Barry Bonds' doctor in awkward position if called to testify

Barry Bonds' entourage would arrive at the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative on Saturdays and after usual business hours, the slugger could have samples of his blood and urine collected in peace.

Dr. Arthur Ting was in the posse that arrived at BALCO's Burlingame headquarters in late 2001. The doctor that day drew Bonds' blood, an unusually pedestrian lab technician role for an otherwise prominent orthopedic surgeon to the stars. But then Ting is known to go out of his way to cultivate rich and famous patients.

He once cleared his clinic's schedule and sent a limousine to pick up Siebel Systems Inc. founder Tom Siebel to squeeze in a last-minute shoulder operation so the Silicon Valley billionaire could recover in time for a golf tournament, according to press accounts.

Ting also hosted a birthday party at his Woodside home for former San Francisco 49er great Roger Craig and counted as patients former 49er quarterback Joe Montana and Hall of Fame runni! ng back Barry Sanders, who Ting befriended while Sanders was still in college.

But the relationship Ting carefully cultivated with Bonds over the last decade - including performing at least three surgeries on the slugger - has put him squarely in the middle of the federal government's perjury case against Bonds.

This new and unwanted attention has also dredged up several unsavory incidents in the proud doctor's past, including two California Medical Board reprimands and a lawsuit filed against his former clinic involving billing issues related to three of his patients.

According to Derek Longstaff, the attorney who represented Ting's aggrieved patients, the Palo Alto Medical Foundation where he worked at the time would bill the patients for appointments that didn't happen. The patients settled the lawsuit, which didn't name Ting as a defendant, and he left the foundation after the medical board began its investigation. Ting now has a thriving sports med! icine practice of his own in Fremont.

The Medical Board! reprima nded Ting in 1996 and again in 2004, when the California Attorney General alleged that he "prescribed dangerous drugs and controlled substances to friends and acquaintances, particularly athletes, for whom he kept no medical records of for whom the medical records were fictitious, inadequate, or inaccurate."

The improper drug handling allegations were dropped as part of his agreement in 2004 to admit to improperly supervising a subordinate. He paid a $15,000 fine and was placed on probation through 2009, which allows him to retain his medical license and continue to see patients.

According to the federal indictment unsealed earlier this month charging Bonds with perjury and obstruction of justice, two of those BALCO tests Ting helped conduct in 2001 came back positive for steroid use. Those failed tests will be used to bolster the government's position the Bonds knowingly took steroids, legal experts said.

Ting also operated on the injured elbow Bonds bl! ew out in 1999. According to Bonds' former girlfriend, the slugger blamed the injury on steroids, complaining that the elbow couldn't handle the new muscle he added that year.

So it came as little surprise when Ting was called last year to testify before the grand jury investigating Bonds for lying under oath about his steroid use. Bonds testified that he unknowingly ingested steroids given to him by his personal trainer - an alibi prosecutors charge is a lie.

Ting is now expected to be a vital, if reluctant, witness for the government if Bonds fights the charges to trial. Ting didn't return telephone calls and his attorney Daniel Alberti declined comment other than to note Ting is highly respected in the medical community.

Ting serves as team doctor for the San Jose Sharks and the San Jose SabreCats of the Arena Football League. He's also listed as team orthopedist for the fabled San Francisco City College football program.

Ting's attorney confi! rmed that Ting is still Bonds' doctor, which may put Ting in a! n awkwar d position.

Since there is no protection in federal court for doctors testifying against their patients like there is between lawyers and their clients, Ting has little choice but to tell investigators what - if anything - he knows about Bonds' alleged steroids use.

"The doctor can't try and protect Bonds," said Golden Gate University law professor Peter Keane, a former San Francisco public defender. "The prosecutors will treat Ting like any other witness. If he doesn't tell the truth, he could be could be prosecuted for perjury, if he doesn't testify, he could be held in contempt."

He also had to turn over Bonds' medical file to investigators before he testified before the grand jury in April 2006. Three months later his son Ryan quit the USC Trojans football team after testing positive for steroids use.

One of the things Ting will probably testify about is the dramatic change he personally witnessed of Bonds' body.

When Bonds broke into M! ajor League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986, he weighed about 180 pounds. When a bloated Bonds chugged around the bases on Aug. 7 after slugging home run No. 756, the San Francisco Giants listed his weight at 228 pounds.

The San Francisco Chronicle also reported that Bonds jersey size ballooned from a size 42 to a size 52 and that his shoe size went from a 10 1/2 to a size 13 cleats. Most telling was the growth of Bonds' head, which the Chronicle reported went from a cap size of 7 1/8 to a size 7 1/2, even though Bonds now keeps his head shaven.

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De-stress for success

The words holiday and stress go together like Batteries Not Included this time of year.

Granted, part of the stress may come from being told we’re supposed to feel stressed in December, but even the most laid-back person may feel that tinge of pressure. Only 25 shopping days left!

Volumes have been written on making the holidays more manageable, less chaotic. But when time is short, who doesn’t want an abbreviated version?

We’ve gathered 10 tried-andtrue ideas that can help, from local professional organizers, national magazines and elsewhere.

So read on:

1. When setting a holiday budget, don’t just budget for gifts. Keep in mind the tree, decorations, food, beverages, mailing costs, etc. These expenses add up quickly, so set a budget that covers them as well.

2. Look at your calendar and match what you have to do for the holidays – shopping, wrapping, celebrating – with your available time, says Lind! a Birkinbine, a local professional organizer who runs a business called Keep It Organized.

Says Birkinbine: “Your time is your container. You have to make it fit, or you will be overbooked and stressed. When you see the whole picture it is easier to let things go.”

And don’t forget to leave yourself some unscheduled time.

“A stressed-out, unhappy, often tearful person is not what the holidays are all about,” Birkinbine says.

3. Buy nonperishable food and drinks for holiday dinners and gatherings way ahead of time. That way, you’ll have all you need in stock at home except for fresh, last-minute foods. There’s no need to be hauling cases of pop from the car an hour before guests arrive.

4. Stumped for gift ideas? Make it easy on yourself by picking a theme that encompasses everyone on your list.

The theme can be reading (magazine subscriptions, books on tape, cookbooks, homemade bookmarks), sleepin! g (pajamas, flannel sheets, fleece blanket); sports (tennis ba! lls, tea m jersey, tickets to sporting events), etc.

Or buy the same thing for as many people on your list as possible, Birkinbine says.

One year it could be books; the next, warm soft blankets. Go for broad appeal.

“This year, most females on my list are getting something from the Vera Bradley collection of bags, purses and accessories,” Birkinbine says.

5. Don’t be afraid to simplify your gift list and limit the gifts you do give. Sometimes, one great gift says it all.

A suggestion: Grandparents, aunts and uncles can contribute money to a kitty to buy a larger gift for a child, rather than many unneeded gifts, suggests Linda M. Groat, a local professional organizer, life coach and owner of Simply Back to Basics.

Or choose a clutter-free gift such as a special outing, a renewable gift such as AAA membership, a lesson of some sort (golf, magic, etc.), organizers say.

6. Keep track of the gifts you do buy.

“! ;Assign a ‘home’ for the gifts you buy. It can be a container, a closet shelf, a trunk or a dresser drawer,” Groat says.

Otherwise, you lose track of what you bought for whom and where you stashed it.

How to deal with snoops? Groat recommends stashing storage bins of an unattractive color such as “wormy green” — no see-through boxes — in an out-of-the way place.

Either don’t label them at all or label them wrong, maybe something along the lines of “Clothes to try on in 2008,” she suggests.

7. There’s nothing like a wardrobe crisis to escalate holiday stress. Think ahead to any parties you will be attending and decide early on an outfit and accessories, including hosiery.

Do the same with more casual clothes. Make sure your favorite velour outfit is clean and ready to go, the button is reattached to your cashmere cardigan or your favorite black pants are picked up from the cl! eaners.

8. Trade tasks. You love to bake cookies but yo! ur best friend doesn’t. She on the other hand loves to shop while you detest it. You bake for her, she shops for you. Simple.

9. Shop for gift cards at drugstore chains or large grocery stores, Birkinbine suggests.

“Many have an impressive selection of restaurant, entertainment as well as stores. One-stop shopping,” she says.

10. Rethink entertaining. Just because you always host a New Year’s Day Open House for a guest list the size of Rhode Island doesn’t mean you have to do it every year.

If you’re ready for a change, come up with a simpler, new idea: Invite over the nieces and nephews for a movie night, for example. Tell stories. Get silly.

But don’t keep the regulars on your guest list hanging — waiting for their annual invitation.

“Let people know early so they can adjust, and it isn’t such a shock,” Groat said.

Similarly, realize you can let other things go.

“Skips cards this year if it will send you over the edge,” Birkinbine says. “Or cut down on the number of paper cards you mail by sending free e-mail cards to friends who use e-mail.”

Finally — here is a bonus tip from Real Simple — a streamlining idea shared by a reader on the magazine’s Web site: Stick to realistic, daily “to do” lists.

Pick a number you think you can realistically tackle — five tasks per day, for example, instead of 10.

“It’s psychological: If I get five out of 10 things done, I just get frustrated. But if I get five out of five, I’m batting a thousand,” the reader writes.

A good strategy all year round, but a sanity-saver in December.

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Morgan Stanley: Cruz Out As Co-President

Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 11:58 PM

By JOE BEL BRUNO
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK

One of the most powerful women in the financial world became the latest victim of the management purge on Wall Street.

Morgan Stanley said that Zoe Cruz, a 25-year veteran at the firm, was ousted as co-president Thursday in a sweeping management shake-up aimed at turning around the investment bank amid turmoil in the credit markets.

Cruz joins a growing list of Wall Street´s top names who have been fired since the summer, including Merrill Lynch & Co.´s Stan O´Neal and Citigroup Inc.´s Charles Prince, for presiding over their firms as they became mired in the subprime mortgage tar-pit.

"The captains are going down with the ship, whether they are rising stars or not doesn´t matter," said David Easthope, a senior analyst at business consulting group Celent. "The losses are so large and embar! rassing to the organization that they are getting rid of people to satisfy the public perception that they are fixing things."

Investment banks have been forced to write down some $80 billion of losses in the past few quarters amid a growing credit crisis triggered by a spike in defaults of mortgages to people with weak credit ratings. Morgan Stanley´s share of that is a $3.7 billion write-down it will take in the fourth quarter.

CEO John Mack also moved co-President Robert Scully, who was named to the job along with Cruz in 2006, to the newly created Office of the Chairman. Cruz _ who was nicknamed "Cruz Missile" within the firm for her hard-charging demeanor _ is a rare holdover from the management team of former CEO Phil Purcell, who was ousted in 2005 and counted her as a top lieutenant.

Scully and Cruz will be replaced by Walid A. Chammah and James P. Gorman. Chammah, 53, was named global head of investment banking in July, whi! le Gorman, 49, runs the global wealth management group.

Mack al so got rid of the heads of the departments that caused the massive write-down. The heads of both the credit group and securities products groups were both pushed aside, a move that has been seen by other major Wall Street banks during the past several months.

They join some fairly high-profile executives who have been shown the door by corporate boards unsettled by losses during the past few quarters. Bad bets on mortgage-backed securities has caused those investments to plummet in value, and created an overall aversion to risk by investors.

O´Neal was the first CEO to go earlier this month, and Citi´s Prince followed just a week later. The investment banks are hoping a change in leadership will help reassure investors who have watched stock prices plunge this year.

Also Thursday, online brokerage E-Trade Financial Corp. said CEO Mitch Caplan would step down from his position. There continues to be speculation that Bear Stearns Cos. head Jame! s Cayne will be forced to retire early.

Cayne earlier this year forced President Warren Spector to leave after two hedge funds it controlled collapsed from links to subprime mortgages. Borrowers with risky credit have been defaulting on home loans at an alarming rate, and that´s caused other securities to fall as well.

Mack said the new leadership team was put in place to help navigate Morgan Stanley through the unfolding credit crisis.

"We see significant opportunities to build on the market leadership positions we have across our global franchise and to take advantage of the strong foundation we´ve put in place in recent years," he said in a statement. "Today´s markets, however, are changing rapidly, and we´re putting in place a leadership team that is ideally suited to help Morgan Stanley realize the opportunities ahead, while continuing to navigate the current challenging condition."

A Morgan Stanle! y spokesman declined to comment beyond the company´s sta! tement.< /p>

The company is expected to report fourth-quarter earnings in mid-December. Analysts predict it will report a profit of 2 cents per share on $5.6 billion of revenue.

Shares of the company are down about 23 percent so far this year, as investors have sold off Wall Street institutions that have been slammed by credit problems. Shares closed down $1.16, or 2.2 percent, to $52.34 on Thursday.

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

By: Michael Noto

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News to Use

Fine forgiveness day, open house set

The annual John Englert Fine Forgiveness Day will be held Monday at the Ford City Public Library. The day-long event will allow patrons to eliminate fines on overdue items returned on that day. Visitors to the library on Monday and Tuesday will receive a special treat in honor of Englert, who dedication and support was instrumental in establishing the library.

The Ford City Public Library invites the public along with current and newly elected public servants, to its annual open house noon-7 p.m. Tuesday at the library. Library staff, volunteers, and trustees will be on hand throughout the day to talk about library services and listen to community suggestions. Refreshments, library tours, and a children's craft activity, and seasonal music will be part of the festivities. Questions may be directed to 724-763-3591.

Washington group holds auction

The Washington Township Fire Department will hold an auction! at 2 p.m. Sunday at the fire hall on the Adrian Reesdale Road. The kitchen will be open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. A roast beef dinner will be served at a charge of $6. There will be pizza, fish, hot dogs, fries, and pop for sale. The proceeds benefit Christmas for Kids.

Sugarcreek group holds brunch

The Sugarcreek Township Fire Department will serve a pancake/buckwheat cake brunch 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday at the fire hall. The fire hall is at Kittanning Hollow and Rodgers Roads.

Meetings scheduled

• The Allegheny Ludlum Local 1138 U.S.W.A. Pension Club meeting will be 1 p.m. Monday at the union hall in Leechburg. Christmas party, all retirees welcome.

• The Allegheny Valley Chapter of the Women's Business Network will meet at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at UPMC Lighthouse Point at Chapel Harbor (across the road from Waterworks Mall). The meeting is open to area women business owners and those in sales seeking networking opportunities with other businesswomen to e! xpand their contacts and share ideas to help grow their busine! ss. Meet ing agendas include self-marketing, a business presentation by an individual member, a table topic discussion and networking. For information contact Ellen Marcus at 412-562-6772 or ellen.marcus@ubs.com

• The Armstrong County Newcomers Club provides women who have moved to the area the opportunity to meet other women through various social events such as shopping excursions, tourist outings, club dinners, bowling, mini-golf, as well as, monthly meetings. New members are welcome at any time. The next meeting will be held at the home of Dolores Ellenberger at 7 p.m Tuesday. This meeting will feature the annual ornament exchange. Women interested in attending this meeting should call either 724-548-5225 or 724-783-2189.

• Kittanning Crime Watch Christmas social and meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the First Church of God

fellowship hall, 629 Woodward Ave., Kittanning. Cookies and refreshments will be provided. Anyone who can donate any nonperishable food it! ems to the First Church of God food pantry is asked to do so as a thank you for use of the facility. There will be a designated spot at the meeting for donations.

By: Stephen Woodall

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Source: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/leadertimes/s_540311.html
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Fed: Economy Loses Speed, Shopping Slows

Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 11:17 PM

By JEANNINE AVERSA
AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON

The economy grew at a slower pace in the late fall as shoppers watched their pennies heading into the busy holiday season.

The Federal Reserve´s new snapshot, released Wednesday, suggested the strains from a severe housing slump and a painful credit crunch are affecting the behavior of individuals and businesses alike _ making them somewhat more cautious.

Yet, the hope that the Federal Reserve will cut a key interest rate for a third time this year to energize the economy sent stocks soaring on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrials jumped for the second day in a row, gaining 331.01 points to close at 13,289.45. It marked the index´s biggest two-day point gain in five years.

"Reports on retail spending were downbeat in general," the Fed survey said. "Most retailers said that they were expecting a slow! holiday season, with only small gains in sales volumes compared with last year," the Fed added.

Spending by consumers and businesses is the lifeblood of the country´s economic activity. The big worry for economists is that consumers and businesses will cut back on spending and investing, dealing a blow to economic growth. The odds of a recession have grown this year. Still, Fed officials and many other economists remain hopeful the country will weather the financial storm without falling into recession.

The Fed report found the national economy continued to grow during the survey period of October through mid-November but at a "reduced pace." Of the 12 Fed regions surveyed, seven reported a slower pace of economic activity, while the remainder generally pointed to "modest expansion or mixed conditions," the Fed said.

The findings will figure prominently into discussions when Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his c! olleagues meet on Dec. 11 to decide their next move on interes! t rates. Investors and some economists believe the Fed report, along with recent turbulence on Wall Street, would justify another rate reduction.

"The Fed realizes markets are fragile, and the ongoing dislocations we expect will lead the (Fed) to ease on Dec. 11," said T.J. Marta, fixed income strategist at RBC Capital Markets.

Fed Governor Donald Kohn, in a speech Wednesday, warned that if the financial turmoil seen in recent weeks were to persist, it could further crimp the flow of credit to people and businesses, raising risks to economic growth.

Kohn, the No. 2 official at the Fed, said the recent gyrations on Wall Street "partly reversed some of the improvement in market functioning" seen in late September and in October. The credit crunch had taken a turn for the worse in August, causing stocks to nosedive.

"Should the elevated turbulence persist, it would increase the possibility of further tightening in financial condition! s for households and businesses," Kohn said in remarks to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

Against the backdrop of such uncertainty about how forces will play out with consumers and businesses, Kohn once again said Federal Reserve policymakers must remain "nimble."

Wall Street viewed Kohn´s comments as hinting that another rate cut could be forthcoming.

The Fed has sliced interest rates twice this year _ in September and late October _ to keep the housing collapse and credit crunch from throwing the economy into a recession. Fed policymakers at the October meeting signaled that further rate reductions may not be needed. Since then, however, financial markets have suffered through another period of turmoil.

Besides "relatively soft" spending at the nation´s retailers, the Fed survey said manufacturing production was mixed. Demand was weak for products related to housing but was solid in other areas! , including information technology equipment and machinery use! d in the energy sector and mining industries.

In a separate report from the Commerce Department, orders for costly manufactured goods dropped 0.4 percent in October. It was the third straight decline.

On the inflation front, the Fed report said expensive energy and food put "significant" pressure on the prices of products and services that rely heavily on these materials. But most other prices were largely stable or down a bit, the Fed said. That suggested that high energy and food prices aren´t spreading inflation through the economy.

National employment conditions are still mostly good, although construction and other jobs have taken a hit. In general, increases in workers´ wages were moderate. The positive forces of job creation and wage growth are helping to offset some of the negative forces of weaker home values and harder-to-get credit.

"Demand for residential real estate remained quite depressed, with only a few tentativ! e and scattered signs of stabilization amid the ongoing slowdown," the Fed survey said. Builders continued to shelve projects and lay off workers in many areas. The number of unsold homes continued to mount. Builders and others in the business "generally do not expect a significant pickup in homebuilding until well into next year at the earliest," the Fed said.

The National Association of Realtors reported sales of previously owned homes fell 1.2 percent in October, the eighth month in a row of declining sales. The median price of a home sold last month declined to $207,800, a drop of 5.1 percent from a year ago. It was the biggest annual decline on record.

The Fed survey was based on information that the Fed´s 12 regional banks collected before Nov. 16 and is consistent with the view that economic growth will slow sharply in the October-to-December quarter. The economy is expected to log growth at a 1.5 percent pace or less in the final t! hree months of this year.

___

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Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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DATEBOOK

The Century Club: 612 Jefferson Ave.: “The March,” presented by Said Douaihy, 11 a.m.; business meeting and president’s reception, Thursday, 2 p.m.; bus trip to Philadelphia Art Museum, Friday, 9:30 a.m.; landscape paintings lecture by Dr. Josephine Dunn, Tuesday, 7 p.m.; lecture by glass artist Christopher Ries, Dec. 6, 2 p.m.; tours, second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, 11:30 a.m.

ACLU of Pennsylvania: town hall meeting with Jim Harper and state Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-Berks County), 7 p.m., Radisson at Lackawanna Station hotel, 700 Lackawanna Ave., free.

The E.B. Jermyn Lodge No. 2, Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary: meeting, 6 p.m., 208 N. Merrifield Ave.; annual Christmas party, Dec. 17, 6 p.m., Melting Pot Catering Services, 2119 Washburn St.; cost is $20.

Lackawanna County Career Link: resume writing, 1:30 p.m., 135 Franklin Ave.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) No. 951: meets Wednesdays, 8:30 to 10 a.m., Archbald Administr! ation building, McAndrew Drive. 383-1000.

Children’s Art Classes: Wednesdays, ages 8-11, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.; ages 12-18, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Fleetville Community Center, Route 407. Contact instructor Barry Singer, 945-7807.

Companion Bird Club of Delaware Valley: meetings last Wednesday of every month, St. Mary Magdalen Church, Fifth and Church streets, Honesdale, 7 p.m., for more information call 470-0034.

Buddhist Meditation Class: Wednesdays, 7 to 9 p.m., Waverly Community House, 1115 North Abington Road, $8.

Society for Creative Anachronism: newcomers meetings, second Wednesday of the month, 7 p.m., Borders Bookstore Cafe, Dickson City.

Sandvik Retirees Association: meetings third Wednesday of the month, 10:30 a.m., Six East Restaurant, Dickson City, more information call 586-0181.

Diabetes Management: Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Mondays 6:30 to 9 p.m., Community Medical Center. 969-7272.

Abington Senior Communi! ty Center: watercolor painting classes, Wednesdays, 12:30 to 2! :30 p.m. , 1151 Winola Road, Clarks Summit, $5.

Mommy/Daddy and Baby Group: Wednesdays, 9:30 to 11 a.m., Jewish Community Center, 601 Jefferson Ave. 346-6595.

Yoga and Meditation: Wednesdays, 10 to 11:30 a.m., The Century Club, 612 Jefferson Ave.; Arabesque Yoga and Meditation, Wednesdays, 4 Gardner Road, Elmhurst, $48/month or $120/three months. Call to register, 947-4352.

Upcoming

South Side Blood Council: annual fall blood drive, Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Church of St. Joseph, 312 Davis St. Must be 17 years or older and provide identification.

Downtown Senior Center Fundraisers and Events: night bingo and dinner, Thursday, 5 p.m.; line-dancing classes, Tuesdays, 10 a.m.; exercise with Carl, Wednesdays, 10 a.m., 305 Penn Ave. 347-3970.

Lupus Foundation of PA: open house, Thursday, 4 to 7 p.m.; followed by “What Is Lupus?” presentation; “How To Create a Gift Basket in Seven Easy Steps,” Monday, 1 p.m., 615 Jeffer! son Ave., programs are free. For information, call 888-99LUPUS.

Dunmore Senior Center: self-healing qigong, Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon, 1414 Monroe Ave. Registration required.

Advent Lectures and Discussions: featuring guest speaker Linda Morelli, Sunday, Dec. 9 and 16, 2 p.m.; Dec. 5, 12 and 19, 7 p.m., Lighthouse in Scranton Inc., 131 St. Francis Cabrini Ave. 341-5858.

Scranton State General Hospital Alumnae Association: holiday dinner, Sunday, 1:30 p.m., The Melting Pot, 2119 Washburn St.

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network: meeting, Monday, 6:30 p.m., Clarion Hotel, Meadow Avenue. For reservations, call Taryn, 498-9488.

AARP Scranton Chapter No. 3731: meeting featuring entertainment by Roy Propes, Monday, 1:30 p.m., Tripp Park Community Center, Dorothy Street.

Council No. 17 of Polish Union USA: annual Christmas party, Tuesday, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Monsignor Novak Center, 1217 Prospect Ave. For reservations, call 343-7265.

Comm! unity Medical Center Auxiliary: annual holiday party, Tuesday,! 6 p.m., Cooper’s Seafood House, 701 N. Washington Ave.

SCOLA Volunteers For Literacy: Tuesday, 6, 11, 13 and 18, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Suite One, 2013 Boulevard Ave. To register, call 346-6203 ext. 15.

PARSE: annual Christmas luncheon, Dec. 6, begins 11:30 a.m., St. Mary’s Center, Mifflin Avenue. Call Sidney, 347-5913.

MRSA Education Program: guest speaker Mary Theresa Temarantz, Dec. 6, 2 p.m., New Seasons Assisted Living, 950 Morgan Highway, Clarks Summit. For reservations, call Doreen, 586-8080.

Health Care Provider Courses: Dec. 6 and 13, 6 to 10 p.m.; renewal courses, Dec. 11 and 19, 6 to 10 p.m., Community Medical Center, Scranton.

AARP Scranton: annual Christmas party, Dec. 7, noon to 4 p.m., St. Mary’s Center, Mifflin Avenue, $20. For reservations, call Pat, 343-4932.

Mid-Valley Hospital Auxiliary: lunch with Santa, Dec. 8, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Blakely Hose Co. No. 2, 315 Second St., Blakely. For tickets, call Mary Clai! re, 383-5535. Benefits Mid-Valley Hospital.

Mid-Valley Hospital: Board of Director’s meeting, Dec. 10, 6 p.m., conference room, Mid-Valley Hospital, Peckville.

Valley Red Hat Divas: Christmas party, Dec. 11, 5:30 p.m., Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse, 941 Viewmont Drive, Dickson City.

Irem Women’s Auxiliary: Christmas party, Dec. 13, noon, Irem Country Club, Dallas. For reservations, call June, 824-4526, or Rachel, 675-2378.

National Association of Women Business Owners NEPA Chapter: meeting featuring presenter Deborah Stallings, Dec. 17, 1:30 p.m., Clarion Hotel 300 Meadow Ave. Visit www.nenawbo.com.

Life Line Screening: stroke and osteoporosis testing, Dec. 17, 10 a.m., Maple Lake United Methodist Church, 632 Route 690, Moscow. For information and appointments, call 877-237-1287.

Comm-Unity Club: general meeting wih genealogy research program by Joe Bryer, Jan. 15, 7:30 p.m., Scout Room, Waverly Community House, 1115 Nor! th Abington Road.

Children’s Classes at the Dietri! ch Theat er: Decorative Painting; Quilting for Kids, call for dates and times, 60 E. Tioga St., Tunkhannock, 996-1500.

Adult Classes at the Dietrich Theater: Decorative Painting for Adults; Pottery and Sculpture; Yoga for Beginners; Yoga for You; Writers Group, call for dates and times, 60 E. Tioga St., Tunkhannock, 996-1500.

Intergenerational Classes at the Dietrich Theater: Quilting; Open Studio for Painting, Drawing and Pottery, call for dates and times, 60 E. Tioga St., Tunkhannock, 996-1500.

Water Fitness Classes: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to noon, Abington Heights High School pool, $2.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS): meetings, Mondays, 5:30 p.m., Taylor Public Library, 710 S. Main St.

American Sewing Guild: meetings first Monday of the month, 6 to 8 p.m., Viking Sewing Corner, 313 Davis St., Clarks Summit.

Donor Site Blood Drives: second and fourth Mondays of every month, noon to 4 p.m., CMC School of Nursing auditorium.! 969-8986.

Low-Impact Aerobics: Mondays, 9 to 9:45 a.m., Kingston Recreation Center. 287-1106.

Anthracite Bridge Games: Mondays, 6:15 p.m., Jewish Community Center, 601 Jefferson Ave. 346-6595.

Sewing Classes: children’s classes, Mondays and Wednesdays; adult beginner and intermediate classes, daily, White Sewing Center, 735 Oak St. For times and information, call 342-3271.

Ashtanga Yoga: Mondays through Thursdays, 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m., Downdog Yoga Studio, 701 Wyoming Ave. 499-5026.

Composers Corner: Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m., Waverly Community House, 1115 North Abington Road. To register, call 586-8191, Ext. 2.

Children’s YMCA Classes: Kinder kitchen, Tuesdays, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., ages 3-5; Kinder art, Wednesdays, 4 to 5 p.m., ages 4-6; Music Makers, Fridays, 3:30 p.m., ages 5-9, Greater Scranton YMCA, Dunmore.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Swimming Classes: ages 6-12, Tuesdays/Thursdays, 3:15 to 5:15 p.m., Greater Scr! anton YMCA, Dunmore. For information, call Karen, 342-8115, ex! t. 231, or Paula, 342-8115, ext. 232.

Multiple Sclerosis Society: Aquatics for Everyone exercise program, Tuesdays/Thursdays, 10:45 a.m. to noon, Greater Scranton YMCA, Dunmore. Visit www.nationalmssociety.org/pac.

Jefferson Duplicate Bridge Club: Tuesdays, 12:15 p.m., Jewish Community Center, 601 Jefferson Ave. 346-6595.

Tai Chi Classes: Tuesdays, 6 to 7 p.m., West Side Senior Center, 1004 Jackson St., $5.

Children’s Tae Kwon Do Karate Class: Tuesdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Moosic Youth Center, 600 Main St.

Soo Bahk Do Karate and Self-Defense Class: Tuesdays, youth class, 6 to 7 p.m.; adult class, 7 to 8:15 p.m. Greater Scranton YMCA, Dunmore. 342-8115.

YMCA Pilates Class: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30 p.m., Greater Scranton YMCA, Dunmore. 342-8115.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) No. 373: Tuesdays, 6:45 p.m., Moscow Borough building, 123 Van Brunt St., Moscow.

Lecture Series: “Acts of the Apostles,” Tuesdays, 7 to! 8:15 p.m., young adults welcome, take Bible for discussion, St. Gabriel’s room, St. Ann’s Basilica; $5. Registration, 347-5691.

Introduction to Poetry: last Thursday of each month, 6:30 p.m, Wayne County Public Library, 1406 Main St., Honesdale. 253-1220.

Zonta Club: meetings first Thursday of the month, 7 p.m., La Trattoria Restaurant, 522 Moosic St., 347-3620 for reservations.

Executive Referral Network Club: meeting, first Thursday of each month, 8 a.m., FireGrill Restaurant, Clarks Summit. Diane Calabro, 587-7000.

Scranton Ski Club: meetings every first and third Thursday, 8 p.m., Whistles Pub and Eatery, 126 Franklin Ave. 499-7926.

Laurel Garden Club: meets first Thursday through November and March through June, 7:30 p.m., Tripp House, Main Street, Scranton.

Toddler Play Group: Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Carbondale Public Library, 5 N. Main St. Facilitated by EOTC Family Matters. 348-6493.

Jefferson Dup! licate Bridge Club: Thursdays, 12:15 p.m., Jewish Community Ce! nter, 60 1 Jefferson Ave. 346-6595.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) Weight-Loss Group: Thursdays, weigh-in at 6:30 p.m., meeting 7 p.m., American Legion, 625 Deacon St.

Writers Group: Thursdays, 7 p.m., Dietrich Theater, 60 E. Tioga St., Tunkhannock. Visit www.dietrichtheater.com. 996-1500.

Wild Goose Qigong: Thursdays, The Laurels at Mid Valley Nursing Home, Peckville, 7 to 8 p.m., $4. 346-1368.

Oil Painting Class: supplies provided, Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon, West Side Senior Center, $2.

Low-Impact Aerobics: Fridays, 9 to 9:45 a.m., Kingston Recreation Center, $4 per session nonmembers, free to members. 287-1106.

Electric City Swing Dance Society: free dance lessons, Fridays, 1 p.m., Carbondale Senior Center. 383-9923 or 842-1570.

Polka Dances: Fridays, 7 to 11 p.m., DAV Hall, Storrs Street, Dickson City. 489-8112.

Happy Quilters: meets first and third Friday of each month, 10 a.m., White Sewing Center, 735 Oak St.

Ame! rican Sewing Guild Neighborhood Group: meets second Friday of each month, 10:30 a.m., White Sewing Center, 735 Oak St.

Italian or Arabic Conversation Group: meets Sundays, Mall at Steamtown food court. Call for times, 586-5812.

Ballroom Dancing: first and third Sundays of the month, 7 to 11 p.m., Dupont VFW, Main Street, $5. 655-0647 or 881-0244 or 282-1289.

DATEBOOK LISTINGS should be sent three weeks prior to event to: lifestyles@timesshamrock.com or Times-Tribune Lifestyles Department, Attn: Datebook, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.

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Rules may ease for home businesses

City officials are studying a proposal to slightly loosen the restrictions on home-based businesses.

Currently, residents who run small businesses out of their homes are not permitted to use accessory buildings as office or work space. The most common accessory buildings in residential neighborhoods are garages. The ordinance includes garages attached to homes.

The reason for the restriction is obvious, officials say. Many residents would be dismayed if their neighbors opened auto repair businesses out of their garages, for example.

But some on the City Council think there could be room to ease the restriction in limited cases, and they've asked city staff to review home occupancy rules in other cities.

The issue was front and center at one of the Council's recent land-use committee meetings. Whittier resident April Schave has been active in a group working with the city to clean up the neighborhood. Through her involvement, she learned her own ! home business was in violation of the city ordinance.

Schave told Council members she runs a floral designing business out of her garage. She doesn't sell out of her home and delivers to a handful of regular customers.

"It is easier to work out of my garage, and it's more hidden to the neighborhood if I stay in my garage," she said.

Schave did research and found that many cities allow some use of accessory buildings for home businesses.

Planning officials are reviewing the matter. They are set to bring their findings to the Council in early January.

Shawna Goldammer, an urban planner with the city, has researched how other cities deal with the issue. While she's found no city that allows residents to do what they want, some do allow limited use of garages or other accessory buildings for home businesses.

Some cities are in line with Sioux Falls. Others allow accessory buildings to be used for specific businesses, and some restrict the ! amount of space that can be used for a business.

"It re! ally com es down to local community preferences," Goldammer said.

Reach reporter Jonathan Ellis at 605-575-3629.

By: Alan Lim

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Sanyo snaps back to profit on camera sales

TOKYO — Scandal-plagued Sanyo said Tuesday it swung back to a profit for the six months through September as strong sales of digital cameras and rechargeable batteries offset a decline in mobile phones and home appliances.

Sanyo Electric Co. posted 15.98-billion yen, or $149-million (U.S.), in profit during the six months ended September 30. It had posted a 3.62-billion-yen loss in the same period a year ago.

Sales dipped 0.4 per cent to 1.091-trillion yen ($10.17-billion) from 1.095-trillion yen.

Along with earnings, Sanyo also announced a new three-year business plan outlining steps aimed at transforming and revitalizing the company. The plan calls for massive outlays on Sanyo's battery business and cutbacks in interest-bearing debt.

Sanyo's goal is for all of its businesses to be operating in the black by the plan's completion in 2010, the company said.

Osaka-based Sanyo kept unchanged its forecasts for a return to profit fo! r the full fiscal year ending March 2008 at 20-billion yen ($186-million) profit on 2.23-trillion yen ($20.78-billion) sales.

Sanyo did not provide quarterly results.

Sanyo has undergone a reshuffle at its top management after acknowledging earlier this year that it had falsified its fiscal 2003 earnings, in which it had reported a profit when it was in the red.

The accounting scandal surfaced as the electronics maker was executing a turnaround, reducing jobs and shutting unprofitable businesses under its previous three-year plan.

In May, the Japanese unit of General Electric Co. took over Sanyo Electric Credit Co. in a deal valued at 126.34-billion yen ($1.18-billion).

Sanyo is among the Japanese electronics makers that have had problems turning itself around after a battering in recent years by competition from cheaper Asian rivals. Its performance was also hurt by a 2004 earthquake near its chip-making plant.

Tokyo investor! s were cheered by the results. Sanyo's stock finished up 1.66 ! per cent to 549 yen ($5.12) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

© The Globe and Mail

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Two Days of Festive Finds: Shoppers Flock for Crafty Creations

BY LINDA REDDINGTON
STAFF WRITER

LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP - The gymnasium at St. Francis Community Center was filled with early holiday shoppers all day Saturday, and Sunday's rainy weather brought out even more, all looking for special gifts.

There were many from which to choose at the center's annual two-day fall crafts show.

Christmas decor was front and center with table and door arrangements of faux greens, ribbons and sparkling ornaments in abundance.

Four Seasons Crafts of Brick had a table and shelves filled with rustic Santas, based upon one of the earliest German versions of Father Christmas, called "The Mountain Man," who was said to have given rosy apples to all of the good children in his village on Christmas Day.

Joy Zomercyke of Barnegat featured porcelain dolls, all dressed up for the holidays and surrounded by holiday decorations. She said her home business was called "Victorian Designs by Joy."

Mary Puritan's home business in North Beach Haven, C! oqui Corner, is all about sea glass, and her table was filled with necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other items made from various colors of sea glass she said she gets from Puerto Rico.

Like many of the other craftspeople in the show, Mary said she does not have a shop, but takes her work to "about six crafts shows a year."

She added that her products will soon be available on a Web site, artisticenvisions.com.

Denis Schultz and her daughter Stacy, of Seaside Heights, said the development of their hobby, making arrangements of dried and silk flora was created "out of boredom."

Familiar faces at the show included that of Herbertsville Honey Co., artist Carol Freas, selling her watercolors, and artist Cathleen Engelsen, also selling her paintings, but featuring something new this year.

She has created packaged kits containing a palette of watercolors, some paintbrushes, instructions and several bleached clam shells for young artists.

"The Paint-A-Seashell kits a! re going to be available at (former Beach Haven Mayor) Debbie ! Whitcraf t's maritime museum in Beach Haven," she said, "and this summer we will have a contest of the painted shells that children can enter."

Along with all the jewelry, knitted and crocheted goods, handcarved wooden items and more was Al Rutkowski's booth of stained glass suncatchers. Rutkowski, of Manahawkin, was getting a lot of attention with his "butterfly ladies," metal female figures with stained glass butterfly wings attached.

Perhaps the biggest lines were for a man who has been seen at many local crafts shows, including the Long Beach Island Foundation's annual extravaganza. He sells little wooden, jointed figures and other handcarved creatures, including some that have universal appeal - backscratchers.

Between now and Christmas there will be dozens more crafts shows sponsored by churches, charity and civic clubs and emergency squads try to raise funds for their organizations, at the same time making shopping a pleasant social event.

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Christmas With The Roosevelts

family in nearby Rhinebeck. Other Hudson Valley palaces, including neighboring Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, also wear Christmas coatings.

But Springwood is the Old Faithful of Hyde Park; nearly everyone who visits this area makes a stop at FDR's hardly humble home.

The Christmas tree dominating the expansive living room/library, usually a Douglas fir or a Norway spruce, is emblematic of those Roosevelt moved from one of the pine tree plantations on his 1,550-acre property into his house for the holiday.

Unknown to many is that he prided himself as a tree farmer and planned to further pursue that field after his presidency. One year Roosevelt had one of his trees cut from his property and shipped to England as a Christmas gift to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

The Christmas tree we saw in Springwood was garnished with multicolored balls, paper snowflakes and candles. Roosevelt liked the touch of Victorian-era nostalgia the candles evoked a! nd continued to display and light them on the family Christmas tree long after the mansion was electrified. To avoid fire, the candles were lit only when the tree was fresh and usually no more than three hours at a time.

Roosevelt enjoyed reading Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol to his children even after they were no longer children, in this Victorian equivalent of a family room. Other rooms wearing their Christmas finest include the snuggery, which Franklin's mother Sara used as an office. The metal horseshoe there represents the one Franklin gave to Sara as a Christmas gift when he was a child. Meanwhile, Springwood's main entranceway is rife with greenery and poinsettias. In Franklin's bedroom, a Christmas stocking for Fala was often stuffed with doggie treats or toys.

Christmas 1943 and 1944 were the only ones during Roosevelt's presidency that he spent in Hyde Park. Both those years he delivered his customary Christmas Eve radio addresses to the nation from t! he office in his presidential library on the estate grounds. Every December that office is decorated to look as it did on Dec. 24, 1943, as described in a contemporary account of The New York Times: "There was a tiny tree, decorated in colored globes and tinsel on a small table to the right of the desk."

Meanwhile, a hallway display in the presidential library showcases World War II-themed posters referencing Christmas themes. When we visited, one poster featured a Christmas tree trimmed with war bonds; another depicted Santa Claus with the caption, "The finest Christmas gift in the world is a victory bond." A third read, "Peace and Security" above an illustration of the Magi.

After Franklin's death, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt moved permanently into Val-Kill, a few miles down Route 9 from Springwood.

Once a factory building and home to Val-Kill Industries, a furniture and pewter business Eleanor started in the 1920s, the cottage was converted into a living space where Eleanor could be on her own without the influence of he! r mother-in-law.

Eleanor often began her Christmas shopping on Jan. 2 for the following year, picking up potential gifts whenever she spotted them. She stored them in a closet in an upstairs hallway. When Eleanor died on Nov. 7, 1962, the closet was already stuffed with presents, wrapped and ready to be given to family and friends seven weeks later.

Eleanor continued the Roosevelt traditions of trimming the Christmas tree with real candles and reading A Christmas Carol to assembled guests, including her grandchildren.

If Eleanor had overnight guests on Dec. 24 she put stockings on their bedroom doors as they slept. As a personal touch for guests at her annual Christmas Day dinner, which was usually either turkey or ham or turkey and ham, she would at times write on each person's placecard a poem specially suited for that individual.

Another Roosevelt family connection can be discovered about 10 miles north of Hyde Park. Margaret Suckley, known familiarly as Dais! y, was one of FDR's favorite cousins, albeit a distant one, an! d she li ved in the home she called Wilderstein. It was Daisy Suckley who gave Fala to Roosevelt as a gift. Daisy died in 1991, just shy of her 100th birthday. Shortly before her death, Wilderstein was open to the public.

A Queen Anne-style mansion, er ... a country house, according to local vernacular, Wilderstein ("wild man's stone," referring to a nearby Native American petroglyph) is filled every holiday season with the best décor from local florists, artists and decorations. Each of the five rooms open to the public is decorated differently.

Wilderstein Executive Director Gregory J. Sokaris says, "Friendly competitions have developed among some of the florists (and other decorators). Each year the bar is raised a little higher. This year's theme is "Silver Christmas."

Special items from Wilderstein's collections usually kept in storage are brought out every December, such as a 19th century doll house placed in the parlor, along with a rocking horse, wooden boat a! nd other toys spread out by the fireplace. On our visit a Christmas tree was adorned with period silver, blue and green ornaments dangling from its branches.

"One good thing about visiting Wilderstein during the holiday season," says Sokaris, "is that people can come back every year and see something new."

Michael Schuman is a free-lance writer who lives in Keene, N.H.

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Billions are lost when trained women can't realize their potentials

The organisation in the past five years has been holding annual conferences in Abuja to tackle different issues pertaining to women in corporate organisations and business. The group chooses an elderly states woman, a role model as chief speaker for its conferences every year.

But this year, the 6th annual conference held in Lagos for the first time on Thursday November 22, and yesterday. The theme of the conference was “Women in Leadership; Playing to win,” with sub-themes like “In position or power?,”  “Play like a man, win like a woman”; “Playing to win.”

In the interview below, she answers questions on the conference and successful women in management and business.

Our vision Wimbiz is a Nigerian-based non-governmental organisation created by fourteen individuals; one man and thirteen women who have identified a serious issue concerning women in the workplace and in business. Our over-riding vision! is to be the catalyst that elevates the profile and influence of women in management and business.

We have been in existence for six years and have always held our annual conferences in Abuja for five years. This year’s conference which held in Lagos for the first time sought to examine and articulate what women in business and management need to understand about corporate and business leadership and how to succeed in the game of corporate and business survival and success, how women can use their current positions of leadership to influence the agenda of getting more women to top positions in organisations.

On Patricia Etteh That one woman in leadership position made a mistake does not mean that all women are prone to mistakes. We have seen women who are prostitutes but that does not qualify every woman as a prostitute. One woman was in office.

I don’t know if she got to the position because she is a woman or because she is competent, by m! erit or political calculations. What happened in the Etteh sag! a is not about being a woman. There are men in positions that have messed up. All the governors who have different issues pending about them are men. And many men who are presidents have failed. What happened in the House of Reps is not about being a woman. It’s about making sure that we put the right people in the right places.

Women in rural areas We are about women in management positions and business. We have members who run core businesses and women in management and leadership positions in corporate organisations. We are not all about women but all women can learn to grow through our conferences. There are all types of women societies who reach out to women in different areas of life but we are about successful women in management and business.

Successful women and home front
What is important is that when women ‘arrive’ in their career or business, they have to find the time for the home. They should plan their time on how to cope with bein! g successful in business and being successful at the home front. You have to draw your priority list and make sure you give your right time to your right priority.

We also counsel career women who are not married to be very wise when they choose husbands. It’s not every man they see that they should accept for marriage but a man who understands her and where she is coming from to avoid problems in the home at the end of the day. This is very important for a woman in a management position and in successful businesses.

In our conferences, we always choose on a sub-theme that is aimed at balancing the home and the career. In this year’s conference, we talked about women in positions of power and we obtain the male perspective because the best way to judge a successful woman is through the eyes of the men. Women also have responsibilities not only at work, business or home but also in their communities and it is important to put things in their proper ! perspectives and draw lines between being a career woman and a! mother.

Women as change agents
We said it earlier when we talked women issue. That we are about women in management and business does not mean we are for the top only. In our conferences, you see the old, the young and the middle-aged. We have people from the public sector; women from institutions, the multinationals; women from the private sector; and this year, we are having women from the local governments, Nigeria Labour Congress; and even men come to the conference.

Men have judged us aright after seeing we are focused in what we do. The issues we have tackled have been issues to help the women and the nation to move forward. We also talked to women that have political aspirations. Some women have the resources to go into politics but not the will power. Some have the will power and not the resources.

We try to balance these because we look out for values; integrity, character and we don’t deal with women with questionable character. We want to c! reate a support base for the right kind of women; those that are actually qualified and have the right tools to make the difference. We want to help them get there without compromise by supporting them financially and materially. If you want nomination, you don’t have to sleep with the chairman of any party to do it or your boss in the office to get to the top.

Dealing with male surbodinates
There is nothing as good as being competent and being able to deliver. When a woman is good at what she is doing, sooner or later, she will get the respect of the male folk, whether in a corporate organization or in business. Competence is very important in a work environment or elsewhere.
Achievements

We are committed to elevating the profile of women in management and business. This vision was borne out of a desire to assist women manage the challenges they face in the workplace and in so doing, enable them to fulfil their potentials and be meaningful contr! ibutors to economic development. There are challenges particul! ar to wo men which prevent them from attaining leadership positions. We give women support, encouragement and most importantly, a network to rise up to the task and overcome these challenges in order to be successful whether as career women in corporate organisations or as entrepreneurs.

You cannot come to our conference and remain the same. There are a lot of women who are afraid of going into private businesses and they get stuck in the corporate world. But some women take the bull by the horns. A member of our Board of Trustees was in Ecobank for thirteen and half years. She was the company secretary and later was moved on to be head of corporate banking.

At a point, she needed the boldness to move out and start a business in events management and she has been very successful in it. A lot of women see her and draw inspiration from her to go ahead and do it.

One of our members, Mrs Adesola, is an executive director in First bank. She is married and has two you! ng twin daughters. She travels a lot and yet she is at home to ensure her two lovely daughters are growing up right. Another is Mrs Ifeyinwa Ighodalo who is in partnership with another woman to set up Design Options for almost twenty years.

A woman who feel she cannot do it alone can find a partner. People think two women can’t work together but it’s a lie. Here we have two women doing it together for twenty years and they are both married and still married. And they have children and have about 120 employees. When you come to our conference, you find all kinds of women and with a lot of interaction and networking, they get it right.

We help women in top positions in corporate organisations to remain on top, bearing in mind that after a company trains a woman and she leaves without realizing her potentials for the company, the company loses. Corporate organizations lose billions annually when they train female personnel and then such a personnel le! aves the organisation without being encouraged to maximize her! potenti als to stay at home to become a house wife.

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America's Next Top Model: 'I Have To Put My Trust In Strange...

We get that terrible graphic with the airplane and the girls' faces on the side, flying to China. Can't Bankable Productions splurge on some new computer-generated artwork? No, Tyra's spending all that money on vagina puppets. Shanghai. It's kinda lit up, huh? Bianca's thinking shopping because everything's "made in China". Uh, yeah? Direct from the source? I'm a bimbo. Is that how it works? Ambreal's feel like they're part of the Jetsons. Heather feels Shanghai is like Las Vegas. I feel like these chicks are wearing on me and we've got five more eliminations. The Jays show up. Ms. Jay looks old and broken down. I think I see some grays.

The girls get to their penthouse. It's Chinese. These girls are so still freaking out about being there. Everyone runs for beds, and there's only five and (of course) Heather is left out. The producers know how to create drama. Saleisha got the big bed which of course is supposed to be shared. But since she's afraid that she'll be! come insta-lez if she shares a bed with someone and it would go against her religious upbringing, she refuses to share. So I guess Heather isn't getting a bed? Wasn't Saleisha a-ok about sharing a shower with other women? But not a bed? The girls taunt Heather. Do females always do this? Why must the pack cut down the weakest one? Is it just survival? Bianca's loud-ass mouth is cackling. Heather stalks off, crying and swearing. Bianca thanks Saleisha for making her day. There's evil in that clown mouth! Bianca says it makes her day whenever Heather freaks out like that. Bianca's a really caring individual. The producers are manipulating me so bad. It's all fun and games until Heather starts painting the walls in model blood in the name of bullied people everywhere. Bianca tells her she's the joke, and Heather is determined not to let it bring her down. I say that your penthouse is on the 65th floor, you could probably toss a bitch out a window with your autism strength.

!

Black Friday starts at 4 AM?!?! Who the hell shows up for ! a Kitche n-Aid blender at 4 AM?!? Carson Kressley is hosting a reality show about mother-daughter paegants? The CW just gets deeper and deeper as they mine the human soul for truth and beauty Shanghai. Replay Bianca cackling. Chantal sticks up for Heather and solves the bed situation. Bianca is a douchebag as she says "I know Heather has disabilities, or whatever..." Wait, or whatever? I know you have a clown mouth! And it's not "whatever"! You got a clown mouth! Bianca doesn't like the fact that Heather is 21 and needs people to stand up for her. Does Satan live in your breasts, Bianca? Were you put here to be Heather's baptism of fire? Next day. "SHUT THE DOOR, HEATHER!" as they leave. Man, YOU SHUT THE DOOR! Heather just needs to use her telekinetic powers to shut the door. And then stop some hearts from beating.

A movie set in China. The girls meet Louis. He stages a Kung Fu action scene. It's hot, but not as hot as the river of sweat running between Lisa's breasts. Seriou! sly, she's soaked. Poor girl, I'm a sweat hog, too. The girls are going to learn martial arts. Some are better than others. Lisa tells us it's all about body control, like when you need to keep your honeypot the center of attention but still need to grab that five dollar bill so that drunk can't take it back. Louis is going hella fast, and the girls have trouble keeping us. Bianca lets us know that she wanted to stay positive but she had to be her, so she got sour. We're all just in Bianca's headspace, you know. None of us are real. There's just Bianca.

The girls are going to have to do the poses on wires. High in the air. They could be splat models, watch out! They're in Chinese robes. Bianca is scared of heights. She is? Did Ambreal's fear overshadow hers last time on the skyscraper? Jenah and Chantal go first. It looks painful and no one remembers their positions. They're just hanging there. Next Lisa and Saliesha. They seem to know the positions. Bianca is havin! g problems, she wants to go shopping and not hang off building! s. She n otes that the wires look really thin, and she has to trust the four guys holding her up. They're strange people she doesn't know, and she doesn't trust some family members. Heather is trying to counsel Bianca, and she sounds really naggy which I love because Clown Mouth deserves whatever she gets. Louis tells Bianca she will be disqualified. Bianca is left clutching her face and thinking when we cut to Jaslene who I think is trying to tell us did another "Seventeen" shoot. I don't know.

For real, Drew Barrymore's forehead needs to stop. Back up off the camera, Drew. Back to the Crouching Model drama, Chantal says that Bianca is terrified of heights. Bianca asks to be taken down. Heather is living large and LOVING it. She totally showed Bianca up. Heather won the challenge. She won 532.18. She picked Chantal to accompany her on the shopping spree. The girls get heavily made up to go shopping. They look like showgirls. They're very tall compared to the Shangai folks. Actually, almost monstrous. Are people shorter in China because everything's so crowded? Does evironment affect that? Someone call Nova.

The girls have some "queen" challenge the next day, and have to bring outfits. Mr. Jay is there and it's time for a photoshoot. Brent is the Covergirl guy and they're going to be shooting an ad. Please do as well as Jaeda did. "It's so fabulous...." Lisa's still talking about strength, and she needs to get over it. Heather is having trouble learning her lines, and snarling at no one as she stalks around. Chantal thinks shooting in her own clothes is no fun, she wants the designer stuff. Despite Lisa's whine and cheese, she's still strikingly beautiful. Showtime. Saliesha's up! She kills it. Bianca's told to have fun with it, and Covergirl Brent tells her that they are not a firing squad. She says she has flaws, but makes them beautiful. Heather's up and I'm terrified for her. Mr. Jay notes "well, she LOOKS gorgeous..." Ouch. She e! ventually gets fed her lines. Jenah's on take 13. So Heather's! not alo ne. I wonder if Mr. Jay gets so very tired of this mess. Looking at a monitor, coaching these women. Lisa is falling apart. And she looks terrified. And is. Then she cries. Mr. Jay notices she's only focused on failing. It's kinda true. Saliesha tries to help her, but stalks off with her Dorothy Hamill when Lisa's unresponsive.

As they read Tyra Mail aloud, Lisa is sorta mocking the "Love, Tyra". Bitterness is creeping in. Bianca asks Lisa what she will do if she gets sent home. "Cry," Lisa reponds. Well, at least she's truthful. Bianca says she won't let them send her home for not being flown in the air. Does she mean she'll stage some sort of hostage situation or chain herself to Twiggy until the SWAT team arrives? Everything in Shanghai is lit up. Everything. Even the babies. Tyra explains the deal, and sounds mocking sad when talking about the first girl sent home from China. She's such an evil bitch. She has a clown mouth in her, as well.

Lisa's up and d! esperate. She's told the cry and panic was noticeable. Tyra tells her if she has to cry, CRY! Lisa rocked the photo. Lisa hates that Chantal is "bubbly and adorable". But they mock her hick looking photo. Maybe she shouldn't have worn overalls with huge white buttons and a yellow shirt. Tyra mentions a butter churn. Ok, that was funny. Bianca's up. Tyra notes that she was disqualified. Bianca mentions her trust issues with strangers, and Ms. Jay tells her she's in the wrong business. Well, there's a difference between trusting someone to do your eye makeup right and trusting some man who doesn't speak your language not to have greasy hands while holding up the rope that has you thirty two feet off the ground. I'll give Bianca that much. I thought Bianca's reason for being a queen ("she has flaws but she makes them beautiful") was hot. Tyra says her whole commercial was flawed but she looked beautiful. Ms. Jay starts talking about how he's a queen, and Nigel says something s! narky and it looks like it might be go-time. That would be the! hottest thing to ever happen on "Top Model". My money's on the Afro.

Jenah's up. She lacks charm. But Nigel doubts she's listening. Jenah's photo is hot. Saliesha rocks the commercial, but looks busted in her photos. Heather gets broken down. Her photo is hot, though. She looks like her sunny twin from the mirror universe. Judges deliberate. Saleisha's said to prove that inner beauty goes a loooonnngggg way. HAH! They hate her haircut, too. Well it was your idea! Nigel hates Jenah. Nigel is so stank this judging, even Ms. Jay mocks his ass with some faces. And here we go. Tyra says that they all did really bad. It was just a "mess". Bianca needs to work on her fears, and her clown mouth. It's down to Heather and Lisa. Was Ms. Jay able to save Lisa. I don't think so, bitch is already crying! There's a "top modeling business", Tyra? Is that different than the other one? Tyra tells Heather that the "judges are actually interested in you". Actually? Ouch. Lisa's going home, and! she was right - she cries. I'm sorta shocked, her photos were hot and I thought she had the chance. Back to the pole with you!

Next - Go-sees! So we get to see wannabe models yell at cab drivers! I love that!

By: Scott Bartlett

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Scott Bartlett is the owner of www.mlmsolutionsprogram.com and the leader of the fastest growing team of successful home business entrepreneurs on the net. Find out how we're creating financial freedom all across the globe and how to get in on the action. For information on how you can take control of your financial situation and achieve real success online, ! visit www.mlmsolutionsprogram.com

Source: http://socialitelife.buzznet.com/2007/11/23/americas_next_top_model_i_have_to_put_my_trust_in_strange_people_i_dont_know_i_dont_trust_some_family_members.php
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Russian president lashes out at West

President Vladimir Putin harshly assailed his opponents and accused the West of meddling in Russian politics, telling a parliamentary campaign rally Wednesday that opponents at home and abroad want to weaken the country.

Putin's strongly worded attack on his critics came as he seeks to secure a high turnout and strong support for the dominant main pro-Kremlin party in parliamentary elections Dec. 2. Putin is leading United Russia's ticket in what is widely seen a maneuver to retain a grip on power after he steps down next spring.

"Those who confront us need a weak and ill state. They want to have a divided society, in order to do their deeds behind its back," Putin warned, saying a strong United Russia majority in parliament is needed to preserve his course.

Addressing thousands of backers in an event that mixed the flavors of a U.S. political convention and a Soviet-era Communist Party congress, he painted a grim picture of the turmoil in the 1990s in Russ! ia and suggested that his Western-backed political foes were bent on turning the clock back.

"Regrettably, there are those inside the country who count on support of foreign funds and governments, and not their own people," Putin said.

"Now, they're going to take to the streets. They have learned from Western experts and have received some training in neighboring (ex-Soviet) republics. And now they are going to stage provocations here," he said, raising the specter of the upheavals that brought Western-oriented leaders to power in Georgia and Ukraine.

The statement appeared to refer to opposition rallies planned this weekend in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Police have forcefully dispersed several previous marches and demonstrations, beating and detaining scores of protesters.

Without naming nations or specific parties, he railed against his liberal, pro-business and Communist opponents, evoking the frightening economic and political uncertainty that pe! rvaded Russia in the years before and after the 1991 collapse ! of the S oviet Union.

"If these gentlemen come back to power, they will again cheat people and fill their pockets," he said. "They want to restore an oligarchic regime, based on corruption and lies."

The comments constituted Putin's fiercest verbal attack on opponents ahead of the election, which the popular leader has turned into a referendum on his policies by announcing last month that he would lead United Russia.

The move appeared aimed at securing a strong parliamentary majority for United Russia, which is far less popular than the president himself, and providing Putin - who is barred from seeking a third straight term in March presidential elections - with a powerful lever to maintain influence after he steps down.

"The vote on Dec. 2 will to large extent determine the fate of the country. By all means, come to the polls and vote for United Russia," Putin said.

An overwhelming victory for the party, which is expected given the Kremlin's tight cont! rol over the political system, would hand Putin a popular mandate and a loyal parliament to limit the clout of his successor - and possibly lay the groundwork for a return to the presidency in 2012 or sooner.

Putin said a convincing United Russia victory is needed to ensure continuity and fend off what he portrayed as destructive efforts to change the country's course. Again pointing at foes at home and abroad, he cast the election as a starkly clear-cut choice, equating a vote for United Russia with a vote for stability.

"Nothing is predetermined at all," Putin said. "Stability and peace on our land have not fallen from the skies, they haven't yet become absolutely, automatically secured. This is the result of a very fierce fight, both inside the country and in the international arena."

Putin, whose eight years in power have brought an oil-fueled economic revival, has repeatedly raised the specter of Western influence - suggesting that Russia has gotten u! p off its knees after a humiliating period in the 1990s and th! at forei gn governments are frightened by its resurgence.

With the vote closing in, Putin has made a string of often-extravagant appearances, pumping up his image as an indispensable leader - part of a choreographed propaganda campaign drawing heavily on imagery from the Soviet era and czarist Russia, periods that evoke pride despite the history of bloodshed and oppression.

Wednesday's rally at a sports arena also blended elements of a rowdy soccer game atmosphere and U.S.-style political campaigns with vestiges of the Soviet past. Soviet-era bands mixed on stage with young performers, including a girl group that sang "I want someone like Putin."

Elderly women wore blue United Russia T-shirts. A young man had "Russia" painted on his shaved head, and another wore bands of white, blue and red - the colors of the national flag and the United Russia party - on his face.

Many Putin supporters have called for constitutional changes allowing him to stay on as preside! nt. He has vowed to step down, but has strongly indicated he will seek to maintain influence and has not ruled out a presidential bid in 2012.

Putin has left it unclear just what role he will play and how he will seek to retain clout. But the calls for him to stay bolster his position by suggesting the people want the president himself, not just his policies.

 

By: mcomo

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Michael Comeau has been owner of many successful businesses over the years including his current online business which can be viewed at www.workfromhome4dollars.com/ArticleWebBus2.php You may ! also find more articles by Michael Comeau at www.workfromhome4dollars.com

Source: http://www.macon.com/world//story/192450.html
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Steelers May Be Without Polamalu, Holmes

PITTSBURGH - Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu and wide receiver Santonio Holmes seem certain to miss at least one game and possibly more with injuries from a surprise loss to the New York Jets.

Polamalu sprained a knee and Holmes injured ankle ligaments during a 19-16 overtime loss Sunday, one of the NFL's biggest upsets this season. Both are listed as doubtful for Monday night's home game against Miami (0-10).

Although coach Mike Tomlin wouldn't list either player as out, he talked Tuesday as if neither would play. Both injuries are the type that can sideline players for multiple games.

Tomlin called them "two significant injuries."

Holmes has a sprain in his upper right ankle, or injured ligaments between the two major bones of the lower leg at ankle level. While Holmes' sprain is mild, the injury is typically much worse than a regular sprain and can keep a player out for three to four weeks.

Holmes' absence would be a major setbac! k to an offense that managed only one touchdown and 151 yards passing against the Jets (2-8), who had previously won only one game. It also takes away quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's top deep threat.

Holmes, a first-round draft pick in 2006, leads the division-leading Steelers (7-3) in receptions (39), touchdown catches (7) and average gain per catch (17 yards).

Tomlin wouldn't choose a replacement starter for Holmes, saying Nate Washington, Cedrick Wilson and possibly Willie Reid would divide playing time. Washington had two TD catches Nov. 5 against Baltimore and is the only Steelers wide receiver other than starters Holmes and Hines Ward with a touchdown reception.

Tyrone Carter will start for Polamalu, and cornerback Deshea Townsend can also play safety if needed, Tomlin said.

"It's going to require multiple people to step up and fill the roles they provide for us, which is great," Tomlin said. "This is a team, and it's the ultimate team gam! e. We're looking forward to these guys stepping up and deliver! ing for us."

The Steelers have been relatively injury free most of the season, but are currently without both starting safeties. Free safety Ryan Clark (spleen) went on injured reserve last week, with Anthony Smith starting the last four games in his place.

While Polamalu is having a down season statistically, with no interceptions or sacks and one fumble recovery, his ability to shift positions from play to play is an important element of Pittsburgh's league-leading defense.

Opposing coaches talk constantly of adjusting to Polamalu, who may line up as a pass-rushing linebacker on one play or in deep zone coverage on the next. Despite Sunday's loss, the Steelers are allowing an average of 40 fewer yards per game than any other team.

While Tomlin wouldn't say specifically the Steelers were flat and unprepared mentally to play the Jets, it was obvious he felt there was a letdown. Several players talked afterward of the team being flat.

"I don't want ! our level of preparation this week to be a response to last week's performance," Tomlin said. "I want it to be because we have a football game to play. That's the only way we're going to be great, is that we understand all of these games are equally weighted, and every time you take the field you've got to come to play. That's what great teams do."

The offensive line wasn't the only culprit in Roethlisberger's seven sacks, according to Tomlin, who said the quarterback must get rid of the ball sooner at times.

"It's not a five-man job in terms of protecting our quarterback, it's a unit's job," Tomlin said. "We need to do a better job of getting open. We need to do a better job of protecting up front. We need to do a better job of protecting at the running back's position. We have to do a better job of deciphering what we're looking at and getting the ball out of our hands."

The Steelers won't do anything specific this week to address their road problems ! _ they are 5-0 at home and 2-3 on the road _ because their nex! t two ga mes are at home.

"As a coach, your level of expectation is they are wired and ready to play on a weekly basis," Tomlin said. "That's what this business is about. The reality is sometimes that's not the case. Their play is usually an indication of that."

A service of the Associated Press(AP)

 

 

By: Dani Johnson

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Dani Johnson is an author, speaker, trainer and founder of Call toFreedom Int'l. She went from living out of her carwith $2.03 to her name to earning her first million in two short yearsby the age of 23. Gain control now of your financial future with a free CD from a private training seminar by Dani Johnson. This exclusive ! event and these tips, tricks and techniques are now available for you to claim immediately at no cost. Go to www.danijohnson.com/go.php?c=article&s=pz1 now!

Source: http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2007/11/20/ap/sports/d8t1kd3o0.txt
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Members of the council?

"I've got the most experience as a candy operator, the best selection of anyone in the area, schoolchildren like candy and you can never have too many candy stores," Rea said during his video presentation.

"I'll have nice trees, flowers and parking for bicycles," Rea said. "And free candy on Tuesdays."

Trista Roller, who was seated in Fourth District council member Marsha McClure's seat, wanted to know how many people he would employ.

Playing the role of council president Gregg Hixenbaugh, Kelly Kemp asked Rea what his hours would be. Kemp then asked those in the audience if anyone wanted to speak against the candy store.

Audience members in the mock public hearing included Jennifer Waite and Jessica Brock's third-grade classes. The students played the role of some of the city's 22 different departments and 511 employees.

And then there was "Jim Brewster," a fictional character played by Andy West, program coordinator for the City of Misha! waka's Redevelopment Department.

"I don't like candy," Brewster said gruffly. "I don't like kids and cleaning up after them."

The video presentation turned to Brewster's home next door to the proposed candy store. It was a falling down shack with "No Candy" painted on an awning. Posted "No Candy Store" signs peppered the yard.

"Candy makes you fat and rots your teeth!" Brewster grumbled to an audience laughing in hysterics. "To sum it up, I don't like candy!"

After a vote of the council, the candy store won, but only by one vote, 5 to 4.

As president Hixenbaugh, Kemp was the first to vote "No," sympathizing with Brewster.

"It's a bad area to put a candy store," she said.

"Candy is bad for you," said Tyler Miller, who also voted "No" to Rea's candy store while seated in sixth district council member Ron Banicki's seat.

"I like candy," said Sarah Brock who voted "Yes" from the seat of first district council member Dale! "Woody" Emmons.

With adjournment, the youthful bunch h! ad their first introduction to the legislative branch of city government. They'll be using that experience as part of a state standard social studies requirement in local government and history.

The walls of city hall breathe history, once serving as Bingham School. The council chambers are located where the lunchroom stood.

Cutouts in the wall, now painted orange and decorated with art, had housed lunch tables pulled down from the walls.

Students also got an inside view of the mayor's offices, along with a lesson on the executive branch. More area history filled the walls.

Several models of Hummers got thumbs up from the boys, and a circus-style ad for The Kamm & Schellinger Brewery prompted giggles when the children were told the brick building at 100 Center once made beer.

Jack Spalding's favorite part of the trip was touring the employee lounge.

Called "The Shiojiri Room" by the staff, the room is decorated with Japanese accents tha! t were gifts from Shiojiri.

"I think it's cool how we have a sister city in Japan," Spalding said.

While there were plenty of little finger- and nose-prints left behind on glass display cases, there was also another impression left behind.

"It's amazing to see where these kids will be in 20 years," whispered City Clerk Debbie Ladyga-Block from the sidelines.

"They could end up there," she said, nodding toward the council seats.

Staff writer Virginia Ransbottom:

(574) 235-6344

By: David L. Feinstein

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David L. Feinstein, noted business coach and home business entrepreneur, is the author of various and many articles that help ! to empower individuals. To get the real innovative marketing k! nowledge and training, so you can be at the cutting edge of using technology to build your internet network marketing business correctly, visit our website.

Source: http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071120/News04/711200461/1051/News04
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Escape Artists: Inside The World of Role Playing Freaks, Online...

Not so long ago, admitting that you read J.R.R. Tolkien or played Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) invited stares, silence, or public ridicule. Not any more. These days, fantasy escapism is big business --- a multi-billion dollar a year industry, in fact. Its tendrils reach into nearly every aspect of American life: Movies, publishing, home console computer games, online multi-player games, television, role-playing games, movie tourism, “fandom” science fiction conventions, scholarly Tolkien conferences, architectural fancies, and other forms adult make-believe. The sub-culture has gone mainstream. Geek isn't a four-letter word anymore.

As of yet, no narrative book has plumbed the reasons why now, more than ever, people are drawn to these imaginary realms and what the long-term effects might be, whether good or ill.

Via in-the-field reportage at various events, profiles of leading thinkers, psychologists, authors and player groups, and the author's examination ! of his own past, ESCAPE ARTISTS explores the appeal of these fantasy realms in their various pop-cultural incarnations. The book looks at how, through technology, escapist diversions have become increasingly convincing and immersive, and it considers what mass appeal escapism might mean for American society and our changing relationship with the “real world.”

By: Michael Costa

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Michael Costa is a successful entrepreneur who enjoys helping other people reach their true potential. He currently coaches people to financial success using the Reverse Funnel System.

Source: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/rights/display.cgi?rights_no=5117
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Busy in the kitchen

Recipes of yesteryear are reconstructed based on her recollections, triggered by the smell and taste of the ubiquitous herbs and spices used liberally in her family kitchen back then.  

"The aroma of certain herbs has the ability to transport me back to those times and evoke memories of incidents or events related to the aroma. As I began dredging deep into my memories, I'm glad to recall so many of those wonderful times," she chuckles. 

And those memories are recorded for posterity as accompaniments to the over 150 recipes in the book that was two years in the making. 

The celebrity chef-cum-food consultant has a reason for moving away from sharing recipes to incorporating those relevant cultural nuances, to give depth to her food creations.  

She reckons that understanding the living culture behind a recipe will enhance its appreciation among the people who cook and eat it.  

The difference between an Asian cook and a Western cook, s! he says, lies in their respective cultural experiences - or the lack of it - and this translates into the food that they prepare. 

"Western cooks learnt the art of making Asian dishes in their adult lives but Asians learn it from young. They (Asians) are exposed to the cultural elements of the food that they prepare and the memories associated with it. And that makes for a distinctive flavour," she says, adding that she relied on these memories in preparing the "old" recipes for the latest book, which also features new and fusion recipes.  

For instance, she was inspired and influen-ced by her amah who picked up Indian cooking through observation and the uncanny ability to deconstruct a dish down to its ingredients and cooking steps just by tasting it, a skill which Carol says she is blessed with as well. 

Her interest in cooking later saw her picking up the skills of mastering other South-east Asian cuisines. She ranks Nyonya and Thai cuisine! s as her favourites, and garlic as the indispensable ingredien! t in her cooking. And, here's a tip for doing away with MSG - substitute it with garlic and salt.  

Some Asian dishes are high in cholesterol, such as those with coconut milk, and hence some ingredients are substituted with healthier alternatives, such as evaporated milk. However, Carol would not do that with her food. 

"People can have a diet but make sure it is also enjoyable. What's there to enjoy if you are overly health-conscious? Don't forget that when you eat something that makes you happy, you gain the benefits of the happy hormone endorphin," she adds. However, she advocates moderation and a diet that is high in fibre. 

The flourishing Asian food business in Australia has brought with it the demand for fresh produce and spawned an agriculture sub-sector that caters to Asian palettes. Farmland growing Asian vegetables and herbs has sprouted in Queensland and Northern Australia, states that enjoy a tropical climate. 

With her vast experience in! Asian cuisines, it is only natural that Carol is conducting guided tours in such places as the bustling Cabramatta market in western Sydney, that stocks all the ingredients that one would need to cook any type of Asian food. Aptly named "Day Trips to Asia", the guided tours not only allow the participants to purchase the array of raw materials that go into an Asian dish but also allow them to explore the vitality and diversity of a typical Asian marketplace. 

Apart from conducting tours in Cabramatta, the energetic woman continues to create new recipes and conduct cooking classes in her test-kitchen located next to her garage in her Sydney home.  

Is there anything else that she feels needs to be done? Yes - documenting the history of Malaysian food, perhaps.  

By: Victor Dawson

Article Director! y: h ttp://www.articledashboard.com

Victor, a copy editor by profession, is also an e-entrepreneur, and has been involved with a wide array of home-based business opportunities for the last eight years. He has hit upon hassle-free ways to carry on with panache in the world of turn-key businesses. As for money-making scams, they are here, there and everywhere. Don't be fooled. Genuine, time-honoured opportunities come to you as an eye-opener at rakeinthemoolah.com

Source: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2007/11/19/lifeliving/17679973&sec=lifeliving
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