NBA Standings

All Times EDT

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic Division

W L Pct GB

y-Boston 56 19 .747 _

Philadelphia 37 35 .514 17 1/2

New Jersey 30 44 .405 25 1/2

New York 29 45 .392 26 1/2

Toronto 28 45 .384 27

Southeast Division

W L Pct GB

y-Orlando …

Eagles rough up Cowboys

PHILADELPHIA NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue watched the DallasCowboys and Philadelphia Eagles misbehaving Sunday.

While the Eagles beat the Cowboys 20-10, the officials assessed21 penalties for 177 yards. The penalty yardage didn't include fiveunnecessary roughness calls that were offsetting.

Tagliabue said his attendance had nothing to do with thecash-bounty charges last month between the teams.

After the final gun, fans pelted departing Dallas coach JimmyJohnson with snowballs.

Johnson had charged Eagles coach Buddy Ryan with placing cashbounties on Cowboy quarterback Troy Aikman and kicker Luis Zendejas.The charges later were dismissed by …

GM says to cut $11B in debt, pension obligations

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors Co. says it will cut its debt and pension obligations by $11 billion.

The announcement comes as GM prepares for an initial public sale of company stock.

GM says it will reduce its obligations by buying $2.1 billion worth of preferred stock from the U.S. government. The automaker says it will buy the preferred shares after the initial public …

Police: No bomb found in van in Times Square

New York City's Times Square has been reopened to traffic after a bomb squad found no explosive devices in an abandoned van parked in the area.

The squad used a robot-based camera to approach the vehicle and open it Wednesday. Police say they found clothing inside.

The area around 42nd Street between Seventh Avenue and Broadway was briefly blocked off as a precaution, and two high-rise buildings …

Pupils learn to run a company

Patchway High School and engineering giant Rolls-Royce have joinedforces to pioneer a new business …

Recommended management for breast lumps

The plan of management for breast lumps recommended by Dr. Mahoney and his colleagues (see page 476) is reasonable. Considering that most breast lumps are not cancerous, primary care physicians should be able to carry out the initial management of such lumps, including needle aspiration.

If a woman has felt a lump in her breast, her physician should ask her to demonstrate it before concluding that there is or is not a lump present. In my experience this action has led me to discover lumps that I initially could not detect.

If the physician cannot feel a lump, I believe that diagnostic mammography should be encouraged, with a follow-up visit in 4 to 6 months, in all women …

Australian rugby league results

Result of Wednesday's Australian rugby league match:

State of Origin

…

Current resident of Ali's boyhood home doesn't mind the curious

LOUISVILLE, KY. -- Muhammad Ali was reared in a modest shotgunhouse at 3302 W. Grand Ave. in the West End neighborhood ofLouisville. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., on Jan. 17, 1942, inLouisville General Hospital, he was about 5 when his family movedhere from 1121 W. Oak St. across town.

Maurice Patterson and his family have been living in the historicGrand Avenue home for five months.

"When I moved in, the landlord told me Muhammad Ali grew up here,"Patterson said during a recent impromptu interview on his frontporch.

I had merely walked up to the house and knocked on Patterson'sdoor. His son, Maurice, 8, and his nephew, Cameron, 6, were playingin the …

Linking Active Living and Nutrition Counselling: Dietitians' Perceptions

Abstract

Healthy eating and active living have become key concepts in health promotion, and, increasingly, the two messages are being combined. Dietitians are in an ideal position to promote physical activity as an adjunct to nutrition counselling. Focus group interviews were used to identify dietitians' perceptions and needs related to incorporating active living messages into their practices. Six focus groups, involving 42 participants (40 registered dietitians and two dietetic interns), were conducted in cities throughout Alberta. Issues explored during the interviews included the dietitian's role in promoting active living, barriers to promoting physical activity, opportunities …

Portsmouth defender Belhadj signs permanent deal

Portsmouth defender Nadir Belhadj has signed a 4 1/2-year contract after a successful loan spell at Fratton Park.

The Premier League club agreed a fee of euro4.5 million ($6.4 million) with French side Lens for the 26-year-old Algeria international, who has scored twice in 23 appearances since making his debut in September.

"Nadir is an excellent acquisition …

Kaneland's Rink shows concentration pays off

Great athletes are made, not born. Take Kaneland junior KerryRink, for example.

Since winning the Class A title in the 800-meter run last May,Rink underwent intense self-evaluation and the result was athird-place finish in the state cross-country meet and an impressiveshowing as a guard for Kaneland's conference basketball champion.

And she is heavily favored to repeat in the 800 this spring.She flashed her potential Saturday by winning the 800 in 2:19.3 atthe Kaneland invitational, well ahead of her pace of a year ago.

"She is a real scrapper," said Kaneland basketball coach DickRink, who also is Kerry's father. "And it's her talent and herrealization …

Trade deficit narrows to $42.8 billion in July

WASHINGTON (AP) — The trade deficit narrowed significantly in July as exports climbed to the highest level in nearly two years, reflecting big gains in sales of U.S.-made airplanes and other manufactured goods while imports declined.

The July deficit fell 14 percent to $42.8 billion, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. That was much lower than economists had forecast. The lower trade deficit should give a boost to overall economic growth.

Exports rose 1.8 percent to $153.3 billion, the best showing since August 2008, as sales of jetliners, industrial machinery, computers and telecommunications equipment all posted large gains. Imports, which had been surging, dropped …

Safety tip for extension cord use

Tips and tricks gleaned from programming on Home & GardenTelevision:

When you're using extension cords with electric tools, theysometimes come unplugged - which can be dangerous in the middle of ajob. To prevent this, tie the two cords together in a simple knotabout 10 inches down from the ends, leaving enough excess to join theplugs. When you pull on the cord, the tension will be on the knotand the cords won't come unplugged.

Kitty litter and you. Use cat litter to absorb spilled oil.Pour it evenly over the spill, let it soak up the oil, then sweep upthe litter.Name your price. A good place to start when deciding on aselling price for your home is to ask your agent for a list of allresale values of the homes in your neighborhood. This will give youa realistic starting price.And remember to picture yourself as the buyer. What price wouldyou be willing to pay for the home?Something rotten. Decks take a lot of wear and tear. Seasonchanges can cause the wood to crack. It's a good idea toperiodically check for rotten wood. Jab the blunt end of ascrewdriver into a plank.If it goes into the wood easily, the wood is rotted and it istime for a deck make over.

Pro-lifers get an elephantine boost: A TV documentary from inside animal wombs raises questions

WHEN does an elephant become an elephant? That is the question. Atleast it's the one that popped into my mind as I viewed images froman upcoming National Geographic documentary: "In the Womb: Animals."

The film, scheduled to air Dec. 10, may be the best weapon yet forthe pro-life movement. That wasn't the purpose of the documentary -the first ever to record animals in the womb - but these images ofgestating life pack a powerful wallop.

The mind makes a natural leap to questions of how we consider andtreat the pre-born.

Let's just say that the thought of aborting a baby elephant, evenin the earliest gestational stages, is repugnant in a way thattranscends intellectual arguments about constitutional rights toprivacy.

The images were captured with 4-D ultrasound scans and enhancedwith computer graphics. In the elephant's case, suffice it to saythey took a backdoor approach.

Nice elephant.

Other stars of the film are a puppy and a dolphin. We watch thegolden retriever fetus perform full-grown dog behaviors in the womb,a dolphin learn to swim inside its mother, and the elephant grow froma single cell to a 260-pound, well, elephant.

Seeing similar images of a human fetus - blinking, sucking histhumb and responding to sounds - is equally amazing, of course. Butsomething about these animals in utero breathes fresh air into thelife debate.

Why? Because they're so adorable, helpless and vulnerable.

It's the puppy reflex. With the exception of the occasional massmurderer, people see a puppy and go Awwww. They want to cuddle it.

Most people have the same reflex with human babies, too, but as asociety, we've managed to emotionally distance ourselves from thehuman fetus. To think of it as cute or human would make abortion amuch tougher choice.

Within the context of abortion, ultrasounds of human fetuses are,in fact, controversial. Pro-life pregnancy counselors are consideredmanipulative and intimidating when they show a pregnant womanconsidering abortion an ultrasound of her fetus.

Pro-choice advocates recently protested when President Bushappointed Massachusetts OB-GYN Eric Keroack to the federal family-planning office - in part because of his connection to a pregnancycounseling service that offers ultrasound imaging.

To be fair, Keroack does have some odd ideas. He contends, forexample, that contraception is damaging to women because it thwartstheir procreative power.

He also has compared premarital sex to drug addiction and saysit's damaging to marriage.

Whether premarital sex is addictive, I can't say, but marriage iscertainly an effective antidote.

Keroack's opposition to birth control is problematic, given thathis job involves administering funds to groups that provide birthcontrol, primarily to low-income women.

Otherwise, his ideas about pregnancy counseling are sensible. I'velong argued that education is the best tool in reducing abortion.Show girls and women their child in utero and abortion will eliminateitself.

Now we have another tool. That is, if we're really serious aboutreducing abortion. Take "In the Womb" to every classroom in Americaand let students do their own free-associating.

When the tears are dry - audiences reportedly weep at this film -abortion will seem inconceivable. Who could destroy an unborn puppy?

We Americans are suckers for animals, often displaying greaterempathy for them than for people.

Be honest. In movie battle scenes, whose deaths bother you more -men's or the horses'?

Thought so.

Walt Disney figured this out a long time ago. He anthropomorphizeda cartoon creature named Bambi and deer hunters have been despisedever since. Show children and teenagers Dumbo, Flipper and Old Yellerin the womb, and they'll extrapolate all by themselves. No fire andbrimstone necessary.

Adults, ever effective in obfuscating the obvious, apparently havea tougher time. Recently, a federal appeals court heard argumentsaimed at the essential life question: When does a human being becomea human being?

The case was related to a South Dakota "informed consent" law thatwould have required doctors to tell women contemplating abortion thatthe operation would "terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique,living human being."

The court ruled 2-1 against enforcement of the law.

We may not be able to define when a human being becomes a humanbeing, but even children know this much: An elephant doesn't becomean elephant without first being a single cell.

Parker may be reached by e-mail at kparker@kparker.com..

Israel misses target, kills innocent man 26 bystanders injured as Hamas gunmen escape missile attack

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip--Israel accelerated its deadly campaignagainst militants Tuesday, killing a water-pipe vendor in a botchedmissile strike against Hamas gunmen in the Gaza Strip that alsowounded 26 bystanders.

Three Hamas members managed to flee their car in a crowded GazaCity street before the missiles hit, witnesses said. Five childrenwere among the wounded, doctors said.

Israel has killed seven militants in two missile raids in Gaza andstepped up military operations in the West Bank since 21 people diedin a Hamas suicide bombing on a Jerusalem bus last week. Hours beforethe Gaza Strike, Israeli soldiers dressed as Arabs snatched twowounded militants, one involved in a suicide bombing, from their bedsin a West Bank hospital.

The violence has frozen progress on the U.S.-backed "road map"peace plan and exposed the reluctance of Palestinian Prime MinisterMahmoud Abbas to confront the armed groups.

The Israeli crackdown, backed by warnings that every militant ismarked for death, has also forced members of Hamas and other groupsto go deeper into hiding. Hamas members said they were changing theirappearances--shaving beards, losing weight, even wearing women'srobes. Leaflets hung in mosques throughout the Gaza Strip instructedHamas activists to take precautions--such as not traveling in groups,avoiding use of their telephones--so as not to present easy targets.

In the latest Israeli operation, a helicopter fired three missilesat a car stuck in a traffic jam on a crowded residential street justnorth of Gaza City, near the Jebaliya refugee camp.

"The people in the car jumped out and ran in two differentdirections" after one rocket hit near the front of the white car,said Shadi Tayan, who owns a bookstore in the area. After the menfled, two more missiles hit.

Hamas sources said the car was carrying three of its members,including Khaled Masoud, the brother of a Hamas military wingcommander killed in an Israeli raid in Gaza three months ago. Theysaid Masoud was wounded in the strike. An Israeli security officialsaid Masoud was responsible for building crude rockets of the typeregularly fired into Israel and Jewish settlements in Gaza--almostinvariably missing their targets.

The dead man, Hassan Hamlawi, 65, had been sitting outside hiswater-pipe shop when the missiles hit nearby. Blood stained thesidewalk amid the scattered plastic chairs in front of the store.

Israel says it has no choice but to hunt down militants becausePalestinian leaders have not dismantled the armed groups--a keyrequirement of the peace plan.

"Israel has taken a dangerous decision to continue thisassassination policy," Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas'security chief, Mohammed Dahlan, said in a statement. "They wantthere to be a civil war between the Palestinians." AP

Paris Sent Back to Jail in Hysterics

LOS ANGELES - She was taken handcuffed and crying from her home. She was escorted into court disheveled, without makeup, hair askew and face red with tears.

Crying out for her mother when she was ordered back to jail, Paris Hilton's cool, glamorous image evaporated Friday as she gave the impression of a little girl lost in a merciless legal system.

"It's not right!" shouted the weeping Hilton. "Mom!" she called out to Kathy Hilton, who also was in tears.

The 26-year-old hotel heiress tried to move toward her parents but was steered away by two sheriff's deputies, who held her by each arm and hustled her from the courtroom.

Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer was apparently unmoved by the pleas of Hilton's lawyers to send her back to home confinement because of an unspecified medical condition. He ordered Hilton returned to a Los Angeles County jail to serve the rest of her 45-day sentence for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.

The judge gave no explanation for his ruling. But his comments showed he was affronted by county Sheriff Lee Baca's decision to set aside his instructions and release Hilton after three days in jail to finish her time in the luxury of her Hollywood Hills home.

Her lawyers said the reason for her release was an unspecified medical condition. The judge suggested that could be taken care of at jail medical facilities.

After the hearing, Hilton was taken to a correctional treatment center at the downtown Twin Towers jail for medical and psychiatric examination to determine which facility she will be held in, said sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore.

"She'll be there for at least a couple of days," he said.

The sheriff defended his decision, citing jail crowding - although Hilton was in a special unit and did not have a cellmate - and what he termed "severe medical problems."

He said he had learned from one of her doctors that she was not taking a certain medication while previously in custody, and that her "inexplicable deterioration" puzzled county psychiatrists.

Baca also charged that Hilton received a more severe sentence than the usual penalty for such a crime, which he said would have been either no jail time or direct placement in home confinement with electronic monitoring.

"The only thing I can detect as special treatment is the amount of her sentence," the sheriff said.

But he said he would not try to overrule the judge's decision again.

Hilton's jailhouse saga began Sept. 7, when she failed a sobriety test after police saw her weaving down a street in her Mercedes-Benz on what she said was a late-night hamburger run.

She pleaded no contest to reckless driving and was sentenced to 36 months' probation, alcohol education and $1,500 in fines. In the months that followed she was stopped twice while driving on a suspended license. The second stop landed her in Sauer's courtroom.

After being taken to court Friday in a black-and-white police car, paparazzi sprinting in pursuit and helicopters broadcasting live from above, Hilton entered the courtroom weeping and continued to cry throughout the hearing, which lasted more than an hour.

Her blond hair was pulled back in a disheveled knot, in contrast to the glamorous side-swept style in her booking photo earlier in the week. She was wrapped in a long, gray fuzzy sweat shirt over slacks.

Several times she turned to her parents, seated behind her in the courtroom, and mouthed, "I love you." At one point, she made the sign of the cross and appeared to be praying.

Her body shook constantly as she cried, clutching a ball of tissue, tears running down her face.

Seconds later, the judge announced his decision: "The defendant is remanded to county jail to serve the remainder of her 45-day sentence. This order is forthwith."

Hilton screamed.

Eight deputies immediately ordered all spectators out of the courtroom. Hilton's mother, Kathy, threw her arms around her husband, Rick, and sobbed uncontrollably.

Deputies escorted Hilton out of the room, holding each of her arms as she looked back.

Despite being reincarcerated, she could still be released early. Inmates are given a day off their terms for every four days of good behavior, and her days in home detention counted as custody days. It appeared that Friday would count as her sixth day. Baca indicated she would serve about 18 more days.

Friday's hearing was delayed by a misunderstanding. Hilton apparently thought she was going to be able to participate from home by telephone. But the judge, who had not authorized that, angrily denounced a media outlet for spreading the rumor, although a court spokesman also gave that information to news media. He ordered sheriff's deputies to go to Hilton's home and take her to court. The process took nearly two hours.

Once the hearing began, Sauer was blunt in his criticism of the sheriff for disobeying his orders, which specifically banned home confinement with electronic monitoring.

"I at no time condoned the actions of the sheriff and at no time told him I approved the actions," he said. "At no time did I approve the defendant being released from custody to her home."

The hearing was requested by the city attorney's office, which had prosecuted Hilton and wanted Baca held in contempt for releasing Hilton despite Sauer's order that she go to jail. The judge didn't act on the contempt request.

Hilton's attorney, Richard Hutton, implored the judge to hear testimony in his chambers about Hilton's medical condition before deciding whether to send her to jail. The judge did not respond.

The last lawyer to speak was a deputy city attorney, David Bozanich, who declared: "This is a simple case. There was a court. The Sheriff's Department chose to violate that order. There is no ambiguity."

---

Associated Press writer John Rogers in Los Angeles contributed to the report.

Pageant Rules Miss N.J. Can Keep Crown

OCEAN CITY, N.J. - Miss New Jersey can keep her crown despite photos that show her acting "not in a ladylike manner."

Hours after a nervous Amy Polumbo went public Thursday with photos of herself that had been sent anonymously to pageant officials, those officials decided the pictures did not merit stripping her of the title.

"I'm very happy about this decision, and I look forward to resuming my agenda as Miss New Jersey," said a smiling Polumbo, who blew kisses to audience members during the announcement.

The beauty pageant winner apologized for the trouble the pictures had caused and thanked the pageant board for its support.

"I want to thank the public," Polumbo said. "I also want to thank God for getting me through this."

The pictures include one showing what Polumbo said was her boyfriend apparently biting her breast through her shirt, another of Polumbo in a limousine wearing jeans with her legs spread in the air and another of her in what appears to be a Halloween costume dress holding two small pumpkins up to her breasts.

"It's not in a ladylike manner. I'm not a robot. I'm a human being," Polumbo said.

There were also photos of Polumbo drinking, but the 22-year-old college student said she was of legal age when they were taken.

Polumbo earlier said she didn't think the pictures should lead to the loss of her crown but said other people might interpret them differently.

"What I think is OK, someone else's eyebrows could be raised," she said.

Polumbo's lawyer, Anthony Caruso, said that a person or persons claiming to be The Committee to Save Miss America threatened to make the photos public unless she resigned her title.

Polumbo will represent the Garden State in the next Miss America pageant, which has yet to be scheduled.

Syrian activists on 2-day hunger strike

KILIS, Turkey (AP) — Scores of activists are staging a two-day hunger strike near the border with Syria to protest the Syrian government's refusal to allow them entry to deliver aid and medical supplies for victims of the deadly crackdown on dissidents.

Moayed Skaif, a member of the "Freedom Convoy" said Friday group members are refusing food in a bid to protest Syria and to force Turkey into pressuring Syrian authorities into allowing the aid.

The activists — mostly Syrians who traveled from the United States and elsewhere — have set up tents in a makeshift campsite some 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the border after Syria denied them and their aid entry.

The U.N. estimates more than 5,000 people have died in Syria since the uprising began there in March.

Teen Shot by Police Stun Gun Dies

JERSEYVILLE, Ill. - A teenager carrying a Bible and shouting "I want Jesus" was shot twice with a police stun gun and later died at a St. Louis hospital, authorities said.

In a statement obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, police in Jerseyville, about 40 miles north of St. Louis, said 17-year-old Roger Holyfield would not acknowledge officers who approached him and he continued yelling, "I want Jesus."

Police tried to calm the teen, but Holyfield became combative, according to the statement. Officers fired the stun gun at him after he ignored their warnings, then fired again when he continued struggling, police said.

Holyfield was flown to St. Louis' Cardinal Glennon Hospital after the confrontation Saturday; he died there Sunday, police said.

An autopsy was planned for Tuesday.

The statement expressed sympathy to Holyfield's family but said city and police officials would not discuss the matter further.

Calls Tuesday to Jerseyville Police Chief Brad Blackorby were not immediately returned. The department has been using stun guns for about five months, according to the statement.

In a report released in March, international human rights group Amnesty International said it had logged at least 156 deaths across the country in the previous five years related to police stun guns.

The rise in deaths accompanies a marked increase in the number of U.S. law enforcement agencies employing devices made by Taser International Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz. About 1,000 of the nation's 18,000 police agencies used Tasers in 2001; more than 7,000 departments had them last year, according to a government study.

Police had used Tasers more than 70,000 times as of last year, Congress' Government Accountability Office said.

Amnesty International has urged police departments to suspend the use of Tasers pending more study. Taser International said the group's count was flawed and falsely linked deaths to Taser use when there has been no such official conclusion.

The city of St. Louis also drew unwanted attention for crime this week when it was named the most dangerous U.S. city by Morgan Quitno Press. The ranking looked only at crime within St. Louis city limits, not its metro area.

---

On the Net:

Taser International, http://www.taser.com

British judges hear riot sentencing appeals

LONDON (AP) — Judges in London are hearing appeals from 10 individuals jailed for involvement in the rioting and looting that hit Britain in August.

The defendants are arguing against what they deem "excessive" sentences. They include two men sentenced to four years in prison for setting up Facebook pages inciting others to riot.

More than 1,700 people have been charged and nearly 200 jailed for offenses connected to the riots that started in London and spread to several other English cities.

Three judges at London's Court of Appeal will hear the cases Tuesday and decide whether the sentences handed down were proportionate to the crime.

The judges are not expected to rule until a later date.

UK oil regulator: Safety record is not good enough

LONDON (AP) — Britain's oil and gas industry must improve standards after a rise in the number of leaks from oil rigs operating in British waters, the country's safety regulator said in a report Tuesday.

The Health and Safety Executive said it had also recorded a major rise in the number of serious injuries on about 300 offshore oil and gas installations covered under an annual safety report.

Figures showed there were 85 major accidental leaks in the most recent year, compared to 61 a year earlier. The leaks can be precursors to a major spill.

The safety of offshore oil drilling has come under greater scrutiny since the disastrous leak on the BP rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

The annual report showed there were no deaths last year on rigs or platforms, but 50 major injuries — up from 30 the year before. In an incident not covered by the safety report, 16 people died in a helicopter crash on a journey from a gas facility to Aberdeen, Scotland, in April of last year.

According to the report, more than half of serious injuries in the last year onboard rigs and platforms were the result of falls, slips or tripping over.

"This year's overall health and safety picture is simply not good enough. The industry has shown it can do better and it must do in future," said Steve Walker, head of the regulator's offshore division.

Walker said there were serious concerns over the rise in leaks on installations in the North Sea, off the coast of Britain.

"I am particularly disappointed, and concerned, that major and significant hydrocarbon releases are up by more than a third on last year," Walker said. "This is a key indicator of how well the offshore industry is managing its major accident potential, and it really must up its game to identify and rectify the root causes of such events."

Oil and Gas U.K., an industry representative organization, said the number of leaks were a concern and members would examine how to improve safety.

"The industry will now reflect on these statistics and seek a way forward, by identifying the things which we can do better," said Robert Paterson, director of health, safety and employment for Oil and Gas U.K.

Soap opera shakes customs of Arab married life

Every evening for the past four months, a tall young man with soulful blue eyes has been stealing hearts across the Middle East, from the refugee camps of the Gaza Strip to the gated mansions of Riyadh.

But it's not just the striking good looks of Mohannad, hero of the hugely popular Turkish TV soap "Noor," that appeal to female viewers. He's romantic, attentive to his wife, Noor, supportive of her independence and ambitions as a fashion designer _ in short, a rare gem for women in conservative, male-dominated surroundings.

"Noor" delivers an idealized portrayal of modern married life as equal partnership _ clashing with the norms of traditional Middle Eastern societies where elders often have the final word on whom a woman should marry and many are still confined to the role of wife and mother.

Some Muslim preachers in the West Bank and Saudi Arabia have taken notice, saying the show is un-Islamic and urging the faithful to change channels. But all the same, the show may be planting seeds of change.

"I told my husband, `learn from him (Mohannad) how he treats her, how he loves her, how he cares about her," said Heba Hamdan, 24, a housewife visiting the West Bank from Amman, Jordan. Married straight out of college, she said the show inspired her to go out and look for a job.

"Noor" seems particularly effective in changing attitudes because it offers new content in a familiar setting: Turkey is a Muslim country, inviting stronger viewer identification than Western TV imports. The characters in "Noor" observe the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and Mohannad and Noor were married in a match arranged by his grandfather.

But it also upholds secular liberties: Protagonists have a drink with dinner and sex outside marriage. Mohannad, while faithful to Noor, had a child with a former girlfriend, and a cousin underwent an abortion.

The nightly soap opera "shows that there are Muslims who live differently," said Islah Jad, a professor of women's studies at the West Bank's Bir Zeit University.

The show's Turkish producer, Kemal Uzun, added: "We are a little more open, not as conservative as some of these countries, and I think this might have some appeal for the audience."

Even though some of the racier scenes are sanitized for Arab consumption, clerics have been sermonizing against "Noor." "This series collides with our Islamic religion, values and traditions," warned Hamed Bitawi, a lawmaker of the Islamic militant Hamas and preacher in the West Bank city of Nablus.

But the purists seem powerless to halt the "Noor" craze.

In Saudi Arabia, the only country with ratings, about three to four million people watch daily, out of a population of nearly 28 million, according to MBC, the Saudi-owned satellite channel that airs the show dubbed into Arabic for Middle East audiences.

In the West Bank and Gaza, streets are deserted during show time and socializing is timed around it. In Riyadh, the Saudi capital, and in Hebron, the West Bank's most conservative city, maternity wards report a rise in babies named Noor and Mohannad. A West Bank poster vendor has ditched Yasser Arafat and Saddam Hussein for Noor and Mohannad.

Jaro's Clothing Store in Gaza City is doing brisk business in copies of blouses seen on the show, including a sleeveless metallic number adapted to Gaza standards by being worn over a long-sleeved leotard.

Producer Uzun said the Istanbul villa on the Bosporus, fictional home of Mohannad's upper-class clan, has been rented by tour operators and turned into a temporary museum for Arab visitors.

A recent cartoon in the Saudi paper Al-Riyadh showed a plain-looking man marching into a plastic surgeon's office with a picture of Mohannad with his designer stubble. (Kivanc Tatlitug, who plays Mohannad, is an ex-basketball player who won the 2002 "Best Model of the World" award.)

In the West Bank city of Nablus, civil servant Mohammed Daraghmeh said he had MBC blocked at home so his kids couldn't watch, but the family vowed to watch it at an uncle's house and he backed down.

In Hamas-ruled Gaza, keeping up with "Noor" is a challenge.

Power goes out frequently because of a yearlong blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt after the violent Hamas takeover. When a blackout disrupts viewing, many set their alarms to catch the pre-dawn repeat.

In the Shati refugee camp, several teenage girls huddled around an old TV set recently, trying to follow the action despite overflights by pilotless Israeli aircraft that can scramble reception.

Ala Hamami, 17, wearing a black robe and head scarf, said she looks up to Noor because she is independent.

"This series gives strength to women in the future," said Hamami, although she was set on a very traditional path _ she had just gotten engaged in an arranged match.

The cultural divide between modern Turkey and traditional Gaza became apparent in a scene where Mohannad and Noor, played by Songul Oden, both end up hospitalized. The girls giggled and Hamami quickly changed channels when Mohannad entered his wife's room and lay beside her to comfort her. The display of physical contact clearly made her uncomfortable.

Whether the "Noor" effect will be lasting is not known. The season finale falls Aug. 30, the day before Ramadan begins and religious fervor intensifies. Next up on MBC will be "Bab al-Hara," a Ramadan favorite that looks nostalgically at traditional Arab life.

___

Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey; Diaa Hadid in Jerusalem, Barbara Surk in Dubai and Donna Abu Nasr in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia contributed to this report.

Hedge fund execs have mixed views on oversight

Five prominent hedge fund managers on Thursday told Congress they support a new central exchange to open the murky world of some complex investments partly blamed for the global financial crisis, but the billionaires offered differing views on the need for stricter regulation of hedge funds themselves.

The managers testified at a House hearing examining the role of hedge funds in the crisis, and the risks that critics say they pose to the financial system. Hedge funds, vast pools of capital holding an estimated $2.5 trillion in assets, operate mostly outside of government supervision.

As the market crisis has deepened, hedge fund selling has been widely cited as one of the reasons for the increased volatility that pounded stock and bond markets last month. After terrible results for many hedge funds in recent months, some managers at the hearing acknowledged suffering losses in their highly touted funds.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is attempting to assess the role of hedge funds in the financial crisis and what could go wrong with them in the future, said its chairman, Henry Waxman, a California Democrat. "Some say hedge funds have become a shadow banking system," he said.

A new regulatory regime for hedge funds, as some lawmakers have urged, could be a pressing issue under the administration of President-elect Barack Obama. Hedge funds' wealth represents a vast source of potential tax revenue to meet demands on government spending. The political allegiances and donations of many hedge fund managers have tilted Democratic in recent years; hedge funds and Wall Street banks gave heavily to Obama's campaign.

Billionaire investor and liberal activist George Soros, who runs a hedge fund, testified that new regulations were needed to gauge the underlying financial strength of banks. But he warned against "going overboard" with regulations that could do more damage than good to the financial system.

Soros, who amassed a fortune betting on global currency markets and has given heavily to Democrats' campaigns, also criticized the Bush administration's handling of the $700 billion financial rescue program.

"A deep recession is now inevitable and the possibility of a depression cannot be ruled out," Soros predicted in his written testimony.

The five hedge fund managers each earned on average more than $1 billion last year in an industry that has become stunningly profitable and powerful. But Waxman and others noted that some of their earnings can be taxed at the 15 percent rate for capital gains, while teachers, firefighters and other ordinary Americans pay much higher rates as income taxes.

Fund manager John Paulson _ who foresaw the distress in subprime mortgages and reaped billions by betting against the related securities _ defended the tax regimen. But Soros and James Simons, president of Renaissance Technologies, said they'd be OK with the rate levied on managers who take a share of hedge fund profits being raised to 35 percent.

Hedge funds have grown explosively in recent years while operating secretively. They have lured an increasing number of ordinary investors, pension funds and university endowments _ meaning millions of people now unwittingly invest in hedge funds indirectly.

Some fund executives at the hearing voiced support for stricter disclosure requirements for hedge funds. Yet they showed greater enthusiasm for putting new, stricter rules on banks and the amount of borrowed money they should be allowed to have relative to their capital.

Kenneth Griffin, CEO and president of Citadel Investment Group, insisted that no new regulation of hedge funds was needed.

The creation of public exchanges or clearinghouses would provide needed transparency for credit default swaps and reduce financial risks, several of the fund executives said.

Credit default swaps, a roughly $60 trillion worldwide market, played a large role in the credit crisis that brought the downfall of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., a government rescue plan for giant insurer American International Group Inc., and Merrill Lynch & Co. selling itself to Bank of America Corp. The swaps are commonly used contracts to insure against the default of financial instruments such as bonds and corporate debt. But they also are bought and sold as bets against bond defaults.

Hedge funds are major purchasers of complex derivatives such as credit default swaps.

Earlier this year, the implosion of hedge funds at Bear Stearns cost investors $1.8 billion and began a domino effect that pushed the investment bank itself to the brink. It was purchased by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in March with a $29 billion federal backstop.

Hedge fund assets dropped by $100 billion in October as investors withdrew their money and funds were forced to sell stock, worsening the volatility. Roughly $60 billion of the $100 billion in asset losses came from investor redemptions, according to a report released Wednesday by Eurekahedge, a data and research provider.

Feds Investigate Mass. Indian Tribe

BOSTON - Federal agents are seeking an American Indian tribe's records in an investigation into how millions of investors' dollars were spent as the group fought for the right to build a casino, a tribal spokeswoman said Friday.

Former Mashpee Wampanoag tribe Chairman Glenn Marshall, who resigned last month after admitting he lied about his military service in Vietnam and concealed a 1981 rape conviction, is the focus of the probe, spokeswoman Amy Lambiaso said.

"It's our understanding it is an investigation into Glenn Marshall and not any of the other tribe members," she told The Associated Press.

Marshall hung up the phone when contacted by The Associated Press on Friday.

The Cape Cod Times and The Boston Globe reported on their Web sites Friday that the Internal Revenue Service is conducting the investigation. Lambiaso said she knows only that they are federal agents and did not know whether any records had been seized as of Friday afternoon.

An IRS spokeswoman didn't immediately return a call seeking comment, and spokeswomen for the U.S. attorney's office and the FBI in Boston declined to comment.

Under Marshall's leadership, the tribe recruited investors to help pay for lawyers and others to win federal recognition, which gives the tribe the right to build a casino.

Herb Strather, a Detroit real estate and casino developer, gave the tribe $8 million to move its application through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Marshall said in February, and another $5 million for land purchases.

Marshall said he hired genealogists and anthropologists to detail the tribe's history and a lawyer to fight the BIA when it waited a decade before picking up the tribe's application. He also hired a public relations consultant.

In December 2006, four members of the tribe sued in Barnstable Superior Court to force the tribal council to release financial details, alleging mismanagement. It asked the officers to account for millions of dollars given to the tribe and to explain the financial management of the tribe's land holdings.

Drug testing plan for jail workers hit

A mandatory drug testing program for 1,750 Cook County Jailemployees would be humiliating and probably not uncover chronicusers, a prominent substance abuse specialist testified yesterday.

"It may detect the person who used drugs once who just happenedto take it just before the test," said Dr. Sidney Schnoll, aprofessor of pharmacology and psychiatry at the Medical College ofVirginia.

Schnoll, who until recently was chief of a chemical dependencyunit at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, was testifying in behalf ofthe American Civil Liberties Union in a court challenge to a proposedtesting program.

The ACLU is asking U.S. District Judge Susan Getzendanner todeclare the program unconstitutional because it calls forunreasonable searches and unfairly jeopardizes an employee's job.The bench trial began yesterday.

He suggested that evidence of drug use could be discernedthrough behavior patterns like excessive absences, tardiness orineffectiveness on the job rather than through urine sampling.

Not only was it "quite embarrassing" to urinate in the presenceof someone not trained in the health care field, but it would be easyfor a drug addict to switch samples, Schnoll testified.

PGA Tour FedExCup Leaders

Rank Name Points YTD Money

1. Tiger Woods 22,695 $5,775,000

2. Kenny Perry 20,878 $4,492,300

3. Phil Mickelson 17,354 $4,344,985

4. Stewart Cink 15,126 $3,765,271

5. Anthony Kim 15,115 $3,647,365

6. Vijay Singh 15,034 $3,932,531

7. Justin Leonard 12,673 $3,122,260

8. Ryuji Imada 10,854 $2,423,877

9. Geoff Ogilvy 10,713 $2,779,954

10. Padraig Harrington 10,605 $2,947,731

11. Robert Allenby 10,402 $2,538,141

12. Boo Weekley 9,334 $2,213,032

13. Jim Furyk 9,247 $2,416,997

14. Sean O'Hair 8,877 $1,927,077

15. K.J. Choi 8,843 $2,018,942

16. D.J. Trahan 8,344 $1,857,093

17. Trevor Immelman 8,209 $2,224,809

18. Steve Stricker 7,964 $1,887,864

19. Stuart Appleby 7,963 $2,047,090

20. Sergio Garcia 7,881 $2,472,724

21. J.B. Holmes 7,643 $1,976,103

22. Chad Campbell 7,574 $1,811,616

23. Adam Scott 7,558 $1,948,430

24. Jeff Quinney 7,329 $1,975,705

25. Stephen Ames 6,913 $1,835,422

26. Hunter Mahan 6,903 $1,682,996

27. Bart Bryant 6,901 $1,648,757

28. Ernie Els 6,870 $1,749,465

29. Rod Pampling 6,856 $1,643,448

30. Woody Austin 6,762 $1,618,527

31. Chez Reavie 6,434 $1,346,031

32. Daniel Chopra 6,375 $1,573,017

33. Billy Mayfair 6,346 $1,350,593

34. Steve Marino 6,329 $1,460,390

35. Andres Romero 6,269 $1,664,919

36. Briny Baird 6,260 $1,622,004

37. Steve Lowery 6,164 $1,475,611

38. Brian Gay 6,026 $1,486,883

39. Luke Donald 6,001 $1,456,650

40. Mike Weir 5,930 $1,482,619

41. Jerry Kelly 5,871 $1,403,762

42. Tommy Armour III 5,671 $1,392,366

43. Lee Westwood 5,626 $1,550,880

44. Fredrik Jacobson 5,586 $1,351,073

45. Johnson Wagner 5,553 $1,293,141

46. Heath Slocum 5,503 $1,332,727

47. Parker McLachlin 5,502 $1,280,940

48. Nicholas Thompson 5,467 $1,294,663

49. Bubba Watson 5,382 $1,186,093

50. Brandt Snedeker 5,371 $1,385,613

51. Rory Sabbatini 5,370 $1,249,714

52. Kevin Sutherland 5,357 $1,195,832

53. Aaron Baddeley 5,355 $1,237,537

54. Carl Pettersson 5,248 $1,231,725

55. Peter Lonard 5,146 $1,266,766

56. Retief Goosen 5,143 $1,374,965

57. Rocco Mediate 5,098 $1,360,575

58. Pat Perez 5,050 $1,222,480

59. Ken Duke 4,991 $1,215,960

60. Ben Crane 4,971 $1,247,343

61. Camilo Villegas 4,931 $1,166,641

62. Ian Poulter 4,920 $1,449,389

63. Dudley Hart 4,798 $1,144,163

64. Tom Pernice, Jr. 4,765 $1,101,244

65. John Merrick 4,722 $1,175,347

66. Ben Curtis 4,685 $1,206,565

67. Dean Wilson 4,566 $1,202,666

68. Ryan Moore 4,560 $1,122,631

69. Nick O'Hern 4,520 $1,139,647

70. Steve Elkington 4,513 $1,038,609

71. Cliff Kresge 4,487 $1,068,207

72. Mathew Goggin 4,457 $1,037,456

73. Paul Goydos 4,415 $1,390,217

74. Charlie Wi 4,270 $930,869

75. Tim Clark 4,258 $1,010,792

76. Charles Howell III 4,164 $1,017,151

77. John Senden 4,131 $941,303

78. Matt Kuchar 4,084 $994,488

79. John Rollins 4,074 $955,372

80. Kevin Na 4,052 $919,722

81. Jonathan Byrd 4,011 $959,298

82. Brian Davis 3,916 $902,135

83. Corey Pavin 3,846 $897,742

84. Fred Couples 3,837 $920,223

85. Alex Cejka 3,802 $893,998

86. John Mallinger 3,734 $876,298

87. Brad Adamonis 3,707 $729,156

88. Nathan Green 3,698 $831,590

89. Mark Wilson 3,612 $895,728

90. Jason Bohn 3,582 $866,786

91. Justin Rose 3,563 $871,129

92. Troy Matteson 3,477 $792,131

93. Scott Verplank 3,412 $869,737

94. Eric Axley 3,391 $730,725

95. Lucas Glover 3,346 $778,137

96. Greg Kraft 3,319 $958,879

97. George McNeill 3,292 $798,115

98. Michael Letzig 3,279 $728,985

99. Matt Jones 3,273 $703,000

100. Jay Williamson 3,212 $613,708

101. Charley Hoffman 3,189 $733,269

102. Mark Calcavecchia 3,180 $755,928

103. Paul Casey 3,175 $804,982

104. Bill Haas 3,172 $744,456

105. Steve Flesch 3,056 $804,322

106. Tim Wilkinson 3,037 $747,815

107. Nick Watney 3,036 $750,500

108. Joe Ogilvie 3,007 $787,992

109. Zach Johnson 2,780 $660,261

110. Bo Van Pelt 2,703 $686,547

111. Dustin Johnson 2,679 $621,605

112. Brett Quigley 2,663 $722,361

113. Charles Warren 2,652 $618,922

114. Kevin Streelman 2,565 $584,898

115. Shane Bertsch 2,553 $564,276

116. Bob Tway 2,527 $527,712

117. Vaughn Taylor 2,501 $554,375

118. James Driscoll 2,457 $570,630

119. Richard S. Johnson 2,453 $768,777

120. Tim Petrovic 2,400 $613,437

121. Jason Day 2,327 $535,535

122. Tom Lehman 2,324 $652,151

123. Bob Estes 2,271 $510,318

124. Patrick Sheehan 2,270 $591,650

125. Joe Durant 2,210 $508,171

126. Jason Gore 2,206 $537,086

127. Ryan Palmer 2,158 $511,683

128. Tim Herron 2,158 $524,724

129. Michael Allen 2,059 $487,066

130. David Toms 1,992 $556,155

131. Frank Lickliter II 1,937 $449,751

132. Angel Cabrera 1,922 $530,959

133. Jesper Parnevik 1,818 $438,340

134. Jon Mills 1,812 $457,083

135. Roland Thatcher 1,777 $445,212

136. Jeff Overton 1,754 $414,152

137. Chris DiMarco 1,718 $388,139

138. Gavin Coles 1,699 $422,834

139. Scott McCarron 1,687 $370,757

140. Tag Ridings 1,679 $390,599

141. Todd Hamilton 1,648 $409,983

142. Glen Day 1,640 $351,793

143. Brett Rumford 1,624 $373,579

144. Marco Dawson 1,622 $410,487

145. Kevin Stadler 1,622 $458,980

146. Craig Kanada 1,604 $343,349

147. Greg Norman 1,595 $509,618

148. Y.E. Yang 1,549 $352,529

149. John Huston 1,488 $339,585

150. Davis Love III 1,458 $366,481

151. Ryan Armour 1,427 $333,348

152. Carlos Franco 1,372 $316,340

153. Justin Bolli 1,369 $307,902

154. Lee Janzen 1,321 $293,141

155. Robert Garrigus 1,316 $294,560

156. Will MacKenzie 1,289 $235,997

157. Chris Riley 1,277 $359,320

158. J.P. Hayes 1,275 $247,198

159. Cameron Beckman 1,262 $264,171

160. Nick Flanagan 1,254 $328,347

161. Jeff Gove 1,254 $258,291

162. Jeff Maggert 1,229 $278,648

163. Mark Hensby 1,209 $303,729

164. Martin Laird 1,203 $265,700

165. Omar Uresti 1,154 $279,110

166. Rich Beem 1,133 $255,092

167. Bob Heintz 1,107 $266,563

168. Scott Sterling 1,067 $219,232

169. Marc Turnesa 1,057 $238,109

170. Doug LaBelle II 1,053 $238,047

171. Jin Park 1,047 $227,102

172. Harrison Frazar 1,043 $236,959

173. Fred Funk 1,038 $257,283

174. Jose Coceres 1,008 $240,393

175. Kenneth Ferrie 1,000 $228,398

176. Brandt Jobe 940 $254,114

177. J.J. Henry 926 $244,870

178. Ted Purdy 915 $222,877

179. Brenden Pappas 905 $236,160

180. Jason Dufner 893 $233,115

181. Brian Bateman 832 $227,470

182. Billy Andrade 831 $191,935

183. Arron Oberholser 775 $248,214

184. Robert Gamez 749 $161,349

185. John Riegger 722 $148,594

186. Shigeki Maruyama 721 $160,175

187. Larry Mize 704 $182,812

188. Jimmy Walker 703 $173,759

189. Brent Geiberger 694 $165,600

190. Andrew Buckle 693 $162,272

191. Kent Jones 686 $158,347

192. Stephen Leaney 678 $157,963

193. Mathias Gronberg 664 $156,031

194. Shaun Micheel 641 $157,828

195. Chad Collins 632 $161,117

196. Dan Forsman 623 $142,209

197. Steve Allan 595 $152,481

198. Craig Barlow 567 $129,732

199. Richard Johnson 544 $133,905

200. Olin Browne 515 $117,468

A 'Legend' on Sesame Street

This photo, supplied by the Sesame Workshop, shows Grammy Award winning entertainer John Legend visiting his friend Elmo on the set of the Sesame Street children's television show, at the Kaufman Astoria Studios, in the Astoria neighborhood of New York Wednesday. The segment airs August 14th on PBS Kids.

(AP Photo/Sesame Workshop, Richard Termine)

Apted's '49 Up' finds human truths through film 'Straight Up' -- Apted's '49 Up' finds human truths through film

IN 1964, the British TV series "World in Action" hosted an episodetitled "Seven Up!" In it, director Paul Almond interviewed several 7-year-old children from different classes and backgrounds about whatthey would like to do with their lives.

The theory was, by age 7, children had already formed thepersonalities and thought patterns that would carry them throughoutthe rest of their lives. Seven years later, an assistant on thatprogram named Michael Apted tracked down the children and interviewedthem again for a show called "7 Plus Seven" (1970).

Every seven years since, he has done the same. In 1985, theproject became long and varied enough for an American theatricalrelease, titled "28 Up," which earned it new acclaim.

The years have marched on; it's now time for "49 Up." Whether ornot Almond's original idea has panned out is up for debate, but theseries has raised many other fascinating issues.

Apted includes footage from previous entries, so we see how theinterviewees have changed. (Unfortunately, the new footage is shot onrather splotchy digital video.)

Over the series, many of the subjects have moved, changed jobs,married, divorced and had children. But in the seven years since "42Up" (released here in 2000), the tidal wave of change has slowed.Most couples that were married in the last film are still married,though many now enjoy grandchildren, too.

Many of the subjects even have begun to look into retirementoptions, one of the most fascinating factors of this series. TheseBritish and Irish-born folks are aging more gracefully than theirAmerican counterparts. Picture fortysomethings currently working infilms (Johnny Depp, Diane Lane, Brad Pitt, etc.) and they retain ayouthful, prime-of-life feel. You'd hardly catch any of them playingwith grandchildren and retiring to Spain.

Additionally, Apted's subjects have become savvier about theeffect of the film on their lives. Some admit they feel uncomfortablewatching the films and rebuke Apted for his interviewing techniques.One subject, John (a barrister), compares the series to a bad realityTV show, but confesses that his minor fame has helped him in hisbusiness affairs.

Apted has also achieved fame outside the project, most notably forhis Oscar contenders "Coal Miner's Daughter" (1980), "Gorillas in theMist" (1988) and "Nell" (1994), and his contribution to the JamesBond series, "The World Is Not Enough" (1999). So when he comes backto his interviewees every seven years, he is not without his ownbargaining chip.

Yet the "Up" participants still lead relatively normal lives, somesuccessful, some less so. Scientist Nick was forced to give up alifetime of studies when it became apparent that his energy storagesystem didn't work. His participation in the movie series did notalter this event one jot.

So what makes "49 Up" different from terrible reality TV, or forthat matter, from Dana Carvey's "Grapefruit Factor"? (Carvey onceposited this scenario: If you feature a grapefruit every day ontelevision for a week, then put it on display at the local mall,people will point and say, "That's the grapefruit from TV!")

For one thing, the "Up" series has integrity. American reality TVis almost always based on some kind of competition, or less often, onpure spectacle. None of the "Up" subjects have been kicked off theisland, nor have they eaten scorpions or used their heads for bowlingballs. It also has little to do with the fact that they're "famous"simply because they're on a screen. They're no more or less memorablethan any other figure in any other documentary.

No, the most fascinating thing in "49 Up" is to watch the agingprocess, including the way people think. Even at 7, each participantbelieves he or she knows the answer to each question, and thisattitude follows throughout. But very rarely do their certaintiesactually lead back to reality.

Every seven years the subjects have adapted to everything that'shappened to them, no matter how terrible. Even in the new film, ifsomeone has anything pessimistic to say, it will most likely beforgotten or proven wrong seven years from now, in "56 Up" (2011).

The movies are a real testament to how fluid and undefinedeverybody's lives really are, no matter how much control we believewe have or how much planning we do. Ultimately, the mission statementof "49 Up" shouldn't be "Child is father to the man," but rather JohnLennon's lyric: "Life is what happens while you're busy making otherplans."

Which brings us to the movie's most fascinating and unpredictablecharacter, Neil. In various entries, Neil has been homeless, on theverge of insanity and, then, suddenly, working as a small-timepolitician. Without giving anything away, Neil has once againperformed a 180-degree turn, and provides some of the film's mostlasting wisdom.

Through the story of a butterfly, he shows that he alone seems tohave grasped the secret behind the "Up" films, and indeed, perhapsthe secret of life.

Apted's '49 Up' finds human truths through film 'Straight Up' -- Apted's '49 Up' finds human truths through film

IN 1964, the British TV series "World in Action" hosted an episodetitled "Seven Up!" In it, director Paul Almond interviewed several 7-year-old children from different classes and backgrounds about whatthey would like to do with their lives.

The theory was, by age 7, children had already formed thepersonalities and thought patterns that would carry them throughoutthe rest of their lives. Seven years later, an assistant on thatprogram named Michael Apted tracked down the children and interviewedthem again for a show called "7 Plus Seven" (1970).

Every seven years since, he has done the same. In 1985, theproject became long and varied enough for an American theatricalrelease, titled "28 Up," which earned it new acclaim.

The years have marched on; it's now time for "49 Up." Whether ornot Almond's original idea has panned out is up for debate, but theseries has raised many other fascinating issues.

Apted includes footage from previous entries, so we see how theinterviewees have changed. (Unfortunately, the new footage is shot onrather splotchy digital video.)

Over the series, many of the subjects have moved, changed jobs,married, divorced and had children. But in the seven years since "42Up" (released here in 2000), the tidal wave of change has slowed.Most couples that were married in the last film are still married,though many now enjoy grandchildren, too.

Many of the subjects even have begun to look into retirementoptions, one of the most fascinating factors of this series. TheseBritish and Irish-born folks are aging more gracefully than theirAmerican counterparts. Picture fortysomethings currently working infilms (Johnny Depp, Diane Lane, Brad Pitt, etc.) and they retain ayouthful, prime-of-life feel. You'd hardly catch any of them playingwith grandchildren and retiring to Spain.

Additionally, Apted's subjects have become savvier about theeffect of the film on their lives. Some admit they feel uncomfortablewatching the films and rebuke Apted for his interviewing techniques.One subject, John (a barrister), compares the series to a bad realityTV show, but confesses that his minor fame has helped him in hisbusiness affairs.

Apted has also achieved fame outside the project, most notably forhis Oscar contenders "Coal Miner's Daughter" (1980), "Gorillas in theMist" (1988) and "Nell" (1994), and his contribution to the JamesBond series, "The World Is Not Enough" (1999). So when he comes backto his interviewees every seven years, he is not without his ownbargaining chip.

Yet the "Up" participants still lead relatively normal lives, somesuccessful, some less so. Scientist Nick was forced to give up alifetime of studies when it became apparent that his energy storagesystem didn't work. His participation in the movie series did notalter this event one jot.

So what makes "49 Up" different from terrible reality TV, or forthat matter, from Dana Carvey's "Grapefruit Factor"? (Carvey onceposited this scenario: If you feature a grapefruit every day ontelevision for a week, then put it on display at the local mall,people will point and say, "That's the grapefruit from TV!")

For one thing, the "Up" series has integrity. American reality TVis almost always based on some kind of competition, or less often, onpure spectacle. None of the "Up" subjects have been kicked off theisland, nor have they eaten scorpions or used their heads for bowlingballs. It also has little to do with the fact that they're "famous"simply because they're on a screen. They're no more or less memorablethan any other figure in any other documentary.

No, the most fascinating thing in "49 Up" is to watch the agingprocess, including the way people think. Even at 7, each participantbelieves he or she knows the answer to each question, and thisattitude follows throughout. But very rarely do their certaintiesactually lead back to reality.

Every seven years the subjects have adapted to everything that'shappened to them, no matter how terrible. Even in the new film, ifsomeone has anything pessimistic to say, it will most likely beforgotten or proven wrong seven years from now, in "56 Up" (2011).

The movies are a real testament to how fluid and undefinedeverybody's lives really are, no matter how much control we believewe have or how much planning we do. Ultimately, the mission statementof "49 Up" shouldn't be "Child is father to the man," but rather JohnLennon's lyric: "Life is what happens while you're busy making otherplans."

Which brings us to the movie's most fascinating and unpredictablecharacter, Neil. In various entries, Neil has been homeless, on theverge of insanity and, then, suddenly, working as a small-timepolitician. Without giving anything away, Neil has once againperformed a 180-degree turn, and provides some of the film's mostlasting wisdom.

Through the story of a butterfly, he shows that he alone seems tohave grasped the secret behind the "Up" films, and indeed, perhapsthe secret of life.

Israeli defense official confirms cease-fire to begin Thursday

An Israeli defense official says that a cease-fire with the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip will begin Thursday.

The official says that if the fighting ceases, Israel will agree to ease the blockade of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli says that the talks on efforts to release an Israeli soldier held by Hamas will be intensified.

The official spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the talks. Egypt, the mediator of the talks, had announced the agreement on Tuesday. Hamas confirmed it shortly afterward.

Israeli defense official confirms cease-fire to begin Thursday

An Israeli defense official says that a cease-fire with the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip will begin Thursday.

The official says that if the fighting ceases, Israel will agree to ease the blockade of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli says that the talks on efforts to release an Israeli soldier held by Hamas will be intensified.

The official spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the talks. Egypt, the mediator of the talks, had announced the agreement on Tuesday. Hamas confirmed it shortly afterward.

giving chase at pocono.(Sports)

Byline: DAN GELSTON

By Dan Gelston

The Associated Press

LONG POND, Pa.

Kurt Busch's drought is over. His absence from the Chase may not last much longer, either, not with the way crew chief Pat Tryson is calling all the right shots.

Busch dominated Pocono Raceway from the opening lap on Sunday and raced his way back into championship contention, giving himself a perfect belated birthday gift: a trip to Victory Lane.

A day after he turned 29, Busch snapped a 51-race losing skid that lifted him into the 12th and final spot of the Chase for the Nextel Cup standings with five races left until the championship races start.

"It's been …

giving chase at pocono.(Sports)

Byline: DAN GELSTON

By Dan Gelston

The Associated Press

LONG POND, Pa.

Kurt Busch's drought is over. His absence from the Chase may not last much longer, either, not with the way crew chief Pat Tryson is calling all the right shots.

Busch dominated Pocono Raceway from the opening lap on Sunday and raced his way back into championship contention, giving himself a perfect belated birthday gift: a trip to Victory Lane.

A day after he turned 29, Busch snapped a 51-race losing skid that lifted him into the 12th and final spot of the Chase for the Nextel Cup standings with five races left until the championship races start.

"It's been …

Turner loses education committee chairmanship

Over 100 letters and calls poured into the office of Council President Michael Flaherty in recent weeks, urging him to re-appoint his colleague Chuck Turner as Education Committee chairman.

But Flaherty was unmoved. As he has done the past two years, the president offered other councilors the position ahead of the outspoken Roxbury-based councilor.

This year, it was Flaherty supporter John Tobin getting the nod and another Flaherty supporter, Maureen Feeney, getting the vice-chairwoman position.

Turner cried foul at the changes, which he said had political motivations.

"To me, the reason he put two white people in positions of leadership on the Education …

CDB PROVIDES LINE OF CREDIT.

A US$2.837 million loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to the Anguilla Development Board (ADB) will help the ADB meet the credit needs of the productive sectors (including micro and …

SCREEN TEST.(Preview)

While it usually comes in like a lion, March this year comes in like "Wild Hogs," as in the new suburban motorcycle comedy - starring John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy - opening Friday. Get your motor running on this quiz about other cycle-centric cinema:

1. What was the nickname of Peter Fonda's character Wyatt in 1969's "Easy Rider?"

2. Believe it or not, three Oscar-nominated actors appear in 2003's African-American motorcycle race drama "Biker Boyz." Who are they?

3. Che Guevara is the lead character in what 2004 film?

4. In 1953's "The Wild One," what is motorcycle gang leader Marlon Brando's response …

QUESTIONS IN ALBANY SURVEY NOT ASSESSMENT PRECURSOR.(Local)

Byline: Richard Wexler Staff writer

If the survey you sent back to the city assessor's office tells them something they don't know about your home, your property taxes could go up next year, City Assessor Keith McDonald said Thursday, but McDonald repeated that the survey is not a precursor to a full-scale reassessment.

McDonald told the Common Council Finance Committee that half the people who received the questionnaires already have returned them. He was invited to address the committee because aldermen have been getting questions about the survey.

The survey asks homeowners questions about what their homes are made of, how they are heated and …

6 police killed in clashes, bombing in Afghanistan

Clashes and a bombing killed six policemen in Afghanistan on Wednesday, while a blast in the east killed a suspected would-be suicide bomber, officials said.

Militants attacked a police patrol in Muqur district of central Ghazni province, leaving four officers dead and two others wounded, said Maj. Martin O'Donnell, a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

In the eastern Khost province, meanwhile, a roadside bomb hit another police vehicle, killing two officers, said Wazir Pacha, a spokesman for the provincial police chief.

The attack on the police car occurred just outside the capital of Khost province as …

Cops in Harvey Blast Chief, as `Blue Flu' Hits

A large number of police officers in south suburban Harvey havecalled in sick to protest working conditions and actions by newPolice Chief Ronnie Burge, according to Harvey officials and police.

Most of Harvey's 43 patrol officers and sergeants got the "blueflu" and began calling in sick at 11 p.m. Friday, according to 6thWard Ald. Mary Ann Sampson.

"From what I understand, more than 90 percent are not coming in,including some supervisors," she said Saturday.

But Burge was quoted as saying only 20 percent to 30 percent ofthe force had refused to work.

The action comes in the wake of news that Harvey has the worstviolent crime rate in the Chicago …

Vitamins can help keep eyes healthy.(MERCHANDISING)

NEW YORK -- Vitamins can serve as an ideal complementary product category in the eye care departments of drug stores.

Alcon, which is a division of Novartis AG, markets the ICAPS line of eye vitamins featuring what it says is a specialized formula of antioxidant vitamins, minerals and carotenoids believed to be important to vision and eye health.

The products contain lutein and zeaxanthin, nutrients that occur naturally in the macua and are believed to help protect the eye by reducing oxitative stress and absorbing free radicals.

Bausch + Lomb last fall released a redesign of its PreserVision Eye Vitamin AREDS 2 formula. The new, smaller soft gel is dosed …

Red letter days with Blues.(Entertainment)

BYLINE: ARTS WRITER

Blues restaurant will present its food-and-wine pairing evenings this winter.

At each sitting, a winemaker is to guide guests in discovering wine's spectacular flavours and aromas.

The first of the evenings is on May 21 and it will be followed by an event every second Wednesday until August 27.

Participating wine estates are …

MONEY CHIEF SEES UPTURN.(BUSINESS)

Byline: Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill said Sunday that he finds hopeful signs of an economic rebound, sounding a more-optimistic assessment than Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.

``I frankly don't think we're still slipping. I think we've been bouncing around at a very low rate of real growth for the better part of the last six months,'' O'Neill told ``Fox News Sunday.''

O'Neill cited an increase in automobile sales and strong housing starts. ``I think one can find the real threads of hope for a return to a higher level of real growth,'' O'Neill said.

In testimony last week before Congress, Greenspan …

Kush Herbal Cognac.(New Products & Packaging)

Heartland Spirits Group is offering Kush Herbal Cognac, a blend of French XO Cognac, natural fruit flavorings, and hemp essential oil (HEO) imported from Amsterdam. The Cognac is available in three colors and flavors: "Amsterdam," with heavy herbal …

Man shot dead on Uzbek-Kyrgyz border

Kyrgyz authorities say one of their citizens was fatally shot by Uzbek border guards as he tried to cross illegally into Uzbekistan.

The reported shooting came amid heightened tension along the Central Asian nations' border after violence on the Uzbek side.

Monday's statement from Kyrgyz border authorities said an eyewitness reported hearing gunshots at a frontier crossing and …

A Closer Look at the Authors; Clinton diarist brings `Hope' to readers

It's been a long way from the Cotton Field to the White House, but Janis Kearney, writer and lecturer has accomplished the mission and is no wise thinking about resting on her laurels. Kearney, a former publisher of the Arkansas State Press newspaper has had a charmed life, but not without the occasional bump in the road.

Born and raised in Gould, Ark., Kearney, the daughter of sharecroppers and one of 18 children, did not have it easy growing up. But, today, Kearney credits her family for her life's achievements. Her latest work, Cotton Field of Dreams, a memoir, details her family's struggle, strong work ethic and commitment to seeing all but one child through college.

"My …

INDUSTRY BRIEFS.

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Northrop Grumman's Electronic Sensors and Systems Sector (ES3) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have agreed terms for the early exercise of a contract option to begin production of a new weather radar detection capability in Northrop Grumman's ASR-9 airport surveillance radar.

The BBC is due in court in the UK today (30 March) to appeal against a High Court ruling that the trial of two Libyans accused of the Lockerbie bombing should not televised.

VARIG Brazilian …

Lyondell Shareholders Approve Basell Merger.

Lyondell Chemical says that at a special meeting held today in Houston its shareholders approved the proposed merger of the company with Basell. The transaction is …

TYSON TURNS DOWN INVITATION TO VIGIL FOR ABUSED WOMEN.(MAIN)

On the eve of his Tuesday homecoming, Mike Tyson turned down an invitation to appear at a candlelight vigil for abused black women and apologize for raping a Miss Black America contestant.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, an organizer of Tyson's return after three years in prison, said the group that extended the invitation was not truly interested in giving the boxer a second chance.

It was another round in the fight over just what Tyson should stand for in the black community.

Tyson and his promoter, Don King, met with Sharpton and other community leaders on Monday …

Climate documents spark rich vs. poor clash

Developing nations who face huge climate change burdens are demanding that wealthy nations shoulder more of the costs, as a leaked Danish document and fresh evidence of a hotter planet raised temperatures at the U.N. climate conference.

Negotiators on Wednesday were trying to bridge the difficult gaps among 192 nations and stem a growing chasm between rich and poor on the third day of the U.N. climate conference.

A key speaker will be U.S. Environmental Protection Agency head Lisa Jackson, whose agency just gave President Barack Obama a new way to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions. Obama will join more than 100 national leaders converging on Copenhagen …

Find out what that 'woof' really means

In the dog days of August, we find our news wherever we can.

LONDON--An electronic Doctor Dolittle gadget that promises to helpdog owners understand their pets' emotions and demands has beeninvented in Japan.

The canine communicator claims to be able to translate barks,growls and whines into common human emotions such as frustration,menace, hunger, joy and sorrow.

The Bow-lingual consists of a 2-inch microphone that is attachedto a dog's collar and transmits sounds to a palm-sized console heldby the animal's master. The console has a display that uses a 200-word vocabulary to explain the dog's needs and feelings.

An occurrence of several words indicating …