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(11/29/06 3:52am)
RIGA, Latvia -- Under intense pressure to change course, President Bush on Tuesday rejected suggestions Iraq has fallen into civil war and vowed not to pull U.S. troops out "until the mission is complete."\nAt the opening of a NATO summit, Bush also urged allies to increase their forces in Afghanistan to confront a strengthening Taliban insurgency.\nOn the eve of his visit to Jordan for meetings with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Bush portrayed the battles in both Afghanistan and Iraq as central fronts in a war "against the extremists who desire safe havens and are willing to kill innocents anywhere to achieve their objectives."\nThe stakes in Iraq are huge for Bush. His war policies were repudiated in U.S. midterm elections that handed control of Congress to Democrats. A bipartisan blue-ribbon panel is about to issue a report proposing changes in the administration's approach in Iraq. And al-Maliki's government itself sometimes seems to be at cross purposes with Washington.\nBush set the stage for the Jordan talks with a speech at the NATO summit here and at an earlier news conference in neighboring Estonia. The president said he was flexible and eager to hear al-Maliki's ideas on how to ease the violence.\n"There's one thing I'm not going to do: I'm not going to pull our troops off the battlefield before the mission is complete," Bush declared in his speech. There are about 140,000 U.S. forces in Iraq.\nEarlier, speaking with reporters in Tallinn during a joint news conference with Estonia's president, Bush would not debate whether Iraq had fallen into civil war and blamed the increasing bloodshed on a pattern of sectarian violence that he said was set in motion last winter by al-Qaida followers.\n"I'm going to bring this subject up, of course, with Prime Minister Maliki," Bush said. "My questions to him will be: What do you need to do to succeed? What is your strategy in dealing with the sectarian violence?"\nBush said he realized that "no question it's dangerous there, and violent. And the Maliki government is going to have to deal with that violence, and we want to help them do so."\nBush has been coming under increasing pressure, both overseas and at home, to reach out more to other countries, particularly to Syria and Iran to help with a solution in Iraq.\nSuch a recommendation may be among those issued by the Iraq Study Group headed by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and former Democratic Rep. Lee Hamilton. The group is expected to finish its work next month.\nBush has resisted such talks, and he renewed a warning on Tuesday to both Iran and Syria not to meddle in Iraq. Still, al-Maliki's government itself has made overtures to both countries.\n"As far as Iraq goes, the Iraqi government is a sovereign government capable of handling its own foreign policies and is in the process of doing so," Bush said in Tallinn.\nLater, Bush's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, said that Bush and al-Maliki have "a relationship of candor."\n"A lot of discussion has been about (Bush) pushing Maliki. Maliki has done a lot of pushing himself," Hadley said. "There has been a coordinated effort between the Iraqi government and allied forces to get greater control. ... It has not produced satisfactory progress in a satisfactory timeframe."\nMeanwhile, in Washington, House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi said Bush must work with Democrats on stopping the violence in Iraq.\n"We want to work in a bipartisan way to settle this," Pelosi said. "If the president persists on the course that he is on, that will be more difficult."\nIn Riga, Bush pressed many of the 26 NATO allies to do more to marshal resources and troops in Afghanistan, particularly in the volatile south.\nBush said the Afghanistan mission -- which has mobilized over 32,000 troops-- is NATO's top operation and defeating Taliban forces "will require the full commitment of our alliance."\n"The commanders on the ground must have the resources and flexibility they need to do their jobs," he said.\nBush met individually with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and joined other leaders in attending a working dinner.\nHadley, Bush's national security adviser, said Bush brought up a need for "additional defense capabilities and additional defense spending" in the meeting with the secretary-general and also intended to discuss it at the dinner.
(11/28/06 5:32am)
On Friday, Nov. 17, the Playstation 3 went on sale across America. Hordes of excited gamers waited in line for hours to get their hands on a limited supply (400,000 units) of the new game console. \nAccording to a Reuters report, thousands camped outside stores in order to obtain the console. One man was shot in a robbery attempt while waiting outside a Wal-Mart in Connecticut at about 3:15 a.m. And in Sullivan, Ind., a man was in critical condition after emergency surgery for a stab wound that he received when he and a friend tried to rob two men of consoles for which they had waited 36 hours in line to buy. \nThese are just two out of many reports of PS3-related violence and robberies from the first day of its release.\nOne could perhaps question the sanity of the gamers for waiting in line for so long just to have an opportunity to spend $500 to $600 on a game console. And if one can somehow look past that, it's certainly hard to believe they're sane after reports of violence between people just trying to get their hands on a console. What's more, among those PS3s placed on eBay, many of them sold in the thousands of dollars with some bids reaching $30,000.\nI've always held that games do not make people violent -- it's just that some violent people also play games. I still stand by that because the people involved in these types of events are just idiots. Period. The reason they were so worked up over a game console can't be because the games had made them violent. They hadn't even gotten the system yet. They are simply losers. \nThe idea that these losers will ever do anything to better themselves or the world is laughable. This is the part of the population that doesn't even need to be in society but still is. \nSo it is up to Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft to continue making new game consoles every two years or so to keep them from ever leaving their houses, except to get a new game or gaming system. Although it is unlikely, if the big three in the gaming industry ever did stop making new consoles, within a few years there would be more riots across the nation. These people would get tired of playing the same old games and would suddenly realize they don't have a life. Once that happens, they might consider actually trying to accomplish something for a moment or two, only to realize it's not worth it. That's when the riots would begin. \nIt's now up to the new heroes of the world -- the video game manufacturers -- to keep busy. It's the only way to keep these folks from going outside the house. But next time, make an extra million units or so -- a bunch of pissed off losers is kind of dangerous.
(11/28/06 5:32am)
For me, home is too far to drive for just the Thanksgiving weekend, so last Wednesday I braved the holiday hordes and flew out of Indianapolis International Airport. Now let's be clear: JFK is an international airport. LAX, Dulles, Atlanta and O'Hare are all international airports.\nIndianapolis, you wish.\nThe Indianapolis Transportation Security Administration agents must suffer from a miserable inferiority complex. Nothing else could explain their behavior when I pulled out my ID and boarding pass. Totally uninterested in my identity, the agent demanded access to the fluoride-based WMD in my Ziploc baggy. I'd have been lucky to get two more uses from the tube, but because Aquafresh apparently has the explosive potential of C-4, it was confiscated.\nIt became immediately apparent that the only word to describe TSA regulations is reactionary. Just look at the scale of the attacks needed to realize the benefits of x-raying everything that goes on board. But the only thing between me and the gate was the mandatory shoe inspection and the bomb-sniffing machine, and I wasn't about to make a fuss and risk missing my flight.\nEver since British nut-case Richard Reid attempted to blow a hole in his transatlantic flight, the TSA has required airports to x-ray passengers' assorted footwear. TSA insists the policy works because no one since Reid has tried to turn their Timberlands into M-80s, but the truth is just that no one is stupid enough.\nAmazingly, it wasn't my shoes that set the agents into a hazmat-sized panic. Nor did the butane lighter in my pocket or the set of lock picks in my laptop case (absolutely true) particularly bother the man behind the x-ray machine. No, I was pulled aside for the travel-sized bottle of contact lens solution, which measured a full half-ounce more than the three-ounce limit on fluids. Naturally fearing the gallows or guillotine for the contraband listed above, I passed on a discussion about the relative dangers of salt water in a squeeze bottle.\nThe ban on liquids comes on the heels of news reports that falsely claim a home-made explosive could be engineered on board an airplane using standard toiletry products. The fact of the matter is that distilling acetone and other mild combustibles actually requires a considerable chemistry set. You have a greater chance of bringing down an aircraft with a Molotov cocktail made from duty-free Bacardi 151 than nail polish remover and a match.\nTSA regulations fall dreadfully short of addressing reality. The agency ought to be focusing its attention on the future of skyjackings, not just trying to stop lightning from striking twice. Terrorists are inventive. What good is a ban on whatever the last guy tried? \nAside from being an abject aggravation, improper regulations are detrimental to airport security. Having agents screen for harmless gels and liquids means fewer box cutters and other potential weapons are being seized. If an idiot like me could get through -- twice -- someone with the foresight to plan his attack is virtually guaranteed access to the cockpit.
(11/28/06 5:32am)
Crimes against children, especially those of a sexual nature, are the most evil acts our criminal justice system has ever had to face. This seems to be one of the very few issues liberals and conservatives can agree on.\nAfter being relegated to the back burner for a period of time, the issue of child predators was brought back into the spotlight a few weeks ago after a prosecutor in Terrell, Texas, committed suicide as police attempted to arrest him on charges of soliciting sex over the Internet from a person he thought was a 13-year-old boy. Local authorities, working in conjunction with "Dateline NBC" and activist group Perverted Justice, had been investigating this prosecutor as part of an online sting operation. \nI am not glad this guy committed suicide, but I am glad that a child predator will not be able to harm any children. I also hope those who helped catch this guy will be able to continue doing their good work.\nPerverted Justice and NBC's "To Catch a Predator" have been unfairly criticized by some for their efforts to expose and prosecute those who prey on children. Some view them as dangerous vigilantes, but I view them as a sewer to drown the rats of society.\nAnother controversial measure designed to punish those who prey on children is Jessica's Law.\nNamed after 11-year-old murder victim Jessica Lunsford, Jessica's Law mandates a 25-year minimum prison sentence for those convicted of certain sex crimes against children. This model law, first passed by unanimous vote in the Florida House and Florida Senate, also requires lifetime GPS tracking of these offenders if and when they are released.\nCertain states, however, are taking the law even further.\nFor example, Texas Lt. Governor David Dewhurst has proposed an expanded version of Jessica's law that would make those convicted of a second sexual offense against a child eligible for the death penalty. \nWhether or not this can be done remains to be seen. However, there is no question that repeat sex offenders who commit crimes against children should be put to death.\nDespite the logic of such punishments, there are some that oppose harsh treatment of child predators.\nLess than 36 hours after taking his post, a newly elected U.S. District Court judge in Baldwin Park, Calif., blocked implementation of a version of Jessica's Law, known in California as Proposition 83. At issue are the residency restrictions of the law, which bar convicted sex offenders from living within a 2,000-foot radius of a park or school. \nWhy is the judge that wrote this ruling trying to prevent California from protecting its children?\nThe bottom line is that we as a society have an obligation to protect the most vulnerable among us. We must do everything possible to prevent these predators from hurting any more innocent children.\nIf that means curtailing the civil liberties of child predators and making their crimes capital offenses, so be it.
(11/28/06 5:23am)
Do you ever stop and count the number of Web sites you visit daily? There are the essentials: Webmail, Gmail, Facebook and (God forbid) MySpace. Then there are sites for you news junkies: NPR, CNN and The Onion (that's right, it's news -- sorta). Maybe you even visit idsnews.com as part of your daily online routine.\nHowever, we sincerely doubt that an online recap of the daily happenings of our administration is anywhere near the top of your must-visit list. Nonetheless, the presidents of about a dozen universities across the country have taken to the blogosphere. Never before has an attempt to be "down" and "hip" been more mundane. We have to ask ourselves: Are students actually reading this stuff? And if so, why? (Well, besides finding inspiration for editorials.)\nProponents of presidential blogging might point to several upsides: Presidents are often seen as distant pie-in-the-sky characters. Blogging humanizes these far-off figures for students who might otherwise feel disconnected from their well-paid leaders.\nAlso, blogging helps sell the university, and prospective students and donors may be turned on to an institution that is so "up-to-date" and "digital" that its president has his own online journal. \nHowever, for all the potential gains that presidential blogging offers, there are critical risks.\nDespite what you might think, presidents are busy people, and it takes a lot of work to earn their hefty pay (or should, anyway). Blogging is no cake walk, either. Just ask the few people who actually do it for a living. (Yes, some people actually get paid for this stuff.) Do we really want presidents spending their time locked in the distant confines of their offices, typing furiously about what they recently watched on TV? If we truly wanted to know, we'd walk into the office and ask. They are, after all, supposed to be open and accessible to students.\nAnother concern is that such blogging constitutes a great liability for the university, especially for public institutions. Some of the opinions aired on these blogs are unlikely to cause problems for the presidents involved. For example, it's unsurprising that on his blog, Bill Brown, president of Cedarville University, a private Christian school in Ohio, is critical of atheist thinking -- or that Patricia McGuire, president of Washington, D.C.'s private Trinity University, is enthusiastic about Nancy Pelosi becoming the first female speaker of the House (although one might wonder how Republican alumni might react). \nHowever, the situation becomes a lot more complicated if Adam Herbert, a public official, announces his position on, say, gay marriage and it's perceived as the view of the entirety of IU. While there's no guarantee that this will happen, such situations are completely possible when presidential blogging is officially connected to the university. \nAdam Herbert, by the way, doesn't maintain an official blog, nor are there any plans for one in the near future, says Media Relations Director Larry MacIntyre. Good thinking. Our advice to Herbert: There's no need to turn to the blogosphere. If you want to connect with students, come out and talk to us on our campuses. There's about 100,000 of us waiting for you.
(11/28/06 4:43am)
March 21, 2002: 74-73 in Lexington, Ky.\nJared Jeffries torched Duke with 24 points and 15 rebounds in IU's stunning Sweet 16 upset of the heavily-favored Blue Devils. Duke was ranked No. 1 at the time and was the defending national \nchampion. IU went on to lose the national championship game \n64-52 against the University of Maryland. \nNovember 29, 1996: 85-69 in New York\nAndrae Patterson scored 22 points in the second half of the game to help the No. 20 Hoosiers secure a 85-69 victory. IU trailed by eight at halftime but overcame the deficit behind a career-high 39 points from Patterson and defeated the No. 6 Blue Devils.\nMarch 20, 1987: 88-82 in Cincinnati\nWith IU ranked No. 3 in the nation and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Hoosiers defeated the No. 5-seed Blue Devils in the Midwest Regional of the tournament. The Hoosiers went on to win the NCAA Championship.\nNovember 30, 2005: 75-67 in Bloomington\nSenior Marco \nKillingsworth scored 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the Hoosiers' 75-67 loss to the Blue Devils. The game marked the first time in the matchup's history that the two teams did not meet at a neutral site.\nNovember 24, 1995: 70-64 in Anchorage, Alaska\nBrian Evans and Andrae Patterson paced the Hoosiers in their loss to Duke at the Great Alaska Shootout. IU struggled that season, going 19-12 overall with a 12-6 record in the Big Ten, and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.\nApril 4, 1992: 81-87 in Minneapolis\nThe two teams met in a Final Four matchup after IU had already defeated No. 1-seed UCLA and No. 3-seed Florida State \nUniversity in the previous rounds. The Hoosiers, led by Alan \nHenderson, fell to the No. 1-seed Blue Devils, who went on to win the national championship.
(11/28/06 4:23am)
DEERFIELD, Ill. -- No headbands, no problems.\nThat was the message the Chicago Bulls sent Monday afternoon, two days after new high-priced center Ben Wallace caused a stir when he flouted team rules by wearing a headband during a game.\nWallace, who signed a four-year, $60 million contract in the off-season, was benched for wearing a red headband during Saturday's 106-95 victory against the New York Knicks. For the Bulls, the win ended a six-game losing streak and closed out a disappointing 1-6 road trip.\nThe team had a long meeting after the game, and on Monday, Bulls coach Scott Skiles and the team's executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson both reiterated that this issue will be resolved quickly.\n"I look at it like these things are, most times, inevitable," Skiles said. "This happens in pro sports; these things come up. ... I can't predict what's going to happen with certainty, but I don't think there's going to be any long-term ramifications from it."\nWallace did not practice Monday after getting an MRI on his right wrist, banged up in the Knicks game -- the results were negative, Paxson said -- but came to the team's suburban complex after practice. He declined to comment to the media through a team spokesman.\nThe no-headband rule came from Paxson who said he didn't like the cavalier way Bulls wore headbands when he took over for Jerry Krause in April 2003.\n"It's not meant in any way to stifle anybody's individuality or creativity," Paxson said. "It was just simply part of a structure we were trying to create."\nWallace, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, has had a tough time fitting in on the court with his new team after leaving the Detroit Pistons.\nThe 32-year-old center is averaging 5.5 points and 9.2 rebounds a game -- he picked up zeroes in both categories in almost 20 minutes in a loss to Philadelphia last week -- and the team's defense looks worse than last season.\n"We still think it's just a comfort level thing," Skiles said of Wallace's play. "We think it'll come."\nMedia reports in Chicago have indicated Wallace is unhappy. He has reportedly butted heads with the team on other issues, like playing music in the locker room before games.\nHe has had problems with other coaches in the past. Last season he once refused to re-enter a game in Detroit after arguing with Pistons coach Flip Saunders. Skiles didn't think the headband incident was a rebellion against him, and neither did Paxson after he talked with Wallace Sunday by telephone.\n"I'm going to talk to Ben again and see if there's more to this than the headband issue," Paxson said.\nPaxson thinks the change in settings has stifled Wallace's game.\n"Ben was larger than life in Detroit," Paxson said. "He created an image and persona there that people really gravitated toward. It's one of the reasons we went to get him because he's a good basketball player. His strengths are real strengths in this league."\nSkiles said he didn't discuss the headband issue with Wallace until right before his first press conference in Chicago.\n"I didn't want him to be caught off-guard, and he said, 'no problem,'" Skiles said.\nWhile Wallace has struggled, so have the Bulls, picked by many to challenge the Miami Heat and others in the Eastern Division. Skiles hopes the conflict wakes up his young 4-9 team that hosts the Knicks on Tuesday.\n"These are, in general, not confrontation-type people," Skiles said. "That's good on one hand but also bad. You want some confrontation out there, for guys to make a stand. I don't think it's the worst thing in the world for them to see some confrontation like that, as long as it gets resolved. I think it's something we can all learn from"
(11/28/06 4:16am)
JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reached out to the Palestinians on Monday in one of his most conciliatory speeches yet, saying he was prepared to grant them a state, release desperately needed funds and free prisoners if they choose the path of peace.\nOlmert's remarks sealed a dramatic policy shift and built on a day-old truce meant to end five months of violence in the Gaza Strip, but new rocket attacks by Palestinian militants threatened the latest rapprochement.\n"I hold out my hand in peace to our Palestinian neighbors in the hope that it won't be returned empty," Olmert said.\n"We cannot change the past and we will not be able to bring back the victims on both sides of the borders," he said. "All that we can do today is stop additional tragedies."\nOlmert appealed to the Palestinians to form a new, moderate Cabinet committed to carrying out a U.S.-backed peace plan and securing the release of a captured Israeli soldier.\nOnce such a government was established, Olmert said, he would call for an immediate meeting with the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, "to have a real, open, honest, serious dialogue between us."\nPalestinian legislator Saeb Erekat, a top Abbas aide, said the Palestinians were ready to negotiate a final peace deal.\n"I believe Mr. Olmert knows he has a partner, and that is President Abbas. He knows that to achieve peace and security for all, we need to shoot for the end game," Erekat said.\nBut the Palestinian Cabinet, led by Hamas militants who reject Israel's right to exist, accused Olmert of posturing.\n"This is a conspiracy. This is a new maneuver. Olmert is speaking about the Palestinian state without giving details about the borders," said Ghazi Hamad, a government spokesman.\nOlmert's speech raised the diplomatic stakes ahead of President Bush's scheduled trip to neighboring Jordan this week for talks with Iraqi leaders.\nErekat said it was possible Abbas would meet with Bush there, but Israeli officials denied that Abbas and Olmert might meet on the sidelines of the Bush visit.\nOlmert was elected in March promising to set Israel's final borders with the Palestinians by uprooting isolated communities dotted all over the West Bank while holding on to major settlement blocs. Israel, Olmert said, would act unilaterally without a Palestinian peace partner -- something it appeared inclined to conclude because of Hamas' violently anti-Israel ideology.\nBut a summer war with Lebanese guerrillas, which many Israelis blamed on their unilateral pullout from southern Lebanon six years ago, left Israelis cool to ceding more territory, and Olmert shelved that plan.\nHis speech Monday signaled a final break with that program -- and an attempt to entice the Palestinians back to the negotiating table by outlining likely Israeli concessions under a future peace deal.\n"We, the state of Israel, will agree to the evacuation of many territories and the settlements that we built there. This is extremely difficult for us, like the splitting of the Red Sea. We will do it for real peace," he said.\nIsrael would pull out of West Bank land and uproot settlements under a peace deal, Olmert said.\nIn return for a serious Palestinian push for peace, he said, Israel would be prepared to reduce checkpoints that have severely restricted movement in the West Bank, release hundreds of millions of dollars in funds frozen after Hamas took power in March and free some of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners Israel holds if Hamas-linked militants release -- alive and healthy -- an Israeli soldier they captured in June.\nThe freezing of funds has created great hardship in the Palestinian territories by rendering the Hamas government unable to pay full salaries to its civil servants, who provide for one-third of the Palestinian people.\nA significant prisoner release would be a major confidence-building gesture because prisoners hold great weight in Palestinian society.\nIsraeli government officials said they had not ruled out releasing Palestinian uprising leader Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for masterminding deadly attacks.\nIn exchange for Israeli concessions, Olmert said, Palestinians would have to renounce violence, recognize Israel's right to live in peace and security and give up their demands to allow refugees from the 1948 Mideast War to return to their homes in what is now Israel.\n"The uncompromising extremism of your terror organizations ... hasn't brought you closer to achieving the goal that I'm convinced many of you share -- to establish a Palestinian state," he said.\nHamad, the Palestinian government spokesman, said Palestinians would not abandon the fight for refugees.\n"It is a main part of the Palestinian cause," he said.\nOlmert's offer to revive stalled peace talks came a day after the two sides began observing a cease-fire in Gaza, raising hopes new peace efforts would follow.\nPalestinian militants violated the cease-fire by launching two rockets at Israel on Monday. No one was injured, but Israel has threatened to strike back if rocket attacks increase.\nErekat said he was working with the Israelis to expand the cease-fire to the West Bank and hoped to have an agreement within days. Israeli officials said they would wait to see what happens in Gaza first.\n"If the cease-fire in Gaza works, I hope it will be possible to transfer that more positive reality to the West Bank as well," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.
(11/28/06 4:12am)
As you might have noticed, the 2006 IDS basketball guide dropped today. IU is also playing Duke University tonight. The game is at 9 p.m. on ESPN. Lots of men's basketball going on today. \nSo presumably, it's quite the exciting time around campus if you're a fan of the basketballing Hoosiers.\nWe also have a little Internet endeavor located on the IDS Web site. It's a men's basketball blog, conveniently found on the Internet at www.idsnews.com/basketblog. Since I'll be doing my best Jay Mariotti-Bill Simmons impersonation and I won't actually be in Durham, N.C., tonight (grumble, grumble), I've decided to give you the unique opportunity to become my Internet friend.\nAnd just how do you do that?\nWell, I'll be live-blogging the affair tonight on the Basketblog. If you're unfamiliar with the concept of a live blog, let me explain: Essentially, I'll be analyzing and commenting on the game up-to-minute all night long about anything and everything. Mostly, it will be on the actual game play. But I'll also throw in some observations on the telecast and commercials. Maybe I'll even keep a tally of how many times Dick Vitale mentions "Robert Montgomery Knight" during the broadcast. \nSo if you're stuck in the library and looking for some details about the game tonight, head to the Basketblog.\nHeck, you could even sit on your couch all game, laptop on your, well, lap and read along all game. It will be quite the experience, trust me.\nAlso, leave me some comments under the post. Because if you don't, I'll be alone. \nAnd you wouldn't want me to be all alone, would you?\nHope to see you out there on the Wacky Wild Web tonight.
(11/28/06 4:09am)
It is a well-known fact that the majority of information passed through an organization goes through informal channels such as gossip or informal meetings at the water cooler. This fact is important for all new hires to consider when entering their first full-time positions. \nMany recent hires go into an organization with an excessive level of ambition. Their desire to get into the company and prove themselves through what they have learned throughout college is remarkable. Hard work, long hours and performance are expected to land you a promotion, right? \nNot necessarily. Are you familiar with the term "office politics?" \nIf you're not, here's a crash course. \nOffice politics refers to the interaction among staff members within an organization in either formal or informal situations. The effects of these interactions can either be productive or harmful for an individual seeking that coveted promotion. \nCarolyn Wiethoff, the honors management professor for the Kelley School of Business, describes office politics as "the real power structure." She stresses the importance of office politics by emphasizing the power that comes with favoritism in an office. \nWiethoff said there are four main elements that affect office politics in today's business world. \nFirst, office politics is centered on the "power of relationships." Informal relationships speak volumes about your character and integrity. If you are seen working with a rising star, supervisors are likely to see you as ambitious. However, if a supervisor sees you associating with the office "slacker," you may soon find yourself with an unfavorable nickname as well. \nSecond, your position in the political office hierarchy is based on the projects you are assigned to work on. The more difficult the projects, the more responsibility you are given. With this responsibility comes a level of confidence from supervisors. Additionally, Wiethoff describes the "centrality of power" as your leverage against co-workers in fighting for a promotion based on the importance of the projects you are working on and how "central" they are to the key functions of the business. \nThird is the "power in affection." Simply put, how likeable are you? Wiethoff said office politics are often seen as a popularity contest in which the office can feel like a junior-high playground. The more popular you are or become, the more leverage you will have for moving up the corporate ladder. \nFinally, there is the "power of mentorship." Wiethoff said the power of your mentor within an organization can increase your power through association. Particularly, a mentor can give you leverage by providing you with advice that a manager cannot legally give you. "A manager can only tell you so much legally," Wiethoff said, "but a mentor can be candid and tell you what you need to get ahead."\nUltimately, office politics can carry you to the top or tie you to the bottom. However, Wiethoff explains that being aware of your office's dynamics, understanding the give-and-take of informal relationships and being sincere in your relationships can all help you overcome obstacles in your climb to the top.
(11/28/06 3:58am)
What: David Smith's "Pillar of Sunday" (1946) in painted steel
(11/28/06 3:56am)
Dear Harlan, \nI dumped my ex-girlfriend almost three years ago in December. We were together for four years; we started dating my senior year in high school. She was not honest about her feelings for me. I found out that she was lying when I (out of anger) guessed the password to her e-mail. Her dad was/is controlling of her in very big way (she lives with her mom and dad). After I dumped her, I said a lot of things that were not nice. I demanded a meeting and then never met her because I was afraid that her dad would try to fight me when we met. Do I dare send her a letter in the mail or call her on the phone to see how she is doing? \n"Kevin"
(11/28/06 3:54am)
BFA painting, sculpture pieces premiere\nWHEN: Noon to 4 p.m. today\nWHERE: School of Fine Arts Gallery\nMORE INFORMATION: The IU Fine Arts BFA Painting and Sculpture Area Show will feature Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts students' artwork, including painting, sculpture, installation work and other media. The show will continue through Dec. 2, with an opening reception for the exhibit from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday in the SoFA gallery.
(11/28/06 3:51am)
LONDON -- Pseudo Picassos, counterfeit Chagalls and other fakes were on display in London last week as part of an effort by Scotland Yard to warn dealers about forged art that it says fuels crime gangs around the world.\nWhile the exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum looks like any other art gallery, the chatter among dealers centered on crime rather than composition, and the program was not open to the public.\n"It made you fascinated by the terrifying skills of some of these people," said Fiona Ford of The Association of Arts & Antiques Dealers. "If every dealer saw this exhibition, it would further impress on them how careful they have to be."\nFor the art world, the danger is that forgeries can devalue the real thing. Documentation -- allegedly authenticating a piece of art -- also can be forged, said Detective Sgt. Vernon Rapley, so even art accompanied by a detailed provenance can be suspect.\nArt historian Thomas Hoving, former director of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, has estimated that the market comprises up to 40 percent of some type of forgery.\nPolice say the work of one talented duo could keep devaluing art in the future.\nJohn Drewe worked in Britain 20 years ago. While his partner in crime, John Myatt, would copy the works of Marc Chagall, Georges Braque and Ben Nicholson, Drewe would create the documentation to pass them off as genuine. A few hours' work could net the pair thousands, Rapley said.\nMyatt assisted police in the investigation of Drewe and served one year in prison. Drewe was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay $238,000 in restitution. Officers said Drewe might have made as much as $1.9 million from the scheme.\nUp to 100 Myatt fake paintings could still be on the market, Rapley said.\nAfter completing his jail term, Myatt is now taking orders for what he calls "genuine fakes" in the style of famous artists, which can also cost thousands of dollars.\nDrewe's work included planting faked catalogues, which experts rely on to authenticate a work, in the libraries of legitimate art dealers. That scam was ultimately more damaging to the art world, Rapley said, because it could cause a real painting with little documentation to be valued at less than a fake with Drewe's documents.\n"That would obviously be a very sad day for the history of art," Rapley said.\nBrothers Robert and Brian Thwaites were also renowned forgers, noted for their attention to detail.\nThe pair was careful to use materials from the era of the artists they copied, even sticking scraps of Victorian newspapers to the backs of canvasses to make them look more authentic. That made it difficult to detect their forgeries.\nThe brothers duped two dealers out of more than $229,000 but came under suspicion when they tried to sell a third painting. When police raided their studio, they found a fake Edgar Hunt painting still wet on the easel, according to Detective Constable Michelle Roycroft.\nIn addition to Hunt, the brothers also forged Victorian painter John Anster Fitzgerald -- famous for his paintings of fairies.\nThe Thwaites were convicted in September of deception. Robert Thwaites was sentenced to two years in prison while Brian received a suspended one-year sentence.\nWhen the art unit executes a search warrant, it often finds drugs and evidence of other crimes, such as fake Rolex watches, Detective Constable Ian Lawson said.\nAnother thriving area of forgery is the faking of archaeological finds.\n"We know for a fact that there is a terrorism link," Lawson said. "Archaeological stuff is being exported by the ton load from Middle Eastern countries. If the money goes back into criminality, some will inevitably end up in the hands of terrorists"
(11/28/06 3:50am)
Two opportunities remain for students, faculty and community members to get an inside look at the IU Art Museum. This Wednesday and Dec. 7, the IU Art Museum will host its final Noon Talks of the semester. The ongoing Noon Talk series features museum curators and other art experts offering insights about the collections and exhibits. \nFrom 12:15 to 1 p.m. Wednesday in the museum's Gallery of the Art of Asia and the Ancient Western World on the second floor, Adriana Calinescu, the Thomas T. Solley Curator of Ancient Art, will present her Noon Talk "The High Life." Calinescu will talk about the museum's recent acquisition of an important Greek vase, which was made for special use at a banquet or ceremony that took place in Greece in the fifth century B.C., according to a press release for the event. Her talk will focus on how the piece came into the museum's possession and offer the public one of the first chances to see the piece on display, said Emily Powell, manager of external affairs at the IU Art Museum. \nThe Noon Talk "Dancing off the Wall: Dan Masks in Performance" will take place from 12:15 to 1 p.m. Dec. 7 in the Wielgus Gallery of the Arts of Africa, the South Pacific and the Americas on the second floor of the IU Art Museum. Daniel B. Reed, a professor in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology and director of the IU Archives of Traditional Music, will offer insight into the Dan mask collection at the museum, according to the event's press release. Through a discussion of his work with Dan musicians and masqueraders in Cote d'Ivoire, Reed will offer a deeper appreciation of the mask collection, according to the press release.\nIn a 2001 article for "Africa Today," Reed wrote that "many Dan people in western Cote d'Ivoiure hold that masks, called 'Ge,' are spirits who perform among humans as dancing and musical embodiments of Dan social ideals and religious beliefs."\nBoth events are free and open to the public and do not require preregistration.
(11/28/06 3:43am)
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani arrived in Tehran on Monday amid increasing calls for Washington to enlist Iran's help in calming the escalating violence in neighboring Iraq.
(11/27/06 8:03pm)
Before a Big Ten game, an NCAA Tournament appearance or a full season under his belt, Hoosier Nation has embraced IU coach Kelvin Sampson.\nIt wasn't always such a loving squeeze, though.\nWhen IU announced Sampson's hiring March 29, it was more of a cold shoulder. Hoosier fans were underwhelmed. Message boards were on fire with angry outcries. He wasn't John Calipari, Tom Crean or Mark Few, all rumored to be possible suitors to the Hoosier crown. Nor was he Steve Alford or Randy Wittman, "IU guys" who -- in lieu of the man himself -- could at least bring some of The General's spirit back to Assembly Hall.\nHe was, well, Kelvin Sampson. And there wasn't anything inherently exciting about that. \nBut since the initial reaction, the fans calmed down. There's always going to be a preliminary backlash when change occurs. Especially at IU, a place expecting excellence but reeling from a few straight years of substandard play under former coach Mike Davis. \nAnd Sampson has done a lot to quell the doubters himself.\nHe blazed a trail around the state of Indiana this summer, giving speeches and meeting Hoosier supporters. He's reached out to former players to gauge their input.\nThat, coupled with fans knowing his resume -- one that includes Sampson winning 20-plus games at Oklahoma in each of the past nine seasons -- made the doubters begin to realize just how good of a coach he is.\nAnd when Sampson wrenched prized recruit Eric Gordon from the grips of Illinois coach Bruce Weber and the Illini, his support grew again.\nAt Hoosier Hysteria on Oct. 13, the same day Gordon announced he would attend IU, Sampson received a raucous ovation from those in attendance. He's also been getting the loudest applause during pre-game introductions at Assembly Hall.\nStill, there are those who might never embrace Sampson. They feel his NCAA sanctions for recruiting law infractions are unacceptable, no matter how minor his penalty is.\nBut victories and championships will make some of them forget that stuff.\nSure, Sampson's been successful at every stop along the way and sports an impressive resume. And sure, he can win 20-plus games each year at IU, just as he did his last nine years at Oklahoma. He can be awarded The Associated Press' Coach of the Year as coach of the Hoosiers, just as he did when he headed the Sooners. \nBut unless Sampson wins a national title during his tenure here, he'll be known as a great coach who never quite put it all together, who never reached the top of the mountain, who never fully returned the team to where Hoosier Nation expects it to be.\nSampson's teams look and play rather similar to those of Bob Knight. They love to teach the game of basketball. They play inside-out and emphasize defense. Make a bad play out on the court? Sampson will yank you right out of the game no matter who you are, just like Knight. Can you imagine if Mike Davis would have pulled his players out of the game every time they made a mistake? Some games Marco Killingsworth and Robert Vaden would have played a combined five minutes.\nBut Sampson's been quick to point out that he's looking toward the future with his team and not into the past. He understands the IU basketball tradition, but he's anxious to leave his own mark. He is not Robert Montgomery Knight, nor should he try to be. But either way, the similarities exist.\nSo here Kelvin Sampson stands. Thirty years removed from IU's perfect 32-0 season and nearly 20 years from its last national title. Will he be the one to return IU to glory, or is he just another coach to forever live in Bob Knight's shadow?\nThis season should give us our first indication.
(11/27/06 4:42am)
TAKEDOWN -- IU freshman Maurice Gunn (left) battles Eric Flinchum, a top-ranked wrestler of Cumberland College in the NAIA during Saturday's Hoosier Duals at Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers finished the day 5-0 after defeating Cumberland, Oregon, Bucknell, Ohio and Appalachian State. IU will head to Primm, Nev. on Dec. 1 to compete in the Las Vegas Invitational.
(11/27/06 4:41am)
BALTIMORE -- Any chance the Pittsburgh Steelers had of returning to the Super Bowl was seemingly laid to rest by the Baltimore Ravens.\nThe Ravens sacked Ben Roethlisberger nine times Sunday and coasted to their fifth straight victory, a 27-0 blowout that left the Steelers with only a mathematical chance of reaching the playoffs.\nBaltimore (9-2) limited the defending NFL champions to 36 yards in the decisive first half. The nine sacks, which totaled 73 yards and matched a Ravens franchise record, included a vicious hit by Bart Scott that forced Roethlisberger out of the game in the second quarter.\nRoethlisberger missed only one play, but for the rest of the afternoon he was harassed by a relentless rush. It was the second time this year that the Steelers were shut out; the last time Pittsburgh was blanked at least twice in a season was in 1989.\nThe Steelers (4-7) had won two straight following a 2-6 start, but their resurgence was emphatically squelched by the hated Ravens, who lead Pittsburgh in the AFC North by five games with five to play.\nRoethlisberger went 21-for-41 for 214 yards and two interceptions. Willie Parker got only 15 yards rushing in the first half and finished with 20.\nLANDOVER, Md. -- Chris Cooley's 66-yard touchdown reception was the difference in Washington's win over \nCarolina.\nThe victory broke a two-game losing streak for the Redskins (4-7) and gave quarterback Jason Campbell his first win in his second NFL start. The team returned to running the ball and stopping the run, but it took the big play from Cooley with 4:26 remaining to beat the Panthers (6-5).\nCampbell had only 52 yards passing when he hit Cooley on a third-and-8 at the Washington 34. Campbell finished 11-for-23 for 118 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Ladell Betts, the Redskins featured running back now that Clinton Portis is out for the year, ran for 104 yards on 24 carries.\nThe Redskins defense had its first good game, holding the Panthers to 264 total yards. The much maligned secondary limited Smith to 34 yards on five catches. Safety Sean Taylor made a tackle on fourth down to stop Carolina's next-to-last drive, and he intercepted Jake Delhomme in the end zone on the Panthers' last possession.\nSmith gave the Panthers a 13-10 lead with 7:55 to play with an 8-yard touchdown catch.\nATLANTA -- Drew Brees threw a 76-yard touchdown to Devery Henderson on the third play of the game, then lofted a 48-yarder to Terrance Copper on the final play of the first half, leading New Orleans past bumbling Atlanta.\nNew Orleans bounced back from losing three of four, boosted its playoff hopes and delivered a crushing blow to an NFC West rival. The Saints (7-4) won without rookie star Marques Colston, who didn't play because of a sprained ankle.\nThe Falcons (5-6) lost their fourth straight. Even though quarterback Michael Vick ran for 166 yards, Atlanta couldn't overcome five dropped passes and a shocking defensive breakdown just before halftime.\nBrees had no such problems with his receivers, completing 21-of-30 for 349 yards -- the fifth straight 300-yard game for the Saints' first-year quarterback. He burned the Falcons right away, going deep to Henderson -- Colston's replacement -- on third-and-7 from the New Orleans 24.\nVick challenged his NFL record for yards rushing by a quarterback, coming up seven short of his 173-yard performance in an overtime victory at Minnesota in 2002.\nCLEVELAND -- Cincinnati picked off Cleveland quarterback Charlie Frye four times in its first shutout win since 1989 and Carson Palmer threw three touchdown passes for the \nBengals.\nPalmer finished 25-of-32 for 275 yards and connected with Chris Henry for two TD passes as the Bengals (6-5) stayed firmly in the AFC playoff race by beating Cleveland for the fifth straight time.\nBefore piling up yardage during extended garbage time in the fourth quarter, the Browns (3-8) had only 167 yards -- 21 rushing -- after three quarters. By then, they were down 30-0 and on their way to dropping to 1-5 at home.\nThe shutout was the Bengals' first since Dec. 3, 1989, a span of 269 games. That one also came against the Browns.\nFollowing an interception, Browns receiver Braylon Edwards and Frye angrily exchanged words and had to be separated.\nFrye went 18-of-29 for 186 yards. Edwards had two catches for 29 yards.\nST. LOUIS -- Marc Bulger threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Curtis with 27 seconds to go and St. Louis snapped a five-game skid.\nStymied much of the game, Bulger was 9-for-9 for 66 yards during a 12-play, 80-yard drive for the winning score. He finished 23-for-34 for 201 yards with one touchdown and one interception.\nFrank Gore had 134 yards on 21 carries for the 49ers, who missed a chance to keep the pressure on first-place Seattle in the NFC West.\nSt. Louis lost twice in the final minute during the slump, but this time safety Oshiomogo Atogwe intercepted a desperation pass by Alex Smith and ran out the clock.\nThe Rams (5-6) responded after the 49ers (5-6) punished the NFL's weakest run defense to take a 17-13 lead.\nGore, who has four 100-yard games in the last five weeks, had 40 yards on five carries in the drive. He also had a 12-yard scoring run.\nSteven Jackson was just as impressive for the Rams. After being limited to 27 yards last week, he had 121 yards on 23 carries with a 36-yard scoring run in the first half. He ran twice for 10 yards on the winning drive and had four catches for 25 yards against a resurgent San Francisco defense that had allowed only 30 points in 3 1/2 games.\nORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- J.P. Losman hit Roscoe Parrish for a 30-yard completion to set up Rian Lindell's 42-yard field goal as time ran out, lifting Buffalo over Jacksonville.\nThe Bills, who never trailed, scored 28 seconds after the Jaguars tied it when David Garrard hit Matt Jones for a 3-yard touchdown.\nLosman, who finished 21-of-28 for 169 yards, rallied the Bills. After a 6-yard completion to Parrish, the quarterback stepped up in the pocket and threw to the left sideline for Parrish, who kept both toes in bounds.\nIt was the second straight week Losman engineered a last-minute, game-winning drive.\nBills running back Willis McGahee had 63 yards rushing and two touchdowns in his first game after missing the past two with broken ribs. Parrish also scored on an 82-yard punt return.\nThe Bills (5-6) won consecutive games for the first time since October 2005, and continued to show life after a breakthrough offensive performance last week.\nThe Jaguars (6-5) dropped to 1-4 on the road.\nEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Chad Pennington had his finest passing day in weeks, throwing for 286 yards and a touchdown in New York's 26-11 victory over Houston.\nPennington, who left briefly in the third quarter after an injury scare, finished 24-of-31. He connected with Laveranues Coles nine times for 111 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Jerricho Cotchery had seven catches for 110 yards.\nMike Nugent tied a career high with four field goals, including a career-long 54-yarder for the Jets.\nPennington was 5-for-5 for 89 yards on the Jets' first possession of the third quarter. He found Chris Baker for 28 yards and Cotchery for 35 to get to the 12. Pennington then lofted a pass to the left front corner of the end zone, and Coles leaped for the score.\nCedric Houston added a 1-yard touchdown run later in the third quarter to make it 23-3.\nAndre Johnson caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from David Carr with 3:51 left to cap a 76-yard drive for the Texans (3-8), and Wali Lundy's short reception completed the 2-point conversion. Carr was 39-of-54 for 321 yards, and Johnson and Eric Moulds each had 10 catches.\nThe Jets held Houston to 25 yards rushing a week after the Texans ran for 188 against Buffalo.\nMINNEAPOLIS -- Brad Johnson threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns in Minnesota's victory against Arizona.\nChester Taylor added 136 yards rushing and a touchdown for the Vikings (5-6), and the defense forced five turnovers and allowed just 17 yards rushing to snap a four-game losing streak.\nThe Cardinals (2-9) got a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by J.J. Arrington on the opening play of the game and a 99-yard fumble return for a score by Adrian Wilson in the fourth, but couldn't overcome turnovers, penalties and a suddenly productive Vikings offense.\nRookie Matt Leinart played well for Arizona, completing 31 of 52 passes for a career-high 405 yards and two interceptions, but managed only one TD -- a 9-yard pass to Anquan Boldin with 39 seconds to play -- that came too little, too late.\nThat spoiled the return to Minnesota of former Vikings coach Dennis Green. All the Cardinals leader could do was stare blankly at the field as he watched his young team give away another game. Green last coached a regular-season game in the Metrodome on Dec. 23, 2001, a loss to Jacksonville that was the beginning of the end of a stormy 10 years in purple.\nLarry Fitzgerald Jr., had 11 catches for 172 yards. Boldin made nine receptions for 136 yards for the Cardinals.
(11/27/06 4:40am)
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots finally quit stopping themselves.\nAfter New England turned the ball over three times inside the Chicago 20-yard line, tight end Benjamin Watson hung onto Tom Brady's 2-yard pass in the end zone, giving the Patriots a 17-13 win Sunday against the NFL leader in takeaways.\nThen Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel put an abrupt end to the Bears' comeback hopes with his third interception with 1:46 to play.\nPlaying on their new artificial turf, the Patriots (8-3) persevered against the Bears (9-2), who had allowed 120 points this season, the fewest in the league. But New England's was the second stingiest defense coming into the game, having given up just 131.\nThe Bears capitalized on the fourth of their five takeaways -- and Charles Tillman's second interception -- and tied the game 10-10 just seven seconds into the fourth quarter on Cedric Benson's 2-yard run.\nThe Patriots then moved 73 yards after the kickoff and went ahead with 8:22 left. Brady provided the dramatics with a scrambling 40-yard completion to Watson and an 11-yard run for a first down that ended with him jumping up and making an emphatic first-down signal.\nThat put the ball at the Chicago 14, and Watson scored five plays later.\nThe Bears began the day with a chance to clinch the NFC North title. But Minnesota's win against Arizona earlier Sunday ended that.\nTheir loss would have kept them from clinching anyway, but they had a chance to win after Alex Brown recovered Corey Dillon's fumble at the Bears 22-yard line with 1:52 remaining. Fittingly for a game with nine turnovers, Chicago committed the final one on the very next play when Samuel intercepted Rex Grossman's 40-yard pass intended for Rashied Davis.\nBrady then knelt with the ball for three straight plays -- and made sure he grasped it tightly on every one.\nThe Patriots had failed to score on only five of their 39 trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line this season, but came up short time after time against Chicago, which had allowed the fewest yards in the NFL.\nWith both teams coming off shutout wins, the game shaped up as a defensive struggle and that's the way it turned out.\nNot even the new FieldTurf, installed after season-long problems with the natural grass caused players to slip, made much difference for running backs trying to plant their cleats and shake loose for big gains.\nThe first half ended with a bizarre set of plays. Two passes by Brady that were ruled completions on the field were overturned on video review. The last negated a potential 27-yard pass to Watson that would have put the ball at the Bears 7-yard line with six seconds left.\nThat left rookie Stephen Gostkowski with a 52-yard field goal attempt that went wide to the right. But Chicago had called a timeout just before the kick and Gostkowski's second try barely made it over the crossbar. His longest kick of the season gave New England a 10-3 halftime lead.\nBoth teams had trouble holding onto the ball early. On their first three possessions, each team lost a fumble and an interception. On Chicago's other series in that stretch, Robbie Gould missed a field goal attempt for the first time in 25 tries this year when defensive end Richard Seymour deflected the 45-yard try.\nThe Patriots took a 7-0 lead on Laurence Maroney's 1-yard run with 5:53 gone in the second quarter, ending a 92-yard march after Seymour recovered a snap that Grossman fumbled.\nOn the next possession, Gould made it 7-3 with a 46-yard field goal.\nAt a more critical moment, the Bears chose to go for a field goal on fourth-and-6 at the Patriots 14 with 3:36 remaining. Gould came through from 32 yards, cutting the lead to 17-13, but their final possession ended with Samuel's game-clinching interception.