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WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25, 2009 © 2009 OU Publications Board

CAMPUS NEWS Islam expert speaks on Islamic reformation and globalization Reza Aslan, an expert on Islam and a New York Times bestselling author will speak to the OU community about the reformation facing Islam today.

The title of Aslan’s REZA lecture, “How to Win a ASLAN Cosmic War: God, Globalization and the War on Terror,” is also the topic of his latest book, set to release in April.

The OU Center for Middle East Studies and the International Programs Center is hosting Aslan’s lecture.

“Reza Aslan is one of the most thoughtful, articulate and constructive Muslim voices in America today,” said Charles Kimball, religious studies director.

Kimball said Aslan’s work has helped put a face to the diversity and complexities that are shaping Muslim events worldwide and has helped clarify dynamics with the Western world.

Aslan’s lecture will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the Robert S. Kerr Auditorium in the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.

He is also a University of Southern California fellow at the Center on Public Diplomacy and a Middle East analyst for CBS News.

LEIGHANNE MANWARREN/THE DAILY

• OUPD has two trained bomb-detecting dogs CLARK FOY The Oklahoma Daily The OUPD recently hired a new member to the Hazardous Devices Unit — a German shepherd.

Hailing from Slovakia, 3-year-old Ambra is the newest member of the force. As an explosive-detecting dog, her job is pretty simple; sniff out and find explosive devices.

Last semester, veteran canine Zilly died after serving six years on the force. Ambra came three months ago as a replacement, said Officer Brian Nelson, OUPD canine handler. “[Ambra] is good natured, minds well and very friendly,” Nelson said.

Nelson said Ambra and Zilly are quite different from one another, but both are easy to work with.

“Dogs are a lot like people; each has a different personality,” Nelson said. “Zilly was more assertive and full of herself. Ambra is generally good natured and playful and spends a lot of time just sitting next to me.”

Ambra is one of two such canines at OUPD, the other being a black lab named Jackie. Both are trained exclusively to detect explosives, not assault, Nelson said.

The training of Explosive Detecting Dogs starts when they are young, Nelson said. They begin obedience training when they are about six months old and begin specialized training around the time they turn 1.

The dogs are used at a variety of events on OU’s Elizabeth Nalewajk/The Daily campus including every football game, some basketball games, public events and lectures, Nelson said.

Canine Ambra, 3, shows off her skills Friday morning outside OUPD “Our job is to go and scout an area ahead of time headquarters. Ambra is OUPD’s newest bomb-detecting canine.

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Two OU soloists compete on national stage • Contest features best collegiate musicians LAUREN STALFORD The Oklahoma Daily

LIFE & ARTS Having dating problems? Stressed with class? Check out The Daily’s Advice on page 7.

SPORTS The women’s basketball team dropped its first Big 12 contest of the season Monday night. With the Sooners still in first place in conference, the Daily’s Annelise Russell ranks how well each Big 12 team is currently playing.

Page 5.

Without sophomore forward Blake Griffin, the men’s basketball team has lost two straight games. The Daily takes a look at OU’s future.

Page 6.

OUDAILY.COM Check out The Daily’s News Desk blog at OUDaily.com where reporter Reneé Selanders discusses the dorm birth story.

Also, check out the triumphant return of the Sports Desk blog where sports editor Steven Jones discusses OU sports, only at OUDaily.com.

TODAY’S INDEX Campus Notes Classifieds Crossword Horoscope L&A

Newest member of OUPD walks on all fours

2 8 8 9 7

News 3, 9, 10 Opinion 4 Police Reports 2 Sports 5, 6 Sudoku 9

WEATHER FORECAST

TODAY

LOW 43° HIGH 72°

THURSDAY LOW 53° HIGH 74° Source: Oklahoma Weather Lab

Two OU music students will rosin up their bows as finalists next month to compete for the title of national string champion.

Jesse Kaminski and Talon Davis, both string bass players, will compete in the American String Teacher’s Association National Solo Competition in Atlanta, Ga. The two are the first OU finalists in the competition’s history.

“It’s probably the biggest music accomplishment I have had so far,” said Davis, string bass performance junior.

Anthony Stoops, string bass professor and the finalists’ trainer, said Davis and Kaminski were the only students from OU to apply for the competition.

Stoops, who competed in 1995, said he was shocked but happy for the two when they were selected.

“I was kind of floored,” he said.

The students were selected by a national panel of judges after being passed through a series of preliminary reviews.

“I was shocked,” Kaminski said. She said she already had

Michelle Gray/The Daily

Talon Davis, a bass performance junior (left), and Jesse Kaminski a bass performance sophomore (right) practice their bass’s Tuesday afternoon in Catlett Hall.

The musician were selected as two of three finalist in the Nation to compete in the American String Teachers Association National Solo Competition. spring break plans, but canceled them when she was selected.

Davis said he thought the audition would be a good opportunity, but didn’t expect to make the cut, even though he has practiced three hours a day for nine years.

Kaminski said she has played string bass for five years and

has been preparing for the competition since May. The competition began 25 years ago to help start careers of young string players and has been key in getting students recognized, Stoops said.

“A lot of professional organizations keep their eyes on this competition,” Stoops said.

Kaminski and Davis both hope to play in professional symphonies after graduation.

The students’ participation in the event also will help the music school, said Debby Lamb, University College freshman.

She said the competition will show music professionals and scholars across the country

that OU should be considered a national competitor for music students.

“I was really happy for them,” said Kristin Keys, string bass performance junior. “Just the fact that two people from OU made it is incredible because it’s against students from all around the country.”

OU collaborates with institution to fund research • EPSCoR provides research funding for states that receive less federal money JAMIE BIRDWELL The Oklahoma Daily Oklahoma has received $110 million in research funds since 1979 from The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.

Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, is a program that funds science research projects for states that have historically not been as competitive for federal funding, Frank Waxman, Oklahoma EPSCoR director, said.

Twenty five states currently participate in EPSCoR, James Wicksted, Oklahoma EPSCoR asso-

ciate director, said in an e-mail.

“Because of these programs, researchers at institutions like OU and OSU and [Tulsa University] have been able to obtain more federal grant funding through individual grant competitions,” Wicksted said.

Universities as well as other institutions collaborate on proposals, he said.

Researchers submit their proposals to EPSCoR which reviews them and chooses the best ones to send to affiliated federal agencies: the National Institute of Health, the Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation or the Department of Energy, he said.

EPSCoR consists of representatives from the state government and educators and is chaired by the state chancellor for higher education, Waxman said.

Typically, it takes three to four weeks for the

committee to hear the proposals, then two more to review them, he said.

In August 2007, NASA granted OU $1.9 million for three EPSCoR research proposals to study lightning, according to its web site.

The research began in September 2007, but the first successes came in May 2008 and researchers are continuing to work, William Beasley, meteorology professor, said.

The research is comprised of three parts, Beasley said. The first is to provide ground data for NASA, he said.

Oklahoma researchers will study low orbit satellites during storms to provide data for more effective weather forecasts, Beasley said.

The second part consists of analyzing what goes on between the cloud and the ground, he said. The third part of the research is lightning safety, Beasley said.

FUNDING Continues on page 2

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News

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009

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CAMPUS BRIEFS

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met outside the Capitol and developed both working and personal relationships.

Now, Boren said, legislators rarely interact with their colleagues in other parties. Instead, they attend ever more frequent party caucus meetings and strategize about how to attack the other party.

Boren said Obama should spend time meeting with members of congress individually and in small groups made up of members of different parties to foster friendliness and cooperation among different factions.

“To rebuild the belief of Americans in their own government and to create an environment of trust that is needed to restore economic stability, we must first rebuild bipartisan cooperation,” Boren said.

According to a transcript of the speech, Obama said “bipartisan” only once in his Tuesday address, which focused on his plans for recovering from the recession. He used the word in reference to a bill designed to provide education benefits to Americans who commit to national service.

To read Boren’s entire op-ed, log onto OUDaily.com.

fixed, he said.

Students walked by and noticed the flooding on the sidewalk outside of Kaufman hall.

Joe Janowiak, history junior, said that students could walk in the water because it was not deep.

Construction delayed after waterline puncture Construction on Collings Hall caused a waterline to burst, flooding the walkway between it and Kaufman hall.

Workers accidentally drilled into the waterline on the north side of Collings one of the workers, utility worker Chad Williams said.

Utility workers had to go under ground through tunnels to shut the water off in Kaufman and Collings halls, Williams said.

“A lot of the valves are in a loop system,” he said. “We might have to shut off more than one to turn the water completely off.”

After breaking the line, workers opted for caution. Before utility workers could begin working on the pipe, they had to locate other departments’ lines, he said. Williams said the pipe would take about two to three hours to fix.

The construction on Collings would be delayed while the flooding was

JAMIE BIRDWELL/THE DAILY

Boren op-ed published in Washington Post OU President David Boren wrote an op-ed on bipartisanship that appeared in Tuesday’s edition of the Washington Post.

In advance of President Barack Obama’s Tuesday evening address to the U.S. Congress, Boren called on Obama to institutionalize bipartisanship in Washington, D.C. Boren said the culture in Washington has changed for the worse since he was a U.S. senator, when members of congress from both parties regularly

CAMPUS NOTES TODAY

Sexual orientation question added to UOSA general election ballot Student Congress Tuesday night approved adding a question on the next general election ballot about whether to add sexual orientation to the university’s non-discrimination policy.

The general election will be March 31 and April 1.

Nicholas Harrison, author of the bill, said other universities in the U.S. have incorporated discrimination based on sexual orientation into their policies.

Harrison, chair of the diversity committee of the Graduate Senate, said the information provided by the vote will then go before the administration for consideration.

Congress also passed a bill that would add a question to the next general election ballot in regard to strengthening smoking restrictions.

It also approved $2,450 in emergency funding for seven student organizations. Both bills go before the Graduate Student Senate in their next session.

CADIE THOMPSON/THE DAILY

The Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education will host a Scholastic Book Fair at 9 a.m. in Collings Hall.

CAREER SERVICES Career Services will host a behavioral interviewing session at 10:30 a.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

will take six more weeks to be approved, Beasley said.

“We were elated, as you can imagine,” he said.

There is currently another EPSCoR research grant competition due March 19, Victoria Snowden, NASA space grant consortium, said.

Snowden said she is very optimistic because of the thorough proposals that they’ve had in the past.

working at noon in the union.

The College of Arts and Sciences will host a lecture about male fertility at 7:30 p.m. in the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.

CAREER SERVICES

THURSDAY

PRE-OPTOMETRY CLUB

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS CENTER The International Programs Center will host a lecture with Reza Aslan at 4:30 p.m. in the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.

WOMEN’S OUTREACH CENTER

Career Services will host a behavioral interviewing session at 1:30 p.m. in the union.

The Pre-Optometry Club will meet at 7 p.m. in Richards Hall.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education will host a Scholastic Book Fair at 9 a.m. in Collings Hall.

CAREER SERVICES

SCHOOL OF MUSIC The School of Music will present a concert of guest soloists at 8 p.m. in Catlett Music Center.

Career Services will host a free lunch to discuss net-

Shanna Walthall, 41, 201 W Gray St., Monday

POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA

Names are compiled from the Norman Police Department and OUPD. The reports serve as a record of arrests, not convictions.

Samuel Lee Slate, 23, West Lindsey Street, Monday Clayton James Thompson, 22, West Gray Street, Sunday, also driving under the influence/actual physical control of a vehicle

Those listed are innocent until proven guilty.

MUNICIPAL WARRANT Taylor Stamps Campbell, 20, East Cedar Lane Road, Sunday

Researchers are working to find out how quickly you can warn people about lightning without causing false alarm, Beasley said.

“A very important part of this research is knowing when you can go back to work,” Beasley said. “Airlines could be delayed too short of a time or too long of a time. You could potentially gain money if you study and understand it with more precision.”

The research took a month to prepare and

CHRISTIANS ON CAMPUS

POLICE REPORTS

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

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COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

The Women’s Outreach Center will screen “Thin” at 7 p.m. in Dale Hall.

CAREER SERVICES

Funding

Career Services will host a session about how to break into advertising and marketing at noon in the union.

Christians on Campus will host a Bible study at 12:30 p.m. in the union.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

before the event takes place,” Nelson said. “Once a potentially dangerous object has been identified, then the dog’s job is done.”

According to material provided by Tarheel Canine Training, Inc. of Sanford, N.C., dogs are ideal for sniffing out explosives as they have 200 million olfactory sensors, compared with a human’s 10 million.

The chemicals the dogs are able to detect include nitrates, chlorates, PETN, RDX and TNT. Nelson said the dogs work better in outdoor, open quarters as opposed to inside buildings.

The dogs have a longer range of tracing a scent outdoors with less interference, like air vents that draw odors away.

While drug dogs will bark, paw, scratch and produce an “aggressive alert,” bomb dogs, according to Nelson, are trained to give a “passive alert” when they find an explosive. Once one is located, the dog immediately sits down and becomes motionless.

“Finding an explosive is all basically a game to them,” Nelson said. “If they find something, they sit down and they get their toy. Then you play with them for a little while and go out again.”

Ambra has been a good addition to the team and the transition has been smooth, Nelson said. While Ambra is a bit younger and can get on Jackie’s nerves, the two get along for the most part.

“Overall, she has done very well,” Nelson said. “She’s fun Elizabeth Nalewajk/The Daily to have around, she minds well.

A little new yet, but she’s still German shepherd Ambra, 3, shows off her skills Friday morning outside OUPD learning.” headquarters. Ambra trained for several months to learn to detect explosives.

Dustin L. Copeland, 27, 1616 E Alameda St., Monday James Joseph Holmes, 19, 2200 W Main St., Monday Casey Christopher Tobin, 26, 1414 Pheasant Run Court, Monday, also county warrant

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCURACY The Daily has a long-standing commitment to serve readers by providing accurate coverage and analysis. Errors are corrected as they are identified. Readers should bring errors to the attention of the editorial board for further investigation.

COUNTY WARRANT Steven Allan Hicks, 20, 900 E Main St., Monday Jay Dustin Privett, 28, 403 E Brooks St., Monday

ASSAULT AND BATTERY

ERROR SUBMISSIONS

Gada Ranell McGirt, 36, 1912 Fillmore Ave., Sunday Michael Edward Owings, 41, 1912 Fillmore Ave., Sunday

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Campus News

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OU confidential: OUPD answers your questions CLARK FOY The Oklahoma Daily

substance, and you either are also in possession of an illegal substance, or have in any way aided or abetted that person, then you are a principal to the same crime.

Accessories are people who after the commission of a felony — there are no accessories to misdemeanors — in any way aid the offender in escaping or avoiding arrest, trial, conviction or punishment. The best thing to do is to avoid associating with anyone who possesses illegal substances.

Sometimes there is confusion about local laws and regulations, so The Daily attempted to clear up some of the gray areas. The Daily asked readers and editors to submit questions, and OUPD Lt. Bruce Chan clarified the laws.

The following are the questions and Chan’s responses sent through an e-mail.

Can an officer enter a residence because of a noise complaint or a complaint of minors with alcohol?

What happens if a driver gets a DUI? The driver will go to jail and depending upon where the car is stopped, it is likely the car will be impounded. It is possible that you would be able to call a taxi, or a sober friend for a ride; but, it is also possible that if you are committing an offense you will also be taken to jail. It is best for all concerned to have a designated driver.

Police may enter a residence under essentially three circumstances: with consent of the resident; with a warrant; and under exigent circumstances. “Exigent circumstances” basically means that some emergency exists which creates a need for the officer to enter in order to achieve some legitimate goal.

An example of an exigent circumstance would be to prevent the destruction of evidence, to prevent someone inside from being injured, or to stop a crime in progress.

Where is the OUPD jurisdiction? Which streets does it cover?

OUPD has jurisdiction over the property owned by the University of Oklahoma throughout the State of Oklahoma, and the property adjacent to that property. For practical purposes, that means the main campus in Norman, as well as the University Research Park (which includes Max Westheimer Airport) and the streets next to those areas.

Are cops allowed to pursue a suspect in a car if it is not a felony violation for which they are being stopped?

Yes, and attempting to elude a police officer is a crime in itself.

Photos.com

How many K-9s does OUPD and Norman have?

OUPD has two K-9’s and NPD has five.

Are cops here allowed to have tasers? If so, do they have to get tased with it before they are allowed to carry it?

Yes, OUPD Police Officers carry tasers. Being tased is part of the training which officers receive prior to carrying the taser.

Are minors allowed to drink under any circumstances, such as a “private setting” or any other circumstance?

I cannot answer such an all inclusive question such as “under

any circumstance.” The best general rule to follow is that the legal age to drink alcoholic beverages is 21 years, so following that law is the best way to avoid trouble.

What is the difference between “consumption” and “possession” in Oklahoma?

Although those terms are used in statutes and ordinances, I am not aware of the definitions of these words being unique to Oklahoma. “Consumption” indicates that the substance was ingested in some fashion.

“Possession” means that the substance is on or about the person, or within his or her dominion and control.

The context of how the term “private property” is used will change the meaning. Private property to a police officer investigating a traffic collision will have one meaning, while to an officer responding to investigate a call for service at a residence will have a different meaning.

If by this question you’d like to know where one has reason to expect to be secure from unreasonable search by the government that would be your person, your personal effects and your residence. That is far from an exhaustive list, but it covers the basics.

Can Norman PD take any action on OU’s campus?

Norman police officers do not cease being police officers at the property line of OU. While the OU campus is not their primary jurisdiction, if they observe a crime they may initiate action.

If you are with someone who is caught in possession of an illegal substance, are you guilty by association?

There are two classifications of parties to crime: Principals and accessories. Principals are all who are concerned in the commission of the crime, whether directly, or by aiding and abetting in the commission of the crime.

So, if you are with someone who is in possession of an illegal

What makes police officers decide to give or not to give somebody a ticket?

The nature and severity of the offense and all of the circumstances at the time and place of the offense all weigh in that decision.

If someone is at a party underage with both underage and of-age people drinking, but is not drinking, and the cops show up, will he or she be arrested or charged?

If the police can show that you bought the alcohol or beer, or provided that to a minor (someone under 21), or hosted the party knowing there would be minors, then you are in jeopardy of being arrested or charged.

What is considered private property?

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Opinion

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009

OUR VIEW

STAFF CARTOON

Ray Martin, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu phone: 325-7630, fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

Matt Reed - broadcast and electronic media senior

OU should still be in running for top seed in NCAA tourney After a 25-1 start to the season put the OU men’s 3-point exhibition from Texas guard A.J. Abrams.

Griffin also missed Monday’s game, during which basketball team one position away from the nation’s top spot, the Sooners dropped a pair of heartbreak- OU rallied to a Kansas lead to 3 points late in the secers in three days — one on the road at Austin and the ond half despite a similar shooting exhibition from Kansas junior Sherron Collins. other Monday night at home to Kansas.

Both losses could have easily gone the other way Suddenly the Jayhawks, not the Sooners, are in without Griffin. They almost certainly would have the driver’s seat in the Big 12 regular-season race.

But have the two tough losses killed OU’s chances ended differently with him. And the NCAA selection for a top seed in the NCAA tournament? We don’t committee should take note.

College hoops analyst Dick Vitale has already think so.

When the selection committee reviews OU’s deemed Griffin the most dominant player in college basketball and deserving of the player resume, the losses in Austin and at of the year award. Texas Tech coach Pat home against the defending national OUR VIEW Knight referred to Griffin as “the Terminator” champions should have asterisks next is an editorial after Griffin scored 40 points and grabbed 23 to them. Why? OU was playing without selected and debated rebounds in a pounding of Tech last week at All-American forward Blake Griffin. by the editorial board the Lloyd Noble Center.

If the Sooners win the rest of their and written after a majority opinion is Anytime a player of this caliber is suddenly games, including a road contest with formed and approved taken out of the lineup, it has profound conseNo. 11 Missouri, the selection commitby the editor. Our View quences on a team’s offensive strategy. tee should grant them a coveted top is The Daily’s official opinion.

The fact that OU competed without big seed.

Blake is indicative of how good they really Griffin, the 6-foot-10 sophomore who are. averages a double-double, suffered a And the selection committee should respect that concussion after playing just 11 minutes in the Texas game. OU still pushed the game to the wire, despite a on March 15.

STAFF COLUMN

Don’t give auto companies more money Should we really believe a company that hasn’t made a car worth buying (albeit with a few exceptions) in more than 20 years can successfully undertake the much more complicated task of restructuring itself?

Why in the world does General Motors need to keep GMC as a brand? I challenge anyone to tell me a meaningful difference between the GMC Yukon and the Chevrolet Tahoe or the GMC Canyon and the Chevrolet Colorado.

In reality, they need to keep it because under the current state of play, shedding brands is expensive. It cost them around $1 billion to shut down Oldsmobile a couple of years ago.

Force GMC to enter bankruptcy so they can get down to two core brands, Chevy and Cadillac, like Toyota and Lexus, Honda and Acura, and Ford and

Bankruptcy ... would mean General Motors will be able to make the hard moves necessary to position itself for longterm success.

Lincoln.

By avoiding bankruptcy they avoid ever tackling union problems in a meaningful way.

Until their labor costs are in line with what a company like Toyota pays its factory workers in San Antonio, cars will be relatively more expensive.

Indeed, the legacy costs associated with health care guarantees made to General Motors retirees are a large chunk of their overall wage burden. But I think

STAFF COLUMN

English-only legislation oppressive to minorities them to get along with English speakers.

Granted, it is problematic when there is no common language among the populace, but forbidding the use of certain languages is not the best solution to this situation.

If lawmakers are truly interested in the welfare of the populace, they can provide more funding for English as a Second Language classes and ensure such classes are readily accessible by those who need them.

Merely outlawing the use of non-English languages effectively sweeps the “problem” under the rug and lays the burden on the non-English speakers.

This bill bespeaks the idea that immigrants are lazy and need a good kick in the pants to get them motivated. The bill thus only furthers divisions between “natives” and immigrants.

There’s already tension between those who speak English and those who don’t, as non-English speakers are often associated with the much-derided illegal immigrants who are supposedly stealing our jobs.

Giving government support to the idea that nonEnglish speakers are in the wrong, is only refusing to cooperate with our culture, and is ignoring our laws only heightens this tension.

Perhaps someday people will recognize the need to understand the plights of others in the creation of laws, but House Bill 2254 shows that day may be a long way off.

Michael Wilkinson is a University College freshman.

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History is densely populated with occasions on which one culture has tried to suppress another.

Oklahoma House Bill 2254 is another of these occasions.

This bill states a law requiring or permitting the use of a language other than English, or both English and another language, except where “specifically required” by law, for an official action, is illegal. The bill makes similar provisions for private and MICHAEL educational sectors as well.

WILKINSON How is this helpful?

Supporters of the bill claim it promotes unity in the state, motivating immigrants who don’t already speak English to learn it.

That’s bogus.

Lawmakers seem to be under the impression that we’ve just been coddling immigrants, that talking to them in their native tongue once in a while has created in them, according to their horrid disinclination to integrate into Oklahoma culture, a lesser desire to learn English.

It’s as though there were no reason to learn English as it is, and as though trying to communicate with them in a way they understand isolated them from the community.

Yes, there are plenty of institutions with readily available non-English literature, but so what?

There are plenty that don’t have it, and discouraging mediums that non-English speakers can understand does not help their lives or encourage

T H E

this point lends itself more to why national healthcare would help companies than why we should save the auto companies.

Furthermore, much has been said about the ripple effect on the economy. Suppliers and dealerships would be adversely affected, but this is not to say they would be lost forever.

Bankruptcy won’t mean the end, it would mean General Motors will be able to make the hard moves necessary to position itself for long term success.

But regardless, I think it is ignorant to portray the dealerships as victims in this time of economic turmoil. The new Marc Heitz dealership on Lindsey and Interstate 35 is a case in point. It built a huge dealership to house rows of gas guzzlers just as gas prices were soaring.

The multitude of problems facing General Motors is immense and bankruptcy is the best way to tackle it. With a bailout, the company might well survive and turn a profit in a couple of years, but it could very well do just the opposite having not fully addressed many of the underlying problems.

Letting General Motors file chapter 11 bankruptcy will not only be good for the taxpayer, but in the end, General Motors also.

Jacob Jones is an economics senior.

YOUR VIEWS Column reveals ignorance about intelligent design lecture After reading Zac Smith’s Tuesday’s column “Intelligent design lecture an embarrassment” I started to wonder if he was even at the lecture. He completely ignored most of the major points and then played down the few he mentioned with an appeal to the majority.

Smith said, “The bulk of (John) West’s talk was an endless recitation of pro-intelligent design quotes attached to credentialed names. (Apparently Thomas Jefferson saw design in nature. Impressed yet?)”

This was merely a portion of one of West’s seven points. He illustrated intelligent design was at least 2200 years old and not religiously motivated.

Smith also wrote, “Intelligent design is an idea that explains nothing, makes no predictions, has led to no discoveries…”

ID explains, based on positive evidence, “certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process

such as natural selection.”

This is discovered through research illustrated with bacterial flagellum (prediction). Researchers take a flagellum and remove all 35 of the genes one at a time to see if the organism can operate with 34 in some way or another (test). If the BF cannot be reduced genetically, then how can we hypothesize that it came from a simpler organism (discovery)? Is that a religious claim?

I could have formulated Smith’s article without being there. It would have been simple. Just repeat the mantra, “ID is not science, it is religion, warmed over creationism, and an attempt of fundamentalists to get religion back into the classroom.”

He didn’t answer any of the issues that were raised on Friday. He took a few issues and distorted them to slander those that say evolution isn’t a sufficient explanation for the specified complexity found in biological systems.

- GRANT KEETER, LETTERS SOPHOMORE

COMMENTS OF THE DAY In response to Trevor Clark’s Tuesday column about civil discussions But one thing that must be understood is that anyone who has lived in Oklahoma or the general area for a while, and is not a fundamentalist Christian, probably has a lot of anti-Religious sentiment built up. I’ve lived in Oklahoma my whole life, so I know religious BS when I see it, and when I see it, I get really frustrated and angry.

It might seem “immature” but I believe it’s warranted.

For example, there’s serious disagreement over how much neutral drift matters for evolution. As to the claim that there are hundreds of scientists who dissent from evolution, the vast majority of these are not biologists but rather many engineers and other disciplines. They represent a tiny fraction of all scientists.

- POSTED BY JOSHUAZ AT OUDAILY.COM

- POSTED BY JFREEZY AT OUDAILY.COM

There isn’t any controversy. There are real disagreements among biologists about the details of evolution.

O F

160 Copeland Hall 860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, OK 73019-0270 phone: (405) 325-3666 e-mail: dailynews@ou.edu

T H E The Fine Print

The auto industry is begging for more money. There’s little reason to let General Motors and Chrysler survive on the public dime. General Motors, the much larger of the two, submitted its restructuring plan to congress last week.

GM proposes trimming down to four core brands — Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick — firing thousands of workers and closing plants in hopes of returning to profitJACOB ability in two years.

To do so they need JONES up to $30 billion in federal credit. The auto industry task force should refuse any future loans to the car companies and force them into bankruptcy.

U N I V E R S I T Y

The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum and OU’s independent student voice.

Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and should be fewer than 250 words, typed, double spaced and signed by the author(s). Letters will be cut to fit. Students must list their major and classification. OU staff and faculty must list their title. All letters must include a daytime phone number. Authors submitting letters in person must present photo identification. Submit letters

O F

O K L A H O M A

Sunday through Thursday, in 160 Copeland Hall. Letters can also be submitted via e-mail to dailyopinion@ou.edu.

Guest columns are accepted at editor’s discretion. ’Our View’ is the voice of The Oklahoma Daily.

Editorial Board members are The Daily’s editorial staff.

The board meets Sunday through Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall.

Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are not necessarily the opinions of The Daily Editorial Board.

Sports

Steven Jones, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu phone: 325-7630, fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

Women’s Basketball

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009

5

Despite loss, Sooners still top Big 12 power rankings • With OU suffering its first Big 12 loss Monday, The Daily’s Annelise Russell ranks the conference teams Conference Heavyweights 1. OU Despite Monday’s loss, OU is still poised to finish atop the Big 12. OU’s three losses are to top-25 teams and two have come down to lastminute shots. OU lacks the perimeter presence with the four-week loss of guard Whitney Hand, but the Sooners should bounce back nicely.

2. Baylor While Baylor remains No. 2 with one less loss than Texas A&M, the Aggies are vying for the No. 2 spot. Baylor lost a lot of talent last year, but is finding a new style of play. When the Lady Bears are clicking, they are tough to beat.

Struggling to Keep Up 7. Texas Tech Things have not gone the way the Lady Raiders would have liked this year. They are under .500 in a conference that never lets you have an off night. One of their best games this year was at home against OU and it still was not enough. Texas Tech lacks a team leader and balanced, effective offensive production.

8. Oklahoma State Andrea Riley is the only reason OSU has won 15 games this year. But even great teams realize one great player can’t win a championship. Riley can easily put up 30 points a game, but the problem is 30 points can’t win a game in college basketball.

Lost in a Strong Conference 9. Kansas

The Aggies are fresh off a huge home victory over the Sooners, a place where OU has not won since the Paris twins’ freshman year. Senior guard Danielle Gant has taken a leadership role in big games, and when the Aggies get their freshman in the offense, there are few teams Texas A&M will have trouble staying with.

Kansas just took down Iowa State in a stunning Big 12 North upset, but the Jayhawks have no consistency. Unlike the men who proved throughout the season they are better than perceived, the women are still looking for offensive answers.

4. Kansas State The Big 12 North is not as strong as the South, but there is no mistaking the quality team Deb Patterson has assembled. Kansas State is 21-4 and while the Wildcats’ strength of schedule is not as impressive as OU’s, the Wildcats have played well.

Liz Brooks/The Daily

This year is a learning year for sophomore coach Gail Goestenkors’ team. They have some young talent with the potential to produce, but the Longhorns are not quite there yet.

3. Texas A&M

Big Game Potential

Senior center Courtney Paris (3) attempts a jump hook over Baylor’s Danielle Willis (11) in Saturday’s win over the Lady Bears. OU suffered its first Big 12 loss Monday at Texas A&M, but is still atop the Big 12 rankings at 12-1 in conference.

OU’s next game is at noon Saturday against Oklahoma State at Lloyd Noble Center.

6. Texas

5. Iowa State Bill Fennelley is one of the winningest coaches in history and this team is one of the best he has suited up in years. The Cyclones have the potential, with the leadership of senior guard Heather Ezell, to surprise a team or two once the tournament rolls around.

10. Missouri The Tigers are 3-9 in the Big 12 and have no chance of making it past March. They lack the talent on their roster to compete with Baylor or OU. In the No. 1 conference, Missouri is drowning.

11. Nebraska The Cornhuskers are relatively young with only two seniors, and sometimes this lack of confidence shows up on the court. Senior guard Kelly Griffin was Big 12 First Team the past two seasons, but this year the Cornhuskers’ senior cannot do it all.

12. Colorado Colorado gave Baylor fits but that’s the biggest splash Colorado made this year. The Buffalos haven’t been competitive all season.

— ANNELISE RUSSELL IS A POLITICAL SCIENCE AND JOURNALISM JUNIOR.

MORE SPORTS ONLINE On OUDaily.com the sports desk blog is reborn. The sports blog is your place to get updates and insight on OU sports.

Check out the entries from yesterday, and stay updated by checking out OUDaily.com.

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6

Sports

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009

Men’s Basketball

State of the Sooners • After beating OU, Kansas leads the Big 12. The Daily’s Eric Dama breaks it down.

T

KANSAS

Remaining games: vs. No. 8 Missouri, at Texas Tech, vs. No. 24 Texas.

OKLAHOMA

Remaining games: at Texas Tech, at No. 8 Missouri, vs. Oklahoma State The Sooners blasted the Red Raiders 95-74 in the teams’ previous meeting this year, however, that was largely due to sophomore for-

OU needs Griffin for top tournament seed his should come as no surprise: the men’s basketball team has accumulated two straight losses.

And during these two losses, ESPN sportscasters constantly told the viewers that this OU team is still good without Blake Griffin.

But good can mean a lot of different things.

For instance, my mom called the crappy finger paintings I used to bring home good. And then sometimes you’re girlfriend asks you how she looks MJ and you reply good. Or after someone close to you CASIANO dies, and someone asks how you’re doing and you say good, although you’re really doing terribly.

I must say I disagree with the sportscasters. I think this team with Blake Griffin is good; without him they are just above average.

An average team can’t win the NCAA tournament. Luckily, Griffin’s injury is not severe nor should it affect OU’s starting roster come March and these regular season games have little importance other than seed rankings.

One reason the team wouldn’t advance far without Griffin is lack of effort on the defensive end of the court.

If the OU-Kansas game was a classroom, then defense is being counted as absent and rerouted to detention.

Also, the rebounding and down-low presence was not at its best the last two games, obviously attributed to no Griffin.

Let me point out that KU center Cole Aldrich had twenty rebounds.

And Kansas had two players score on the north side of twenty-five points in guards Sherron Collins and Tyshawn Taylor. Those two alone combined for eight three-pointers, which is more than enough for the Raising Cane’s special.

Those statistics are something no Sooner fan has seen this year from the other team. Especially at home.

It’s honestly a tough call on what I saw more last night: Kansas draining three-pointers from well behind the arch or a disappointed Griffin on the sideline via ESPN video.

Despite these few flaws, the team has improved greatly in threepoint shooting. But making shots from the arch won’t win games within the Elite Eight.

Griffin has to come back, better than ever, and finish the season strong to secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Both teams have three games remaining.

Of the two, Kansas looks to have the more challenging road — if only slightly — but also has the upper hand in the standings. Here’s a look at what lies ahead for both teams:

With a one-game lead over the Sooners in the Big 12, the Jayhawks are in control of their own destiny in terms of winning the Big 12 regular season championship and locking up a No. 1 seed for the conference tourney.

The Tigers have been steadily creeping up on both Kansas and OU, now only one-and-ahalf games out of first place. Mizzou already beat the Jayhawks on Feb. 9, but this game is in Lawrence, where Kansas holds the nation’s longest home winning streak of 39 games.

Texas Tech shouldn’t be a problem for the Jayhawks, and while the Longhorns will pose more of a challenge, the fact that it’s at home for Kansas makes a big difference. The Jayhawks should win the rest of their games, but as we’ve seen, anything can happen.

STAFF COLUMN

MJ CASIANO IS A BROADCAST AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA SOPHOMORE.

James Cornwell/The Daily

Senior forward Taylor Griffin goes up for a shot against Kansas defender in Monday’s 87-78 loss. The put Kansas at first in the conference, and gave the Jayhawks the inside track to the Big 12 title. ward Blake Griffin’s career performance of 40 points and 23 rebounds. Right now it is unclear whether or not Griffin will play, but given how the team competed against Texas and Kansas without the preseason All-American, OU should still win.

Playing at Columbia will be pretty tough, but the Sooners have shown this year they are capable of stopping teams with the similar fast-paced style that Mizzou plays with. Oklahoma State is always an interesting opponent simply because of

the rivalry factor, but if OU can take care of the Tigers, it shouldn’t have a problem with the Cowboys.

Bottom line: OU likely needs to win out. Despite being behind by only one game in the standings, the Sooners need Kansas to drop two games because the Jayhawks hold the tiebreaker due to their win in Norman Monday night.

ERIC DAMA IS A JOURNALISM JUNIOR.

BASEBALL WINS, 112 The No. 16 Sooners scored an impressive road victory Tuesday, throttling No. 11 San Diego 11-2 in San Diego. After just one hit through four innings, the Sooner bats came alive in the fifth, plating seven runs on six hits.

Junior center fielder Jamie Johnson continued his torrential pace, going 3-6, while driving in four. Johnson’s big swing came on a grand slam in the top-half of the fifth inning, which put the Sooners up 4-0. Johnson is now 13 for 20 through the first five games of the season.

Redshirt freshman third baseman Garrett Buechele also had a multi-hit performance, going 3 for 4 while driving in two runs.

Sophomore left-hander J.R. Robinson was strong for the Sooners, allowing just one earned run through six innings and registering the win.

The Sooners (5-0) will play San Diego again tomorrow at 4 p.m. (2-2).

— JARROD YOST/THE DAILY

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Enjoy our Weekly Specials and traditional favorites!

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Luke Atkinson, L&A editor dailyent@ou.edu phone: 325-5189, fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

Life & Arts

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009

7

Living locally with local foods DANIEL PUMA The Oklahoma Daily

Ever wonder what it’s like to eat something fresh and not machine-packed and artificial?

Now more than ever, locally-produced organic foods are available to chefs, restaurants and home consumers. Some say this availability is changing the culinary world of America for the better.

Native Roots is a farmers’ market in Norman that provides locally grown produce.

“All of our produce is grown within 100 miles [of Norman],” said Sara Kaplan, coowner and operator of Native Roots.

Kaplan opened Native Roots in 2007 and found their local produce section to be the most popular aspect of the store. She said they order their produce from the Oklahoma Food Co-op.

The Oklahoma Food Co-Op is a network connecting local farms with businesses and individual consumers.

According to its Web site, Oklahoma Food Co-Op president Robert Waldrop said its goal is to offer business that is environmentally sustainable, economically viable and socially just.

Kaplan explained how industrial produce is modified to look appetizing and sustain more shipping additives than flavor. Local organic produce is not grown on an industrial scale. It’s not modified for any of these reasons. Locally grown produce is packed full of flavor she said.

According to Waldrop, local produce is fresher. It’s grown from varieties selected for taste. He explained how fresh tomatoes are picked green and turn red over time but mass produced tomatoes are gassed to turn them red. Taste is secondary for the mass produced vegetation.

Instead of industrialized tomatoes being shipped from a different hemisphere to our stores, the fresher option is to buy local.

“People like to know where their produce comes from,” Kaplan said.

Chefs all across the nation are switching to locally grown produce for their restaurants and in their homes.

Michelle Gray/The Daily The biggest challenge for local producers are supplying the restaurants with local “The Great Wall of Tea” is just one of the many accommodations featured in the Native Roots Market, a food. Many farmers are required to make natural foods store located in Norman, Oklahoma which sells both groceries and goods to try to enhance the their own deliveries which could take up quality of life through natural living. multiple days, days better spent on the farm tending to their crop.

Gamble said 70 percent of the antibodAround the nation, many chefs find it difficult to obtain local produce because of poor ies in our bodies are from the meat we eat. delivery systems. But Oklahoma does not The mass produced meat in this nation is pumped full of antibiotics as a precaution have this problem.

The Oklahoma Food Co-Op is one of the instead of a necessity.

Many of the animals get sick because best food delivery programs in the nation. of the conditions in which they are raised.

They have over 40 pick-up sites for their She said when you have produce. The Oklahoma Sara Kaplan, Native Roots such a large amount of Food Co-Op has helped animals in such a small other states in creating enclosure, when one ferent [ingredients],” Hull said. programs similar to their gets sick, they all get Hull explained he uses local produce own. sick. Local farmers use because it tastes better than anything else Some local chefs are antibiotics and other on the market. He said the food is tastier and taking advantage of our medicines when it’s nec- it’s of the highest quality. state’s local produce 132 West Main St. essary.

This trend has so much potential to grow system to provide their Gamble uses local even larger. All areas of business concerning 310-6300 customers with the best produce for its flavor local produce have seen growth and don’t tasting food possible.

Hours: and superiority over expect any of it to drop off.

Kamala Gamble of Kam’s other industrial pro9 a.m.

9 p.m.

Monday Friday Waldrop said that since opening in 2003, Kookery, a catering comduced vegetation. She sales have increased every year. He said pany in Oklahoma City, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday has hosted events most items sell out in the first day and if utilizes locally grown 11 a.m.

5 p.m.

Sunday where they have served there were enough producers, he could see produce in her kitchen nothing but Oklahoma double what is being sold now. and has been doing so grown food.

He said the local produce has come to for years.

Richard Hull, a local Norman in a big way and doesn’t see it leavGamble said she uses local produce because it’s healthier, it tastes better and it’s Norman chef, also uses local produce from ing anytime soon.

Native Roots in cooking.

“Food is more infinite than numbers,” Hull more nutritious.

“I have five different people bringing me said.

“If I buy from local farmers, they get 100 whatever they have going on, [I use] all difpercent of the dollar,” Gamble said.

“All of our produce is grown within 100 miles [of Norman].”

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EDITOR’S NOTE: ‘Shake for Advice’ is a weekly series answering the questions students submit to our Facebook group, OU Daily Advice.

Q: My guy and I have been dating for about six weeks now and he's just not as into me as he was before. Now we fight all of the time. Am I doing something wrong? – doubtful87 Brittany: No. What you have to realize about relationships is they are ever changing and they grow. Stage one in a relationship is all about hormones in the sense that your bodies are designed to biologically get the two of you together.

After that, the ‘honeymoon’ phase begins. Life is good and beautiful.

You two were made for each other, so on and so forth.

The next phase is the hard one for couples to get past. This is where fighting begins. I like to think of people as rocks and relationships as rivers. Slowly and over time, rough rocks are worn smooth by the running water. Give your relationship time to get to that smoothness. It’s not that he’s not into you anymore; it is simply that the ‘honeymoon’ phase is over and the real relationship has begun.

Give it time and together you can work through the kinks.

Tyler: It’s very likely that you’re doing something wrong. You know how sometimes you ask him what he’s thinking about and he says, “Nothing,” and then you say, “No, really,” and he replies again with, “Nothing,” and then you begin to fight about lack of communication? Well, it may come as a shock, but 95 percent of the time, men really aren’t thinking about anything.

Sometimes a blank stare is a blank stare.

Q: The semester has made me so stressed. What are some ideas to relax in the midst of all this academic pressure? – stressed&diressed Brittany: Luckily, you’re talking to a pro when it comes to relaxing and anxiety.

You can visit the upstairs portion of Goddard Health Center and make an appointment to see a psychologist who can help you to work through your stress. In the meantime, what I suggest is making a list of things that you find peaceful, relaxing or distracting and follow the things on that list until you calm yourself down.

My list contains taking walks through Norman’s local parks and writing in my journal. In fact, what I can really recommend for anxiety is to write about it. Getting it down on paper is a healthy way to get it out of your system.

Tyler: So you’re stressed? Well, how many hours are you taking? If it’s more than 12, there’s part one of your problem. Are you involved in extracurricular activities? If so, scratch them — they’re way too hard.

Normally, I find when you don’t have anything to do, you’re way less likely to be stressed out. You want to leave yourself plenty of free-time so when finals come around you can start reading your textbooks and visiting the library — the one with the books, not the booze.

TYLER BRANSON AND BRITTANY BURDEN ARE ENGLISH SENIORS.

Norman Public Schools

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8

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my friend’s got mental illness

To a friend with mental illness, your caring and understanding greatly increases their chance of recovery. Visit whatadifference.samhsa.gov for more information.

Mental Illness – What a difference a friend makes.

5 1

6 1 4 2 5 7 8 4 4 2 6 7 3 6 3 9 8 7 7 2 6

Previous Solution 9 8 3 2 6 1 5 4 7

5 1 7 4 8 3 2 6 9

4 6 2 9 5 7 8 3 1

2 3 9 6 7 4 1 5 8

6 4 8 5 1 2 7 9 3

7 5 1 8 3 9 6 2 4

1 7 6 3 4 5 9 8 2

3 9 5 1 2 8 4 7 6

8 2 4 7 9 6 3 1 5

Monday- Very Easy Tuesday-Easy Wednesday- Easy Thursday- Medium Friday - Hard

Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker February 25, 2009

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74 Vanquish DOWN 1 Part of a Steve Martin film title 2 Shoulder adornment 3 Bugs Bunny, according to Bugs Bunny 4 Kennel order 5 Sweater style 6 End of some e-mail addresses 7 Japanese

8 9 10 11 13 15 18 23 25 27 28 30 34 36 37 40 41

ceremonial drink Bedouin transporter Lend a hand Stir up Popular nightclub KGB counterpart Waterless Discouraging words It’s in the heart of Jerusalem?

Read quickly Reader of secret messages Unhearing Winter transports Old gold coin Bit of brandy Wings on buildings Overhaul Sit-down

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Nation

9

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009

Penny stocks? Small change for big-name companies What costs more — a spark plug or a share of General Motors? A Sunday New York Times or a share of the newspaper company? A General Electric toaster or a share of GE? In the surest sign of the depth of the recession, the products associated with these high-profile companies now cost more than buying a piece of the business.

Shares of some of the most renowned companies have come under assault as the worst recession in decades saps investor confidence and drags major stock indexes to their lowest levels since 1997. Despite Tuesday’s 3 percent gain, the Dow Jones industrial average is still off almost 50 percent from its 2007 high — and there’s little evidence it’s hit bottom. “This is a time for the history books,� said Jim Coons of Coons Advisors, a financial consultant.

When the housing bubble began to burst, share prices began to cascade first in the homebuilding industry, but it spread quickly to almost every sector of the economy.

Today, a share of Hovnanian, one of the nation’s largest builders, can be had for 96 cents, less than it costs for a set of spare house keys.

Banks, stung by plummeting mortgage values, followed. A share of Citigroup Inc. which cost $55.66 at the beginning of 2007, now costs $2.60.

ATM fees can total $3 or more for using an outof-network bank card.

Since the start of 2007, shares in companies

from every sector have been hit. — General Motors shares have fallen from $30.30 to $2.22, less than the cost of a standard spark plug (about $3.79). — New York Times Co. shares have fallen from $24.27 to $3.95, cheaper than the $4 cost of its Sunday edition. — General Electric Co. shares fell from $30.30 to $9.08, cheaper than a GE two-slice bagel toaster at Wal-Mart, selling Tuesday on the clearance rack for $12. — Office Depot is down from $38.27 to $1.26, less than a 12-pack of medium point Papermate BallPoint Stick Pens which runs $1.89. — US Airways has fallen from $53.89 to $3.66, less than the current $4 cost of two in-flight coffees.

The bargain-basement stock prices of America’s best known companies present either the greatest opportunity of a lifetime — or the biggest money pit this side of the Great Depression.

Of course, many didn’t survive then — and many won’t survive now. Someone who bought shares of Circuit City, which cost $5.75 before the one-time retailing bellwether announced it would close, would have been better off buying a four-pack of AA batteries.

The company is now selling furniture and fixtures from its headquarters as it liquidates.

AP Photo / Elise Amendola

General Motors Corporation stock certificates are seen in North Andover, Mass. Friday . A gallon of regular gasoline at some —AP gas stations costs more than the price of a share of General Motors Corp.

Obama advances plan to remove most troops out of Iraq in 18 months WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama plans to remove all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by August of next year, administration officials said Tuesday, ending the war that helped define his upstart presidential campaign — although a little more slowly than he promised.

The withdrawal plan — an announcement could come as early as this week — could help Obama turn his attention to another campaign pledge: Deploying more troops to Afghanistan, a region he calls the central front in the war on terrorism.

The timetable is a compromise.

Removing so many people and tons of equipment presents logistical difficulties. Some commanders and advisers worry that security gains could backslide in Iraq if troops are brought out too soon, while others think the bulk of U.S. combat work is long since done.

Obama built enormous grass-roots support for his White House bid by pledging to withdraw troops from Iraq 16 months after taking office. That schedule, based on removing roughly one brigade a month, was predicated on commanders determining that it would not endanger U.S. troops left behind or Iraq’s fragile security.

Obama expects to leave a large contingent of troops in Iraq, between 30,000 and 50,000 troops, after August, 2010 to advise and train Iraqi security forces and to protect U.S. interests, according to two administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan has not been made public. The contingent will include intelligence and surveillance specialists and their equipment, such as unmanned aircraft.

The withdrawal of American forces is set to be completed by December 2011,

the period by which the U.S. agreed with Iraq to remove all troops.

A senior White House official said Tuesday that Obama is at least a day away from making a final decision.

An announcement on Wednesday was unlikely, he said, but added that Obama could discuss Iraq during a trip to North Carolina on Friday.

About 142,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq, roughly 14 brigades, about 11,000 more than the total in Iraq when President George W. Bush announced in January 2007 that he would “surge� the force to put down the insurgency. He sent an additional 21,000 combat troops to Baghdad and Anbar province.

Although the number of combat brigades has dropped from 20 to 14, the U.S. has increased the number of logistical and other support troops. A brigade is usually about 3,000 to 5,000 troops.

The White House considered at least two other options — one that followed Obama’s 16-month timeline and one that stretched withdrawal over 23 months, The Associated Press reported earlier this month.

Some U.S. commanders have spoken more optimistically in recent months about prospects for reducing the force.

Marine Maj. Gen. John Kelly, who just left his job overseeing U.S. operations in Anbar Province, said Tuesday that he saw violence drop to an almost “meaningless� level over the past year.

Kelly told reporters Tuesday that in the area that was the home ground of the Sunni insurgency, American combat forces don’t have enough to do and most could have pulled out months ago. “There is still a security issue there, but in the province I just left the (Iraqi) army and the police are more than han-

NATION BRIEFS 7 shot on Mardi Gras parade route NEW ORLEANS — A Mardi Gras parade erupted into chaos on Fat Tuesday when a series of gunshots struck seven people, including a toddler. The child was not seriously injured and two suspects were in custody, police said.

The shootings happened near the Garden District about 1:40 p.m. after the last major parade of the celebration, Rex, had ended. A stream of truck oats that follow the parade were passing by when gunďŹ re broke out. “It sounded like a string of ďŹ reworks, so I knew it was more than one shooter,â€? said Toni Labat, 29, a limousine company manager.

She was with her two children, a 2-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl.

True Sooners Don’t Haze.

Report Hazing.

—AP

HOROSCOPE

Burris refuses call for his resignation

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009

WASHINGTON — Sen. Roland Burris refused to resign on Tuesday, rebuďŹƒng a call from the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat who made it clear the embattled Illinois lawmaker has little hope next year of winning the seat vacated by President Barack Obama.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- If you encounter severe opposition, don’t get your back up and attempt to buck it head-on. If you use your head and leave some wiggle room, things will work to your advantage.

—AP

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Instead of doing something the same old, difficult way, look for a more creative method to accomplish your purposes. Try taking the path of least resistance.

Did you know?

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dling the remnants of what used to be al-Qaida,� Kelly said. “There’s other parts of Iraq that aren’t going quite as well but all of Iraq is doing pretty well.�

According to officials, Obama had requested a range of options from his top military advisers, including one that would have withdrawn troops in 16 months. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had recently forwarded withdrawal alternatives to the White House for Obama’s consideration.

In addition to the U.S. troops to be withdrawn, there is a sizable cadre of contractors who provide services to them who would pack their bags as well. There were 148,050 defense contractor personnel working in Iraq as of December, 39,262 of them U.S. citizens.

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Do your part.

Sources: OU Physical Plant, recyclemania.com and National Recycling Council, http://www.boxesdelivered.com/recycling-tips.html

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -Don’t let a pleasurable distraction take your mind off a more serious issue that needs to be addressed. Once accomplished, you can relax and enjoy fun things.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- If you want something badly enough, you must be ready to battle for it. You’ll be successful if you’re prepared to pull out all the stops in order to achieve your goal.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -It’s important to think before you speak, especially when talking to someone about a subject that could be touchy if not addressed properly. A thoughtless remark could make things worse.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- An important project or endeavor might require many more resources than you have allocated. To be on the safe side, have a backup source prepared to put up what is needed.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- A long-running personal issue might rear its ugly head again.

Deal with it once and for all so that you can finally get onto a happy life.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- A responsibility that has been collectively shared might be dumped solely into your lap. Now that you don’t have to wait on others, you can deal with it once and for all. Do so immediately, and be set free.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Although your views might oppose those of some friends, there is no reason to act in disharmony.

It might require you to outwardly modify your stance, but the ensuing peace will be worth it.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- If you are a bit imaginative, a way can be found to get something you want without looking selfish and greedy. Think in terms of “we, “ and the others will end up promoting your position.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Circumstances might once again set up in a manner that could make you look selfish, so handle it wisely. Take advantage of what you’ve learned from similar past unpleasant experiences.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- A financial arrangement may have more flaws than first suspected, but early signals point to the fact that it has more potential than you thought. Sort them out, and use your smarts.

10

World News

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009

Two Palestinian women become judges in Islamic court RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Islamic courts were among the last male-only bastions in Palestinian society, where women have been presidential candidates, police officers and even suicide bombers.

Now two stern-looking young women in Muslim head scarves and long black robes have smashed through the thick glass ceiling.

Khuloud Faqih, 34, and Asmahan Wuheidi, 31, made history in February when they became the first female Islamic judges in the Palestinian territories.

Across the Arab world, only Sudan has had female judges in Islamic courts, said West Bank-based academic experts on Islamic affairs. Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, all relatively progressive states in the region on women’s rights, do not.

“I compare us to other Arab Muslim women, and I think we’ve done well,” said Faqih, wearing a sash in the colors of the Palestinian flag across her robe.

“I think I’ve opened a door for myself and other women.”

She spoke between meetings with petitioners in her modest courtroom — an office with a few couches, a desk and a coffee table with plastic flowers.

Muslim courts in the Palestinian Authority rule over family affairs like marriage, divorce, inheritance and custody, relying on Islamic jurisprudence rather than secular rules.

The petitioners did not seem shocked to see a woman in the judge’s seat — in this case, an office chair. But they appeared to argue often and loudly with Faqih, in stark contrast to the quiet in a neighboring room where a male judge heard cases from

AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen

Palestinian Islamic Law Judge, Khuloud Faqih, hands a file to one of the court’s employees at her office at the Islamic Law Court in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Monday. respectful petitioners.

Palestinian feminists have praised the female judges but say the move will not make a dramatic

change, because the judges still rely on Islamic laws that ultimately favor men.

“As long as the law is the law, which is difficult to

women, I don’t think it will change much,” said Dima Nashashibi of the Palestinian Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling.

For example, women need a judge to grant a divorce, while men don’t need that approval.

But the female judges say they can help their sisters obtain their rights under Islamic law. They say a sense of shame surrounds women speaking to men, especially about intimate family relations.

Wuheidi gave the example of a woman seeking divorce because her husband was impotent but who was too shy to divulge details of her sex life to the male judge. In Islam, a woman can ask a judge for a divorce if she is not sexually satisfied.

“When a woman speaks to another woman, it’s easier for her to speak,” Wuheidi said.

In one case, Faqih doubled the alimony that a woman’s ex-husband had to pay for each of their five children to $96 a month — a fair sum among Palestinians.

“Where I can make decisions that help women obtain better rights, I will,” Faqih said.

But some petitioners doubted women could be equal to men.

“I’d like to see her, but I think that men do this job better, they are less emotional,” said Eziyeh Yousef, who was finalizing her divorce papers.

In many Arab societies, traditions have long held that only men can be Islamic judges because women are too weak and sensitive.

—AP

Carnival creates alluring job opportunity RIO DE JANEIRO — Betto Almeida is the Mr. Lucky of Rio’s Carnival.

The 36-year-old artist awakes at 8 a.m. Has a little breakfast.

Survives a commute through the city’s tough traffic. Arrives at the office by 11 a.m.

Then he spends hours painting the bodies of gorgeous women — and earning as much as $2,000 a day.

“You wouldn’t believe how many applications I get for an assistant,” Almeida deadpanned, never taking his eyes from his work as he brushed bright orange paint on the stomach of a model in his glass-enclosed studio under the grandstands at the Sambadrome, where Rio’s Carnival parades ended Tuesday at dawn.

“But it’s hard work, man. I take my job seriously.”

Slight, soft-spoken and unassuming, Almeida devotes his art to a sideshow of the samba

WORLD BRIEFS

parades: models who earn about $250 a night to mingle, clad only in paint, with high-rollers in the luxury boxes.

Wearing plaid pants, a green shirt with a red phoenix on it, and a denim-and-camouflage hat, Almeida goes about his work with a nonchalant air as the partycrazed hordes outside press their noses to the glass and snap photos.

His day job is art director on television soap operas, but for the past 12 years he has been brushing, dripping and spraying paint on some of the most beautiful bodies Brazil’s Carnival has to display.

Michele Peres, a 28-year-old model wearing tiny black shorts, snakeskin stilettos and a watch, said the quality of Almeida’s work was vital to her professional success.

“I’ve been doing this for nine years, for Carnival and other

events,” she said as Almeida painted a jaguar on her breasts.

“He is the best body painter I’ve come across and his work draws more attention to me. It is good for him, it is good for me.”

A gentleman tapped on the studio window and, as gingerly as a drunk Carnival reveler could, requested that Peres turn toward the growing crowd. With a barely perceptible sigh, she complied, not hesitating to light up a smile once the cameras started popping.

Luana Minini, a 22-year-old actress, was making her first appearance as a Carnival body paint model and she took a slightly more timid stance: She had Almeida paint critical areas of her body in a back room before agreeing to have a red parrot with green wings covering her chest completed under the public’s gaze.

—AP

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

Syria puts missile facility on hit site VIENNA — Syria has revealed that it has built a missile facility over the ruins of what the United States says was a nuclear reactor destroyed by Israel warplanes, diplomats said Tuesday.

Citing comments by Syrian nuclear chief Ibrahim Othman at a closed meeting Tuesday, the diplomats said the new structure appeared to be a missile control center or actual launching pad.

The two — both from Western delegations to the IAEA — demanded anonymity for divulging details about what Othman told the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation board.

Israel bombed the site in September 2007.

N Korea prepares launch: Satellite or missile?

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea declared Tuesday it is making “brisk headway” in plans to send a satellite into orbit as part of its space program, a launch regional powers fear is a cover up for testing a long-range ballistic missile capable of striking Alaska and the western United States.

Analysts called Pyongyang’s announcement yet another bid for President Barack Obama’s attention as he met in Washington with Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan, a key ally in the regional push to get North Korea to give up its nuclear program.

The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution prohibiting Pyongyang from engaging in any ballistic activity following a missile launch in 2006. North Korea could face additional sanctions if it violates the resolution.

—AP

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