Israel's Supreme Court rejects rights groups' appeal against Gaza fuel cuts

Israel's Supreme Court rejected an appeal by human rights groups on Thursday for an injunction against fuel cuts to the Gaza Strip, rejecting their argument that the cuts cause humanitarian harm.

Israel instituted the cuts as part of a policy of pressure to stop daily rocket fire at Israel by Gaza militants.

The court ruled that reducing fuel supplies could hinder Gaza militants from targeting border towns with primitive rockets called Qassams, and would not cause a crisis in the impoverished territory.

Gaza depends on Israel for all its fuel. Israel began reducing fuel supplies in October and gasoline supplies have been cut by 33-45 percent so …

Teens reading in verse? It could be worse

It's a seeming boon for teen poetry lovers: Novels, memoirs and more are being written in verse. Pioneered by young adult authors in the 1990s -- Mel Glenn, Karen Hesse and Sonya Sones -- the now popular format makes a tough medium look accessible.

Luckily many of these books are quite good -- thoughtfully conceived with lines pushing for insight and, at the least, circling around a metaphor.

Unfortunately others beg the question, "Why was this written in verse?" Maybe it's cynical to say, but on the page the poems often have the look of text messaging screaming, "Hey, I'm easy to read. You can gobble me like candy." Is that why some publishers, scrabbling for …

Gay activists rally for royal wedding

Same-sex marriage activists presented a giant wedding card for Prince William and Kate Middleton outside the gates of Buckingham Palace on April 25.

The card congratulated the royal couple on their wedding, which took place four days later, and urged them to support legalization of samesex marriage. The United Kingdom currently offers same-sex couples civil partnerships that carry the same rights as marriage.

The card said: "We wish you a happy life together. You can get married, gay people can't. We are banned by law. We ask you to support marriage equality."

Organizer Peter Tatchell said the action was well-received.

"Everyone outside the palace expressed …

Worker exposed to small amount of uranium at Japanese nuclear fuel plant, no injury

A small amount of uranium powder escaped from a machine at a Japanese nuclear fuel plant near Tokyo, slightly exposing a worker to radiation, the plant operator said Thursday.

There was no health threat to the worker and the spill from Wednesday's incident was contained inside the plant in Yokosuka, about 30 miles (45 kilometers) southwest of Tokyo, according to Global Nuclear Fuel-Japan Co.

The accident occurred when a uranium pressing unit was started up …

United Technologies plans another 1,500 job cuts

United Technologies Corp. says it plans to cut another 1,500 jobs through 2011 after eliminating 900 positions in the first half of this year.

The parent company of jet engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, Otis elevator, Sikorsky Aircraft and other businesses said Monday in a regulatory filing that it will take restructuring and other costs of $121 million in 2010 related to the …

Shoney's New Chief Hungry for a Rebound

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Shoney's Inc., a business adrift, has found ananchor in new leader C. Stephen Lynn.

Lynn has known since he was 10 what he wanted. The son of analcoholic textile mill worker with a sixth-grade education, hedreamed of running his own company.

Overcoming the company-town poverty in LaGrange, Ga., Lynnearned degrees from Tennessee Tech and the University of Louisville.He excelled in the corporate world, and at 36, Lynn was runningSonic Corp. in Oklahoma City.

Sonic was a mess when he arrived. Sales at its 1950s-styledrive-in diners had been declining for years; 300 units had closed.

Lynn made it a winner. Sonic opened 500 …

Republican field crowded and likely to remain so

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — They are barely blips in presidential polls and their campaign cash is scarce. Some are running on empty, fueled mainly by the exposure that comes with the blizzard of televised debates and interviews they eagerly grant to skeptical reporters.

Yet the second-tier candidates for the Republican presidential nomination soldier on. They argue that the race is far from over and that anything …

Iraq's Allawi courts Iranian support

The Sunni-backed secular coalition that came in first in Iraqi elections tried Thursday to improve relations with powerful Shiite neighbor Iran, assuring Tehran that if it heads the new government, it would not let Iraq be used as a launching pad for an invasion.

The Iraqiya alliance led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi edged out his chief rival in the March 7 parliamentary election by just two seats. But neither Iraqiya nor the State of Law alliance led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki won enough to form a government alone.

Since the election, Iraq's political groups have been jockeying to broker partnerships to win control of the parliament _ in part …

Ticket line

TODAY

Joshua James, 8 p.m. Aug. 26, Schubas; $8. On sale at noon.

River Boat Gamblers, 7 p.m. Sept. 1, Subterranean; $12. On saleat noon.

Charlotte Sometimes, 10 p.m. Sept. 1, Schubas; $8. On sale atnoon.

Girlyman with Adrianne, 8 p.m. Sept. 16, Schubas; $14. On sale atnoon.

Rhett Miller, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21-22; Schubas; $20. On sale atnoon.

Small Sins, 10 p.m. Sept. 28, Schubas; $6. On sale at noon.

Ambulette, Oct. 1, 15, 22 and 29, 9 p.m. Schubas; $6. On sale atnoon.

Bob Mould, 9 p.m. Oct. 9, Schubas; $15. On sale at noon.

Tally Hall, 9 p.m. Oct. 11, Schubas; $10. On sale at noon.

Nada Surf, 8 …

VFW urges 2 million to fight benefit changes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Veterans of Foreign Wars on Tuesday urged its 2 million members to plead with Congress to spare military and veterans' benefits as a special deficit-cutting panel looks to slash $1.2 trillion from the federal budget.

In a "call to action," the VFW said it opposes any changes to the programs and decried any congressional attempt to balance the budget on the backs of military retirees and disabled veterans. The organization implored members, their families and friends to contact lawmakers immediately.

"It is critical that our voices not be lost in the ongoing budget debate that seems to now equate national service and sacrifice with the size of health care …

AP Interview: IOC's Reedie speaks out on stadium

LONDON (AP) — Britain's reputation and credibility would be undermined if the running track is removed from the main stadium after the 2012 London Olympics, the country's senior IOC member said.

Craig Reedie, an executive board member of the International Olympic Committee, told The Associated Press that ripping up the track and tearing down the stadium — as proposed by Tottenham football club — would betray London's promises to leave a post-games legacy for the sport.

"I think it would be regretful in the extreme," said Reedie, who was a key figure in London's winning bid for the games and is the former chairman of the British Olympic Association. "We would lose all …

Smoking on the rise for women worldwide, report says

WASHINGTON - More women are lighting up cigarettes around the world, even as the smoking rate declines for men, activists attending an anti-smoking conference said Thursday.

About 12 percent of women, worldwide, smoke, and that figure is expected to rise to 20 percent by 2025, according to a report by the International Network of Women Against Tobacco. The group relied on World Health Organization data.

About 48 percent of men smoke, but that number is expected to decline, according to the report released Thursday at a conference sponsored by the American Cancer Society.

Lorraine Greaves, project leader on the report, said tobacco company marketing is nudging up the …

Supermarket pays for direct bus route

Supermarket giant Sainsbury's is to plough nearly Pounds 500,000into improving a bus service operating near its planned new store onthe edge of Bath.

The firm was given planning permission in principle to develop a20,000 sq ft store on former school playing field land last month.

Once detailed planning permission has been given and a formalagreement has been signed between Bath and North East SomersetCouncil and the firm, the money will be spent on new buses and extraservices on the 20A/C route.

The council's public transport team conducted extensivediscussions with Sainbury's about the bus improvements needed toencourage more people to use public transport and reduce congestiononce the store is open. Council leader Councillor FrancineHaeberling (Con, Saltford) said: "Improving transport and relievingcongestion is one of the council's top priorities. The council mustbe forward-thinking in working with developers to explain whatsocial infrastructure improvements are required if a new facility isbuilt.

"In this case, our discussions with Sainsbury's have securedmajor public transport benefits and almost half a million poundsthat will improve the journey for passengers for a number of years.We would not have been able to improve the 20A/C service sosignificantly without this money."

Around Pounds 300,000 of the money will be spent on new low-floor buses for the 20A/C circular service, which is alreadyfinancially supported by the council and run by Wessex Connect, fromthis October.

The route also serves the Royal United and St Martin's hospitals,as well as Culverhay and Ralph Allen schools. Once the store hasopened, the other Pounds 180,000 of funding - which will be spreadover three years - will pay for an increase in the frequency of theservice to half hourly on the section of the route nearest the newstore, likely to be between Combe Down and Twerton.

Some opponents have questioned the ethics of such deals, but theyare covered by Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act andare aimed at getting developers to pay for the knock-on costs oftheir schemes.

The investment in the new buses has been welcomed by RUH securityand car parking manager Adam Jones.

He said: "Low-floor buses are incredibly helpful for elderly ordisabled patients accessing services at Royal United Hospital sothis improvement to the service is good news."

Building work on the new supermarket is likely to begin laterthis year, with the store scheduled to open next spring.

The store, which will be the city's fifth Sainsbury's branch,will be built on a six-acre plot of land between St Martin's PrimarySchool and Three Ways School, and have a 258-space car park.

Mexican distiller debuts expensive tequila

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A Mexican distiller has presented what it hopes will become the world's most expensive tequila, a platinum and diamond-studded bottle of 7-year-old liquor.

Hacienda La Capilla's 1.3-liter (0.3-gallon) bottle is made of ceramic, with a 2.3-kilogram (5-pound) layer of platinum and more than 4,000 diamonds totaling 328 carats.

Hacienda La Capilla already holds the Guinness record for the most expensive tequila with a bottle that sold for $225,000 in 1996. But official with the Jalisco, Mexico-based company told participants in a news conference Tuesday they hoped their newest creation would fetch $3.5 million.

The company is the taking the bottle on a tour to various European and Middle Eastern capitals in a bid to interest potential buyers.

With Obama around, Dems put aside bickering Blagojevich, Madigan and Jones join star nominee at State Fair

SPRINGFIELD -- In a departure from months of acrimony, Illinois'top Democrats resisted taking potshots at one another Wednesday andfocused an Illinois State Fair rally on the party's fall ticket,including its rising star and senatorial nominee, Barack Obama.

Uncharacteristically, Gov. Blagojevich, House Speaker MichaelMadigan (D-Chicago) and Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago) puttheir budget- and personality-driven feuding on hold while singingthe virtues of Obama and presidential nominee John Kerry to hundredsof party loyalists.

"From time to time, we don't always agree on every single issue.There are some squabbles," the governor told hundreds at thesweltering fairground rally, where many waved blue-and-white Obamasigns.

"But like all families, it's time to put that behind us, look tothe future and unify behind the principles that make us Democrats."

Still aglow from his well-regarded, nationally televised speech atthe Democratic National Convention, Obama was mobbed everywhere hewent by autograph seekers and those wanting a picture taken with him.

"In my neighborhood," Secretary of State Jesse White told theDemocratic faithful, "they'd say, 'Barack, you the man.' "

The state senator from Hyde Park downplayed any role his suddenpopularity may have in helping focus the party on the fall elections,rather than on settling scores from a turbulent legislative session,and promised not to disregard his new GOP rival, Alan Keyes.

"To the extent I can help unify the Democrats, I'm happy to do it.But I tell you what, I've never seen them more unified," Obama said.

But Republicans ridiculed the happy face Democrats wore Wednesday.

"It's somewhat ironic that it's newsworthy they're getting alongas opposed to what we've been seeing the past few months," state GOPspokesman Jason Gerwig said, citing the budgetary feuds that alignedMadigan with Republicans against Blagojevich and Jones.

Today, the GOP will hold its pep rally at the fairgrounds, withMarylander Keyes as the headliner amid uncertainties as to whetherparty stalwarts like former Governors Jim Edgar and James Thompson,who are dissatisfied with Keyes' selection, will even bother to show.

In anticipation of Keyes' first campaign appearance in the statecapital, his short-term residency and lack of familiarity withIllinois' culture gave Democrats a plump target Wednesday.

"The Republicans will come here, and they'll have their owncelebration. They'll bring their senatorial candidate," Sen DickDurbin (D-Ill.) said. "Instead of serving pork chops, they'll beserving Maryland crab cakes. Instead of talking about the beauties ofLake Michigan, they're going to talk about the Chesapeake Bay.They're going to talk about the Baltimore Ravens and the BaltimoreOrioles.

"They're going to have a great time of it," Durbin continued. "Butafter [today], the real campaign starts, and we have something theydon't have. We've got the genuine article, Barack Obama."

Postal workers to help find missing kids

Starting today, thousands of postal workers will be deliveringmore than the mail. The 12,394 carriers and other employees willbecome the "eagle eyes" for law enforcement agencies trying to findmissing or abducted children.

The program announced Wednesday is an effort by the U.S. PostalService, Illinois State Police and local police to disseminateimportant information about missing children.

Last year there were 17,165 reports of missing juveniles inChicago. Most of the youngsters are runaways who return home within72 hours. But while they are on the streets, the children areextremely vulnerable, police say."They are at risk of becoming victims or offenders themselves,"said Chicago Police Youth Division Cmdr. Roberta Bartik.To reach the runaways - most of whom are girls - as well asthose children who are deemed criminal abductees, postal carriers andother employees will be asked to watch for them.Once police have determined that a child is missing and may bein danger, they will fax a photo and vital statistics to districtpostal coordinators who will make sure the information is sent inovernight mail pouches to carriers and office workers.Illinois State Police Capt. Norman Martin said the 15,000Chicago postal workers would become "15,000 agents who first andforemost will locate the children, see them returned to legalguardians or parents and see suspects apprehended."Lowana Gooch, Chicago district manager of post officeoperations, said a similar program in New York after the 1993abduction of 12-year old Sara Anne Wood helped create an effectiveinformation network.Bartik said postal carriers often get to know everyone on theirroutes and help many elderly persons. "The mailman becomes awarethat mail is building up at the home of a senior citizen and askspolice to investigate."

With inclusion, best intentions often go awry; Mainstreaming special education students started out as a good idea. But in reality, the practice is not always beneficial.

When my oldest daughter started in the Chicago Public Schools some 14 years ago, I was thrilled that our school system celebrated diversity by including physically disabled children in regular classrooms. When I returned to the public schools as a substitute teacher last year, it didn't take long for me to observe that mainstreaming, which had started out as such a good idea, had become a serious problem, endangering not only special education children but those in regular education as well--producing disastrously unequal and ineffective results.

As I chatted with teachers, administrators and parents, I learned I wasn't alone in this view. Worse, few people wanted to talk about the issue out of fear of retaliation by a well-organized lobby of special education advocates. When I mentioned that I wanted to write an opinion piece on the topic, those with School Board experience asked me, "Why would you want to bring that kind of trouble to yourself?" Yet, they concurred that children were being hurt and the story needed outing. So, as a parent and a substitute teacher, I ask you to suspend your preconceptions and think about how all our children can best be served in a cash-strapped system that has failed to prepare and equip classroom teachers with the resources needed to properly carry out the task of full inclusion.

In 1998, CPS and the Illinois State Board of Education settled a federal class-action lawsuit--known as "Corey H."--that had charged the district with illegally segregating disabled children. The settlement led to widespread expansion of inclusion. With more mainstreaming, disabled students were to be given equal access to magnet, vocational, charter and gifted programs and educated with non-disabled peers in what the settlement termed the "least-restrictive environment" possible.

But some say inclusion then went too far.

"It was kind of overkill," says one member of a CPS special education team, who nevertheless was quick to reject the past practices of segregation that led to the 1992 lawsuit. "Instead of looking at that child and saying, 'What is the least-restrictive environment?' many people thought it meant just putting every kid back in the [regular] classroom."

"The good in mainstreaming was that these kids were allowed in the public schools, and they deserve a good and a fair education," the team member adds. "But does that mean you have to put them in every classroom?"

BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS NEED EXTRA ATTENTION

When disabled children are in every classroom, what happens? I am hardly alone in having had to manage classes that included children whose disabilities really require full-time, one-on-one attention. I--and others who spend every day in elementary classrooms--regularly see children who are unable to pay attention because of low IQs resulting from lead poisoning or exposure to drugs in utero or children with autism or some other disability.

Now think about how that child functions in a classroom.

"These kids would sit and concentrate on pulling the threads out of the carpet by color instead of focusing on the lesson I was teaching," recalls one retired reading teacher. "They would tie and untie their shoes repetitively. They would crawl. They would try to get into and under things. I sometimes felt they wanted to get into a box and shut it. ... I sometimes wondered, 'Does [this] child need me to teach him reading, or does my child need a neurologist to teach him reading?'"

Teaching under such circumstances is nearly impossible. Not only is the child in special education learning little or nothing, but classmates often are completely distracted by such behavior or choose to mimic it. Clearly, students who exhibit such behavior are disruptive and require teachers to take time away from other students to manage them.

When teachers must take extra time to control a situation involving problem behavior, the class suffers from the loss of learning time. Disruptive behavior isolates and stigmatizes a child, and the stigmatization of a disabled child only deepens misconceptions and prejudices about all disabled children. It continues to be amazing to me that even at the youngest ages, children readily label others--"He's bad, he never listens"--and so on.

MANY EDUCATORS FAVOR TRACKING

Without exception, the teachers and administrators I have spoken with praise the practice of grouping children by need and ability so their needs can be fully addressed.

"As a teacher who taught [part of] the day in a mainstreaming situation, and during reading time in a tracked situation, my life was far better, and my sense of success was greater, when I had the children in a tracked situation in which they were grouped according to ability," says one veteran.

Compounding the problem is the increase in class sizes, which means that teachers must now teach larger groups with more diverse abilities.

"There are so many irresolvable conflicts because of the range of needs these kids have, and you deprive the more advantaged students of challenge," says the retired reading teacher. "You deprive the slower students of [the chance to reach] mastery. You drive down the morale of the faculty. De-tracking creates a situation where teachers cannot use the entire class time to meet the needs of faster- or slower-achieving students, and cannot give individual attention to the middle students.

"Teachers frequently respond by grading faster students on achievement, slower students on effort," the teacher continues. "Parents are confused by this and become belligerent."

Then there is the emotional cost.

One administrator tells a story of a 1st-grade child with cerebral palsy who was in a regular classroom. The toll on others in the class was great. The teacher was wracked with guilt, believing no one was being well-served. The 6-year-old classmate assigned to be the student's helper developed an ulcer. The emotional costs to students, teachers, parents and administrators of efforts to expose students to a child with disabilities are infrequently discussed and almost never quantified.

STUDENT NEEDS REQUIRE 'TAILORING'

The diversity of need in a large urban school system that serves large numbers of low-income, immigrant and other children who need additional resources adds to the complexity of implementing inclusion.

"We've got to give these kids a fair chance to address their weaknesses and become strong in life later," one retired teacher points out. "You have to give them an opportunity to succeed. Projects and after-school activities are wonderful opportunities for [disabled] kids to mingle, but when you have to teach academic skills, individualization becomes important."

That is the key: assessing and then addressing individual needs. "You have to be the dressmaker. You have to tailor," says the retired reading teacher.

The issue should be, "What really helps children?"

At the core of this question is another one: "What is the best interest?" one administrator points out. "Sometimes parents with children with disabilities feel if the child is put in regular education then they will be 'regular.' There's a reality that the parents have to accept."

In our efforts to achieve equity for children, special education advocates have persuaded us that mainstreaming is the answer for virtually all special kids. Special schools, let alone special classes, are not the fashion right now. And, as most educators I've interviewed over the years acknowledge, education is usually driven by the fads and fashions of the field.

"When is the pendulum going to swing? When are the regular ed parents going to say, 'You are hurting us.'?" one administrator asks.

Educators and parents need to think seriously about who is being served by inclusion, and how well they are being served. Why aren't we figuring out a way to keep the best interests of all our children at the forefront?

Article copyright Community Renewal Society.

After election, new president has to wait 77 days

The world is anxiously awaiting new ideas and fresh leadership from America's new president to deal with the economic crisis that has encircled the globe with sickening speed. Unemployment is climbing, the stock market has plummeted and businesses are teetering.

But for 77 days after the election, the problems will be George Bush's _ and both Barack Obama and John McCain have signaled they will defer to him.

Both Obama and McCain understand the enormous pressure that the Election Day victor will be under to begin taking aggressive action virtually as soon as the votes are counted. But reality likely will prevent much of that from happening.

The president-elect will have the nation's affirmation but not any actual authority over government. Most politicians also would resist assuming public responsibility for tricky issues when someone else is still in charge, especially when that someone's approval ratings are nearly equal to the worst for any president since Gallup first starting compiling them 70 years ago.

Finally, there is the traditional protocol of respect in the U.S. political system, between presidents and former presidents and incoming presidents.

"He understands there is only one president," an Obama adviser said.

"There would be a lot of involvement, but that doesn't mean you'd replace the current president. Far from it," said Doug Holtz-Eakin, McCain's senior policy adviser.

"A president-elect could only make matters worse if there is any suggestion that he is moving in a direction different from the current president," said Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a transition expert. "You can create a real lack of confidence here. And the more delicate the situation, and the situation we're in is very delicate, the more carefully you have to tread."

Bush's biggest final job is managing the massive $700 billion financial industry rescue package, which includes myriad tools aimed at shoring up firms' balance sheets so they will get credit flowing through the U.S. economy again. The plan's direction has changed several times as the administration scrambles to keep up with events.

The administration also is debating whether to intervene aggressively to help struggling automakers. And it is weighing whether to find a new way to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.

Ornstein, whose transition expertise has been enlisted by the Bush White House, said officials there may even offer to take unpopular action before leaving office and take it off the new president's hands _ if the president-elect's team wants it.

Ornstein said a smart president-elect would name his treasury secretary and economic team quickly, and perhaps hold high-profile talkfests on key, long-term issues, but not do much else. As soon as the campaign is over, being seen as bashing Bush _ by either Obama or McCain _ turns from a campaign-season plus to a new-administration liability.

"You don't gain anything politically from it anymore, and you could hurt yourself _ and the country," he said.

Another issue facing the new president is what to do about a big spending plan being pushed by Congress' Democratic leadership, perhaps in excess of $150 billion, for a new economic stimulus package that would be a sequel to the tax rebates earlier this year. A series of hearings has been staged to start generating support for holding a special postelection session on such a package, to include items such as roads and other infrastructure improvements, aid for cash-strapped states, boosting food-stamp allotments and an extension of unemployment benefits.

McCain and Senate Republicans have indicated they could accept another extension of jobless benefits. But Bush's resistance seems to doom passage of anything else in an immediate lame-duck session, and a McCain win probably would doom it for good.

If Obama wins, he could choose to actively campaign, not just among fellow senators but around the country, to build pressure on Bush to reverse course on a stimulus measure. His aides are studying historical precedent on transitions to help them plot out how _ and how much _ he should be seen if he becomes president-elect.

If Obama opted to wait until Bush is gone, it seems likely that a Stimulus II would be one of the first pieces of legislative business accomplished under his administration. That could hand him a quick victory, but also pose some complications, as he has broader economic and tax proposals as well. They include business tax breaks for job creation, penalty-free retirement-account withdrawals, a 90-day freeze on some foreclosures and small business help.

Holtz-Eakin said McCain would spend his transition trying to reassure the public without getting in Bush's way. McCain's main priority would be to try to start gaining traction on his $300 billion plan for the government to buy bad mortgages and renegotiate them at a reduced price, Holtz-Eakin said.

Neither Democrat Obama nor Republican McCain will attend an economic summit of world leaders being hosted by Bush in Washington less than two weeks after Election Day. The question hanging over the meeting is what course will be set by America's next president to save the economy.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Monday that U.S. leadership "will and must continue" during the transition period. His spokesman, Michael Ellam, said economic solutions would be "effective and lasting" only if the U.S. showed "full engagement."

Led by Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Europeans are seeking ambitious regulatory reforms coordinated among nations, aimed at preventing a repeat of the U.S. housing market collapse that turned into a global credit freeze and is threatening jobs and economic activity. They want to consider entirely revamping the international financial and monetary system, and Sarkozy has said he hoped the summit would yield concrete decisions.

The Bush White House is promising nothing of the sort.

Presidential spokeswoman Dana Perino said Monday that the meeting's purpose was to come to agreement on underlying causes of the problem, review actions taken so far and outline "principles for reform" _ a description that is a far cry from overhauling regulations.

Indeed, one reason that Bush included in the gathering not just rich countries, but also major developing economies such as China, Brazil and India, was to let the latter function as a brake on hard-charging new regulations. With the Bush-led meeting on Nov. 15 intended to be only the first among many, all the leaders may put off scheduling the later ones to bring in not Bush, but their new U.S. partner.

___

Associated Press writers Liz Sidoti, Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor contributed to this story.

Italy judge rules 3 to remain in jail over death of British student

A judge ruled Friday there was enough evidence to hold an American student, her Italian boyfriend and a Congolese bar owner as suspects in the death of the girl's British roommate.

Amanda Marie Knox, 20, Raffaele Sollecito, 23, and Diya "Patrick" Lumumba, 38, have been detained in connection with the sexual assault and killing of Meredith Kercher, 21, who was found dead Nov. 2.

Judge Claudia Matteini said there were "serious indications of guilt" that warranted keeping the three in jail for up to a year while the investigation continues. She also warned in a 19-page ruling that each of the suspects posed a flight risk.

The three suspects, all under investigation for murder and sexual assault, have denied involvement in the killing, according to their lawyers.

Under Italian law, suspects can be kept behind bars without being charged if a judge rules there is enough evidence to jail them and there is a chance they might flee, repeat the crime or tamper with evidence. Prosecutors may later seek to indict the suspects and put them on trial.

The judge said in her ruling that, if released, the suspects could try to leave Italy.

"They could easily have left the territory of the state to escape the investigation," the judge wrote, noting that Lumumba is from Congo, Knox is American and Sollecito could have enlisted his girlfriend's help to flee.

Kercher's body was found in the apartment she shared with Knox, and police said she died fighting off a sexual attack. The coroner said Kercher was stabbed in the neck.

Matteini said it was not yet clear who might have dealt the fatal blow, but said Sollecito's footprints were found in Kercher's room, and identified the murder weapon as a knife with an 8.5-centimeter-long (3.3-inch-long) blade that the Italian usually had with him.

However, the judge wrote that, when questioned by investigators, Knox said Lumumba was also in the room and that he had killed Kercher.

In her reconstruction of the incident, the judge said Knox, who worked for Lumumba at his Perugia bar, let the two men into the apartment with her keys.

"Then something went wrong," Matteini wrote. "The two (men) demanded some kind of sexual act, which (Kercher) refused to do. She was then threatened with a knife, which Sollecito always carried with him, and with which Meredith was stabbed in the neck."

One of Sollecito's attorneys, Luca Maori, said he planned to appeal the decision.

"We didn't expect it," he said. While saying he had not yet read the ruling, he said the defense team was "perplexed" by the judge's decision.

New Year for Tiger, With Some Carryover

SAN DIEGO - As many times as Tiger Woods has played and won at Torrey Pines, he has never figured out the patchwork shades of blue in the Pacific Ocean below the cliffside course. Looking out from the fourth green Wednesday morning, his New Zealand caddie told him the darker the shade, the colder the water.

It was a fitting start to his 2007 season, staring at segments that represent old and new, but blending.

The Buick Invitational is his first tournament of the season, but Woods carries over from last year a PGA Tour winning streak that dates to July. He is going for his seventh in a row on the PGA Tour, and odds are in his favor as the two-time defending champion.

"It is meaningful because it's not easy to do," Woods said, and he should know because he won six straight PGA Tour events at the end of 1999 and beginning of 2000, the second-longest streak behind Byron Nelson's 11 in a row in 1945.

But he also doesn't consider it a real streak.

That ended at five in October when he lost in the first round of the HSBC World Match Play Championship in England. Throw out match play, and Woods was runner-up consecutive weeks in Asia.

"It's a PGA Tour streak," Woods said. "It's not really a win streak because obviously, I lost at Match Play, I lost at the Ryder Cup, I finished second in China, I finished second in Japan. I was on a losing streak for a bit."

Also in transition are his emotions.

Gone is the dread Woods felt at Torrey Pines last year when he knew his father had only a short time to live, replaced by the excitement of his wife being pregnant with their first child, due sometime in July.

"I'm looking forward to the year and what's going to transpire," Woods said. "Last year, I was not looking forward to the year and what was going to transpire. One is just praying and hoping, and the other is pure excitement and enjoyment. So it's two totally opposite ends."

He was lively during his pro-am, talking about the changes to Torrey Pines for the U.S. Open next year, his dinner Tuesday night with San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, his wife's plans to finish out her spring semester in college.

The first step in his new year starts Thursday against a 156-man field that is not as strong as recent years, but looks stacked at the top with Woods, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh.

And while there is much talk about a streak, that tends to shift some attention to Mickelson.

Woods won the final four PGA events in 1999 (he finished sixth at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand in November) then won the first two events of 2000 to raise remote possibilities that Nelson's untouchable record might be within reach.

The next stop was Torrey Pines.

"He didn't get it, did he?" Mickelson said, trying to fool his audience with a quizzical look. Lefty knows better, having pulled away over the final six holes to end Woods' streak at six.

"He's on a remarkable tear," Mickelson said. "He's obviously an incredibly talented player, but when he gets on runs like this, it's very difficult to stop him. But I know a lot of guys in the field are going to be doing their best."

Not many of them are as fresh - or maybe rusty - as Woods.

He took a five-week break after his Target World Challenge, skiing in Colorado and going back to the practice range two weeks ago. It was long enough to make him miss the competition, although that has been lacking since July.

Woods began his PGA Tour streak by winning the British Open. His streak included two majors, two World Golf Championships and separation of 20 strokes in combined margin of victory.

Isn't that getting a little old?

"I would love to be the one to beat him so he wouldn't be able to make it seven in a row," said John Daly, the last player besides Woods to win the Buick Invitational. "I don't think it's stale. It's good for the tour. It gets stale for us because he's winning every week. That's what kind of (stinks) a little bit."

About the only thing that might slow him down is becoming a father.

Woods said he would skip the British Open if his wife was about to give birth, which was more important than trying to become the first player in more than 50 years to win golf's oldest championship three straight times.

"If she's going to have it during the week of the Open, I just don't go," he said.

But previous life-changing experiences haven't stopped him - not his marriage in 2004, not the death of his father last May. Mickelson has three children, and had lackluster performances during two of those years because of difficulties during the pregnancy. Otherwise, he doesn't expect fatherhood to change Woods.

"I certainly hope it does, but I don't see that happening," Mickelson said. "He's always been able to balance so many different areas of his life that I think this will just be another area that he adds into the mix, and a very rewarding part of his life."

SECURITY CHANGES

SECURITY CHANGES

Here are some of the changes and possible changes airlinepassengers may see as the federal government tries to balance"customer service" with airport security needs:

*Effective immediately, travelers will be allowed to carry drinksin paper and foam cups while passing through walk-through metaldetectors at airports--and they won't be asked to taste the liquid toprove it's safe.

*Some items that have been confiscated from passengers and carry-on luggage since Sept. 11 might soon be allowed again.

*Questions posed for the past 16 years by ticket agents topassengers about whether they packed their own bags may beeliminated.

Tunis court convicts nephew of former first lady

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — A leading Tunisian human rights lawyer says a Tunis court has convicted a nephew of Leila Trabelsi, Tunisia's widely reviled former first lady, on drug consumption charges.

Imad Trabelsi was sentenced Saturday to two years in prison and a 2,000 dinar (about €1,000) fine, according to Mokhtar Trifi, president of the Tunisian League of Human Rights.

The conviction is the second of a member of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's extended family since he fled Tunisia in January amid huge street protests that sparked similar uprisings across the Arab world.

The caretaker government has led a halting effort to bring stability to Tunisia, amid a huge influx of refugees from neighboring war-torn Libya and simmering public anger about efforts to bring Tunisia more democracy.

Tourists besiege Cairo airport, but flights halt

CAIRO (AP) — Thousands of passengers were stranded at Cairo's airport on Saturday as flights were canceled or delayed, leaving them unable to leave because of a government-imposed curfew. Several Arab nations, meanwhile, moved to evacuate their citizens.

As Egypt's unrest neared its sixth day, the cancelations of flights and the arrival of several largely empty aircraft appeared to herald an ominous erosion of key tourism revenue for the country, hitting hard at its pocketbook even as protesters centered many of their grievances on the grinding poverty they endure daily.

Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan organized an additional 10 flights to evacuate their citizens, officials at Cairo International Airport said. Among those who left were families of diplomats.

Egypt's national carrier, meanwhile, was forced to cancel 15 scheduled flights because it was unable to secure the necessary crew and service personnel, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

For roughly 3,000 travelers, Egyptians and foreigners alike, the news was another blow in a day where little had gone right.

About 2,000 had flocked to the airport earlier in the day, many without reservations, hoping to secure a seat out of the country. With airlines canceling or rescheduling flights because of a curfew that was expanded from between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m., the options were limited, and their numbers swelled as flights arrived later in the evening.

Many of those passengers remained stranded at the airport, unable to leave because of the curfew as well as fears of the widespread looting reported across the capital.

Others, who had yet to venture to the airport, appeared to be counting the days and holding out hope for any opportunity to leave.

"We're going to contact the U.S. consulate, because we want them to know we're here," said Regina Fraser, co-host of the "Grannies on Safari" show on PBS, an American public access television channel. "We're going to try and figure out how the heck we're going to get back because we're very concerned there may not be any flights."

"We do want people to know, 'Hey we're Americans, we need to get home'," she said, speaking from the southern Egyptian city of Luxor. "Who wants to be around gunfire and also tear gases? It's pretty scary."

The immediate prospects seemed slim.

British Midlands International said its flight from London Heathrow to Cairo turned around because the change in the curfew would have made it impossible to land in time for passengers to make it out of the airport.

The plane was filled with British diplomats, human rights workers, international journalists, and some Egyptians desperate to get home — including at least one trying to make it back in time for his wedding, according to an Associated Press reporter on board the flight.

Several airlines, including Germany's Lufthansa and Air Berlin, U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines and Poland's LOT canceled flights and some were weighing how long to extend those cancelations. Delta said its service was "indefinitely suspended as a result of civil unrest" in Egypt.

Others, such as Italy's Alitalia, Netherlands-based KLM and British Airways were adjusting their schedules to accommodate the curfew hours. BA also said it would send a charter plane to Egypt to move passengers wanting to leave.

The flight disruptions threatened to undercut the tourism sector, which according to some analysts accounts for as much as 11 percent of the country's gross domestic product. Tourism brought in more than $9 billion for Egypt in the first nine months of 2010 and $10.8 billion the year before.

Egypt's military closed off access to the pyramids in Giza — with tanks and armored personnel carriers sealing off the site on the Giza Plateau. The area is normally packed with tourists and is a main draw for those who come to Cairo.

So far, the protests appear to have mainly affected travel plans to Cairo, while the Red Sea resorts favored by the Europeans and Russians, who make up the majority of foreign tourists to Egypt were unaffected.

The United States, France and Germany issued warnings to their respective citizens, urging them to cancel nonessential travel to Cairo and to remain indoors and away from flashpoint areas if they were already in the country.

The Polish Foreign Ministry said it had learned that some Polish tourists had rented vehicles to travel to cities where demonstrations were taking place. "We consider this very irresponsible and urge them not to do that," ministry spokesman Marcin Bosacki said.

Europeans and Russians account for a major chunk of the tourists to Egypt, opting for Red Sea resort trips while many Americans go for more expansive trips that include the Pharaonic sites in Upper Egypt, as well as Cairo.

Two of the biggest tourism agencies in Germany, TUI and Thomas Cook, gave their customers the option of either canceling trips to Egypt or choosing a different destination, with no penalties.

Thomas Cook said that there had not been any requests for cancelations.

TUI also said nobody had asked to return early to Germany and there had been only sporadic cancelations.

Rene-Marc Chikli, president of the CETO association of French tour operators, said the group was suspending all departures this weekend for Egypt. Many travelers who are already in Egypt are being routed away from Cairo to other destinations, such as Luxor, Aswan or the Red Sea, he told France Info radio.

All Serb tours to Egypt, one of their main tourist destinations, were canceled, and some 120 Serbs will be evacuated from Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday.

"The difference is that the flight coming to Egypt on Monday will be empty," Serbian Ambassador to Egypt Dejan Vasiljevic was quoted as saying by state Tanjug news agency.

For those in Cairo, the push appeared to be on getting home as soon as possible.

Royal Jordanian spokesman Basel Kilani said the Jordanian carrier is nearly doubling the number of seats on its four daily flights out of Cairo to Amman on Sunday by switching from the 100-seat short-haul Embraer to the 170-seat Airbus A-321.

"We may have additional flights out of Cairo as of tomorrow, but there's no decision made yet," said Kilani. "The need is rising, especially by Jordanian businessmen and students leaving Egypt."

___

Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, Angela Doland in Paris, Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Adam Schreck in Dubai, Arthur Max in Amsterdam, Gregory Katz in London, Jamal Halaby in Amman, Jordan, Alessandra Rizzo in Rome, Caryn Rousseau in Chicago and Shelley Adler in Washington contributed to this report.

60K-plus in Millennium Stadium for Wales semifinal

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — There will be more people in Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to watch the Wales-France World Cup semifinal on video screens at dawn than there will be at the actual match in New Zealand on Saturday.

The Welsh Rugby Union said about 65,000 free tickets were picked up by the time the box office closed.

Eden Park, the semifinal venue in Auckland, holds only 60,000.

Wales is trying to reach its first World Cup final.

Roger Lewis, the WRU group chief executive, described the response of fans to the "Wake Up to Wales" event as magnificent.

Gabi's plus-size women's blog blows up big time; Chicago

Chicago resident Gabi Gregg is fat. She'd be the first to admit it. She is also, she would stress, fabulous.

Hence the 23-year-old's increasingly popular blog, youngfatandfabulous.com.

According to Gregg, the youngest of four girls and a Detroit native, the fashion-centric site catering to plus-size women gets about 150,000 visits per month -- roughly 80,000 of them unique.

Thanks to her handiness with social media, including blogging, Facebooking and Tweeting, Gregg was chosen to compete in New York to be the first-ever Twitter Jockey for MTV. The position pays $100,000 a year, and the winner will be announced live on MTV at 9 p.m. Sunday.

"It's kind of been my dream to eventually move to New York," she says. "I love the Midwest. I don't know how long I would actually stay in New York. I don't think it would be a lifelong place for me, but I've always wanted to at least live there for a few years in my 20s."

With college loans to pay off and little money being generated by her blog, the jobless Gregg says a hundred grand would go a long way toward easing her financial burden. If so inclined, she could even buy a bed and lose the floor-level mattress pad she's sleeping on in her Pilsen apartment.

Gregg began blogging in October 2008. Since then, she says, reader response has been "overwhelming."

"I get e-mails pretty much on a daily basis from women all over the world. A lot of times they'll be from Asian countries. Literally everywhere. Saudi Arabian women just saying how mind-blowing and life-changing my blog has been for them. And I think that's so amazing, because when I first started blogging, I didn't really realize the impact it would have. So to hear from these women that my blog literally changed their lives is really humbling and amazing. It's still kind of surreal to me."

Some of Gregg's disciples gathered for the first YFF conference in New York last month. Several plus-size retailers, part of a burgeoning niche, sponsored various events.

But while Gregg receives free merchandise (recently, a stylish pair of jeans from Torrid), she claims she won't post glowing reviews in return for payment.

As for the haters, those who think that spreading the fat-is-fab gospel is delusional and unhealthy, Gregg is unfazed.

"I get some of that feedback once in a while," she says, "but my whole thing is I don't focus on health on my blog. My health is my priority and my business and my doctor's and my family's. In terms of my blog, it's all about fashion."

She thinks people who perpetuate the notion that fat and fashion are mutually exclusive do so "for no other reason than discrimination."

When it comes to fat itself being fashionable, however, even experts have doubts. "Obesity is probably the only risk factor that has such a global negative impact on so many risk factors for the heart," Barry Franklin, director of the Cardiac Rehab Program and Exercise Laboratories at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., told Health.com early this year.

Gregg, though, has no plans to drop the f-word from her vocabulary.

"First of all, I wasn't the first person [to use it], so there was definitely a fat acceptance movement before I came along," she says. Way before. The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance was founded in 1969. There's also, among other groups, the far newer Association for Size Diversity and Health, established in 2003.

"But using ['fat'] is just a way of taking the word back and showing people that it can be a descriptive word and it can be used in the neutral sense," Gregg says. "It doesn't have to have the stigma that's attached to it. And so we're trying to help fight that stigma by showing people that, 'Yes, I'm fat. I'm not saying I'm not fat.' Because so many women try to say they're not when they are.

"I'm saying I'm fat and fabulous."

Photo: 'LIFE-CHANGING': Chicago blogger Gabi Gregg of youngfatandfabulous.com says women from around the world tell her how her blog has changed their lives.

Asia will witness 21st century's longest eclipse

Millions of people across Asia will witness the longest total solar eclipse that will happen this century, as vast swaths of India and China, the entire city of Shanghai and southern Japanese islands are plunged into darkness Wednesday for about five minutes.

Streams of amateur stargazers and scientists are traveling long distances to witness the once-in-a-lifetime event.

Astronomers hope the eclipse will unlock clues about the sun, while an astrologer in Myanmar predicts it could usher in chaos. Some in India are advising pregnant relatives to stay indoors to follow a centuries-old tradition of avoiding the sun's invisible rays.

The eclipse will appear first at dawn in India's Gulf of Khambhat just north of the metropolis of Mumbai.

It will move east across India, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan and China before hitting the Pacific. The eclipse will cross some southern Japanese islands and be last visible from land at Nikumaroro Island in the South Pacific nation of Kiribati. Elsewhere, a partial eclipse will be visible in much of Asia.

For astronomers, it will be a chance for a prolonged view of the sun's corona, a white ring 600,000 miles (1 million kilometers) from the sun's surface. The previous total eclipse, in August 2008, was two minutes and 27 seconds. This one will last 6 minutes and 39 seconds at its maximum point.

Solar scientist Lucie Green is aboard an American cruise ship heading for that point near the Japanese island of Iwo Jima, where the axis of the moon's shadow will pass closest to earth.

Passengers paid $2,599 to $3,643 for the cruise run by Mayhugh Travel Inc., a California company that specializes in astronomy vacations, according to the company's Web site.

"The corona has a temperature of 2 million degrees but we don't know why it is so hot," said Green of University College London. "What we are going to look for are waves in the corona. ... The waves might be producing the energy that heats the corona. That would mean we understand another piece of the science of the sun."

Scientists are hoping data from the eclipse will help explain solar flares and other structures of the sun and why they erupt, said Alphonse C. Sterling, a NASA astrophysicist who will be following the eclipse in China.

"We'll have to wait a few hundred years for another opportunity to observe a solar eclipse that lasts this long, so it's a very special opportunity," said Shao Zhenyi, an astronomer at the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory.

Man has been recording solar eclipses for 4,000 years, and even today they inspire a combination of fear, fascination and wonder.

One astrologer in Myanmar, also known as Burma, predicted in a magazine that the eclipse would trigger wars, instability and natural disasters for the next several months.

Liang Wei is among more than 40 members of a Chinese solar eclipse fan club traveling to Shanghai to see the event.

"Even though I'm not a scientist, it's an experience I've waited all my life for," said the 29-year-old Guangzhou native, who works at a lighting company and operates an online fan site for eclipse enthusiasts.

In India, hundreds of scientists are gathering in the village of Taregna in Bihar state. One team, led by Dr R.K. Sinha of Patna University, will study bird behavior.

"The researchers will observe whether they suddenly move back to their nests, sound differently and behave in an unusual manner due to sudden darkness," he said.

A travel agency in India is running a charter flight to watch the eclipse by air.

Some families have advised pregnant relatives to confine themselves to curtained rooms, following long-held fears that the invisible rays would harm the fetus and the baby born with disfigurations, birthmarks or a congenital defect.

"I've been told to lie straight on the bed with my eyes open and to chant prayers and verses from the Hindu holy texts during the eclipse," said Sonya Chadha, a New Delhi accountant who is seven months pregnant and plans to take the day off. "If even a tiny sliver of light falls on me, it could harm my child."

In Japan, where the last total eclipse happened in 1963, people are flocking to the small southern island of Yakushima, which is holding a a two-day festival with fireworks, dancing, grilled squid and cotton candy. The island's 180 hotels are fully booked. A partial eclipse will be visible in Tokyo.

___

Associated Press writers Nirmala George in New Delhi; Indrajit Singh in Patna, India; Shino Yuasa in Tokyo; Aye Aye Win in Yangon, Myanmar and Chi-Chi Zhang in Beijing contributed to this report.

___

On the Net:

Eclipses Online: http://www.eclipse.org.uk/

Mr. Eclipse: http://mreclipse.com/

FileMaker can do many things, and it's easy: Even the common user can dive straight in, half-arsed or less, and get some useful work done.

I'm reading the first paragraph of this column -- er, not the one that you're reading now, obviously -- and I don't mind telling you that it troubles me greatly.

I can sense that it's precisely the sort of thing that causes the reader to instantly lose all confidence in the narrator and leap to another page.

But I'm stumped for an alternative so I'll just say that if you hang in there with me, I'll immediately follow it with a piece of valuable, practical, hands-on advice.

Onward:

"I finished a major book project recently, which means that I finally have time to kick back and relax and have some fun for a change. So of course, I've been kicking back with a new update to my favorite database app, living the life of the edgy hedonist bachelor."

See? I wasn't wrong was I?

Yes, I truly enjoy using FileMaker Pro 8.5 (www.filemaker.com; $299 for both Windows and Mac OS editions, or a $99 upgrade from version 8.0), and it worries me.

But I prefer to think that this sort of enthusiasm has less to do with the fact that I have a bust of Boba Fett here on my desk and more to do with FileMaker's goal of being the most ecumenical database app possible.

On Macs, FileMaker is nearly the only game in town, but on Windows, the word "database" means "Microsoft Access." And though Access is a fine, powerful app, it's not designed to appeal to the average person.

Instead, it's designed to appeal to consultants and developers: people who've taken classes in database design and software development -- people who (warning: cringe-worthy term ahead) deploy solutions to end-users.

Wonderful Access projects are possible, but only after due consideration and care.

Not with FileMaker.

Yes, consultants and developers will giddily strip naked and roll around in its Developers' Guide. But even the common user can dive straight in, half-arsed or less, and get some useful work done.

FileMaker is the only database that truly invites you to play with it. There are few bad decisions that you can make at the outset that can't be corrected or improved upon later. In addition, it's so easy to create tools that are perfectly tailored to the way you run your business or your personal life that I almost think the term "database" is a bit misleading, particularly when you think about how easy it is to export data into an Excel spreadsheet, a PDF file or even a Web page.

FileMaker doesn't behave as a Database Management Solution, but as a straightforward tool for managing and processing information.

New features in 8.5 range from the dull (a new range of functions for developers to exploit) to the welcome (a thick online help and resource system) to a terrific new feature that sent me off on that database jag.

Web Viewer makes it trivially easy to incorporate live data from the Web into your databases. If you used FileMaker 8.0 to build a system for processing and shipping orders, adding live package tracking is just a matter of adding a Web Viewer control to the layout, and then hooking it up to the database field that contains a FedEx number.

The Web Viewer control comes with pre-fabbed setups for a bunch of common Web resources (Google Maps, Wikipedia, etc.). I would have liked to have seen a more exhaustive list of presets, but you can paste in any URL for the Web Viewer content, and it's not difficult to come up with a recipe for what you need (i.e., the URL for a contact's MySpace blog is blog.myspace.com, plus a lot of junk, plus the contents of the "MySpace ID" field plus some more junk).

So where once you might have slapped together a simple database of contacts, with 8.5 you can easily set up a contact's layout page so that it always displays its latest blog entry, and photos it has posted to its Flickr album, and its current IM availability, the results of a search of everything it might have recently posted on a bulletin board, satellite imagery of its house, a list of movies playing within five miles, etc.

FileMaker is firmly within that short list of software that's as handy as a roll of duct tape. If you've got it within reach, you'll find a use for it.

Andy Ihnatko writes on technical and computer issues for the Sun-Times.

e-mail: AI@ANDYi.com@

United Airlines to recall 107 line mechanics

United Airlines says it will recall 107 furloughed mechanics.

The nation's third-largest airline says it needs the line mechanics to help it with repairing cabin items, reducing the number of out-of-service planes, and ensuring the reliability of the fleet.

Chicago-based United says the recalls will begin immediately and will be spread across all its hubs. United, a unit of UAL Corp., has 2,995 mechanics furloughed.

Shares of United parent UAL Corp. slipped 2 cents to close at $4.87 Friday.

Body scrubbers find new use among tips from savvy readers

THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM PRINTED VERSION

This week's reader tips run the gamut from cleaning the shower to making inexpensive coffee drinks to saving money on watch batteries. Enjoy!Tub scrub

When it's time to replace my shower body scrubber, I don't throw the old one away. I use it to scrub the shower and tub. It cleans very well, does not scratch and eliminates the need to purchase something else to clean the shower. -- Deborah G., via e-mail

A real shoe-off

I have lots of kitchen utensils and a very small kitchen. I bought a cloth shoe bag with 16 large pockets. I hung it on the wall at the entry to my kitchen. I can neatly store everything within easy reach and the tools are no longer in a jumbled mess. -- Maggie A., California

Renew-a-screw

To tighten screws that have worked their way loose because the hole has been enlarged, take the loose screw out and break off a toothpick in the hole even with the surface. Replace the screw and tighten it down and it will be good as new. -- Tracy, via e-mail

Coffee on the cheap

I work at a cafe, and the prices that people will pay for a fancy coffee drink surprise me. One of my favorites is a white mocha. That is white hot chocolate mix and espresso. Here's what I do to make my own at home: I buy Nesquik Very Vanilla, add nonfat milk, heat it up in the microwave, then add a scoop of instant coffee. For the chocolate version, substitute chocolate Nesquik. I still get the caffeine and my sweet tooth is definitely satisfied. -- Lauren G., New York

Drop tablecloth

When I paint a room, I don't buy those cheap, giant-sized pieces of plastic that move around on me, nor do I buy the expensive canvas drop cloths. I use oblong vinyl tablecloths with the flannel backing. The backing grabs the carpet so the drop cloth stays put. It has some weight to it, so it is not flimsy. So, if you have a big spill, you don't have to gather up a huge, giant piece of plastic, you are just gathering up a 60-inch by 80-inch oblong tablecloth. Vinyl tablecloths are available for next to nothing at the dollar store or Wal-Mart. They work like a dream and can be used over and again! -- Janette M., Missouri

Watching battery use

I recently spent about $50 to have batteries replaced in all my dead watches. I love watches and have many, but the batteries are always dead when I decide I want to wear one that has been sitting in a drawer since I paid all that money to have the battery replaced. A friend suggested to simply pull the stem out before putting a watch away in the drawer. This disengages the battery. Then, when I want to wear one, I just reset the time, push in the stem and I'm good to go. This is going to save me a lot of money and time. -- Debbie B., Maryland

Safeguard against stains

Safeguard bar soap will take out many stains that will not come out with ordinary laundry detergent. I washed a spaghetti sauce stain from my son's white jacket, but the stain remained. I rubbed the stain with Safeguard soap and it began to disappear. A couple of applications of the soap and the stain was gone. I've tried it for getting makeup off clothes, and it works for that as well. -- Sharon W., North Carolina

Mary Hunt is the creator of The Cheapskate Monthly newsletter, available at www.cheapskatemonthly.com/um. You can e-mail questions or tips at cheapskate@unitedmedia.com or Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. All correspondence becomes the property of Cheapskate Monthly.

Body scrubbers find new use among tips from savvy readers

THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM PRINTED VERSION

This week's reader tips run the gamut from cleaning the shower to making inexpensive coffee drinks to saving money on watch batteries. Enjoy!Tub scrub

When it's time to replace my shower body scrubber, I don't throw the old one away. I use it to scrub the shower and tub. It cleans very well, does not scratch and eliminates the need to purchase something else to clean the shower. -- Deborah G., via e-mail

A real shoe-off

I have lots of kitchen utensils and a very small kitchen. I bought a cloth shoe bag with 16 large pockets. I hung it on the wall at the entry to my kitchen. I can neatly store everything within easy reach and the tools are no longer in a jumbled mess. -- Maggie A., California

Renew-a-screw

To tighten screws that have worked their way loose because the hole has been enlarged, take the loose screw out and break off a toothpick in the hole even with the surface. Replace the screw and tighten it down and it will be good as new. -- Tracy, via e-mail

Coffee on the cheap

I work at a cafe, and the prices that people will pay for a fancy coffee drink surprise me. One of my favorites is a white mocha. That is white hot chocolate mix and espresso. Here's what I do to make my own at home: I buy Nesquik Very Vanilla, add nonfat milk, heat it up in the microwave, then add a scoop of instant coffee. For the chocolate version, substitute chocolate Nesquik. I still get the caffeine and my sweet tooth is definitely satisfied. -- Lauren G., New York

Drop tablecloth

When I paint a room, I don't buy those cheap, giant-sized pieces of plastic that move around on me, nor do I buy the expensive canvas drop cloths. I use oblong vinyl tablecloths with the flannel backing. The backing grabs the carpet so the drop cloth stays put. It has some weight to it, so it is not flimsy. So, if you have a big spill, you don't have to gather up a huge, giant piece of plastic, you are just gathering up a 60-inch by 80-inch oblong tablecloth. Vinyl tablecloths are available for next to nothing at the dollar store or Wal-Mart. They work like a dream and can be used over and again! -- Janette M., Missouri

Watching battery use

I recently spent about $50 to have batteries replaced in all my dead watches. I love watches and have many, but the batteries are always dead when I decide I want to wear one that has been sitting in a drawer since I paid all that money to have the battery replaced. A friend suggested to simply pull the stem out before putting a watch away in the drawer. This disengages the battery. Then, when I want to wear one, I just reset the time, push in the stem and I'm good to go. This is going to save me a lot of money and time. -- Debbie B., Maryland

Safeguard against stains

Safeguard bar soap will take out many stains that will not come out with ordinary laundry detergent. I washed a spaghetti sauce stain from my son's white jacket, but the stain remained. I rubbed the stain with Safeguard soap and it began to disappear. A couple of applications of the soap and the stain was gone. I've tried it for getting makeup off clothes, and it works for that as well. -- Sharon W., North Carolina

Mary Hunt is the creator of The Cheapskate Monthly newsletter, available at www.cheapskatemonthly.com/um. You can e-mail questions or tips at cheapskate@unitedmedia.com or Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. All correspondence becomes the property of Cheapskate Monthly.

Body scrubbers find new use among tips from savvy readers

THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM PRINTED VERSION

This week's reader tips run the gamut from cleaning the shower to making inexpensive coffee drinks to saving money on watch batteries. Enjoy!Tub scrub

When it's time to replace my shower body scrubber, I don't throw the old one away. I use it to scrub the shower and tub. It cleans very well, does not scratch and eliminates the need to purchase something else to clean the shower. -- Deborah G., via e-mail

A real shoe-off

I have lots of kitchen utensils and a very small kitchen. I bought a cloth shoe bag with 16 large pockets. I hung it on the wall at the entry to my kitchen. I can neatly store everything within easy reach and the tools are no longer in a jumbled mess. -- Maggie A., California

Renew-a-screw

To tighten screws that have worked their way loose because the hole has been enlarged, take the loose screw out and break off a toothpick in the hole even with the surface. Replace the screw and tighten it down and it will be good as new. -- Tracy, via e-mail

Coffee on the cheap

I work at a cafe, and the prices that people will pay for a fancy coffee drink surprise me. One of my favorites is a white mocha. That is white hot chocolate mix and espresso. Here's what I do to make my own at home: I buy Nesquik Very Vanilla, add nonfat milk, heat it up in the microwave, then add a scoop of instant coffee. For the chocolate version, substitute chocolate Nesquik. I still get the caffeine and my sweet tooth is definitely satisfied. -- Lauren G., New York

Drop tablecloth

When I paint a room, I don't buy those cheap, giant-sized pieces of plastic that move around on me, nor do I buy the expensive canvas drop cloths. I use oblong vinyl tablecloths with the flannel backing. The backing grabs the carpet so the drop cloth stays put. It has some weight to it, so it is not flimsy. So, if you have a big spill, you don't have to gather up a huge, giant piece of plastic, you are just gathering up a 60-inch by 80-inch oblong tablecloth. Vinyl tablecloths are available for next to nothing at the dollar store or Wal-Mart. They work like a dream and can be used over and again! -- Janette M., Missouri

Watching battery use

I recently spent about $50 to have batteries replaced in all my dead watches. I love watches and have many, but the batteries are always dead when I decide I want to wear one that has been sitting in a drawer since I paid all that money to have the battery replaced. A friend suggested to simply pull the stem out before putting a watch away in the drawer. This disengages the battery. Then, when I want to wear one, I just reset the time, push in the stem and I'm good to go. This is going to save me a lot of money and time. -- Debbie B., Maryland

Safeguard against stains

Safeguard bar soap will take out many stains that will not come out with ordinary laundry detergent. I washed a spaghetti sauce stain from my son's white jacket, but the stain remained. I rubbed the stain with Safeguard soap and it began to disappear. A couple of applications of the soap and the stain was gone. I've tried it for getting makeup off clothes, and it works for that as well. -- Sharon W., North Carolina

Mary Hunt is the creator of The Cheapskate Monthly newsletter, available at www.cheapskatemonthly.com/um. You can e-mail questions or tips at cheapskate@unitedmedia.com or Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. All correspondence becomes the property of Cheapskate Monthly.

Body scrubbers find new use among tips from savvy readers

THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM PRINTED VERSION

This week's reader tips run the gamut from cleaning the shower to making inexpensive coffee drinks to saving money on watch batteries. Enjoy!Tub scrub

When it's time to replace my shower body scrubber, I don't throw the old one away. I use it to scrub the shower and tub. It cleans very well, does not scratch and eliminates the need to purchase something else to clean the shower. -- Deborah G., via e-mail

A real shoe-off

I have lots of kitchen utensils and a very small kitchen. I bought a cloth shoe bag with 16 large pockets. I hung it on the wall at the entry to my kitchen. I can neatly store everything within easy reach and the tools are no longer in a jumbled mess. -- Maggie A., California

Renew-a-screw

To tighten screws that have worked their way loose because the hole has been enlarged, take the loose screw out and break off a toothpick in the hole even with the surface. Replace the screw and tighten it down and it will be good as new. -- Tracy, via e-mail

Coffee on the cheap

I work at a cafe, and the prices that people will pay for a fancy coffee drink surprise me. One of my favorites is a white mocha. That is white hot chocolate mix and espresso. Here's what I do to make my own at home: I buy Nesquik Very Vanilla, add nonfat milk, heat it up in the microwave, then add a scoop of instant coffee. For the chocolate version, substitute chocolate Nesquik. I still get the caffeine and my sweet tooth is definitely satisfied. -- Lauren G., New York

Drop tablecloth

When I paint a room, I don't buy those cheap, giant-sized pieces of plastic that move around on me, nor do I buy the expensive canvas drop cloths. I use oblong vinyl tablecloths with the flannel backing. The backing grabs the carpet so the drop cloth stays put. It has some weight to it, so it is not flimsy. So, if you have a big spill, you don't have to gather up a huge, giant piece of plastic, you are just gathering up a 60-inch by 80-inch oblong tablecloth. Vinyl tablecloths are available for next to nothing at the dollar store or Wal-Mart. They work like a dream and can be used over and again! -- Janette M., Missouri

Watching battery use

I recently spent about $50 to have batteries replaced in all my dead watches. I love watches and have many, but the batteries are always dead when I decide I want to wear one that has been sitting in a drawer since I paid all that money to have the battery replaced. A friend suggested to simply pull the stem out before putting a watch away in the drawer. This disengages the battery. Then, when I want to wear one, I just reset the time, push in the stem and I'm good to go. This is going to save me a lot of money and time. -- Debbie B., Maryland

Safeguard against stains

Safeguard bar soap will take out many stains that will not come out with ordinary laundry detergent. I washed a spaghetti sauce stain from my son's white jacket, but the stain remained. I rubbed the stain with Safeguard soap and it began to disappear. A couple of applications of the soap and the stain was gone. I've tried it for getting makeup off clothes, and it works for that as well. -- Sharon W., North Carolina

Mary Hunt is the creator of The Cheapskate Monthly newsletter, available at www.cheapskatemonthly.com/um. You can e-mail questions or tips at cheapskate@unitedmedia.com or Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. All correspondence becomes the property of Cheapskate Monthly.

Body scrubbers find new use among tips from savvy readers

THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM PRINTED VERSION

This week's reader tips run the gamut from cleaning the shower to making inexpensive coffee drinks to saving money on watch batteries. Enjoy!Tub scrub

When it's time to replace my shower body scrubber, I don't throw the old one away. I use it to scrub the shower and tub. It cleans very well, does not scratch and eliminates the need to purchase something else to clean the shower. -- Deborah G., via e-mail

A real shoe-off

I have lots of kitchen utensils and a very small kitchen. I bought a cloth shoe bag with 16 large pockets. I hung it on the wall at the entry to my kitchen. I can neatly store everything within easy reach and the tools are no longer in a jumbled mess. -- Maggie A., California

Renew-a-screw

To tighten screws that have worked their way loose because the hole has been enlarged, take the loose screw out and break off a toothpick in the hole even with the surface. Replace the screw and tighten it down and it will be good as new. -- Tracy, via e-mail

Coffee on the cheap

I work at a cafe, and the prices that people will pay for a fancy coffee drink surprise me. One of my favorites is a white mocha. That is white hot chocolate mix and espresso. Here's what I do to make my own at home: I buy Nesquik Very Vanilla, add nonfat milk, heat it up in the microwave, then add a scoop of instant coffee. For the chocolate version, substitute chocolate Nesquik. I still get the caffeine and my sweet tooth is definitely satisfied. -- Lauren G., New York

Drop tablecloth

When I paint a room, I don't buy those cheap, giant-sized pieces of plastic that move around on me, nor do I buy the expensive canvas drop cloths. I use oblong vinyl tablecloths with the flannel backing. The backing grabs the carpet so the drop cloth stays put. It has some weight to it, so it is not flimsy. So, if you have a big spill, you don't have to gather up a huge, giant piece of plastic, you are just gathering up a 60-inch by 80-inch oblong tablecloth. Vinyl tablecloths are available for next to nothing at the dollar store or Wal-Mart. They work like a dream and can be used over and again! -- Janette M., Missouri

Watching battery use

I recently spent about $50 to have batteries replaced in all my dead watches. I love watches and have many, but the batteries are always dead when I decide I want to wear one that has been sitting in a drawer since I paid all that money to have the battery replaced. A friend suggested to simply pull the stem out before putting a watch away in the drawer. This disengages the battery. Then, when I want to wear one, I just reset the time, push in the stem and I'm good to go. This is going to save me a lot of money and time. -- Debbie B., Maryland

Safeguard against stains

Safeguard bar soap will take out many stains that will not come out with ordinary laundry detergent. I washed a spaghetti sauce stain from my son's white jacket, but the stain remained. I rubbed the stain with Safeguard soap and it began to disappear. A couple of applications of the soap and the stain was gone. I've tried it for getting makeup off clothes, and it works for that as well. -- Sharon W., North Carolina

Mary Hunt is the creator of The Cheapskate Monthly newsletter, available at www.cheapskatemonthly.com/um. You can e-mail questions or tips at cheapskate@unitedmedia.com or Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. All correspondence becomes the property of Cheapskate Monthly.

Body scrubbers find new use among tips from savvy readers

THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM PRINTED VERSION

This week's reader tips run the gamut from cleaning the shower to making inexpensive coffee drinks to saving money on watch batteries. Enjoy!Tub scrub

When it's time to replace my shower body scrubber, I don't throw the old one away. I use it to scrub the shower and tub. It cleans very well, does not scratch and eliminates the need to purchase something else to clean the shower. -- Deborah G., via e-mail

A real shoe-off

I have lots of kitchen utensils and a very small kitchen. I bought a cloth shoe bag with 16 large pockets. I hung it on the wall at the entry to my kitchen. I can neatly store everything within easy reach and the tools are no longer in a jumbled mess. -- Maggie A., California

Renew-a-screw

To tighten screws that have worked their way loose because the hole has been enlarged, take the loose screw out and break off a toothpick in the hole even with the surface. Replace the screw and tighten it down and it will be good as new. -- Tracy, via e-mail

Coffee on the cheap

I work at a cafe, and the prices that people will pay for a fancy coffee drink surprise me. One of my favorites is a white mocha. That is white hot chocolate mix and espresso. Here's what I do to make my own at home: I buy Nesquik Very Vanilla, add nonfat milk, heat it up in the microwave, then add a scoop of instant coffee. For the chocolate version, substitute chocolate Nesquik. I still get the caffeine and my sweet tooth is definitely satisfied. -- Lauren G., New York

Drop tablecloth

When I paint a room, I don't buy those cheap, giant-sized pieces of plastic that move around on me, nor do I buy the expensive canvas drop cloths. I use oblong vinyl tablecloths with the flannel backing. The backing grabs the carpet so the drop cloth stays put. It has some weight to it, so it is not flimsy. So, if you have a big spill, you don't have to gather up a huge, giant piece of plastic, you are just gathering up a 60-inch by 80-inch oblong tablecloth. Vinyl tablecloths are available for next to nothing at the dollar store or Wal-Mart. They work like a dream and can be used over and again! -- Janette M., Missouri

Watching battery use

I recently spent about $50 to have batteries replaced in all my dead watches. I love watches and have many, but the batteries are always dead when I decide I want to wear one that has been sitting in a drawer since I paid all that money to have the battery replaced. A friend suggested to simply pull the stem out before putting a watch away in the drawer. This disengages the battery. Then, when I want to wear one, I just reset the time, push in the stem and I'm good to go. This is going to save me a lot of money and time. -- Debbie B., Maryland

Safeguard against stains

Safeguard bar soap will take out many stains that will not come out with ordinary laundry detergent. I washed a spaghetti sauce stain from my son's white jacket, but the stain remained. I rubbed the stain with Safeguard soap and it began to disappear. A couple of applications of the soap and the stain was gone. I've tried it for getting makeup off clothes, and it works for that as well. -- Sharon W., North Carolina

Mary Hunt is the creator of The Cheapskate Monthly newsletter, available at www.cheapskatemonthly.com/um. You can e-mail questions or tips at cheapskate@unitedmedia.com or Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. All correspondence becomes the property of Cheapskate Monthly.

Body scrubbers find new use among tips from savvy readers

THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM PRINTED VERSION

This week's reader tips run the gamut from cleaning the shower to making inexpensive coffee drinks to saving money on watch batteries. Enjoy!Tub scrub

When it's time to replace my shower body scrubber, I don't throw the old one away. I use it to scrub the shower and tub. It cleans very well, does not scratch and eliminates the need to purchase something else to clean the shower. -- Deborah G., via e-mail

A real shoe-off

I have lots of kitchen utensils and a very small kitchen. I bought a cloth shoe bag with 16 large pockets. I hung it on the wall at the entry to my kitchen. I can neatly store everything within easy reach and the tools are no longer in a jumbled mess. -- Maggie A., California

Renew-a-screw

To tighten screws that have worked their way loose because the hole has been enlarged, take the loose screw out and break off a toothpick in the hole even with the surface. Replace the screw and tighten it down and it will be good as new. -- Tracy, via e-mail

Coffee on the cheap

I work at a cafe, and the prices that people will pay for a fancy coffee drink surprise me. One of my favorites is a white mocha. That is white hot chocolate mix and espresso. Here's what I do to make my own at home: I buy Nesquik Very Vanilla, add nonfat milk, heat it up in the microwave, then add a scoop of instant coffee. For the chocolate version, substitute chocolate Nesquik. I still get the caffeine and my sweet tooth is definitely satisfied. -- Lauren G., New York

Drop tablecloth

When I paint a room, I don't buy those cheap, giant-sized pieces of plastic that move around on me, nor do I buy the expensive canvas drop cloths. I use oblong vinyl tablecloths with the flannel backing. The backing grabs the carpet so the drop cloth stays put. It has some weight to it, so it is not flimsy. So, if you have a big spill, you don't have to gather up a huge, giant piece of plastic, you are just gathering up a 60-inch by 80-inch oblong tablecloth. Vinyl tablecloths are available for next to nothing at the dollar store or Wal-Mart. They work like a dream and can be used over and again! -- Janette M., Missouri

Watching battery use

I recently spent about $50 to have batteries replaced in all my dead watches. I love watches and have many, but the batteries are always dead when I decide I want to wear one that has been sitting in a drawer since I paid all that money to have the battery replaced. A friend suggested to simply pull the stem out before putting a watch away in the drawer. This disengages the battery. Then, when I want to wear one, I just reset the time, push in the stem and I'm good to go. This is going to save me a lot of money and time. -- Debbie B., Maryland

Safeguard against stains

Safeguard bar soap will take out many stains that will not come out with ordinary laundry detergent. I washed a spaghetti sauce stain from my son's white jacket, but the stain remained. I rubbed the stain with Safeguard soap and it began to disappear. A couple of applications of the soap and the stain was gone. I've tried it for getting makeup off clothes, and it works for that as well. -- Sharon W., North Carolina

Mary Hunt is the creator of The Cheapskate Monthly newsletter, available at www.cheapskatemonthly.com/um. You can e-mail questions or tips at cheapskate@unitedmedia.com or Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. All correspondence becomes the property of Cheapskate Monthly.