Cardinal leads pilgrimage to Lourdes

In the 15 decades since a teenage girl named Bernadette Soubirous first saw apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France, the site of her spiritual ecstasy has become the most visited shrine in all of Christendom. Bernadette is its patron saint.

Over the next several days, Cardinal Francis George and a group of nearly 200 pilgrims from the Chicago Archdiocese are among the flocks of faithful gathering at Lourdes, which annually attracts around 6 million travelers.

They're in the Pyrenees foothills on Lourdes' 150th anniversary to pray and immerse themselves in waters said to have miraculous healing and rejuvenating powers.

Many of those who seek them out are …

Black delegates at GOP convention decline 78 percent

After seating a record number of African American delegates in 2004, last week's Republican NationalConvention in St. Paul, Minn. had the lowest Black representation in 40 years, according to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.

Blacks and the 2008 Republican Convention, a guide released last week by the nonpartisan research institution that focuses on minority issues, said that African Americans will comprise only 1.5 percent of the total number of GOP delegates, substantially below the record setting 6.7 percent in 2004.

The 36 Black delegates in 2008 represent a 78.4 percent decline from the 167 Black delegates at the 2004 GOP convention.

Based on …

Brown's 10th-inning single drives in winning run for Oakland

Emil Brown singled home the winning run in the 10th inning, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 on Monday night.

With two outs, Daric Barton singled against Jim Johnson (0-1), and Frank Thomas followed with a walk to set up Brown's third hit of the game.

Joey Devine (3-0) pitched a scoreless 10th for the win, handing Baltimore its third consecutive defeat.

Ramon Hernandez tied the score in the ninth with a slow RBI groundout to shortstop. Melvin Mora doubled to start the inning and advanced to third on Kevin Millar's long flyout.

Oakland closer Huston Street blew his second save in 11 chances. He had converted his …

Tyco mistrial just minutes before verdict Judge's ruling follows letter, phone call to controversial juror

NEW YORK -- With the jury close to reaching a verdict, a judgedeclared a mistrial in the grand-larceny case against two former Tycoexecutives Friday after a juror apparently received an intimidatingletter and phone call for supposedly siding with the defense.

Judge Michael Obus aborted the trial after six months, citingintense pressure on juror No. 4, Ruth B. Jordan. "It is certainly ashame that this has to be done at this time," the judge told jurors.

Prosecutors said they would quickly seek a retrial against formerTyco International chief executive L. Dennis Kozlowski and formerchief financial officer Mark Swartz, who were accused of looting thecompany of $600 …

ADP and CSi complete form collaborative effort

ADP Claims Services Group and CSi Complete recently announced a collaborative effort to integrate CSi Complete research on collision repair satisfaction and other critical repair cycle metrics into ADP Dispatch, a web-based claims management application that streamlines scheduling of appraisal resources on claims. The research will be a Key Performance Metrics module in ADP's web-based claims management application that improves productivity through realtime, …

Glance: Comparison of e-reader prices

Amazon.com Inc. is releasing two new models of its Kindle e-reader. Both are smaller and lighter than the current Kindle, and one is cheaper because it shuns 3G cellular network access in favor of Wi-Fi for downloading books on the fly.

Here is a look at how Kindle retail prices stack up against those for other electronic readers and Apple Inc.'s …

German Football Results

Results from the 25th round of the Bundesliga, the German first-division football league (home team listed first):

Saturday's Games

Cologne 1, Bayern Munich 1

Werder Bremen 2, Stuttgart 2

Hamburg 1, Hertha Berlin 0

Eintracht Frankfurt 1, Schalke 4

Freiburg 1, Hannover 2

Wolfsburg 4, Bochum 1

Borussia Dortmund 3, Borussia Moenchengladbach 0

Sunday's Games

Nuremberg 3, Bayer …

Lehman leads Buick Open

With his eyes on the U.S. Ryder Cup team and his first PGA Tourvictory since 1996, Tom Lehman shot an 8-under-par 64 to open a four-stroke lead after three rounds Saturday at the rain-soaked Buick Openin Grand Blanc, Mich.

Slopping along in drenched khakis and doffing his dripping cap onthe green to keep the water from dripping on his ball, Lehman lappedthe field. He made nine birdies and a bogey while the other leadersstruggled in deteriorating conditions.

Lehman completed 54 holes at 16-under 200, four shots ahead ofErnie Els, who shot a 1-under 71. Nine players, most of whom got inmost of their holes before the worst of the weather set in, werebunched five strokes …

Pfizer 2Q net up 5 pct. on lower charges, taxes

NEW YORK (AP) — Pfizer Inc. said Tuesday that its second-quarter profit rose 5 percent, as lower taxes and reduced restructuring charges from its 2009 purchase of Wyeth offset growing generic competition cutting into sales.

The world's biggest drugmaker by revenue said its net income was $2.61 billion, or 33 cents per share, up from $2.48 billion, or 31 cents a share, in 2010's second quarter.

Excluding one-time items, the New York-based maker of cholesterol fighter Lipitor and impotence pill Viagra would have made $4.73 billion, or 60 cents a share.

Analysts surveyed by FactSet were expecting earnings per share of 59 cents.

Pfizer said its revenue totaled $16.98 …

Royals edge Jays 5-4 in 10 innings

Alberto Callaspo's RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning lifted Kansas City to a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays Monday night and snapped the Royals' six-game losing streak.

Scott Podsednik led off the 10th with a triple to right-center and scored on Jason Kendall's sacrifice fly to tie the game. Blue Jays closer Kevin Gregg (0-4) suffered his third blown save in 25 opportunities.

With two outs in the inning, Gregg walked Billy Butler and Jose Guillen. Callaspo then singled up the middle scored Chris Getz, who ran for Butler.

Toronto had taken a 5-4 lead in the top of the inning when Fred Lewis scored on Jose Bautista's single off Kyle …

Philip-Lorca diCorcia

BOSTON

Philip-Lorca diCorcia

INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART

June 1-September 3

Curated by Bennett Simpson

Despite being one of the leading lights of the so-called Boston School, Philip-Lorca diCorcia has nor been the subject of a museum exhibition in the United States since his star-making appearance at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1994. Finally, the ICA is mounting a midcareer survey-the largest selection of his pictures assembled to date-including 125 works from 1978 through the present. For many, diCorcia's early '90s "Hustlers" series remains the cynosure of his oeuvre. Portraying male prostitutes in Los Angeles, the photographs leak …

Poll: Pro-Western incumbent leads pro-Russian ultranationalist in Serbian vote count

An independent vote-monitoring group said Sunday pro-Western incumbent Boris Tadic was leading in Serbia's presidential vote against an ultranationalist challenger, but the final result was too close to call.

The Belgrade-based Center for Free Elections and Democracy, …

Today In History

Today is Friday, August 13, the 225th day of 2010. There are 140 days left in the year.

Highlights in history on this date:

1521 - Spaniard Hernando Cortes captures Tenochtitlan, completing the defeat of the Aztec Empire.

1624 - France's King Louis XIII names Cardinal Richelieu as first minister.

1704 - Forces of the English Duke of Marlborough and Eugene of Savoy defeat the French at Blenheim, Bavaria, driving around 18,000 soldiers to drown in the Danube and saving Vienna from the French.

1784 - Britain's India Act places East India Company under government-appointed Board of Control.

1787 - The Northwest Ordinance is enacted by U.S. Congress, outlining how the territory north of the Ohio River would be governed and how the land would evolve into states.

1788 - Prussia joins Anglo-Dutch alliance to form Triple Alliance for preserving peace in Europe.

1792 - French revolutionaries imprison France's royal family.

1814 - Britain agrees to hand back all Dutch colonial possessions including Indonesia.

1898 - U.S. forces in Philippines capture Manila from Spaniards in Spanish-American War.

1937 - Japanese attack Chinese city of Shanghai.

1945 - World Zionist Congress demands admission of 1 million Jews to Palestine.

1961 - East Germany seals off border between East and West Berlin, closing Brandenburg Gate to halt people fleeing the country.

1970 - Iraq and Syria reaffirms their opposition to Egyptian efforts to seek a peaceful solution of the Middle East crisis.

1976 - South Africa pledges support for U.S. effort to bring about negotiated settlement in Rhodesia, saying failure would invite Communist intervention.

1978 - Explosion in Palestinian building in Beirut kills about 200 people, including members of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

1983 - The Indian government starts to erect a barbed-wire fence along the entire 2,500-mile (4,000-kilometer) border with Bangladesh to prevent the entry of illegal aliens. Resentment of Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh flared into weeks of violence in which 3,000 were killed.

1990 - President Mikhail S. Gorbachev issues a decree absolving of wrongdoing the millions of victims of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin who had not been formally rehabilitated.

1993 - A six-story hotel in Thailand crashes down, killing at least 24 people, injuring about 350, and trapping dozens in the debris.

1994 - Bosnian Serb leaders rebuff a top U.N. official's plea to accept an international peace plan that would give them 49 percent of Bosnia.

1995 - Decapitated body of a Norwegian man, one of the five tourists kidnapped by a Kashmiri separatist group, is found in a village in India.

1997 - Heavy fighting rages in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, between forces of the president and those of a former military ruler.

1998 - Rebels fighting Congolese President Laurent Kabila capture a power transformer in western Congo, sending the capital, Kinshasa, into darkness.

1999 - A gunman in Bogota shoots and kills Jaime Garzon, Colombia's most popular political satirist and an irreverent peace activist; right-wing paramilitaries are blamed.

2001 - Macedonia's rival political leaders sign a landmark peace accord aimed at ending six months of bloody conflicts and clearing the way for NATO troops to disarm ethnic Albanian rebels.

2002 - Iranian President Mohammed Khatami criticizes the U.S. campaign against terrorism, saying Washington "misused" worldwide outrage over the Sept. 11 attacks in order to "use the fight against terrorism to impose its power on other countries."

2003 - Libya and families of victims of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland sign an agreement to pay as much as $2.7 billion in reparations. The agreement also called for Libya to acknowledge responsibility for the bombing.

2005 - Suspected guerrillas in Colombia kill four police officers with grenades and gunfire in an ambush on a rural highway.

2006 - On his 80th birthday, Fidel Castro cautions Cubans that he faces a long recovery from surgery. His younger brother, Raul, makes a first public appearance as Cuba's interim president.

2007 - Two South Korean women kidnapped by Taliban militants in mid-July are handed over to the international Red Cross.

2008 _ Mexico announces it will build a US$1.27 billion tunnel that will be almost 39 miles (62 kilometers) long and 7 yards (meters) in diameter, to help solve the centuries-old drainage problem of the nation's capital.

2009 - Helicopter gunships pummel a key Taliban commander's bases in Pakistan's northwest, killing at least 12 insurgents as government forces ratchet up pressure on the militants following their top leader's reported death.

Today's Birthdays:

Andes Angstroem, Swedish physicist (1814-1874); Albert Sorel, French historian (1824-1906); John Logie Baird, British inventor of television (1888-1946); Alfred Hitchcock, British film director (1899-1980); Makarios III, first president of Cyprus (1913-1977); Fidel Castro, Cuban leader (1926--); Kathleen Battle, U.S. soprano (1948--); Paul Greengrass, film director (1955--).

Thought For Today:

You should avoid making yourself too clear even in your explanations _ Baltasar Gracian, Spanish philosopher (1601-1658).

Supernova.com Partners With Pay Who You Want Online

* Supernova.com has announced that it has partnered with Pay Who You Want Online (PWYWO), enabling any Supernova band or artist to sell their digital music online using the new Supernova Store provided by PWYWO.

As a result of the new Supernova Store with PWYWO integration, any artist can sign up for a free Supernova. com profile, post and display their music and media, and also sell their music online. Supernova profiles provide a way for artists and bands to collect money for their music, build their fan base, and maintain a free EPK online.

For more information, contact Supernova.com: 416-635-8885, FAX 416-638-6333, www.supernova.com.

Lights go out again at Busch Stadium

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Several rows of lights at Busch Stadium failed for the second time this season, forcing a brief delay in the top of the ninth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals' game Friday night against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The lights came back on and the game resumed after a 13-minute delay.

Cardinals reliever Fernando Salas was about to throw the first pitch of the inning before about 70 lights went out in two standards to the right of home plate.

The same sections failed with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning June 1 against the San Francisco Giants, delaying the game for 15 minutes while personnel reset circuit breakers and lights slowly came back on.

Argentine opera house shines anew for bicentennial

Argentina's historic Teatro Colon opera house is reopening as the star of the country's bicentennial celebrations.

After four years of restoration work that ran two years over schedule, the Colon's curtains are rising again with a gala performance of acts from "La Boheme" and "Swan Lake."

The theater's renovation cost about $100 million and involved more than 1,000 artisans who carefully restored the French stained glass and other historic features.

The biggest challenge was to avoid ruining the Colon's renowned acoustics. Experts say the opera house where Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Enrico Caruso loved to sing has emerged better than ever.

___

Online:

http://www.teatrocolon.org.ar

Rooks are latest bird to use tools

Yet another animal has picked up a tool and put it to use.

Once thought a unique primate trait, toolmaking and tool use have been seen in a variety of animals in recent years. Now add to the list rooks, a bird once featured in European folklore as able to forecast the weather.

Rooks are not known to make or use tools in the wild, but quickly came up with the idea when confronted with problems in laboratory tests, British researchers report in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Faced with food that could only be obtained by pushing a small stone off a ledge into a tube, rooks quickly mastered the skill.

And when the stone was placed elsewhere, they didn't take long to decide to pick it up and carry it to the tube, according to researchers Christopher D. Bird of the University of Cambridge and Nathan J. Emery of Queen Mary College, London.

A female bird, Fry, was first to figure out picking up the stone, followed by her mate Cook. A second pair, Connelly and Monroe, also mastered the task.

The birds also succeeded at other tasks involving sticks, wire and even one where they had figure out how to bend a wire into a hook to retrieve an item.

"We suggest that this is the first unambiguous evidence of animal insight because the rooks made a hook tool on their first trial and we know that they had no previous experience of making hook tools from wire because the birds were all hand-raised," Emery said in a statement.

The wire-bending task repeated the effort of Betty, a New Caledonian crow, who pioneered that skill in a report released in 2002 by the University of Oxford. New Caledonian crows, however, were already known to use tools in the wild.

Many animal species are now known to use tools, ranging from otters and herons to monkeys and chimpanzees. Indeed, Emery and Bird report that as many as 39 species of birds are estimated to use tools in one way of another.

Their research was funded by the Royal Society and University of Cambridge.

___

On the Net:

PNAS: http://www.pnas.org

Padres spoil Mets opener at new park

The San Diego Padres spoiled the New York Mets first game in their glittering new ballpark with a 6-5 win in the National League on Monday.

San Diego's Jody Gerut christened Citi Field with a leadoff homer, putting the Padres on the way to a four-run lead against a mistake-ridden New York. The Mets drew level at 4-4.

It was the fifth straight win for San Diego, who are defying predictions of a bad season.

Cardinals 2, Diamondbacks 1

In Phoenix, Brian Barden broke a tie with his first career home run, giving St. Louis victory over Arizona.

Albert Pujols also homered for the Cardinals.

With the game tied 1-1 in the eighth, Barden lined a pitch over the fence in right field. It was the first homer in 51 big league at-bats for Barden, who briefly played for the Diamondbacks in 2007.

Cubs 4, Rockies 0

In Chicago, the hosts won their home opener, holding Colorado to just one hit.

Starter Ted Lilly held Colorado hitless until the seventh inning.

Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenez was wild, walking six and hitting a batter in 3 2-3 innings.

Dodgers 11, Giants 1

In Los Angeles, the home side beat its California rival and won its home opener.

Orlando Hudson hit for the cycle _ the first incidence in the majors this season _ and Andre Ethier drove in four runs with a pair of homers for the Dodgers.

Giants' starter Randy Johnson lost but did earn his 4,800th career strikeout.

Reds 7, Brewers 6

In Milwaukee, Edwin Encarnacion hit a towering grand slam to cap a six-run rally in the third inning as Cincinatti edged Milwaukee.

Cincinatti overcame a four-run deficit with a scoring binge to begin an 11-day, 10-game road trip.

Milwaukee has lost three straight.

Pirates 7, Astros 0

In Pittsburgh, Zach Duke earned a third career shutout as Pittsburgh downed Houston.

Adam LaRoche homered during a five-run third inning for the Pirates, who won their home opener for the first time in five years.

Duke struck out five batters in posting the first shutout by a Pirates pitcher in a home opener since 1978.

The Astros were shut out for the second day in a row, and fell to 1-6 for the first time since 1984.

Phillies 9, Nationals 8

In Washington, Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino homered to lead a mourning Philadelphia team over Washington.

Longtime broadcaster Harry Kalas, who provided the soundtrack to Philadelphia baseball for nearly four decades, died after collapsing in the broadcast booth before the game.

Washington committed three errors in its home opener and dropped to 0-7 _ still the only club in the majors without a victory.

Howard's first homer of 2009, a three-run shot off, broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh inning.

National weather

Hi Lo Otlk

Anchorage 70 54 Rain

Baltimore 82 65 PCldy

Boston 74 63 PCldy

Chicago 77 59 Clr

Dallas-Ft Worth 91 72 Cldy

Denver 83 58 PCldy

Detroit 80 56 PCldy

Honolulu 88 76 Clr

Houston 87 75 Rain

Indianapolis 82 56 Clr

Kansas City 86 59 Clr

Las Vegas 103 81 PCldy

Little Rock 86 68 PCldy

Los Angeles 85 66 Clr

Memphis 86 70 PCldy

Miami Beach 89 76 Rain

Milwaukee 78 58 Clr

Nashville 83 63 Clr

New Orleans 87 77 Rain

New York City 79 65 PCldy

Oklahoma City 87 66 PCldy

Orlando 91 73 Rain

Phoenix 103 86 PCldy

St Louis 83 63 Clr

Salt Lake City 89 63 PCldy

San Diego 76 67 PCldy

San Francisco 65 53 PCldy

Seattle 70 54 PCldy

Tampa-St Ptrsbg 89 75 PCldy

Turn down the heat

As I write this, about 6,000 representatives from around the around have just begun meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, to try to reach some agreement on how to slow down global climate change.

It's an issue that deserves the church's attention too. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane act like extra insulation in our atmosphere, trapping the sun's heat before it radiates into space. Carbon dioxide is the most important of these because there is more of it in the atmosphere than any other greenhouse gas, and so it has the largest overall effect on global temperatures.

The problem is that over the past 150 years, humans have been burning fossil fuels, especially oil, like there is no tomorrow. We've pumped so many millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that we're changing the way our God-given Earth was made. Our emissions of carbon dioxide are double what they were 30 years ago and the rate of increase is still accelerating, right along with our ever-increasing use of fossil fuels.

Our smoke and exhaust are changing the climate here in Canada and around the world. Average temperatures have increased about half a degree Celsius in the last 100 years. The 1990s were already the warmest decade in measured history. The UN's International Panel on Climate Change, the largest scientific investigation into the issue, predicts a global rise of between 1.4 and 5.8 degrees Celsius by 2100.

It isn't just rising temperatures. Warmer air can hold more water and so brings about more severe rainfalls. Warmer, wetter air leads to bigger storms. Ocean and wind currents change. Weather extremes are now more likely. We're changing an immensely complicated system that affects us in more ways than we can understand right now.

Ice caps and glaciers are disappearing, threatening to raise sea levels and flood coastal communities. Ice at the North Pole has shrunk by 30 percent since 1978. Greenland's melt rate is more than twice what it was in 1996. Besides sea levels, ice and snow caps provide fresh water supplies for many places around the world. In Canada, this is especially true for the Prairie provinces, which faced a drought in the past decade that was drier than the dustbowl days of the 1930s.

Climate change is predicted to bring about far-reaching changes across the country: worse forest fires; higher levels of insect infestations; more river flooding from runoff; a more acidic ocean hurting marine life; and a speedup of extinctions as animal and plant species die off, unable to adjust to the climate changes.

This is a global problem, but we in Canada are especialy responsible. Once you get rid of tiny countries and small island nations, Canada is the third-largest producer of carbon dioxide per person in the world, behind the U.S. and Australia. In Canada, Ontario Power is the single largest producer of greenhouse gasses in the country due to the huge coal-powered plants in Ontario. By province, Alberta is the biggest producer, largely due to its oil sands extraction.

Over the coming year, I'm going to be exploring why I think climate change and our energy use needs to matter so much to us as Christians and as a church. This is a deeply theological issue. I have come to feel that how we deal with climate change and with coming oil shortages will be two of the defining ethical issues for this generation.

-Tim Millior Dyck

Militants urge British rioters to topple system

CAIRO (AP) — Militant online forums are abuzz with calls to Muslims in Britain to launch Internet campaigns in support of the British rioters and to urge them to topple the government.

Dozens of contributors on Wednesday suggested Muslims in Britain should flood social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, with slogans and writings inciting the British youth to continue rioting.

One contributor says the rioters should adopt slogans similar to those used by Arab protesters during the uprisings in the Middle East this year.

"The people want the killer of Mark Duggan punished" is suggested — a reference to the British man whose death sparked the riots.

Another contributor says an Internet media attack is very important and that "chaos is useful to militants in London."

Dutch Parliament Bans Sex With Animals

The Dutch parliament voted unanimously Thursday to outlaw bestiality and pornography involving animals.

Sex with animals and the making of animal pornography now will carry a punishment of up to six months in jail under the measure.

Current Dutch law forbids bestiality only when animals are found to have been mistreated.

Animal pornography is explicitly forbidden in 80 countries and pornographers had lobbied fiercely against a Dutch ban, said lawmaker Harm Evert Waalkens, who introduced the measure.

"The Netherlands is now a magnet for perversities and we don't want that," Waalkens said.

Craft fair

The Articulate Art and crafts group is celebrating its firstbirthday with a craft fair at Hillside Hall in Oldfield Park onSunday from 10am to 4pm.

County loses as Rosemont refuses to collect tax

When Britney Spears shimmied across the Allstate Arena stageWednesday night, Cook County taxpayers lost about $10,000.

And when Prince finishes his third sold-out show there thissummer, county taxpayers stand to lose roughly $35,000.

That's because the Village of Rosemont, the northwest suburbhousing the stadium, still refuses to charge event-goers an amusementtax that has been in effect countywide since 1997.

Court motions were filed last week as part of a seven-year legalbattle between Cook County commissioners -- who imposed the tax --and Rosemont officials, who refuse to acknowledge or collect it.

But there seems to be no end in sight to the fight, and countyofficials, meanwhile, claim they are losing millions from the tinybut entertainment-rich community just as county coffers need thecash.

Peter Silvestri, a Republican commissioner from Elmwood Park, wasopposed to the tax when it was created but said a settlement is "inthe best interest of taxpayers."

The tax calls for a 1.5 percent tax on venues with more than 5,000seats and 1 percent tax on smaller venues. Those with fewer than 750seats are not subject to the tax.

While revenues generated by Rosemont's proposed Isle of CapriCasino would not be subject to the amusement tax, any non-casinoevents there could be.

Last year alone, the tax brought the county $15.4 million fromevents at the United Center, Soldier Field and other spots. Rosemontcould yield $1 million a year, according to a Chicago Sun-Timesestimate.

Rosemont officials claim they don't have to collect a tax onbehalf of another governmental body.

Lollapalooza looks lean in key spots

LOLLAPALOOZA 2009

- 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday

- Grant Park

- Tickets, $205 for a three-day pass; or $80 per day

- 2009.lollapalooza.com

- - -

Even before the Beastie Boys were forced to drop out as Adam Yauch battles cancer, the six headlining slots at Lollapalooza 2009 were overall the least impressive that the weekend-long musical smorgasbord has mustered during its five years as a reinvented "destination festival" based in Grant Park.

Ah, you say, but Lollapalooza isn't really about the big marquee bands; it's about the opportunity to sample a whole lot of music in one of the most beautiful parks in America over the course of one very long weekend.

True enough. But even with 142 sets scattered over eight stages during 33 hours of music, my personal list of good- to sure-bet highlights seems skimpier this summer than in years past -- though I'm, of course, always open to pleasant surprises.

Here is a look at the acts I'm most eagerly anticipating, with the full schedule of all the rest available online at the Web site 2009.lollapalooza.com.

TODAY

The Knux, 1 p.m., Balbo at Lake Shore Drive (Citi Stage)

After a very slow start on the main stages -- with the generically emotive Manchester Orchestra in the north and Rockford's generically poppy Hey Champ in the south -- the highlights at Lollapalooza 2009 kick off with this set in the middle of the park from brothers Kintrell "Krispy Kream" and Alvin "Rah Almillio" Lindsey. Forced by Katrina to relocate from New Orleans to Los Angeles, they released one of the most creative hip-hop albums of the decade with last year's "Remind Me in 3 Days," a mix of old-school rap with a love of sound for sound's sake that's almost psychedelic.

Bon Iver, 3 p.m., Butler Field South (PlayStation Stage)

Given Lollapalooza's notorious problems with sound bleed marring sets by quieter acts, I almost hesitated to recommend singer and songwriter Justin Vernon: He famously crafted the fragile but beautiful sounds of his much-buzzed debut "For Emma, Forever Ago" during a hermit-like sojourn at a remote cabin in Wisconsin. He's certainly capable of conjuring that vibe on stage -- providing we can hear him. If we can't, it'll be worth hightailing it to Hutchinson Field to catch the considerably noisier and grungier Heartless Bastards in the same time slot.

Fleet Foxes, 5 p.m., Butler Field South

Following Vernon on the same stage are these psychedelic folk-rockers from Seattle. The stunning "baroque harmonic pop jams" on their self-titled Sub Pop debut made for one of the best albums of 2008, and they've already proven they can pull off those intricate harmonies live when they played Pitchfork Music Festival that same year, reducing the crowd to stunned silence as they rendered the a cappella passages of "Sun Giant." Here's hoping the words of that song (What a life I lead in the summer/What a life I lead when the sun breaks free") are a portent for this weekend's weather.

The Decemberists, 6 p.m., Butler Field North (Budweiser Stage)

Staying in the north of the park, Portland's chamber-pop maestros will take an artistic chance in the festival setting by delivering the entirety of their brilliant recent rock opera, "The Hazards of Love." Fear not: Colin Meloy and his bandmates never skimp on the energy, the humor or the memorable melodies, no matter how complex the concepts or the arrangements, and the piece is some of their finest work.

Simian Mobile Disco (DJ Set), 7 p.m., Columbus Drive at Jackson (Perry's Stage)

Though I'm a fan of much of the psychedelic pop released under the moniker of the Elephant 6 collective, the overarching theatricality of Of Montreal always has left me cold, so I'm opting to catch the uber-hip and much in-demand British production/DJ duo of James Ford and James Anthony Shaw during this time slot. At least their brand of psychedelic noise is danceable.

As for Day One's headliners, I can't enthusiastically recommend either of them, though both have legions of fans. Kings of Leon are in the northern end of Butler Field, and though they've evolved considerably from the modern update of Southern rock in their early days, I've never been impressed by the group in concert. Meanwhile, in the strictly '80s nostalgia category, Depeche Mode will once again trot out their dusty, synth-heavy mope-rock at the southern end of Hutchinson Field. Better to rest up for the next two days, but enjoy, if either are your thing.

SATURDAY

Ezra Furman & the Harpoons, 11:45 a.m., Butler Field South

This main-stage opening slot may be one of a handful of token gestures to local bands at this year's festival, but Furman is a smart and tuneful singer and songwriter worthy of the attention and deserving of your time even if his nasal vocals are a bit off-putting at first.

Atmosphere, 2:30 p.m., Hutchinson Field South (Chicago 2016 Stage)

After the Knux, this Minneapolis collective is the second best hip-hop act on this year's bill (and no, I'm not even going to mention celebrity shill Snoop Dogg). Led by rapper Slug (Sean Daley) and featuring a revolving cast of guests from the Rhymesayers collective, Atmosphere is as creative musically as lyrically, pairing uniquely moody sonic backgrounds with personal and poetic lyrics that rarely resort to gangsta cliches.

Chairlift, 3:30 p.m., Balbo at Lake Shore Drive (Citi Stage)

This much-buzzed, Boulder-to-Brooklyn-transplanted "indietronica" trio has enough of a way with wispy but winning melodies -- and frontwoman Caroline Polachek is an enticing enough presence -- to almost erase the bad taste in my mouth from their sale of the single "Bruises" to an annoyingly ubiquitous TV commercial. But if they don't deliver onstage, it won't be much of a loss, since I'll be heading north anyway for ...

Arctic Monkeys, 4:30 p.m., Butler Field North

The hype has considerably lessened since this young and hyperactive British quartet debuted in 2006 with "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not." But the 2007 follow-up "Favourite Worst Nightmare" was just as frenetic and irresistible, and they should be the shot of adrenaline Day Two has needed so far.

TV on the Radio, 6:30 p.m., Butler Field North

After postmodern R&B songstress Santigold (Santi White) struts her stuff at the other end of the northern field--and either is hypnotizing or snooze-inducing; I've seen her be both--these genre-defying heroes of the underground should once again pick up the pace with their electrifying and unforgettably tuneful mix of noise- and dance-rock, world rhythms, experimental soundscapes and Tunde Adebimpe's unforgettable vocals.

Animal Collective, 7:30, Hutchinson Field North (Vitaminwater Stage)

If ever a group epitomized the new Lollapalooza's ideal demographic mix of jam band, electronic-dance and alternative rock, it's these Baltimore-to-Brooklyn transplants, who are riding high on the best and most focused of their nine albums, "Merriweather Post Pavilion." Even better, they brought a similarly welcome discipline to their live show at Metro earlier this year. In fact, after the Beastie Boys dropped out as one of two Saturday headliners, their slot easily could have gone to the fancifully pseudononymous Avey Tare, Panda Bear and Geologist.

As it is, Saturday will close with dance-punks the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at the northern end of Butler and prog-metal favorites Tool at the southern end of Hutchinson. Both acts have their merits, but neither is really headline-worthy for a world-class festival.

SUNDAY

Bat for Lashes, 1:30 p.m., Hutchinson Field North

Once again, as with the rest of the weekend, the first few hours of Day Three are a wash, and things only really get cooking after lunch with this appearance by British singer and songwriter Natasha Khan, who creates a bewitching, vaguely Renaissance Faire-flavored stew of Steve Reich minimalism, Kate Bush, Bjork and Tori Amos.

The Airborne Toxic Event, 2:30 p.m., Hutchinson Field South

A vehicle for the novelistic lyrics of Mikel Jollett, this Los Angeles band has a rousing sound that easily could shake the festival crowd from its Sunday morning stupor and prove to be a high point of the weekend. It also could be pointlessly bombastic -- not for nothing is the group a recent favorite of those masters of arena-rock, U2 -- but we'll find out soon enough.

Dan Deacon, 3:30 p.m., Hutchinson Field North

One of several acts Pitchfork promoters probably would have killed for, Baltimore's electronic maestro was last seen here playing the songs from his amazing recent album "Bromst" with a massive, if ramshackle, combo at Metro, where the great pulsating waves of sound were overwhelming in the best way. I'm hoping they'll be just as impressive in Grant Park.

Vampire Weekend, 4:30 p.m., Hutchinson Field South

All due respect to former home girl Neko Case, who's playing at the same time at the far end of the park, but her sounds are best appreciated in a theater setting, while those of these much-hyped preppy New Yorkers, which I've excoriated on album, absolutely burst to life thanks to those African polyrhythms when the band proved to be the most startling surprise at Pitchfork 2008. Besides, if the group starts to get a little annoying, that will provide the perfect excuse to begin the long trek north, with a stop en route for...

Passion Pit, 5 p.m. Balbo at Lake Shore Drive

Formed by Boston college student Michael Angelakos as a musical project to win the affections of a girl he was besotted with, the band's effervescent dance-pop failed at that but succeeds wonderfully on the recent album "Manners," and it should be an unrivaled good time in concert.

Lou Reed, 6:30 p.m., Butler Field North

With five decades of often extraordinary music behind him and an even better claim than Iggy Pop (who filled the "venerated oldie" slot last year) for being an artist without whom almost every other band on this bill would not have been possible, it's nothing short of a sin that the godfather of punk is being given a mere 60 minutes to cover a catalog that stretches from the primal explosions of the Velvet Underground to the sophisticated rock opera "Berlin," and from the unbridled sonic chaos of "Metal Machine Music" to the breathtaking beauty of "Magic and Loss." Ah, well: Anyone with any taste at all will savor every second.

And with that, Lollapalooza 2009 pretty much comes to an end. Never mind that nothing really can follow Uncle Lou; in their second reunion go-round, Lollapalooza figurehead Perry Farrell and Jane's Addiction have become even more of a nostalgia act than Depeche Mode -- next stop, the state fair circuit -- while the Las Vegas glam-pop band the Killers really aren't even that good, with their artsy pretensions sinking their minor melodic charms like a cinder block tossed into Lake Michigan.

My advice: Skip the last two headliners and avoid the post-festival traffic until next year.

E-mail jimdero@jimdero.com.

LOLLAPALOOZA AFTERSHOWS

Once again, in an attempt to make peace with local club owners, whose schedules are otherwise gutted by the festival for much of the summer, Austin, Texas-based promoters C3 Presents are sponsoring a number of Lollapalooza "after-shows," though two of these, a sold-out appearance by the Decemberists and Heartless Bastards at Metro and Thievery Corporation at the House of Blues on Thursday, actually took place before the festivities in Grant Park even got under way.

The lineup tonight includes Arctic Monkeys and Modey Lemon at Metro, 10 p.m. (sold out); Band of Horses and Cass McCombs at the House of Blues, 10 p.m. (sold out); TV on the Radio and Chairlift at Double Door, 11 p.m. (sold out); Crookers, Major Lazer, Simian Mobile Disco and others at the Congress Theater, 8 p.m.; Delta Spirit and Other Lives at Schubas, 10:30 p.m.; Lykke Li appear at the Bottom Lounge, 9 p.m., and Asher Roth and Hollywood Holt at the Cubby Bear, 10 p.m.

On Saturday, the after-roster includes Fleet Foxes and Dungen at Metro, 11 p.m. (sold out); STS9 and St. Andrew at House of Blues, 11:59 p.m. (sold out); Joe Pug with the Low Anthem at the Hideout, 10 p.m.; Dan Auerbach with Cage the Elephant at Schubas, 11 p.m. (sold out); Kaskade at Smart Bar under Metro, 10 p.m.; the Raveonettes at the Empty Bottle, 10 p.m.; Ezra Furman and the Harpoons and Blind Pilot at the Back Porch Stage at House of Blues, 11:30 p.m., and the Gaslight Anthem and the Constantines at Double Door, 11 p.m.

Finally, on Sunday, if anyone has any energy or hearing left, the after-bills include Deerhunter, No Age and Dan Deacon at Logan Square Auditorium, 10 p.m., and MSTRKRFT with LA Riots and Dark Wave Disco at the Bottom Lounge, 9 p.m.

Tickets for all of these shows are being sold through www.lollapalooza.com.

Color Photo: Getty Images / Lou Reed ; Color Photo: Oscar Lopez, for the Sun-Times / Animal Collective ; Color Photo: Getty Images / Christian Wargo (left) and Robin Pecknold of the Fleet Foxes ; Color Photo: Depeche Mode ; Photo: AP / Vampire Weekend ; Photo: The Knux ; Photo: Arctic Monkeys ; Photo: Asher Roth ;

England Cricket Board statement

The following is a copy of the England and Wales Cricket Board statement read by cricket managing director Hugh Morris after Kevin Pietersen's resignation as captain on Wednesday:

___

"The England and Wales Cricket Board have late this afternoon accepted, with regret, the resignation of Kevin Pietersen as England captain.

"Kevin recognized that in the present situation it was impossible to restore the dressing room unity, which is vital, if England are to win the forthcoming tour to the Caribbean, the ICC global events or regain the Ashes in the npower Ashes Test series.

"Kevin Pietersen is highly valued as a senior and experienced player, and we are delighted that he has indicated he wishes to continue to represent England in all their forthcoming international fixtures, starting in the Caribbean later this month.

"I have an extremely high respect and regard for Kevin Pietersen, but this has become an impossible situation given the irretrievable breakdown of the relationship between captain and coach.

"With regard to Peter Moores, the board determined that he should relinquish his role as England team director.

"I have the greatest respect for the dignity which Peter Moores has shown in recent days when he has found himself under extreme pressure. The ECB wish him well in his future roles.

"I would also like to thank him for his contribution as England team director and his work as national academy director.

"Andrew Strauss has agreed to lead the team to the Caribbean. He led the England team with distinction in 2006 when Michael Vaughan was injured.

"The board will announce the coaching set up for the Caribbean tour as soon as possible and will embark on an immediate search for a coach who can provide England with the best chance of success in the coming years."

Gyurta, Pellegrini set world records

Daniel Gyurta of Hungary set the world record in the 200-meter breaststroke and Italy's Federica Pellegrini improved her world record in the 200-meter women's freestyle on Sunday, the last day of the European short-course swimming championships.

The results raised the number of world records set at the championships to 12.

Gyurta finished in 2 minutes, 0.67 seconds to beat the time of 2:01.98 set by Christian Sprenger of Australia in Hobart, Australia in August.

Pellegrini swam in 1:51:17, beating her own record of 1:51:85 posted in Rijeka, Croatia in December 2008.

Perry puts end to 6-year drought

Kenny Perry earned his first PGA Tour victory in six years and thefourth of his career by closing with a 3-under-par 69 to earn a two-stroke triumph Sunday in the Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Mich.

Perry's 72-hole total of 25-under 263 was two shots better thanChris DiMarco and Jim Furyk, who improved their Ryder Cup chanceswith strong performances. Dudley Hart and Tom Pernice Jr. finishedanother two strokes back at 267.

The Buick Open provided a tuneup for the PGA Championship thisweek at the Atlanta Athletic Club and an opportunity for some playersto improve their chances of making the Ryder Cup team. Furyk jumpedfrom 11th to eighth and DiMarco from 16th to 11th in the Ryder Cupstandings. The top 10 after the PGA Championship will make the team,and captain Curtis Strange will add two other players.

Perry, whose last victory came in the 1995 Bob Hope Classic, beganthe final round with a five-stroke lead after setting a tournamentrecord with a 54-hole score of 22-under 194. He finished one strokeoff the 72-hole mark held by Robert Wrenn.

"I didn't think I was ever going to win again," Perry said. "Itmade me appreciate those [first] three wins even more."

Perry was steady enough to keep his lead, thanks to a bogey-freeround. When his lead dwindled to one stroke over Hart, he drove thegreen on the 322-yard 14th hole and made a birdie to go to 24 under.Hart then bogeyed the 17th to give Perry a three-stroke lead. WhenFuryk pulled to within a shot with a long birdie putt on the 17th,Perry answered with a birdie on the 16th.

Perry saved a lot of pars, but perhaps his most dramatic was onthe sixth. His drive plugged in the fairway, his approach flew about30 yards past the green and his third shot landed next to a postsupporting an electronic leaderboard. After getting a free drop, hechipped onto the fringe and made about a 12-foot putt.

Billy Mayfair set a nine-hole tour record with a 9-under 27 on theback nine en route to an 11-under 61. Mayfair, who finished 17 under,also broke the tour's birdie/eagle streak with eight consecutiveholes under par on Nos.9-16. He eagled the 401-yard 10th and birdiedthe other seven holes.

LPGA: Wendy Ward withstood challenges from Moira Dunn and AnnikaSorenstam and set a tour scoring record for a 54-hole tournament towin the Wendy's Championship for Children by three shots in NewAlbany, Ohio.

Ward's 54-hole total of 21-under-par 195 was a tour record for a54-hole tournament, both in relation to par and for scoring total.The Wendy's Championship is normally a 72-hole event, but it wasshortened to three rounds to give players extra time to return fromthe Women's British Open.

The victory was Ward's third as a pro and ended a three-yeardrought. She closed with a 4-under 68. Ward and Sorenstam finishedtied for second.

EUROPEAN: Paul McGinley took a large step toward securing hisfirst European Ryder Cup berth by winning a three-man playoff tocapture the rain-shortened Wales Open in Newport. The tournament wasreduced to 36 holes after heavy overnight rain left the courseunplayable.

McGinley moved up to eighth on the Ryder Cup list when he parredthe fifth hole of the playoff to edge Daren Lee. Paul Lawrie had beenousted on the second playoff hole.

SENIORS: Bruce Lietzke broke out of the pack with birdies on the11th and 14th holes to earn a two-stroke triumph over Doug Tewell inthe 3M Championship in Blaine, Minn. Lietzke closed with a 3-under-par 69 that gave him a 54-hole total of 9-under 207.

Heat runners make Junior Olympics LOCAL TRACK

Several Pleasanton Heat runners qualified for the U.S. Track &Field Association Junior Olympic national finals at the Region 14finals.

The Region 14 champion Pleasanton Heat intermediate boys 4x800-meter relay team (ages 15-16) of Drew Callen, James Langford, SeanColaco and Toshi Kellogg qualified, as did Simon Graves. Kelloggalso qualified in the 3,000 meters.

Also qualifying as individuals were Theo Carter (13) with a timeof 2 minutes, 9 seconds in the 800, Kyla Aiuto (12) in the 1,500(5:11) and 3,000 (11:25), and Sahit Menon (10) in the 100 (13.6) and400 (1:06).

Carter and Menon also qualified for the Hershey Nationals.

Capuano a Star after all

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano was a last-minuteaddition Sunday to the National League All-Star team, replacing NewYork Mets left-hander Tom Glavine.

Capuano is 10-4 with a 3.21 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 129 innings.He shut out the Cubs on six hits Thursday in his final start beforethe All-Star break.

"It still hasn't really sunk in," he said. "It's kind of surreal."

Glavine will attend the game Tuesday in Pittsburgh, but he choseto be replaced on the NL team because he started Sunday against theFlorida Marlins.

NL manager Phil Garner of the Houston Astros caused something of astir by not choosing

Capuano for the NL staff after Mets right-hander Pedro Martinezwent on the disabled list Friday. Instead, Garner picked

Astros right-hander Roy Oswalt, who is 6-6 with a 3.15 ERA.

"He's a hot pitcher," Garner said of Capuano. "He fits in quitenicely because he's totally rested. He's excited to go, and we havemore leeway with him."

Losing out to Oswalt wasn't the only All-Star issue Capuano facedin the last week. He finished second to Los Angeles Dodgers firstbaseman Nomar Garciaparra in fan balloting for the final spot on theNL team.

"It's been a surreal week going back and forth," Capuano said. "Tofinally get it is unbelievable."

Millwood ready: Texas Rangers right-hander Kevin Millwood, who hasbeen suffering from a strained right biceps, threw an extendedbullpen session and will pitch in the second game after the All-Starbreak against the Baltimore Orioles.

"I'm ready to pitch whenever," he said. "Everything's moving alongthe way we want it to."

Millwood (8-5, 4.83 ERA) suffered the injury July 2 against theAstros. The Rangers skipped his turn in the rotation Friday to givehim extra time to recover.

"It's probably not what I wanted to do, but it's probably thesmartest thing," he said.

U.S. tops World: Kansas City Royals outfield prospect Billy Butlerand Colorado Rockies first-base prospect Joe Koshansky hit two-runhome runs, and the United States scored five runs in the third inningen route to an 8-5 victory against the World in the All-Star FuturesGame in Pittsburgh.

White Sox third-base prospect Josh Fields went 2-for-3 with a runscored and an RBI for the U.S. team.

Capuano a Star after all

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano was a last-minuteaddition Sunday to the National League All-Star team, replacing NewYork Mets left-hander Tom Glavine.

Capuano is 10-4 with a 3.21 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 129 innings.He shut out the Cubs on six hits Thursday in his final start beforethe All-Star break.

"It still hasn't really sunk in," he said. "It's kind of surreal."

Glavine will attend the game Tuesday in Pittsburgh, but he choseto be replaced on the NL team because he started Sunday against theFlorida Marlins.

NL manager Phil Garner of the Houston Astros caused something of astir by not choosing

Capuano for the NL staff after Mets right-hander Pedro Martinezwent on the disabled list Friday. Instead, Garner picked

Astros right-hander Roy Oswalt, who is 6-6 with a 3.15 ERA.

"He's a hot pitcher," Garner said of Capuano. "He fits in quitenicely because he's totally rested. He's excited to go, and we havemore leeway with him."

Losing out to Oswalt wasn't the only All-Star issue Capuano facedin the last week. He finished second to Los Angeles Dodgers firstbaseman Nomar Garciaparra in fan balloting for the final spot on theNL team.

"It's been a surreal week going back and forth," Capuano said. "Tofinally get it is unbelievable."

Millwood ready: Texas Rangers right-hander Kevin Millwood, who hasbeen suffering from a strained right biceps, threw an extendedbullpen session and will pitch in the second game after the All-Starbreak against the Baltimore Orioles.

"I'm ready to pitch whenever," he said. "Everything's moving alongthe way we want it to."

Millwood (8-5, 4.83 ERA) suffered the injury July 2 against theAstros. The Rangers skipped his turn in the rotation Friday to givehim extra time to recover.

"It's probably not what I wanted to do, but it's probably thesmartest thing," he said.

U.S. tops World: Kansas City Royals outfield prospect Billy Butlerand Colorado Rockies first-base prospect Joe Koshansky hit two-runhome runs, and the United States scored five runs in the third inningen route to an 8-5 victory against the World in the All-Star FuturesGame in Pittsburgh.

White Sox third-base prospect Josh Fields went 2-for-3 with a runscored and an RBI for the U.S. team.

Capuano a Star after all

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano was a last-minuteaddition Sunday to the National League All-Star team, replacing NewYork Mets left-hander Tom Glavine.

Capuano is 10-4 with a 3.21 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 129 innings.He shut out the Cubs on six hits Thursday in his final start beforethe All-Star break.

"It still hasn't really sunk in," he said. "It's kind of surreal."

Glavine will attend the game Tuesday in Pittsburgh, but he choseto be replaced on the NL team because he started Sunday against theFlorida Marlins.

NL manager Phil Garner of the Houston Astros caused something of astir by not choosing

Capuano for the NL staff after Mets right-hander Pedro Martinezwent on the disabled list Friday. Instead, Garner picked

Astros right-hander Roy Oswalt, who is 6-6 with a 3.15 ERA.

"He's a hot pitcher," Garner said of Capuano. "He fits in quitenicely because he's totally rested. He's excited to go, and we havemore leeway with him."

Losing out to Oswalt wasn't the only All-Star issue Capuano facedin the last week. He finished second to Los Angeles Dodgers firstbaseman Nomar Garciaparra in fan balloting for the final spot on theNL team.

"It's been a surreal week going back and forth," Capuano said. "Tofinally get it is unbelievable."

Millwood ready: Texas Rangers right-hander Kevin Millwood, who hasbeen suffering from a strained right biceps, threw an extendedbullpen session and will pitch in the second game after the All-Starbreak against the Baltimore Orioles.

"I'm ready to pitch whenever," he said. "Everything's moving alongthe way we want it to."

Millwood (8-5, 4.83 ERA) suffered the injury July 2 against theAstros. The Rangers skipped his turn in the rotation Friday to givehim extra time to recover.

"It's probably not what I wanted to do, but it's probably thesmartest thing," he said.

U.S. tops World: Kansas City Royals outfield prospect Billy Butlerand Colorado Rockies first-base prospect Joe Koshansky hit two-runhome runs, and the United States scored five runs in the third inningen route to an 8-5 victory against the World in the All-Star FuturesGame in Pittsburgh.

White Sox third-base prospect Josh Fields went 2-for-3 with a runscored and an RBI for the U.S. team.

Capuano a Star after all

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano was a last-minuteaddition Sunday to the National League All-Star team, replacing NewYork Mets left-hander Tom Glavine.

Capuano is 10-4 with a 3.21 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 129 innings.He shut out the Cubs on six hits Thursday in his final start beforethe All-Star break.

"It still hasn't really sunk in," he said. "It's kind of surreal."

Glavine will attend the game Tuesday in Pittsburgh, but he choseto be replaced on the NL team because he started Sunday against theFlorida Marlins.

NL manager Phil Garner of the Houston Astros caused something of astir by not choosing

Capuano for the NL staff after Mets right-hander Pedro Martinezwent on the disabled list Friday. Instead, Garner picked

Astros right-hander Roy Oswalt, who is 6-6 with a 3.15 ERA.

"He's a hot pitcher," Garner said of Capuano. "He fits in quitenicely because he's totally rested. He's excited to go, and we havemore leeway with him."

Losing out to Oswalt wasn't the only All-Star issue Capuano facedin the last week. He finished second to Los Angeles Dodgers firstbaseman Nomar Garciaparra in fan balloting for the final spot on theNL team.

"It's been a surreal week going back and forth," Capuano said. "Tofinally get it is unbelievable."

Millwood ready: Texas Rangers right-hander Kevin Millwood, who hasbeen suffering from a strained right biceps, threw an extendedbullpen session and will pitch in the second game after the All-Starbreak against the Baltimore Orioles.

"I'm ready to pitch whenever," he said. "Everything's moving alongthe way we want it to."

Millwood (8-5, 4.83 ERA) suffered the injury July 2 against theAstros. The Rangers skipped his turn in the rotation Friday to givehim extra time to recover.

"It's probably not what I wanted to do, but it's probably thesmartest thing," he said.

U.S. tops World: Kansas City Royals outfield prospect Billy Butlerand Colorado Rockies first-base prospect Joe Koshansky hit two-runhome runs, and the United States scored five runs in the third inningen route to an 8-5 victory against the World in the All-Star FuturesGame in Pittsburgh.

White Sox third-base prospect Josh Fields went 2-for-3 with a runscored and an RBI for the U.S. team.

End in sight to equal pay row

Finally, after months of wrangling, the council is sending itsstaff letters about equal pay levels.

Hopefully, this will see an end to a thorny problem that hasgrumbled on for so long.

It is time for council workers and employers to move into a newera and get on with the job of delivering the best services to thepeople of Aberdeen.

Geoff Cox's guide to new DVDs: Three Musketeers, Real Steel, Tower Heist.

MUSKETEERS Athos, Porthos and Aramis are inseparable pals who live by the motto "One for all, all for one".

But if you're tempted to rent or buy <strong>THE THREE MUSKETEERS</strong> (12: Entertainment One), the latest take on Alexandre Dumas's swashbuckling tale of 17th Century heroism, romance and friendship, you may change that to "One for all, and all for nowt!"

While it divided opinion during its cinema run, the majority included it in their list of the year's worst films.

It beggars belief that millions are spent on witless productions like this digital re-working of Richard Lester's 1973 version. Oliver Reed would be turning in his grave.

The open-minded may enjoy the outrageous …

Geoff Cox's guide to new DVDs: Three Musketeers, Real Steel, Tower Heist.

MUSKETEERS Athos, Porthos and Aramis are inseparable pals who live by the motto "One for all, all for one".

But if you're tempted to rent or buy <strong>THE THREE MUSKETEERS</strong> (12: Entertainment One), the latest take on Alexandre Dumas's swashbuckling tale of 17th Century heroism, romance and friendship, you may change that to "One for all, and all for nowt!"

While it divided opinion during its cinema run, the majority included it in their list of the year's worst films.

It beggars belief that millions are spent on witless productions like this digital re-working of Richard Lester's 1973 version. Oliver Reed would be turning in his grave.

The open-minded may enjoy the outrageous …

Geoff Cox's guide to new DVDs: Three Musketeers, Real Steel, Tower Heist.

MUSKETEERS Athos, Porthos and Aramis are inseparable pals who live by the motto "One for all, all for one".

But if you're tempted to rent or buy <strong>THE THREE MUSKETEERS</strong> (12: Entertainment One), the latest take on Alexandre Dumas's swashbuckling tale of 17th Century heroism, romance and friendship, you may change that to "One for all, and all for nowt!"

While it divided opinion during its cinema run, the majority included it in their list of the year's worst films.

It beggars belief that millions are spent on witless productions like this digital re-working of Richard Lester's 1973 version. Oliver Reed would be turning in his grave.

The open-minded may enjoy the outrageous …

PLUS SPORTS

Irwin to replace Irvan Short-track star Kenny Irwin Jr. was selected today by Robert YatesRacing as the 1998 replacement for Ernie Irvan. Irwin, last year'sUSAC midget champion and the leading rookie in the NASCAR CraftsmanTruck Series, was generally believed to be the one who would takeover the ride in the vaunted No. 28 Ford since Yates announced lastmonth that Irvan's contract would not be renewed. "It was around thefirst of May when I first tried contacting Robert," the 27-year-oldIrwin said. "I had heard there might be something happening with the28 car and I just wanted to put my name on the list and see if therewas any chance at all." Kemp's rented Jaguar hits hydrant …

Islamic Terminology Banned From Times Square Bomber Investigation?

PJTV's CEO Roger L. Simon today called for federal agents investigating the Times Square bomber to be unshackled from the ties of censorship in an exclusive PJTV video. During recent months, PJTV has conducted in-depth investigations into document sanitization, finding evidence of censorship in the Fort Hood report and the FBI's Counter Terrorism Analytical Lexicon, among others (see also Pajamas Media).

"The public needs to know if our national security professionals are constrained in their use of Islamic terminology in their written and verbal communications," commented Simon. "This is a matter of national security for all Americans, but given the …

COMMISSION WILL SUFFER FROM LACK OF PLANNER.(MAIN)

Byline: KATHERINE H. DANIELS Delmar

I am dumbfounded at the Capital District Regional Planning Commission's decision, reported on June 5, to offer its executive director's position to a non-planner, amid a field of many highly qualified planners. This just boggles the mind. The action clearly says that the commission's true intent is to derail the important planning function of this agency and the assistance it provides to Capital Region communities.

The head of the commission's search committee says that what is needed is an administrator, not a planner, and that the CDRPC already has an ``extraordinarily good'' planning staff. It does indeed. And guess …

Off-net and online: web sites market sitcom favorites.(Syndication)

When Barney Martin passed away last month at the age of 82, many newspapers ran short obituaries on the veteran actor, who was best-known for playing Jerry's dad on Seinfeld.

But Martin's death got major play on Seinfeld.com. The Sony Pictures Television-built Web site prominently displayed a photo of Martin on its home page and linked to a video highlighting scenes featuring Morty Seinfeld, Martin's character on the show.

Pulling together the tribute was a no-brainer for the folks who run the site, which is essentially a Seinfeld mini portal that offers everything from video-on-demand clips to "Seinfacts" trivia.

Like sites for many off-net shows, …

Witt cites German sponsors as key to Munich bid

LONDON (AP) — The financial clout of German sponsors should be a key factor in favor of Munich's bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics, Katarina Witt said Tuesday.

Witt, the two-time figure skating gold medalist who chairs the Munich bid, said companies including BMW and Audi pay a total of €2.6 billion ($3.7 billion) per year in sports sponsorship in Germany.

Half of the sponsorship revenues of the seven Olympic international winter sports federations comes from German companies, she said.

"This shows how much German companies are behind winter sports," Witt said at a media briefing during the SportAccord convention.

Germany's leading role in sports sponsorship is …

New documents show Mozart more prince than pauper

VIENNA, Austria -- For centuries, historians have portrayed Mozartas poor, but new documents suggest the composer was not nearly ashard-up for cash as many have believed.

Scholars who combed through Austrian archives for an exhibitionopening Tuesday on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's later years in Viennafound evidence that he was solidly upper-crust and lived the goodlife.

Letters show that Mozart repeatedly borrowed money from friends topay for his travels and his social obligations, and that his familywas forced to move at least 11 times. The new documents, on displayat Vienna's Musikverein, reveal that he earned about 10,000 florins ayear -- at least $42,000, in …

New Embassy in Brasilia.(Brief article)

NEW EMBASSY IN BRASILIA. On April 27 Senator Maxine McClean, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade officially opened the Barbados Embassy in Brasilia, reports BGIS (May 19, 2010). McClean highlighted the importance which Barbados attached to …

Webster's Corner neglected, forgettable.(Life-Today)(Restaurant review)

Byline: RUTH FANTASIA - Executive features editor

When Webster's Corner at the Crowne Plaza opened a little more thanfive years ago, it was to be the next dining destination for Albany's business set. The big banquettes kept from the restaurant's previous life as Fitzgerald's were reupholstered in trendy berry fabric, and a martini bar was created to draw the after-five crowd.

Since then, a number of innovative restaurants have opened in the city, including McGuire's, Angelo's 677 Prime, Yono's and DP, and Marche at 74 State, and Webster's Corner has become a mere convenience for hotel guests, much like in-room Internet service and hair dryers.

Not only is Webster's missing verve and inspiration, it's missing the basics -- like a hostess.

When a colleague and I planned to meet there on a recent weeknight, she arrived …

COUSCOUS IS AS EASY AS BOILING WATER BY ALICIA ROSS, WITH BEVERLY MILLS UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE.(LIFE & LEISURE)(Recipe)

Six years ago I'd never even heard of couscous. Now it's always on my pantry shelf.

Just dump it in a saucepan of boiling water for five minutes, and you've got perfect couscous. It's easier than steaming rice.

In its traditional form, couscous (rhymes with goose-goose) is a staple of North Africa. The couscous we find on our grocery-store shelves is a precooked version of semolina, the creamy yellow portion of wheat that pasta is made from. Look for couscous on the aisle with the rice (the most widely available brand is called Near East) or in the international-foods section.

Couscous has a slightly nutty flavor and is a terrific alternative to …

Auction of houses and land to start next week.

Jun. 2--The Legal Execution Department will auction houses and land plots in Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan next week, with prices starting at 50-80 percent of their appraised values.

The department, in co-operation with the Global Thai Property Mutual Fund and Palarp Property Management Co Ltd, will auction over 150 properties, with a combined value of 150 million baht this month, according to Annop Senasuttipan, marketing director of Capital Advisory Services (Thailand) Co Ltd, the operator of an asset management unit known as Property Choice.

The auction comes in three sessions. The first, consisting of over 47 houses and plots in the Thanyaburi area worth …

Puebla beats Atletico Madrid 1-0 in a friendly

Alvaro Gonzalez's goal in the beginning of the match was all that Puebla needed to beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 on Sunday in the first of a four-game tour around Mexico.

Gonzalez's 20-meter shot from outside the box beat Atletico goalkeeper Leo Franco in the fifth minute for the Camoteros, who used the match as preparation for the Mexican Apertura, which starts in two weeks.

"It was a highly regarded opponent, a prestigious club, and you don't beat this kind of team every day," Puebla manager Jose Luis Sanchez said. "It was …

Colorado coming forward with stingier defense

The Colorado Rapids, the Fire's opponent Saturday night in Denver,have a problem at forward. Coach Glenn Myernick must decide betweenPaul Bravo, who scored in the first two games before missing the lasttwo with turf toe, and Wolde Harris, who took advantage of Bravo'sabsence to score in the last two games.

Colorado gave up an MLS-record 69 goals last season and lost 5-0to the Fire, but the Fire won't find goals as easy to come by now.The Rapids' defense was tightened by moving Marcelo Balboa from themidfield to sweeper and inserting Matt McKeon, acquired in anoffseason trade with Kansas City, as a defensive midfielder.

The Rapids (2-2) suffered both of their defeats …

Tranzyme Jumps into IPO Queue, Files for $75M Offering.

Staff Writer

Tranzyme Pharma Inc., of Durham, N.C., filed for a proposed $75 million initial public offering to support clinical development of product candidates ulimorelin and TZP-102 for the treatment of acute (hospital-based) and chronic gastrointestinal motility disorders.

The numbers of shares and price have not been determined. The proposed Nasdaq symbol will be "TZYM." Citigroup Global Markets Inc. is acting as sole book-running manager of the offering. Other underwriters are BMO Capital Markets Corp., Canaccord Genuity Inc. and Stifel Nicolaus Weisel Inc.

Tranzyme joins Clarus Therapeutics Inc. u which filed a proposed $86 million IPO to fund work on androgen-based prescription drug products and is seeking a listing under the ticker "CLRS" u and AcelRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Redwood City, Calif., in filing with the SEC for IPOs within the past week. (See BioWorld Today, Nov. 16, 2010.)

But going public has been a tough road recently for biotechs and specialty pharma firms.

Earlier this week Zogenix Inc., of San Diego, priced its IPO of 14 million shares of common stock at $4 per share, a total of $56 million before underwriting discounts and commissions. The price is well below …

Find judges who can stand firm.(Perspective)

Byline: JOHN ALOYSIUS FARRELL

WASHINGTON - Cai Luan Chen was 19 when hefell in love with Chen Gui.

She was just 18, and China's oppressive population laws forbade them from marrying until they reached their 20s.

So Chen Gui moved in with Cai and his parents. A year later, she discovered she was pregnant.

The government ordered Chen Gui to have an abortion. Officials came to the house and beat Cai when he wouldn't tell them where Chen Gui was hiding.

The pair fled. She was hunted down and forced to abort the child in her eighth month of pregnancy. He made it to America, where he asked for political asylum, citing a U.S. law that …

CHASE LINCOLN FIRST ADDED TO EMPLOYEE BUYOUT PLAN MILKEN CHARGES TO BE HEARD BANK TAKES LOSS ON BUILDING UTILITY BUYS PROPANE DEALER CENTRAL HUDSON SETS DIVIDEND GE LAYOFFS WON'T HIT WAREHOUSE SEATTLE TOP FOR BUSINESSES.(Business)

Byline: -Staff and wire reports

Chase Manhattan Corp.'s woes are beginning to hit home at Chase Lincoln First Bank, its profitable upstate subsidiary, which has seven offices in the Capital District.

Chase Lincoln First announced Tuesday that it is making a severance program available to some employees. The program had previously been available only to employees of the parent corporation, which announced a major cost-cutting and layoff program Sept. 21.

Chase Lincoln spokesman James A. Sykes said the voluntary severance pay program will be paired with a cost- and staffing-reduction program that is in its final stages of design.

The program is intended to identify services that the bank feels are …