| Paper tiger on the prowl
It wasn't easy but we have come a long way," said Harbinder, who founded the Asian Pacific Post in 1993 on little more than a dream. At a time when newspaper barons are fighting to correct declining circulations by turning to digital alternatives, Harbinder is plugging ahead with his print products, forming unique alliances to increase the reach of his boutique periodicals. “I have ink in my blood," confides the maverick entrepreneur. Harbinder arrived in Canada from his native Malaysia in the early 90s, by way of Bangkok, where he ran a clothing business, New Zealand, where he lived with the native Maoris as a fruit picker, and after backpacking through Europe. “I wanted to see the world and my dad was very supportive." In Tanjung Tualang, Harbinder's dad, Sewa Singh, was a dredge master with six children in a British-run tin mine.
Rebates a hot subject on tax call-in hot line
Rebates were on the minds of most people who used the Akron Beacon Journal's call-in hot line Wednesday to ask tax questions. The program was sponsored by the newspaper and the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants. Six licensed CPAs from Brockman, Coats, Gedelian & Co. said the most frequently asked question was: Do you have to file a tax form to receive the rebate? The answer: Yes. The IRS will use information on the 2007 return to determine how much a taxpayer is eligible to receive. The Internal Revenue Service will begin sending payments in May. Taxpayers who file late or after filing an extension will receive payments later. No rebate checks will be issued after Dec. 31. Accountant Todd Easton provided additional information: Qualifying income includes Social Security benefits, certain railroad retirement benefits, certain veterans' benefits and earned income, such as income from wages, salaries, tips and self-employment.
People: Madonna, Paul McCartney, Eminem
The British judge who will decide the terms of the divorce settlement between Paul McCartney and Heather Mills has not ruled out making his judgment public, according to a court statement released this week. The two failed to reach an agreement this month, leaving the court to decide how much of McCartney's fortune Mills would receive. A decision is due March 17, at which time the judge will also announce whether the ruling will be public "in whole or part," the statement read. The move is something of a surprise, as the hearings were private, and media reports suggest that the judge may favor going public to end speculation over the size of the financial settlement, which could be the largest in British history. Divorce experts have estimated that, based on recent cases, Mills, 40, could walk away with £60 million (about $119 million) of the estimated £825 million fortune held by McCartney, 65.
UPI Sports Calendar for Friday, Feb. 22
New Jersey at Indiana, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia at Orlando, 7 p.m.
Sacramento at Charlotte, 7 p.m.
Toronto at New York, 7:30 p.m.
Washington at Cleveland, 8 p.m.
Milwaukee at Detroit, 8 p.m.
Houston at New Orleans, 8 p.m.
Denver at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Dallas at Memphis, 8 p.m.
Boston at Phoenix, 10:30 p.m.
Utah at LA Clippers, 10:30 p.m.
Portland at Seattle, 10:30 p.m.
Atlanta at Golden State, 10:30 p.m.
NCAA
No Top 25 games scheduled
Hockey
NHL
Edmonton at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Detroit at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Colorado at Phoenix, 9 p.m.
RSL schedule includes rugged start and finish
The way Garth Lagerwey sees it, the official release of the MLS schedule on Thursday was pretty anticlimactic and not just because the Real Salt Lake general manager has known about it for weeks already. Heading into the 2008 season, RSL knew what teams it would play and how many times, "so the order in which we play them really isn't that meaningful," Lagerwey said. He admits it sounds a bit trite, but that's reality from a competition standpoint. With that said, Lagerwey believes the opening month of the 30-game schedule is a pretty tough one for RSL. After kicking off the season at home on March 29 against Chicago, three of the club's next four games are on the road, including a pair of home openers at Chivas USA on April 5 and at Toronto FC on April 19. "With the new group and new faces, that's going to be one our challenges," Lagerwey said.
Notes following media briefing by Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad, Media ...
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 4 January 2008 said peacekeeping, pre-emptive diplomacy, climate change and improving the lot of poor countries, as well as internal reform, will be high on the United Nations agenda for 2008. South Africa welcomes the comments by the UN Secretary-General that the United Nations is indispensable and "multilateralism is alive and well and in greater demand than ever – that people look to us for global solutions to global problems". We welcome this because the South African government has been arguing for some time that especially, post 9/11, multilateralism and its institutions were being weakened and that unilateral actions were being taken by the more powerful countries and this was creating greater threats to stability throughout the world.
Yahoo! Boohoo.
The first size-friendly resort opened in Mexico's lovely Riviera Maya in the summer of 2003. This size-friendly travel agency, according to Travel & Leisure, "advises overweight vacationers on how to avoid being charged for two airplane seats and how to find the most accommodating cruise lines." There are dating services, too. Business Week last week noted that "the number of accredited U.S. weight-loss camps has nearly doubled in the past five years." The women's gym Curves has an astonishing 9,000 franchises. The Silicon Valley of the fat economy is Durham, N.C. As part of its "Obesity, Inc." series, the New York Times in May noted how weight-reduction had replaced tobacco as a key local industry. Reporter Stephanie Saul dubbed Durham a "Lourdes for the obese." A series of diet houses—Rice Diet Program, the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, and Structure House—along with associated retail, hotel, and medical businesses, pump more than $50 million into the local economy annually.
O's Wieters catching on fast
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. - For an athlete who has grown accustomed to getting noticed once he picks up a bat and takes his swings from either side of the plate, or unleashes another strong and accurate throw from behind it, Orioles catcher Matt Wieters is gaining more attention at spring training for simply being himself. No gear is required.
Watch the way he moves through the clubhouse, interacts with teammates, completes another day's workout. He exudes an air of confidence without being cocky, a fine line that has tripped up many young players over the years. He looks like he belongs, a phrase often repeated by his manager and coaches, without having a sense of entitlement.
And 600 miles away, a proud mother reads all the compliments aimed at the Orioles' first-round draft pick, how his personality is every bit as impressive as the physical tools scouts have chronicled since his high school days, and is thankful that sudden fame and wealth haven't changed him.
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