These days, writes Henry Lamb, they gladly give it away in exchange for very little The rat snake and the hamster: News that a rat snake decided to befriend a hamster rather than eating him prompted Michael Moriarty to think about the future of humanity The changing constellations in democracies: Is America gaining new allies in nations which have lately been hostile? Bruce Walker seems to believe so Gonzales v. Oregon: Where are the conservatives?: Last week's decision in Gonzales v. Oregon saw some role reversal as liberal and conservative justices stole each other's talking points, argues Robert S. Sargent, Jr. Europe's biotech food ban must end: There is no valid scientific reason for Europe to have banned biogenetically altered food crops from its markets, says Alan Caruba Spain embraces China: Add Spain to China's list of diplomatically conquered roster of allies, writes Frederick W.

In Which I Plump for McCain [ Peter Robinson ]

When Thompson dropped out of the race, a couple of fellow Fredheads here in California sent emails asking me to let them know when I finally decided how I would cast my ballot—as I recall, the number was just exactly that, two. With the fate of the nation thus hanging on my verdict, three points:1. Paul Mirengoff’s explanation of why he decided to vote for Romney persuaded me to vote for McCain. Right up to the conclusion, I agreed with nearly every word Paul wrote. Like Paul, I see Romney as data-driven, McCain as man much more likely to make his decisions based on "instinct," although the word I would use is not "instinct" but "principle." (Nobody undergoes torture in a North Vietnamese campe rather than accept an offer of freedom, as McCain did, based on "instinct.") But there are times—lots of times—when a president must make decisions under conditions of imperfect information, and other times—again, lots of times—when even heaps of data cannot in and of themselves lead a chief executive to the right conclusion.

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Name room in honor of fallen Foxboro officer

The challengers need to have enough support on the board of selectmen to oust the town manager.Confident that Selectman George Dentino is one sure vote, recall supporters believe that replacing two other selectmen with two more like-minded members will get the job done. If this is accomplished we will be presented with a board whose majority would be focused on a negative mission a mission very much like those signs on the side of a store downtown. These types of missions are embarrassing, not to mention the political mire in which our town will be immersed. Such a board would find itself spending inordinate amounts of their time and our money on something that will eventually play itself out with next spring's town election.If the challengers prove victorious in this recall election, and act hastily on this issue, they could likely expose the town of Mansfield to even more liability.I know Bob Goldman.

Hair Stylists Promote Breast Cancer Prevention Messages To Clients

Authors of a Brooklyn, N.Y., study say hair stylists might be a good resource for both healthy hair and information on breast cancer prevention. However, it is not clear if learning about breast health practices at the beauty shop has a significant effect on client's health behavior.

Hair stylists "are an institutionalized resource in the community and we consider them leaders in an environment that a lot of people come through," said Dr. Ruth Browne, principle investigator of the new study.

Women in the African-American community often have a regular source of hair care, but might not have a similar resource for health information, said Browne, head of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health in Brooklyn.

As part of the study, 29 stylists from three Brooklyn neighborhoods participated in two two-hour workshops to learn about encouraging clients to practice three breast health behaviors: conducting monthly breast self-examinations, getting annual clinical breast exams from a health care professional and for women 40 years and older undergoing routine mammography.

Bending Polymers Provides Spontaneous Way to Duplicate Beauty of ...

There are many objects in nature, such as flowers, that are pre-programmed to develop into delicate, beautiful and intrically shaped forms. But can this pre-determined process be duplicated by man starting with plain, flat surfaces?

U.S. election coverage

Barack Obama's showing was nearly as impressive. He won Connecticut, Georgia, Alabama, Delaware, Utah and his home state of Illinois. He also prevailed in caucuses in North Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, Idaho and Colorado.

Because of the way Democrats apportion delegates, based on the proportion of votes in congressional districts, Clinton's headline-grabbing night will not necessarily translate into a huge jump in delegate support and the two already have their sights set on crucial upcoming faceoffs in Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and Texas.

UT Southwestern ricin researchers chafe at security crackdown

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas have spent years and millions of dollars building vaccines and cancer treatments with ricin, a toxin so lethal that an amount the size of a grain of salt can kill a person.

And internal e-mails and safety records depict a research program caught in the struggle between science and security – where some of the nation's most prominent scientists have chafed at new safety demands and the inspectors who reviewed their labs.

14th Annual Hedge Fund Institutional Investment Conference

Henry Swieca is Co-Founder and has served as the Chief Investment Officer of Highbridge since its inception in 1992. In 1984, Mr. Swieca, along with his partner, Glenn Dubin, founded HCM's predecessor firm, Dubin & Swieca, an asset management company specializing in alternative investment strategies. HCM, along with its predecessor firm, is widely recognized as being one of the pioneers in advocating and employing multi-manager portfolio structures guided by the principles of Modern Portfolio Theory. Mr. Swieca began his career in 1979 at Merrill Lynch & Co. as a registered representative. In 1982, Mr. Swieca was one of the original floor traders on the New York Futures Exchange where he traded equity index options and futures. Mr. Swieca then joined Dillon Read & Co. as an advisor to institutional investors.