had shareholder lawsuits.”

Once patent applications are in the system, they sit — for years. The patent office’s pipeline is so clogged it takes two years for an inventor to get an initial ruling, and an additional year or more before a patent is finally issued.

The delays and inefficiencies are more than a nuisance for inventors. Patentable ideas are the basis for many start-up companies and small businesses. Venture capitalists often require startups to have a patent before offering financing.

That means that patent delays cost jobs, slow the economy and threaten the ability of American companies to compete with foreign businesses.

Much of the patent office’s decline has occurred in the last 13 years, as the Internet age created a surge in applications. In 1997, 2.25 patents were pending for every one issued. By 2008, that rate had nearly tripled, to 6.6 patents pending for every one issued. The figure fell below six last year.

Though the office’s ranks of patent examiners and its budget have increased by about 25 percent in the last five years, that has not been enough to keep up with a flood of applications — which grew to more than 2,000 a day last year, for a total of 509,000, from 950 a day in 1997.

The office, like a few other corners of the government, has long paid its way, thanks to application and maintenance fees. That income — $2.1 billion last year — has made it an inviting target for Congress, which over the last 20 years has diverted a total of $800 million to other uses, rather than letting the office invest the money in its operations.

Applications have also become far more complex, said Douglas K. Norman, president of the Intellectual Property Owners Association, a trade group mainly of large technology and manufacturing companies.

“When I was a young patent lawyer, a pa-

tent application would be 20 to 25 pages and have 10 to 15 claims,” Mr. Norman said. A claim is the part of the patent that defines what is protected. “Now they run hundreds of pages, with hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of claims.”

Lost in the scrutiny of the office’s logjam, however, was the fact that the number of patents issued reached a record last year — more than 209,000, or 29 percent more than the average of 162,000 a year over the previous four years. Rejections also hit a high of 258,000 — not a measure of quality, Mr. Kappos said, but a sign of greater efficiency.

Between the backlog of 700,000 patents awaiting their first action by an examiner and the 500,000 patents that are in process, a total of 1.2 million applications are pending.

Sitting in his suburban Virginia office, not far from a model of the light bulb Edison presented for patent in November 1879 (which was approved two and a half months later), Mr. Kappos proudly ticked off figures that he said proved the agency was heading in the right direction.

The backlog has actually declined about 10 percent from a peak of 770,000 at the end of 2008.

“We were able to work a 13-month year last year,” he said, referring to the productivity increase in 2010 over the 2009. “We are processing a far larger workload with the same number of examiners.”

Still, Mr. Kappos wants to add more than 1,000 examiners in each of the next two years, a 30 percent increase. Mr. Obama’s 2012 budget calls for a 28 percent increase in spending, to $2.7 billion, over 2010. In two consecutive sessions, Congress has defeated a bill that would allow the patent office to keep all of the fees it collects. While another similar effort is under way, a big staffing increase will not be easy in a climate of cuts.

Mr. Kappos, a former electrical engineer and lawyer who joined the patent office in 2009 after 27 years at I.B.M., has improved relations with the union representing patent exa-

miners. He and the union agreed on performance evaluation measures last year, the first time in 50 years that the yardsticks had been revised.

“I give David Kappos a good deal of credit for seeing where the problems have been and being willing to address them,” said Robert D. Budens, president of the union, the Patent Office Professional Association. “I think it’s a little early to see the full extent of the changes. But we have seen an increase in morale and a decrease in attrition, which is now almost the lowest it’s been since I came here” in 1990.

Patent applications come from all over the United States, and the office has forgone satellite offices — until now. Last year, the office announced it would put about 100 examiners in Detroit.

Some prominent lawmakers from Michigan have worked on patent issues, including Representative John Conyers Jr., a Detroit Democrat who, when the decision was made, was chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which oversees patents.

Mr. Kappos said he chose Detroit because it had a large communities of patent lawyers and agents, nearby universities and transportation centers, and relatively low costs of living and real estate. “Detroit has long been an innovation center,” he said. “It’s undervalued, and that is where we want to invest.” He said it would also attract a work force with more varied skills.

Mr. Kappos is also pushing an initiative that would charge patent applicants a higher fee to guarantee that their applications will receive a ruling within a year. But that initiative and others are not enough, said Paul R. Michel, who recently retired as chief judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, the main forum for patent appeals.

“The office can’t be made efficient in 18 months without a vast increase in finances,” said Mr. Michel, who has made evangelizing for an overhaul of the office a pet cause. “Small efficiency improvements will only make a small difference in the problem.”

54

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

Healing a Wounded Credit Score

By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD

M

illions of consumers have fallen out of favor with the credit scoring gods.

Some lost their jobs or were just overwhelmed by mounting debt. Others got caught up in the real estate bubble or had major medical bills. Whatever the reason, the rising number of foreclosures, short sales, late credit card payments and the ultimate credit sin — bankruptcies — have left black marks on credit reports most everywhere.

So what can these people do to repair their credit?

The simple answer is to focus on the information that is used to generate the all-powerful FICO score — the measure used most frequently by traditional lenders to determine creditworthiness. Its scale runs from 300 points to 850 points; the higher the score, the better your credit standing. “FICO is still the 500-pound gorilla,” said John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at SmartCredit. com. “In 2011, the best way to get credit from the mainstream lenders is to have a good FICO score.”

Consumers can hope that the banks will eventually consider alternatives to the traditional FICO score, which was developed by Fair Isaac Corporation and has been in wide use for about two decades. After all, as banks regain their appetite for lending, they will be looking for ways to differentiate between borrowers with the same scores, some of whom are temporarily struggling and others who chronically have trouble with money.

For now, though, the FICO score reigns. The best antidote to a poor score is time. Still, there are a half dozen ways to speed the process, or, at the least, avoid even more credit trouble.

What to Do ASSESS YOUR SITUATION Before you even start to think about rehabilitating your credit, make sure that you can pay your bills on time and not do any more harm. If keeping up with your credit card bills is still an issue, then call the issuer, explain your situation and try to negotiate payments you can afford. Ask the issuer how that will be reported to the major three credit bureaus: Not paid as agreed, which can hurt your score? Or will the new terms say that you are now paying as agreed?

“You have to get in writing that this is what they agreed to do,” said Mechel Glass, director of education at CredAbility, a nonprofit consumer credit counseling agency. Ditto for other providers, like

utility companies.

Then, assess all the damage by getting a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus through annualcreditreport.com. Each of the major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — generate their own FICO scores based on the data they collect. Two versions of your FICO score are also available for $19.95 each, through myFico.com.

How far your credit score has fallen will depend on where it started, as well as the frequency and severity of your credit mistakes. If you had almost perfect credit, but because of the loss of a job your credit card bills ended up at a collection agency, you can expect to lose anywhere from 80 to 150 points from your FICO score. A short sale or foreclosure? Both, Mr. Ulzheimer said, “would turn a FICO 790 into a FICO 590 overnight.”

CLEAN UP YOUR SCORE Start with the low-hanging fruit. Let’s say you were late paying a bill from a company that no longer exists, or a bank that has since merged with a larger institution.

If the credit reporting bureaus cannot verify the accuracy of that black mark, they are required to remove it. “Not only does it have to be correct, but it has to be verifiable,” Mr. Ulzheimer said.

Next, focus on paying off the loans — namely, credit cards — that will help give your score the most lift. Paying off a mortgage, a student loan or other installment debts, like car loans, feels good but that won’t necessarily do much for your credit score.

You also want to get your so-called debt utilization rate into good shape.

FICO considers how the total amount of debt on each of your credit cards compares with your total available credit.

The credit score “elite” — that is, people with FICO scores above 760 — typically don’t have debts that exceed 7 percent of their available credit. But if you are at 50 percent and can get the rate down to 30 percent, that will help.

LEAVE A NOTE Because prospective employers may pull a copy of your credit report, consider adding the equivalent of a doctor’s note to each of your reports explaining your hardship, like a job loss.

All three major credit bureaus allow you to add a brief statement through their Web sites. FICO doesn’t consider these statements when formulating scores, however, so don’t expect it to sway lenders.

GET SECURED CARDS It will obviously be hard to get a traditional credit card when you have a poor credit history. Secured cards, if used strategically, can help nurse your credit back to health more quickly. These cards require you to put a set amount of money in a bank account, say $250 or $500, which is used as collateral. And the amount of available credit should be equivalent to the amount on deposit.

“What is the most predictive and powerful in your score are the things you’ve done most recently,” Mr. Ulzheimer said. “That cuts both ways. If you add a secured card and you pay it religiously and the balance is low, it will help your score a lot more quickly than if you do nothing.”

But read the fine print before signing up. Consumer advocates said some unscrupulous card issuers have charged the security deposit to the card. And be sure the issuer reports your payment information to the big three credit bureaus, since not all do.

Curtis Arnold, the founder of CardRatings.com, recommended two cards, both of which report payments to the big three: the Orchard Bank Secured MasterCard, which has an attractive interest rate of 7.9 percent, waives the annual fee in the first year and charges a moderate $35 annually thereafter. He also likes the Citi Secured MasterCard, largely because it offers an interest rate on the security deposit equivalent to an 18-month certificate of deposit, which he says is an industry first.

TALK TO A CREDIT UNION These institutions may be more willing to work with members who have checkered histories. Their offerings vary, but they may be more likely to consider alternative credit scores, offer free credit counseling or have products tailored for people with poor credit histories. “Certainly, many credit unions have credit builder or rebuilder loans, often structured as a loan with a built-in savings component so that a person gradually builds up funds that can act as partial collateral,” said Clifford Rosenthal, the president of the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, a trade association representing credit unions in low- and moderate-income areas.

ALTERNATIVE VERIFICATION There are other credit reporting agencies and services that — for a monthly fee, and sometimes a hefty one — will collect your

payment history from sources that aren’t included in your traditional credit report or FICO score. At this point, however, most mainstream lenders base their decisions on the big three bureaus’ reports and FICO scores. So you’re better off saving your money. “All of those companies say they will report your accounts to a credit bureau, and they may be doing that,” Mr. Ulzheimer said. “But if it is not the big three, then who cares?”

This could change, of course, as banks become more willing to lend and potentially open to using other means to identify promising borrowers. Lenders may begin to consider rental payment histories, for instance. Or they may be willing to look at alternative credit scores that incorporate payment information that doesn’t show up on traditional credit reports.

Or perhaps one lender will permit so-called shoe box credit: Did you know that if you walk into a lender with a box stuffed with receipts proving that you paid your cable bill, for instance, that they are required to consider it? They aren’t obliged to give you a loan, but the regulation says they must consider the information.

What to Avoid CREDIT REPAIR OFFERS You may have seen the advertisements for credit repair companies on the Web. “We really tell our clients to stay away,” said Ms. Glass, of CredAbility. One re-emerging scam, she says, involves companies that claim they can clean up your credit. Some companies manage to do this for a limited time by disputing all of your accounts, sending letters to the bureaus claiming the accounts aren’t valid. But after the credit bureaus validate the accounts and debts, they reappear on your report and your score will plummet again.

Legitimate credit repair companies exist, and they can assist in disputes. But there’s nothing they can do that you can’t do yourself at little cost. Besides, these companies often besiege the bureaus with letters, and the bureaus are allowed to ignore what they believe are frivolous disputes. Be wary of companies that do not disclose in writing that you can do these tasks free on your own, that guarantee results or that try to charge you before they perform any services.

CERTAIN CARDS Despite the tighter credit environment, Chi Chi Wu, a staff lawyer at the National Consumer Law Center, said the center was still receiving complaints about credit cards aimed at people with poor credit histories.

“These cards are pitched as a way to build credit, but with these kind of steep fees and high interest rates, there is a good chance they will hurt,” she said.

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

55

Pent Up Danger Behind Aging Dams

By HENRY FOUNTAIN

F

rank Brassell, owner of Nelda’s Diner in this town wedged between the slopes of the southern Sierra Nevada, knows his fate should Lake Isabella Dam, a mile up the road, suddenly fail when the lake is full.

“So I’m dead.”

Lake Isabella Dam is just one example of a widespread problem: Of the nation’s 85,000 dams, more than 4,400 are susceptible to failure, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials.

Repairing all those dams cost billions of dollars who would provide the money in a recessionary era.

The stakes are particularly high not just for Mr. Brassell and the other 4,000 residents of Lake Isabella, but for the 340,000 people who live in Bakersfield, 40 miles down the Kern River Canyon on the edge of vast agricultural heartland. The Army Corps of Engineers, which built and operates the 57-year-old dam, learned several years ago it had three serious problems: it was in danger of eroding internally; water could flow over its top in the most extreme flood season; and a fault underneath it was not inactive after all but could produce a strong earthquake. In a worst case, a catastrophic failure could send as much as 180 billion gallons of water — along with mud, boulders, trees and other debris, including, presumably, the ruins of Nelda’s Diner — churning down the canyon and into Bakersfield. The floodwaters would turn the downtown and residential neighborhoods into a lake up to 30 feet deep and spread to industrial and agricultural areas.

The potential is for a 21st-century version of the Johnstown Flood, a calamitous dam failure that killed more than 2,200 people in western Pennsylvania in 1889. Corps and local government officials say odds of a disaster are extremely small, and they have taken interim steps to reduce risk, like evacuation plans and limiting how much water can be stored behind the dam to less than two-thirds of the maximum.

“It’s not just the loss of life, potentially,” said David C. Serafini, lead technical expert for the corps on the project. “It’s the economic damages and the environmental damage, too.”

Corps engineers are preparing to propose fixes later this year. But at best, repairs would not begin until 2014 and could cost $500 million or more, money that would have to be approved by Congress.

Nationwide, the potential repair costs are staggering. A 2009 report by the state dam safety officials’ group put the cost of fixing the most critical dams — where failure could cause loss of life — at $16 billion over 12 years, with the

total cost of rehabilitating all dams at $51 billion. But those figures do not include Lake Isabella and other dams among the approximately 3,000 that are owned by the federal government. The corps, for example, says that more than 300 of the roughly 700 dams it is responsible for need safety-related repairs, and estimates the total fix-up bill at about $20 billion.

The corps has already spent about $24 million just to determine the scope of the problems at Lake Isabella, and with the New Orleans levee failures during Hurricane Katrina a lingering memory, Congress has appropriated money for other federal dam repair projects as well.

But about two-thirds of all dams are private, and financially struggling state and local governments own most of the remainder. It is difficult to predict how needed repairs to these dams will be financed; legislation to provide federal money to help has languished in Congress. What’s more, the number of highrisk dams keeps rising as structures age, downstream development increases and more accurate information is obtained about watersheds and earthquake hazards.

Among the corps’s dams, Lake Isabella is one of 12 that are ranked in the highest category, as a dam with serious problems and serious failure consequences, given the large downstream population. “The classification is it’s an unsafe dam,” said Eric C. Halpin, the corps’s special assistant for dam and levee safety. But Mr. Halpin noted that 319 of the corps’s dams were considered “actionable from a safety standpoint.”

Lake Isabella would be one of the more expensive projects, but then again, its problems are legion. It is actually two earthen dams, a main one that is 185 feet high and an auxiliary one that sits on higher ground and is 100 feet high. With a rock ridge between them, they stretch for about a mile across the Kern River Valley.

For six decades the dams have controlled flooding on the Kern, helping Bakersfield to grow and thrive. And the lake that formed behind the dam has become the main driver of the economy of Lake Isabella and other towns, bringing fishers, boaters and whitewater rafters to the area.

But there have always been people in the area who felt the dams were flawed.

David Laughing Horse Robinson, an artist and teacher who lives in the lakeside town said his grandfather, who worked on the dam, and others used to talk about it. “Constantly,” he said. “How it was the stupidest thing they ever did.

It’s doomed.”

Water seeps through the Lake Isabella dams, as it does through most earthen dams, which account for a vast majority of dams in the United States. But the seepage

at Lake Isabella was especially severe — it is what prompted the corps to perform a full-scale study of the dam.

Water seeping through a dam can erode it from the inside out, to the point where the dam may fail. Engineers have learned to build structures into dams like drains and filters, to stop erosion and allow infiltrating water to drain safely away. But the Lake Isabella dams were constructed before such features became commonplace.

“It was built with the best available knowledge and technology at the time,” said Veronica V. Petrovsky, who is managing the project for the corps.

That knowledge, or lack of it, extended to the understanding of the large and complex watershed, which includes the slopes of Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous United States. To determine how big the spillway needs to be, it is critical to know how much water might be impounded behind the dam each year.

Calculations show that in an extreme year with a “probable maximum flood,” the spillway would be far too small. “We could not release the water fast enough,” Ms. Petrovsky said. “It would overtop.”

An overtopped dam can fail quickly as the water erodes the downstream side.

Concerns about seepage, in particular, prompted the corps to restrict the lake level, because less water creates less hydrostatic pressure that would force water through the dam. Earlier this winter, the lake was so low that water did not even lap up against the auxiliary dam. But the corps has been monitoring the heavy rains and snowfall that California has experienced this winter and says that in the spring and summer it may be necessary to divert water through the spillway to maintain the safer lake level. Overtopping, however, presents only a “small concern,” the corps said.

With both seepage and overtopping there would be plenty of warning that the dam was in jeopardy, allowing Lake Isabella and Bakersfield residents to evacuate. An earthquake would be a more immediate disaster, although Bakersfield would still have about seven hours before a wall of water made its way down the canyon, according to the corps.

The auxiliary dam was built,

knowingly, on the Kern Canyon fault, one of many in the region. At the time the corps brought in seismologists and geologists who concluded that the fault was not active.

Only recently have scientists been able to accurately detect and measure ancient earthquakes, a field known as paleoseismology. Mr. Serafini and others determined that there have been three significant earthquakes on the fault in the past 10,000 years. “We have got a fairly active fault on our hands,” Mr. Serafini said. The last quake occurred about 3,400 years ago, he added.

It’s possible to construct a safe earthen dam on an active earthquake fault, by using the proper materials to minimize settlement or slumping when shaken, and including drains and filters to help stop the inevitable cracks from growing through erosion. Not only do the Lake Isabella dams lack those features, but the auxiliary dam was built on sediments that could turn into a virtual liquid in a quake, leading to even greater damage.

While Mr. Serafini and his team are still working on proposals, the likeliest solutions include blasting a much bigger spillway out of bedrock adjacent to the main dam and using the excavated rock to build a buttress — essentially an entirely new dam — downstream from the auxiliary dam. The old dam could still move in an earthquake, Mr. Serafini said, but the buttress would have the necessary drains and filters to prevent failure.

While the proposals are being fleshed out, the corps team has been holding meetings in the area to let people know what the possibilities are.

“We don’t hear much from the people of Bakersfield,” Ms. Petrovsky said. “It’s one of those ‘out of sight, out of mind’ things. You forget there’s a dam up here holding back a lot of water.”

Not so in Lake Isabella, however, where the dam, and its potential for failure, are harder to ignore.

“I think we’ve all put some thought into it,” said Mr. Brassell, the diner owner.

“But anytime you have a diverse group of people there are going to be those who are panicked at some level, and those who are calm. Faith in God, you know. He’s going to do what he wants.”

Sports

56

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

Pacquiao, the Ringmaster, and His Traveling Circus

By GREG BISHOP

M

anny Pacquiao and company, lots and lots of company, boarded Acela Express No. 2165 in the belly of Pennsylvania Station.

Pacquiao entered his private car (cost: $10,000) flanked by two documentary film crews, promoters, publicists, advisers, his chief of staff and his wife, Jinkee.

Amid this scene, one day before he met with President Obama, Pacquiao removed his sneakers, reclined and fell asleep for 45 minutes of scheduled relaxation. In recent days, he had gone from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to New York to promote his May welterweight fight against Shane Mosley, and now, as the train rumbled south, the part of the trip he anticipated most beckoned.

Next came Mr. Pacquiao Goes to Washington, the highlight of another marathon promotion for perhaps boxing’s most talented fighter and certainly its only legislator.

Such tours are familiar to boxers of Pacquiao’s profile, but they remain exhaustive and repetitive nonetheless.

Thus the last leg of this promotion served as a welcome diversion from the norm, as Pacquiao toured the Capitol and met Obama that afternoon.

Along the way, Pacquiao answered a few hundred questions, on topics that ranged from his boxing goals (“Hmmm.

What else?”) to the fighters he most adManny Pacquiao, on Capitol Hill, may be the world’s most talented boxer.

mires (Long pause. “Myself.”) to the inspiration for the mushrooming poof of black hair sprouting from his head (“Bruce Lee is my idol.”).

For 24 hours, Pacquiao provided a look at his complex life, with several of his various sides — boxer, politician, husband, promoter — on display. Along with his omnipresent traveling boxing circus, of course.

It started, as most tour days start for Pacquiao, with a news conference.

As Top Rank’s Bob Arum waited for his fighter, he detailed the celebrities he saw at the Super Bowl in Jerry Jones’s luxury box. Arum even ran into Floyd Mayweather Jr., the only other fighter with a legitimate claim to boxing’s throne. (They did not resume negotiations.)

Pacquiao entered a banquet hall at Chelsea Piers shortly before 11 a.m. His camp and Mosley’s traded compliments on Valentine’s Day in very nonboxinglike fashion. Mosley’s trainer, Naazim Richardson, told those assembled, “If you don’t like Manny Pacquiao, he’s done something to you personally.” Then they cut a cake, which Pacquiao wisely had presented earlier to his wife.

Afterward, fans waved the flags of Pacquiao’s native Philippines, and one held a sign that read “We our Congressman.” Mosley sat at a table, claiming indifference to the fact that two of Pacquiao’s last three opponents landed in the hospital, the last, Antonio Margarito, with a broken bone in his face.

In a side room, Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, seemed unimpressed.

More than once, he said Pacquiao would not underestimate an opponent. The implication, of course, was that Mosley, near the end of his career, could be underestimated.

Roach skipped the trip to Washington, having already witnessed the effect of politics on Pacquiao, 32. Roach views most of Pacquiao’s so-called distractions — the singing, the acting, the endorsements, the entourage — as overstated.

But politics, the subject Roach likes to describe as Pacquiao’s new girlfriend, has a stronger, more real pull.

On their last training trip to the Philippines, Roach visited Pacquiao in the national legislature, where he had a motion passed that Roach said made him a citizen. Roach says he thinks Pacquiao will fight twice a year for the next two years at least, but on that day, watching Pacquiao in a fancy suit, how serious he was, Roach saw the future.

“One day, he’ll be president,” Roach said.

The would-be president left his Monday news conference through a kitchen, out the back door, where hundreds

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Filipino Congressman and eight-term world champion boxer Manny Pacquiao on Capitol Hill. of fans had gathered. While he conducted a series of individual interviews with news organizations, his handlers headed to Penn Station. One question — would he arrive with luggage? — made them laugh.

The Pacquiao they know travels often. And he does not travel light.

Once in the car, while Pacquiao slept, his entourage fetched hot dogs, chicken with rice, and cupcakes. His chief of staff, Jing Gacal, tried to sort through all the committees his fellow politicians want Pacquiao to serve on.

The list included national defense, rules, transportation, basic education and agriculture.

In session, Gacal said, Pacquiao slides easily from boxing superstar to public servant. He pushed for a hospital in his Sarangani Province, even once told President Benigno S. Aquino III that financing would help him concentrate on training. He helped amend a bill on human trafficking. But separating politics from boxing remains difficult, if not impossible.

“To be honest, Manny gets special treatment from his colleagues,” Gacal said. “They just love him. Most of them are fans. Some of them are still starstruck.”

His adviser Michael Koncz sat nearby. Koncz said Pacquiao’s previous hints at retirement were to “appease his mother” and added that Pacquiao would fight for the foreseeable future “because he’s having too much fun.”

That was evident when Pacquiao woke up and went right back into interview mode, surrounded as always

by reporters. He was continually asked about distractions, and he kept dismissing their validity. One reporter, noting all the things Pacquiao is involved with, asked how much he slept. “Nine hours,” he replied. “Sometimes eight.”

Superstars apparently need sleep, and when the train ride ended, Pacquiao strode through the opulence of Union Station, surrounded by television cameras, boom mikes, the usual. His wife wore a diamond ring roughly the size of Manhattan. Fans shouted, asked for autographs, posed for photographs.

Pacquiao sang a few bars of “Say You, Say Me.” A man approached and asked if Pacquiao was a movie star. Told he was a boxer, he said, “Oh, yeah, the little one with the hair!” A few minutes later, he returned and said, “That’s the one Mayweather won’t fight, right?”

With that, Pacquiao and company climbed into a black sport-utility vehicle and sped toward the historic Hay Adams Hotel.

Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, walked Pacquiao through the Senate floor, presented him with a United States flag and took him to the audience with Obama, which lasted roughly five minutes and centered on boxing, basketball and politics. On the way, cars slowed to take photographs of Pacquiao, and a four-car pileup resulted. (No one was hurt.)

Pacquiao described himself as “honored.” This came in another news conference, where Pacquiao, ever the promoter, slipped in a mention of his fight.

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

57

Sports

At the White House, Sports Have an Honored Place

By GEORGE VECSEY

W

hen he resided in the White House, George H. W. Bush kept his George McQuinn model first baseman glove in his desk drawer.

Once, when a gaggle of sports journalists dropped by to talk baseball, he took out the glove and displayed it. After that, it was always comforting to think that this very busy man had the option of pounding his left fist into the pocket, as an outlet.

The old Yale first baseman was back home Tuesday as one of 15 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“Those of us who know him know, this is a gentleman,” President Obama said during the ceremony in the East Room. Then, in a semiquizzical voice, the 44th president described how the 41st president, at 85, “decided to jump out of airplanes.”

And why did Bush jump out of airplanes? “It feels good,” Obama said, willing to take his word for it.

• Bush does have something in common with two other recipients of the medal: Stan Musial and Bill Russell.

All three have played for championships. Musial won three of the four World Series he played in, and Russell won 11 championships in 13 seasons in the N.B.A. And George H. W. Bush played in two championship games in the College World Series, losing to California in 1947 and to Southern California in 1948.

How does it feel to be honored along with those two other athletes? “I don’t know if I’m in their league,” Bush said, modest as ever.

Asked where his glove is, he sounded unsure — maybe back in Texas, as part of his collection.

There was one baseball glove at the

ceremony, which honored poets and artists, activists and philanthropists. The glove belonged to Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, who displayed a childlike smile not often seen on public servants’ faces in these cranky times.

“I grew up in East St. Louis,” he said.

“When I was 10 years old, I got a Rawlings special, a Stan Musial model.” He waved the small glove, still relatively supple, with the new silver trace from a felt pen — the beautiful signature of Stan Musial, just applied in person.

“It took me 57 years to get it,” Durbin said, his career and life now thoroughly fulfilled.

President Obama presenting the Medal of Freedom on Tuesday to Stan Musial, the 90-year-old icon of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Sports are important enough to bring that smile of memory to family and friends and admirers. Sports count in a different way from the ultimate sacrifice paid by Dr. Thomas Emmett Little, who was honored posthumously, after being murdered while volunteering eye care to the people of Afghanistan in 2010. Sports do not exactly measure up against the bravery of Representative John Lewis, Democrat of Georgia, who was beaten during the civil rights era. But both big-time athletes honored Tuesday made their stands in their own ways.

Russell, now 77, spoke out against racism in the 1950s and ’60s when he was the heart of the Boston Celtics and then the first black coach in a major professional league in the United States.

“And he supported Muhammad Ali,” said Joe Morgan, the baseball Hall of Famer who was one of Russell’s guests, along with Jim Brown of football fame.

Morgan said Russell had endorsed Cassius Clay’s right to adopt a Muslim name, an unpopular stand in its time. “It might not be Bill’s answer, but he supported Ali,” Morgan said.

Morgan played eight games as a rookie in 1963, when Musial was finishing the last of his 22 seasons and his 3,630 hits. He saw only traces of the fleet, ebullient slugger of the St. Louis Cardinals, who had charmed fans in Brooklyn, where he was named Stan the Man. But Morgan knew something else about Musial: in 1947, when some white players seemed recalcitrant about playing with or against Jackie Robinson, Musial noted that he had played with black teammates back in Donora, Pa. He never made a speech, but he put on his uniform.

• For many years, the Musial family and admirers in St. Louis have felt he was

Bill Russell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama. Stan Musial was also a recipient. not appreciated at the same level as Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio and the great players who came afterward. But on Tuesday, Stan the Man, now 90 and tired, was back at the White House.

He first came here in 1962, the day after the All-Star Game, when he and his wife, Lil, and daughter Janet were invited

by President John F. Kennedy — “my buddy,” Musial called him. A young senatorial aide, John H. Zentay, was Musial’s escort that day.

On Tuesday, Zentay, now a prominent lawyer in Washington, brought a photograph of Musial and Kennedy, taken that magical day. He showed the photo to Musial’s grandson Brian Schwarze, his constant aide in his old age. A woman standing nearby looked at the photograph and said, “That’s my brother.” It was Jean Kennedy Smith, herself a recipient of the medal.

Athletes have often been welcome in the White House. Bill Russell and Stan Musial now belong with other Presidential Medal of Freedom winners, at the core of American life.

Woods Apologizes After Fine for Spitting in Dubai

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

T

iger Woods apologized after he was fined an undisclosed sum by the European Tour on Monday for spitting on the green during the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic.

The tour said in a statement that tournament director Mike Stewart reviewed the matter and “feels there has been a breach of the tour code of conduct.”

“The Euro Tour is right — it was inconsiderate to spit like that and I know better,” Woods said on Twitter. “Just wasn’t thinking and want to say I’m sorry.”

The tour would not give the amount of the fine but it is probably between $400 and $16,000 for a minor breach.

Woods spit on the 12th hole after missing a par putt on his way to a 3-over 75. He began the final day one shot off the lead but never recovered after ma-

king two bogeys in his first three holes.

The 14-time major winner, now ranked No. 3, tied for 20th place at 4-under 284. Woods has gone 17 tournaments without a victory for the first time since turning professional in 1996.

Almost a year ago, following a sex scandal that ended his marriage and rocked the golf world, Woods promised to “make my behavior more respectful of the game.”

The tour’s code of conduct states that when a player becomes a member he “voluntarily submits himself to standards of behavior and ethical conduct beyond those required of ordinary golfers and members of the public.”

Television cameras spotted Woods spitting in an earlier round in the Dubai tournament. Ewen Murray, a commentator for Britain’s Sky Sports, said on air after seeing Woods spit on the second tee during the second round that it was “one of the ugliest things

you will ever see on a golf course.”

After Woods spit on the 12th green, Murray said that “somebody now has to come behind him and maybe putt over his spit. It does not get much lower than that.”

Sports

58

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

A Crouching Yankee No More

By TYLER KEPNER

F

or most of his career, Jorge Posada has held a corner locker in spring training, along the far wall, framed on one side by a pillar and a trunk. The arrangement creates a personal nook, ideal for a catcher with lots of equipment.

Yet as Posada got ready, on the first day of workouts for what might be his final spring training, he did not need his shin guards or mask. Just a bat. He taped the handle meticulously, thin white strips in a crisscross, a good grip for a hitter who goes without batting gloves.

“Sorry,” he said, after answering a question. “I’m almost done.”

He meant with the taping, of course, but the same applies to his career.

Posada, who turns 40 in August, is finishing a four-year, $52.4 million contract. When he signed the deal, the extra $400,000 made him the highest-paid cat-

cher in baseball, $100,000 more a season than Ivan Rodriguez. Now Posada is a designated hitter.

Russell Martin is expected to be the Yankees’ starting catcher, and Francisco Cervelli is the backup. The top prospects Jesus Montero and Austin Romine are nearly ready, with Gary Sanchez close behind. Posada does not expect to catch much anymore.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I will be third emergency catcher, I guess.”

Posada ranks 24th on the career list for games caught, with 1,573, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He plans to rest his surgically repaired left knee another week and then start catching bullpen sessions. But Manager Joe Girardi would not commit to having him catch in exhibition games.

Martin, a two-time All-Star, is also starting slowly after knee surgery. Cut loose by the Los Angeles Dodgers, he signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Yankees, who control his rights for another year through salary arbitration.

Might it be awkward replacing Posada with Posada still around?

“That’s a good question,” Martin said. “We’ll find out. I can’t really know what’s going to happen. It seems like it’s not a problem so far. The main goal here is winning, and if I can help the team do that, then that’s good. If that’s not the case, they’ll figure something out.”

General Manager Brian Cashman said he liked the short-term commitment to Martin at a position earmarked for a prospect. His presence also makes it ea-

sier to trade a young catcher, and chances are Cashman will need pitching soon.

The pitching staff is not Posada’s problem anymore. All those games behind the plate — and 119 more in the postseason — have taken a physical toll, with parts of the last three seasons spent on the disabled list. The mental strain has been even harder.

“It’s tough, especially during the postseason, when you’re drained,” Posada said. “The win or the loss, every pitch counts. I think as a D.H., it’s a little different. Behind the plate, you’re involved in every play. Your mind can’t wander.”

The trick now, he said, will be staying warm physically and staying engaged mentally. Posada has played 89 games as a designated hitter, including 28 last season, but he has never been a regular there. He has tried to call Edgar Martinez, looking for advice, and hopes to ask Jim Thome when he sees him.

“I know how much pride Jorge has and I know how much he loves to catch and be involved,” said Girardi, who once shared the job with Posada. “He takes pride in his leadership and getting the most out of pitchers. That’s a transition.”

Posada never won a Gold Glove, and some veterans — like Randy Johnson and A. J. Burnett — preferred working with his backup. But catchers tend to make the position part of their identity. There is so much responsibility involved, and it hurts to lose it.

Cashman told Posada of his plans around the time of Posada’s knee ope-

ration in November. It was hard to hear it then, Posada said, though he was not surprised.

“I think I knew it was coming,” he said. “The team needed to keep looking at the future of the Yankees behind the plate.”

Posada is part of the past, third on the team’s career list for games caught.

The two in front of him, Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra, have plaques in Cooperstown and retired numbers in Monument Park. Posada may not catch again, but he is not ready to retire.

The plan, Posada said, is to see how the season goes and then decide what to do. If he keeps playing, he said, he would not want to go somewhere else.

But he will not dwell on the future.

“I can’t think of an end, because if I feel good, I want to keep going,” he said.

“I want to go out there and play this year, think about the season, think about the moment, and not get carried away with what’s going to happen.”

The Yankees could use an open designated hitter spot as Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter age. Cashman said only that he wanted production at D.H., no matter who provided it.

For now, and maybe just for this season, that person is Posada, who accepts a role he never asked for. He has no other choice.

“I want to have a positive attitude towards everything,” he said. “They want me to D.H., I’ll D.H. That’s the mentality I want to do. I don’t want to keep thinking about it. Just, whatever it takes.”

Pujols and Cardinals End Negotiations for Season

By HARVEY ARATON

T

he skies did not darken over the Cardinals’ spring training complex. No lightning bolts were hurled from the heavens. But on Wednesday afternoon, negotiations with Albert Pujols were declared to be at an impasse and done until after the 2011 season, when the player generally recognized as baseball’s best could become a free agent.

Shortly after the Pujols-imposed noon deadline had passed, the Cardinals and Pujols released statements saying that no further discussions would take place this season, though the team’s owner, Bill DeWitt, and General

Manager John Mozeliak said the Cardinals remained open to renewed talks if Pujols should have a change of heart.

The team will also have a window of opportunity to re-sign Pujols between the end of its season and the conclusion of the World Series. Mozeliak said the Cardinals would not explore the possibility of a trade, given the potential risks of losing him later this year without getting anything in return.

Pujols, a three-time National League most valuable player, will be in the final year of an eight-year, $111 million deal, earning $16 million this season. According to reports, he has been seeking a 10-year extension worth as much as $300 million. The Cardinals

were said to be offering less money and fewer years, obviously concerned about aligning themselves to a 31-year player for a full decade.

In saying that they made a serious push to lock in Pujols, an iconic player and personality in St. Louis, for the rest of his career, DeWitt said, “You can be sure that we explored a number of different avenues in an effort to keep Albert.”

In a statement, Pujols’s agent, Dan Lozano, said, “The expiration of today’s deadline does not eliminate the possibility of Albert returning to the Cardinals in 2012, but simply delays negotiations until the conclusion of the Cardinals’ season.”

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

59

Sports

Money Buys a Lot, but Not Everything, in Soccer

By ROB HUGHES

T

he Champions League is back in play, and so is the wealth league.

It is no accident the annual review of soccer finances by accounting firm Deloitte is published as Champions League resumes. No surprise 13 of the 16 clubs remaining in the tournament possess the greatest revenues in the game.

Exceptions are F.C. Copenhagen and Shakhtar Donetsk, and Valencia, kept out by crippling costs of building a new stadium.

Copenhagen is a team of Scandinavian vigor wrapped around two Brazilian imports, Claudemir and César Santin, a Senegalese striker, Dame N’Doye, for good measure.

The other, Shakhtar, happens to be owned by the richest entrepreneur in the Ukraine.

For all of UEFA president Michel Platini’s attempts to make a more level financial playing field in Europe, testifies to the rich getting richer, and the monopoly growing stronger.

Witnessing the last throes of romance in soccer’s big time. We might never again see two clubs — Arsenal and Barcelona — go head-to-head with teams nurtured largely through their training academies, as they are right now.

Bless the golden era when a manager like Alex Ferguson gets 25 years to run a

club like Manchester United — and can field players like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes 20 years after he first saw them as schoolboys.

Why look back? Why so pessimistic for the future? Think of the millions — no, billions — required to run a soccer team these days.

Real Madrid and Barcelona led the list. Madrid had revenue of nearly €439 million, or almost $595 million. Barcelona was not far behind, with €398 million.

Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Chelsea, A.C. and Inter Milan follow, with Liverpool sandwiched between the two Italian clubs.

Manchester City, Gulf oil flowing into it, will soon be up there.

Qatar could one day pay the American Glazer family owns Manchester United £1.6 billion to £1.8 billion to take over.

Qatar, wealth bought the rights to 2022 World Cup, has a significant stake in Barcelona. The Qatari Foundation is alongside sports brand Nike on the front of the famous claret and blue Barça shirt, relegating Unicef from the chest to the back of the garment.

Television money puts Real Madrid and Barcelona on top of the money list.

Spanish giants retain TV rights to negotiate separately from the rest domestic rivals — and that gives them millions upon millions beyond the hopes and dreams of their domestic, and international, opponents.

Bayern Munich has TV and marketing negotiating exclusivity. A.C. Milan has Silvio Berlusconi’s all-reaching TV business and political advantages. Inter has the Moratti family oil fortune, and Massimo Moratti’s willingness to spend some of it to emulate his late father’s Inter of the 1960s.

Platini tries to persuade European clubs to roll back from thinking money alone will always buy the prizes.

I loved watching him play for France.

I enjoy talking soccer with him.

He is sincere, but misguided by passion.

Platini left his beloved France for Juventus when owner, Gianni Agnelli, lavished fortunes of Fiat motor empire on team.

An equivalent might be Roman Abramovich.

Abramovich still lavishing fortunes on team, craving one trophy Chelsea has yet to deliver Champions League cup.

His club loss on last season about £70 million — $112 million.

That same night, he agreed payments of a similar amount to buy Fernando Torres from Liverpool and David Luiz from Benfica.

Abramovich has not found time to watch them in Chelsea blue. Torres might be thankful because he has started with two very indifferent performances. David Luiz, certainly, has shown wonderful Brazilian touches in the defense, although he gave away a penalty against Fulham.

Torres and David Luiz will please the paymaster if, end of May, they and Chelsea are in Champions League final at Wembley Stadium. Owner can afford his Chelsea indulgence. Latest figures out of Russia suggest he had a good financial year, and his assets rose to $17.1 billion.

Should his path cross with Platini, the Russian might have some explaining to do. He personally backed Platini’s drive to bring financial accountability to Champions League and Europa League.

From next season on, UEFA intends to impose measures that would bar clubs that spend more than their soccer related income from the elite competitions. Chelsea tried austerity, found the team slipping, and rushed to the January sales.

Personal ambition and pride got the better of Abramovich’s pledge to stand in line with cost controls.

The booming Spanish giants, oilswelled Manchester City, the possibility of United’s also going East, might all prey on the Russian mind.

After eight years, he still wants to compete. Bad news for him, and all foreign owners of English clubs, is you cannot buy Barcelona style off the shelf.

A billionaire with patience to wait for a team of Xavis Messis and Iniestas to grow from childhood to champions, and you might say money can buy everything.

Sports

60

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

Bold Move Puts Pressure on Anthony

By WILLIAM C. RHODEN

T

he Knicks made the right decision.

Like it or not, New York, here comes Carmelo Anthony.

After weeks of exhausting wrangling, the Knicks got their man, though it is more proper at this moment to say Anthony got his team.

The trade ended a bizarre N.B.A. love triangle. The Nets wanted Anthony, Anthony wanted the Knicks and at least some of the Knicks’ hierarchy wanted no part of Anthony if it meant giving up what they eventually gave up: Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton and Timofey Mozgov.

But this deal is an exchange that had to be. Whether it was Donnie Walsh, Mike D’Antoni, James L. Dolan — or Lou Carnesecca — the Knicks made the bold determination to acquire Anthony, a second bona fide star, to play alongside Amar’e Stoudemire and worry about the supporting players later.

Supporting players are supporting players, and there are plenty of them. If the Knicks have to rebuild the supporting cast, so be it.

They now have a potentially dynamic one-two punch to go forward.

Now the internal healing can begin.

Nearly all of the burden of proof rests on Anthony’s shoulders. He asked for this situation and now he has it.

If he knows the Knicks’ history,

Anthony knows that with the possible exception of Bernard King, no New York City player has ever come back as a Knick and turned the place upside down — in a positive way.

He will have something to prove to the legions of fans who consider him a one-dimensional player who lacks the skills and the drive to play defense or make his teammates better.

Anthony is not the answer, but he is unquestionably a building block. He led Syracuse to a national championship and was a vital component for the United States when it won an Olympic gold medal in Beijing. He could be a winner on a properly outfitted team, something the Knicks, with Stoudemire, are becoming. And now that the Knicks have two star players in place, a player like Chris Paul is much more likely to leave cashstrapped New Orleans for well-heeled New York.

There is universal agreement, however, that Anthony is a first-rate scorer. That talent, on a team that already averages more than 106 points a game, is worth the price of the ticket.

Anthony’s critics have questioned how he will co-exist with Stoudemire — who, by the way, lobbied for the Knicks to bring Anthony home. For all of the ambivalence in the organization surrounding the trade, Stoudemire is thrilled, on a number of levels.

Coach Mike D’Antoni’s job is to be

the alchemist.

If there is a victim in all of this, it is Chauncey Billups, the veteran guard who made himself into an All-Star and was the catalyst of a championship team in Detroit.

Billups was traded to Denver from Detroit for a fading Allen Iverson.

The great thing about that trade was that Billups was going home to Denver.

Two season later, he is back on the move — collateral damage, in a sense, in the Knicks’ push to get Anthony.

Yet Billups will be an important player in this trade. He can help smooth the transition and, like a great accompanist, will help Stoudemire, Anthony and the new lineup find a rhythm.

He could be going to worse places.

If Billups can help re-energize Madison Square Garden, there will be no greater excitement outside of his winning the N.B.A. championship.

Don’t cry, New York.

The Knicks made a trade that had to be. They made a bold step in the right direction.

Mets Have Reassuring Words for Luis Castillo

By DAVID WALDSTEIN

D

uring their initial meeting in the manager’s office, Luis Castillo and his new manager, Terry Collins, discussed Castillo’s painful 2010 season, including the best ways to get past it and be productive, providing he is still on the Mets when the season starts.

Collins asked how Castillo was feeling physically, especially his aching feet.

He also asked why Castillo had not mentioned his brother’s impending surgery when they had spoken on the phone. If that was the reason Castillo did not come to camp early, Collins asked, then why didn’t Castillo tell him?

And finally, Collins asked Castillo if a play from nearly 20 months ago was still bothering him. The play in question was the infamous pop-up off the bat of Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez that Castillo dropped on June 12, 2009. If Castillo had caught the ball, the Mets would have won the first Subway Series game of that season. But he dropped it, and the Yankees scored two runs on the play to win the game.

“I said, ‘Is the pop-up bothering you?’ ” Collins said. “He said, ‘No.’ I said, I’m sure it has, but I said, you’re not the first guy to ever drop one.”

Despite Castillo’s denial, Collins said he thought the error still ate at Castillo, 35, who was an integral member of the Florida Marlins when they won the 2003 World Series and is a three-time All-Star and a threetime Gold Glove winner. “‘You dropped it, it’s over, nothing you can do about it,’ ” Collins said he told Castillo. “ ‘Let’s move forward, let’s stay positive. You’re a talented guy, you’re healthy.

What can you do to make this team better?

Let’s go with that.’ That was pretty much the direction we went in the conversation.

“But until we see it, can he get by it?

Only time will tell. But I’m not a psychiatrist, I’m not a psychologist. We try to be, but the one thing I am right now is positive, and I think he can help.”

As bad as the play was, there is not a lot of evidence that it diminished Castillo’s self-confidence, unless it had a delayed effect.

When he made the error, Castillo was hitting .277 with a .376 on-base percentage.

The next game, he went 2 for 5 in a 6-2 victory. More telling, in the 91 games after the error, Castillo hit .316 with a .393 on-base percentage.

He finished the 2009 season with a .387 on-base percentage, his best since his .391 mark in 2005.

Many Mets fans probably share Collins’s view that the dropped pop-up is the defining moment of Castillo’s time with the Mets. But the real trouble came in 2010, when injuries prevented Castillo from walking without a limp for much of the season.

Castillo played in just 86 games last year, hitting .235 with a .337 on-base percentage.

He did not start a game after Sept. 1.

Castillo says his feet are now fine, and although the competition for second base is wide open, he says he is ready to vie with Brad Emaus, Justin Turner and perhaps even Daniel Murphy or Chin-lung Hu, who is primarily a shortstop but has played 30 games at second base.

“I’m prepared for spring training and I know what I have to do here,” Castillo said. “I feel good. I feel 100 percent.”

Still, there is a good chance Castillo may not make it out of spring training with

the Mets. He is in the final year of his contract and is owed $6 million, but like pitcher Oliver Perez, who is owed twice that, his place on the team is not as secure as it was last year. A new general manager and a new manager would have no qualms about releasing two players they did not bring in.

“You’ll see this year’s different,” Castillo said. “I hope this year’s different.

I want to forget everything that happened last year and move on.”

In the eyes of his manager, he must also move on from what happened two years ago.

INSIDE PITCH Jason Bay said he had no lingering effects from the concussion that kept him out for most of the second half of last season, and wished he could also wipe away his poor performance from the first half, in which he hit just six home runs. “It was kind of a blink of an eye and all of a sudden, it was July, and like, ‘Wow, I haven’t really done much,’ ” he said. “I kind of got buried in it, working away, working away. I had some good days and some bad days. But for whatever reason, I just wasn’t driving the ball out of the ballpark.”

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

61

Games

Sudoku How to Play: Fill in the empty fields with the numbers from 1 through 9 Click the “check sudoku” button to check your sudoku inputs Click the “new sudoku” button and select difficulty to play a new game

Sudoku Rules: Every row must contain the numbers from 1 through 9 Every column must contain the numbers from 1 through 9 Every 3x3 square must contain the numbers from 1 through 9

Crossword

Wordsearch

Answers on page 62

62 February 24 - March 2, 2011

HOROSCOPE Aries

(Mar 21-April 20)

Libra

(Sep 24-Oct 23)

Variety and change can be as good as a rest. You may not get everything you want at this stage, but you are sure to get more than you bargained for. Try to act unaffected at all times, especially when someone is pushing you for answers. Keep your own counsel. A reflective spell will clear your mind and broaden your horizons. Time out?

A reshuffle of your priorities will make all the difference to your energy! Mix and match things socially for maximum impact. If you are bored stir things up and see what happens. It is okay to be a little bit mischievous, but do not go too far. Work whatever room you find yourself in and enjoy making an impact. There is reason to be proud.

Taurus

Scorpio

(April 21-May 21)

(Oct 24-Nov 22)

You will soon be able to put things into perspective. Do not punish yourself for apparent mistakes; which actually were just circumstances beyond your control. All is not lost. You still have the world at your feet, if only you realised it. Continue to be patient and await developments. Quick thinking re paper work will help you cover your tracks.

It is a good time to make requests, so do not be shy as you make your suggestions. Play your cards close to your chest. It is important to guard your interests carefully as you go about your business. Listen to your heightened intuition. You will not be able to control everyone and everything. Discern what really matters.

Gemini

Sagittarius

(May 22-June 21)

(Nov 23-Dec 21)

Take a leap of faith in a sensible direction. It is timely to cover your tracks and consider your options, but avoid unnecessary risks, even as you indulge your sense of adventure. Choose your next move for its entertainment factor.

Keep yourself amused and you will surely be happy. Loved ones will enjoy your light touch and humour.

Do not panic about anything, as it will soon be apparent what action you should take.

Progress may be modest, so be patient as you wait for answers. Be selective about what you do and with whom you spend your time. You can afford to be a bit more self absorbed as you go through a transitional period. Times change and so do you.

Cancer

Capricorn

(June 22-July 23)

(Dec 22-Jan 20)

Be consistent: commitment is never more important. This is no time for complacency, even if your goals are in sight. Pace yourself and work through your ‘to do’ list at a realistic pace. Do not push things too far and keep an eye on finances.

Close encounters of the intimate kind are well blessed. Love can restore your energies.

Spend the energy at your disposal wisely. Avoid giving in to panic or frustration, as neither suits your usual philosophical demeanour. Try to put recent events into perspective a.s.a.p. You are well able for what life is throwing at you, so rise to the occasion and be formidable! A breather for close reflection is a bright idea.

Leo

Aquarius (Jan 21-Feb 19)

(July 24-Aug 23)

You You have more than enough to keep you busy: not bad! See things as they are, not as you would like them to be. A reality check is always good and prevents you losing the run of yourself. It is all very well to do your own thing, but do not alienate loved ones in the process. Stay relaxed and do not over stress yourself. Life is too short.

Assimilate where you have come to and do some groundwork preparation for the next phase. Change is timely. Someone who awaits your attention will spark up your love life in more ways than one. A separation may be painful but it is timely. Prepare for healing and a parting of the ways that actually feels just fine. Make adjustments.

Virgo

Pisces

(Aug 24-Sep 23)

Circumstances which are too challenging get Ditch anxiety and try to adjust to recent upheaval as quickly as you can. Freshen up the view and take off those rose coloured spectacles. Watch your expectations and stop giving everyone a hard time.

Do not even go there! Look after things from your end and what you are worried about will pan out in your favour. Hold onto your thoughts.

(Feb 20-Mar 20)

What comes next will match your wildest expectations. It will soon become clear that what cupid has in store is nothing to moan about. Put the reins on your plans and ideas for just a moment.

Now is not a good time to rush your fences. Take the measured approach and see what unfolds naturally. Sit tight and consolidate your position.

The San Juan Weekly

Answers to the Zudoku and Crossword on page 61

The San Juan Weekly

February 24 - March 2, 2011

Herman

Speed Bump

Frank & Ernest

BC

Scary Gary

Wizard of Id

Two Cows And A Chicken

Cartoons

63

Ziggi

64

February 24 - March 2, 2011

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