| Father of fallen Walnut Creek soldier questions war
WALNUT CREEK In the days since 22-year-old Army Pfc. James Coon's death in Iraq, his father has been emotionally ripped in two. On the one hand, he's proud, pointing out the "Support Our Troops" sticker on the family truck. On the other, he hates this war. "Why are we even there?" Jim Coon said Saturday, three days after Army representatives knocked on his door and explained how his son, a good-natured lad who stood 6 feet 6 inches tall and wore a white zoot suit to the prom as a joke, had been killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Balad. "Our government lies. President Bush lies," said the 49-year-old carpenter. "We're not doing any good over there, and our kids are dying. I love these troops with my heart, and they're getting blown up every day.
For The Record: Quick News On Avril, Beyonce, 50 Cent, Foo ...
Avril Lavigne highlights her favorite clothes and accessories in the May issue of Lucky, explaining that she strikes a balance between rock and glamour. "I'm in a place in my life where I can try out things that are a bit more feminine but still maintain some punk attitude," she said. Hooded sweatshirts and Vans sit alongside diamond studs and patent-leather pumps on Lavigne's style short list, which also includes her makeup regimen — "tons of mascara and eyeliner, and then just a little bit of Vaseline on my lips." In the interview, she also endorses the defunct Distillers: "Brody Dalle is such an amazing songwriter — and she's got the coolest voice around." The Lucky issue hits newsstands Tuesday — catch a glimpse of the cover, exclusive Avril images and more right here.
The CBn Dossier, January - March 007
Welcome to the January - March 2007 CBn Dossier, a wrap-up of all the latest James Bond news and rumours. Coverage will be focusing on Casino Royale, Bond 22, current and upcoming literary 007 releases, and much more… This quarterly dossier is written by Jim. If you think that's bad, it could have been much worse: he could have sung it to you. Cashino Royale The end of last year provided substantial critical acclaim for Casino Royale; the beginning of this one demonstrated its extraordinary financial success when it continued to shovel megadollars Broccoliwards. By the end of January, it had passed the $100 million mark in the UK, unheard of for a Bond film, and by March had outgrossed every other Bond film in the US and Worldwide to become the most successful of an already pretty frickin' outrageously successful series.
Tucson Landscape and Garden Calendar
Water Harvesting: From Scarcity to Abundance — Geasa-Marana Library, 13370 N. Lon Adams Road, Marana. Brad Lancaster presents a slide show explaining tools and techniques for implementing sustainable water systems. Lancaster will sign copies of his latest book, "Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands: Water-harvesting Earthworks." 4-6 p.m. April 10. Free. 682-4216. .
Iraq lost $8bn to 'corruption' since invasion
BAGHDAD: Iraq has lost some $8 billion to administrative and financial corruption since the 2003 US-led invasion which toppled the Saddam Hussein regime, an anti-corruption panel said yesterday. "The estimated value of the wasted sum because of administrative and financial corruption is eight billion dollars," Radi Al Radhi, head of the anti-corruption committee, said in a statement. Radhi blamed the constitution for some of the funds lost, saying one of the clauses in the Iraqi law blocked the launching of legal action against government employees. "Article 136 B stipulates that no civil servant should be sent for trial before the consent of his minister," the statement quoted Radhi as saying. The article was obstructing investigations into the "lost money".
Uganda banks lose $1.8m to fraud
The banking industry in Uganda has in the past two years lost up to Ush3.2 billion ($1.82 million) in local and foreign currency in a web of fraud. The banks affected by the cash loss are mainly the multinationals. Police reports say money is lost during transit by security and courier companies, cheque fraud and in-house bank frauds. One of the banks in question lost Ush1.5 billion ($857,142) in 2005. One particular multinational cash-in-transit and courier company has been involved in cash losses amounting to Ush741 million ($423,428) within a space of three months, between August and October 2006, according to the police. Another bank lost $190,000 in transit to a foreign country on October 10 last year. Uganda operates an open market with no controls over the amount of money going out of the country. On two occasions last year, one bank lost Ush290 million ($165,714), another Ush124 million ($70,857) and yet another Ush95 million ($54,285) — all with the same multinational courier company. Cash in transit is packed in bags secured with unbreakable seals.
Electrifying Change
OAKLAND (ResourceInvestor.com) -- The greatest technological achievement of the last century, according to the National Academy of Engineers, was neither the internet nor the airplane, the artificial heart nor the satellite, the refrigerator nor the assembly line, but that which enabled them all: the electrical grid. There is no small irony in this as contrary to what one may expect, the electrical grid was not meticulously planned and executed but rather cobbled together somewhat haphazardly as utility companies discovered the benefits and efficiencies that could be realized from interconnecting their electrical systems, and over decades it grew into the nationwide network. The electrical grids development then was evolutionary, not revolutionary. Evolution by its very nature is a never-ending series of experiments, some fostering advancement, others impeding it.
Suze Orman Hosts Her First Cruise
MIAMI, April 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Suze Orman, America's favorite personal finance expert, will host her first ever cruise from December 9-16, 2007 aboard the Costa Fortuna. During the seven-night Sail With Suze cruise, Orman will answer questions in a tell it like it is, easy-to-understand style while giving advice and direction through four in-depth workshops, including: How To Make More Out Of Less, Retirement Planning, Investments, and Estate Planning. "I am extremely excited to be hosting the first Sail With Suze cruise," said Orman. "We were looking for a vehicle to interact with consumers in a relatively intimate setting over a series of days, where they could walk away with all the tools they need to get started in building their financial future. We believe a cruise is a great way to combine personal financial education in a fun, interactive environment." The stunning 105,000-ton (2,720 passenger) Costa Fortuna is sailing her inaugural Caribbean season from Ft.
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