Data on HIV/AIDS Reported by Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.(Report)

Investigators publish new data in the report 'Boys must be men, and men must have sex with women: a qualitative CBPR study to explore sexual risk among African American, Latino, and White gay men and MSM.' "Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV and sexually transmitted diseases. This study was designed to explore sexual risk among MSM using community-based participatory research (CBPR)," investigators in Winston Salem, United States report (see also HIV/AIDS).

"An academic-community partnership conducted nine focus groups with 88 MSM. Participants self-identified as African American/Black (n=28), Hispanic/Latino (n=33), White (n=21), and biracial/ethnic (n=6). The mean age was 27 years (range=18-60 years). Grounded theory was used. Twelve themes related to HIV risk emerged, including low knowledge of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, particularly among Latino MSM and MSM who use the Internet for sexual networking; stereotyping of African American MSM as sexually 'dominant' and Latino MSM as less likely to be HIV infected; and the eroticization of 'barebacking.' Twelve intervention approaches also were identified, including developing culturally congruent programming using community-identified assets, harnessing social media used by informal networks of MSM, and promoting protection within the context of intimate relationships," wrote S.D. Rhodes and colleagues, Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

The researchers concluded: "A community forum was held to develop recommendations and move these themes to action."

Rhodes and colleagues published their study in American Journal of Men's Health (Boys must be men, and men must have sex with women: a qualitative CBPR study to explore sexual risk among African American, Latino, and White gay men and MSM. American Journal of Men's Health, 2011;5(2):140-51).

For additional information, contact S.D. Rhodes, Dept. of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1063, United States.

The publisher of the American Journal of Men's Health can be contacted at: SAGE Publications, USA , 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA.

Keywords: City:Winston Salem, State:North Carolina, Country:United States, Region:North and Central America, HIV Infections, HIV/AIDS, Primate Lentiviruses, RNA Viruses, Retroviridae, Risk and Prevention, Vertebrate Viruses, Viral Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

This article was prepared by Science Letter editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Science Letter via NewsRx.com.

A universal library.

MELBOURNE: Scholars have long dreamed of a universal library containing everything that has ever been written. Then, in 2004, Google announced that it would begin digitally scanning all the books held by five major research libraries. Suddenly, the library of utopia seemed within reach.

Indeed, a digital universal library would be even better than any earlier thinker could have imagined, because every work would be available to everyone, everywhere, at all times. And the library could include not only books and articles, but also paintings, music, films, and every other form of creative expression that can be captured in digital form.

But Google's plan had a catch. Most of the works held by those research libraries are still in copyright. Google said that it would scan the entire book, irrespective of its copyright status, but that users searching for something in copyrighted books would be shown only a snippet. This, it argued, was "fair use" - and thus permitted under copyright laws in the same way that one may quote a sentence or two from a book for the purpose of a review or discussion.

Publishers and authors disagreed, and some sued Google for breach of copyright, eventually agreeing to settle their claim in exchange for a share of Google's revenue. Last month, in a Manhattan court, Judge Denny Chin rejected that proposed settlement, in part because it would have given Google a de facto monopoly over the digital versions of so-called "orphan" books - that is, books that are still in copyright, but no longer in print, and whose copyright ownership is difficult to determine.

Chin held that the United States Congress, not a court, was the appropriate body to decide who should be entrusted with guardianship over orphan books, and on what terms. He was surely right, at least in so far as we are considering matters within US jurisdiction. These are large and important issues that affect not only authors, publishers, and Google, but anyone with an interest in the diffusion and availability of knowledge and culture. So, while Chin's decision is a temporary setback on the way to a universal library, it provides an opportunity to reconsider how the dream can best be realized.

The central issue is this: how can we make books and articles - not just snippets, but entire works - available to everyone, while preserving the rights of the works' creators? To answer that, of course, we need to decide what those rights are. Just as inventors are given patents so that they can profit from their inventions for a limited time, so, too, authors were originally given copyright for a relatively short period - in the US, it was initially only 14 years from the first publication of the work.

For most authors, that would be enough time to earn the bulk of the income that they would ever receive from their writings; after that, the works would be in the public domain. But corporations build fortunes on copyright, and repeatedly pushed Congress to extend it, to the point that in the US it now lasts for 70 years after the creator's death. (The 1998 legislation responsible for the last extension was nicknamed the "Mickey Mouse Protection Act" because it allowed the Walt Disney Company to retain copyright of its famous cartoon character.)

It is because copyright lasts so long that as many as three-quarters of all library books are "orphaned." This vast collection of knowledge, culture, and literary achievement is inaccessible to most people. Digitizing it would make it available to anyone with Internet access. As Peter Brantley, Director of Technology for the California Digital Library, has put it: "We have a moral imperative to reach out to our library shelves, grab the material that is orphaned, and set it on top of scanners."

Robert Darnton, Director of the Harvard University Library, has proposed an alternative to Google's plans: a digital public library, funded by a coalition of foundations, working in tandem with a coalition of research libraries. Darnton's plan falls short of a universal library, because works in print and in copyright would be excluded; but he believes that Congress might grant a non-commercial public library the right to digitize orphan books.

That would be a huge step in the right direction, but we should not give up the dream of a universal digital public library. After all, books still in print are likely to be the ones that contain the most up-to-date information, and the ones that people most want to read.

Many European countries, as well as Australia, Canada, Israel, and New Zealand, have adopted legislation that creates a "public lending right" - that is, the government recognizes that enabling hundreds of people to read a single copy of a book provides a public good, but that doing so is likely to reduce sales of the book. The universal public library could be allowed to digitize even works that are in print and in copyright, in exchange for fees paid to the publisher and author based on the number of times the digital version is read.

If we can put a man on the Moon and sequence the human genome, we should be able to devise something close to a universal digital public library. At that point, we will face another moral imperative, one that will be even more difficult to fulfill: expanding Internet access beyond the less than 30% of the world's population that currently has it.

Peter Singer is Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and Laureate Professor at the University of Melbourne. His most recent book is The Life You Can Save. This commentary is published by DAILY NEWS EGYPT in collaboration with Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org).

Daily NewsEgypt 2011

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

C'mon Seattle not changing your name to 'Google'?(Microsoft Blog)

Talk about commitment. In an effort to persuade Google to select it as a testbed for an experimental fiber-optic network, Topeka the capital of Kansas has changed its name to "Google" for one month.

Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

This sign, constructed of Legos and hung inside Google's Kirkland campus, shows the logo for the company's Seattle-area operations.

Google, Kansas.

The city of Seattle is also vying for inclusion in Google's pilot program. But clearly, the competition is really heating up. I wondered: What's Seattle going to do to compete?

I called up Bill Schrier, the city's chief information officer, to find out. He just laughed.

"I really appreciate the fact that Google has 500 employees in the area, but Microsoft has 40,000," Schrier said. "So when do we change our name to 'Microsoft'?"

Schrier dismissed Topeka Mayor Bill Bunten's proclamation Monday as a publicity stunt. Of course it's a publicity stunt!

But to Schrier, Bunten's head is in the right place.

"I'm convinced, as is Mayor (Mike) McGinn, that the future of this city," he said, "really depends on having high-speed Internet, fiber-optic cable, for every home and business."

seattlepi.com illustration

Topeka ahem ... Google, Kanas.

Last month, Google announced plans to build experimental broadband networks that could deliver speeds of 1 gigabit per second to a half-million Americans. With most DSL, cable and fiber-optic infrastructures delivering speeds of 3 megabits to 20 megabits per second, Google's proposed network would be ridiculously faster.

On Feb. 11, McGinn said Seattle will answer Google's request for information (RFI) on what American cities would be interested in Google's program. Schrier's staff is working on that response, which is due March 26.

"The city itself has many assets to bring to the partnership, including an extensive existing fiber network of over 500 miles connecting every school, college and major government building in the city," McGinn said in a February statement. "In Seattle, 88 percent of residents have home computers, 84 percent have Internet access and 74 percent already have Internet access faster than dial-up. Seattle is a high tech city, with many technology firms both large and small, and a culture of entrepreneurism and innovation."

Schrier

Schrier said lightning-fast Internet would been a boon for health care, education and commerce. Corporate teleconferencing, for example, would cut down on air travel and, hence, the country's dependence on foreign oil.

It's all connected. And many Asian countries are already building out public fiber-optic networks. The city of Seattle doesn't want to trail.

"All those things are important to me," Schrier said.

So, what crazy thing might Seattle to do get Google's attention? Unfortunately, from the looks of it, nothing. Topeka ... good luck.

"Oh," Schrier said, "the things one does in the middle of the winter when you're snowbound on the Great Plains!"

By the way, Schrier writes about tech on his personal blog, Notes from a City CIO. On Feb. 16, he wrote about the Google program and explores the company's possible motives.

Cox Communications announces second quarter financial results for 1997.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 6, 1997--Cox Communications, Inc. (NYSE:COX) today reported financial results for the three months ended June 30, 1997.

"Cox's core business continued to perform well in the second quarter, with operating cash flow growth of 10% and customer growth of 2.1% over the same period in 1996," said Jim Robbins, President and CEO. "We continue our commitment to our network upgrades and have made significant progress in the deployment of new services. Cox@Home, our high-speed Internet access service, is now available in four markets, and we've launched our first commercial residential phone service. We look forward to continued progress in our deployment of new services during the remainder of the year."

QUARTERLY RESULTS FROM OPERATIONS

Revenues for the three months ended June 30, 1997 were $401.1 million, a 12% increase over revenues of $357.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 1996. Basic customers were 3,272,380, a 2.1% increase over customers at June 30, 1996 after adjusting for the trades of cable systems during the first quarter of 1997.

Complete basic revenues for the second quarter of 1997 increased 8% over the same period in 1996 to $265.8 million due to customer growth and average rate increases implemented generally in the fourth quarter of 1996 of $1.50 per month per customer. These increases are the result of new channel additions and pass-through of inflation adjustments. New-product tier revenues grew 42% to $4.9 million as a result of launching these channel offerings in additional systems.

Premium service revenues for the quarter were $47.0 million, down $0.8 million compared to the second quarter of 1996. In the current quarter, the average revenue per premium unit increased, resulting in a 3% increase in premium service revenues compared to the first quarter of 1997, and premium units decreased to 1,907,238 at June 30, 1997 due to the completion of the spring 1996 three-for-one promotion.

Pay-per-view revenues for the quarter increased 59% over the same period in 1996 to $15.7 million due to the June 1997 Tyson/Holyfield boxing event. Advertising revenues increased 17% to $25.8 million as a result of strong growth in local and national ad sales and Cox's telecasts of the San Diego Padres major league baseball games.

Revenues from satellite operations were $29.9 million for the current quarter, a 55% increase over revenues of $19.2 million for the same quarter in 1996 as PrimeStar customers increased to 150,168 at June 30, 1997 from 88,163 at June 30, 1996.

Programming costs were $92.2 million for the second quarter of 1997, an increase of 16% over the same period in 1996 due primarily to Cox's customer growth, January 1997 programming rate increases, new channel additions and the Tyson/Holyfield boxing event. Plant operations expenses increased 11% to $38.2 million due to 1997 annual salary increases and additional repair and maintenance costs related to systems acquired in the trades during the first quarter of 1997. Marketing costs decreased 9% to $18.0 million for the second quarter due in part to costs associated with the spring 1996 marketing campaigns. General and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 1997 increased 10% to $77.2 million due to annual salary increases and the increase in direct costs associated with developing and providing high-speed data and telephony services.

Consolidated operating cash flow increased 9% to $147.2 million for the second quarter of 1997. Operating cash flow for the core video business, which excludes satellite and Fibernet operations and $4.0 million of direct costs associated with data and telephony services, grew 10% to $148.4 million compared to the second quarter of 1996.

The consolidated operating cash flow margin (operating cash flow as a percentage of revenues) for the current quarter was 36.7%, a decrease from 38.0% for the second quarter of 1996, due to the increased data and telephony direct costs. The core video business operating cash flow margin was 40.4% for the quarter, a slight increase over the second quarter of 1996 and in line with Cox's expectations for the year.

Depreciation was $85.3 million for the second quarter of 1997, a 35% increase compared to the same period in 1996 due to the continued upgrade and rebuild of the broadband network. Amortization increased 8% to $19.0 million for the current quarter as a result of additional goodwill resulting from the trades of cable systems during the first quarter of 1997. Operating income for the second quarter of 1997 was $43.0 million, a decrease of 22% compared to the same period in 1996. Interest expense increased $15.9 million to $50.2 million for the second quarter of 1997 due to the discontinuance of capitalizing interest resulting from the launch of services by Cox's PCS investments. Equity in net losses of affiliated companies was $81.8 million, a $53.0 million increase over the prior year due to the losses associated with Sprint PCS, Cox PCS and Teleport.

A pre-tax gain of $190.8 million was recognized in the second quarter of 1997 primarily as a result of the transfer of Cox's interest in UK Gold and UK Living to Flextech plc, for which Cox received shares representing a 12.6% interest of Flextech plc.

Net income for the current quarter was $61.2 million as compared to net income of $27.0 million for the second quarter of 1996.

YEAR-TO-DATE RESULTS FROM OPERATIONS

Revenues for the six months ended June 30, 1997 were $784.2 million, a 10% increase over revenues of $714.8 million for the comparable period of 1996. Operating cash flow for the first six months of 1997 was $286.8 million, a 5% increase as compared to $272.0 million for the first six months of 1996. Operating income for the six months ended June 30, 1997 was $92.6 million, a 21% decrease from the comparable period of 1996. Interest expense increased $28.2 million to $97.0 million due to the discontinuance of capitalizing interest resulting from the launch of services by Cox's PCS investments. Equity in net losses of affiliated companies increased $115.0 million due to the losses associated with Sprint PCS, Cox PCS and Teleport. A pre-tax gain on sale of affiliated companies of $190.8 was recognized in the second quarter of 1997 primarily as a result of the transfer of Cox's interest in UK Gold and UK Living to Flextech plc. Net income for the six months ended June 30, 1997 was $23.3 million as compared to net income of $34.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 1996.

INVESTING ACTIVITIES

Cash flows used in investing activities were $663.9 million for the first six months of 1997. Capital expenditures of $361.9 million included the continued upgrade and rebuild of Cox's broadband network and the purchase of PrimeStar customer equipment. Investments made in affiliated companies of $251.5 million included additional equity funding of $230.6 million to Sprint PCS, Cox PCS and other telephony investments and $20.9 million to PrimeStar Partners, Outdoor Life, Speedvision and other interests. Payments for exchanges of cable systems of $53.4 million were made for the trades closed during the first quarter of 1997.

Cox Communications, Inc. is among the nation's largest cable television operators, serving some 3.3 million customers. As a full service provider of telecommunications products, Cox has interests in wired telecommunications, including cable television and telephone services; wireless telecommunications, including personal communications services (PCS) via Sprint PCS, direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television via PrimeStar, and programming networks including The Discovery Channel.

Cox was distinguished for achieving the highest overall customer satisfaction among cable television users in the first study of the cable industry by J.D. Power and Associates.

More information on Cox Communications can be found on the Internet at www.cox.com . -0-

                          Cox Communications, Inc.                  Consolidated Statements of Operations                               (Unaudited)                          (Thousands of Dollars)                         Three Months Ended         Six Months Ended                             June 30                   June 30                       -------------------       ------------------                        1997      1996      %     1997        1996     % Revenues:  Complete basic    $265,837 $ 246,489    8%   $528,915   $494,120   7%  New product tier     4,852     3,405   42%      9,637      6,609  46%  Premium service     47,036    47,827   (2%)    92,755     95,458  (3%)  Pay-per-view        15,703     9,860   59%     26,675     22,780  17%  Advertising         25,815    22,061   17%     47,088     42,578  11%  Satellite           29,884    19,247   55%     55,750     36,895  51%  Other               11,971     8,446   42%     23,388     16,393  43%    Total revenues   401,098   357,335   12%    784,208    714,833  10% Costs and expenses:  Programming costs   92,209    79,392   16%    180,732    162,139  11%  Plant operations    38,190    34,467   11%     76,301     69,278  10%  Marketing           17,989    19,873   (9%)    35,809     38,141  (6%)  General and   administrative     77,205    70,403   10%    151,952    140,089   8%  Satellite   operating and   administrative     28,265    17,551   61%     52,612     33,206  58% Operating cash flow 147,240   135,649    9%    286,802    271,980   5%  Depreciation        85,296    63,220   35%    158,143    119,082  33%  Amortization        18,978    17,592    8%     36,027     36,092   - Operating income     42,966    54,837  (22%)    92,632    116,806 (21%) Interest expense    (50,170)  (34,301)  46%    (96,986)   (68,806) 41% Equity in net losses  of affiliated  companies          (81,827)  (28,811) 184%   (163,108)   (48,068)  - Gain on exchanges of  cable systems           --        --   --      24,642         --   - Gain on issuance of  stock by affiliated  companies               --    50,100 (100%)       --      50,100(100%) Gain on sale of  affiliated  companies          190,844        --   --     193,780      4,640  -- Other, net             (907)    5,124 (118%)     3,093      9,881  -- Income before  income taxes       100,906    46,949  115%     54,053     64,553 (16%) Income taxes         39,742    19,985   99%     30,711     30,232   2% Net income         $ 61,164  $ 26,964  127%   $ 23,342  $  34,321 (32%)  Net income  per share         $  0.23   $   0.10         $   0.09  $    0.13   NOTE:  Certain amounts in the 1996 financial statements have been        reclassified for comparison purposes.                          Cox Communications, Inc.                     Consolidated Balance Sheets                            (Unaudited)                       (Thousands of Dollars)                                                 June 30    Dec. 31                                                 1997       1996                                               --------   -------- Assets Cash                                           $78,444    $42,349 Accounts and notes receivable,   less allowance for doubtful   accounts of $7,904 and $7,778                123,162    122,574 Net plant and equipment                      1,789,658  1,531,811 Investments                                  1,411,880  1,219,082 Intangible assets                            2,560,554  2,728,955 Other assets                                   129,815    139,819       Total assets                           $6,093,513 $5,784,590  Liabilities and shareholders' equity Accounts payable and accrued expenses         $211,485   $220,859 Deferred income                                 31,012     29,440 Deferred income taxes                          337,048    294,453 Other liabilities                              157,672     97,526 Debt                                         3,100,688  2,823,853 Amounts due to Cox Enterprises, Inc.                --     57,147      Total liabilities                       3,837,905  3,523,278  Shareholders' equity:   Preferred stock, $1 par value; 5,000,000    shares authorized; none issued                   --         --   Class A Common stock, $1 par value;    286,000,000 shares authorized; shares    issued and outstanding: 256,541,556    and 256,463,651                             256,541    256,464   Class C Common stock, $1 par value;    14,000,000 shares authorized; shares    issued and outstanding: 13,798,896           13,799     13,799   Additional paid-in capital                 1,781,976  1,742,121   Retained earnings                            239,439    216,097   Foreign currency translation adjustment       16,311     23,424   Net unrealized gain (loss) on securities     (52,458)     9,407      Total shareholders' equity              2,255,608  2,261,312       Total liabilities and shareholders'       equity                                $6,093,513 $5,784,590                        Cox Communications, Inc.              Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows                          (Unaudited)                     (Thousands of Dollars)                                                 Six Months Ended                                                    June 30                                                -----------------                                                  1997     1996                                                --------  ------- Cash flows from operating activities  Net income                                    $ 23,342   $ 34,321 Adjustments to reconcile net income  to net cash provided by operating  activities:   Depreciation                                 158,143    119,082   Amortization                                  36,027     36,092   Equity in net losses of affiliated    companies                                   163,108     48,068   Deferred income taxes                        (19,219)   (61,987)   Gain on issuance of stock by    affiliated companies                             --    (50,100)   Gain on exchange of cable systems            (24,642)        --   Gain on sale of affiliated companies        (193,780)    (4,640) (Increase) decrease in accounts  and notes receivable                           (1,672)    11,192 Decrease in accounts payable  and accrued expenses                          (36,811)   (44,580) Increase in taxes payable                       85,032     36,378 Other, net                                     (11,249)    (3,832)   Net cash provided by operating activities    178,279    119,994  Cash flows from investing activities Capital expenditures                          (361,855)  (256,809) Investments in affiliated companies           (251,494)  (148,750) Proceeds from sale of affiliated companies       6,983       -- Payments for exchanges of cable systems        (53,442)      -- Proceeds from sale of businesses                   --     201,791 Other, net                                      (4,059)       353   Net cash used in investing activities       (663,867)  (203,415)  Cash flows from financing activities Short-term debt borrowings, net                400,000    209,221 Commercial paper repayments, net               (20,239)      -- Proceeds from issuance of debt                 150,000       -- Repayment of debt                               (7,113)    (3,190) Proceeds from exercise of stock options          1,312        907 Increase (decrease) in amounts due to Cox  Enterprises, Inc.                             (35,120)   (91,496) Increase (decrease) in book overdrafts          32,843    (27,797)    Net cash provided by    financing activities                        521,683     87,645  Net increase in cash                            36,095      4,224 Cash at beginning of period                     42,349     39,166 Cash at end of period                         $ 78,444   $ 43,390                           Cox Communications, Inc.             Summary of Operating Statistics and Investments             Operating Statistics - U.S. Broadband Distribution                                      June 30    March 31    June 30                                       1996       1997       1997  Homes Passed                        4,976,494  5,051,963  5,085,167 Basic Customers (Pro Forma)(a)      3,204,188  3,275,267  3,272,380 Basic Customers                     3,216,993  3,275,267  3,272,380 Basic Penetration                       64.6%      64.8%      64.4% Premium Service Units               2,149,196  1,999,568  1,907,238 Premium Penetration                     66.8%      61.1%      58.3% PrimeStar Customers                    88,163    145,040    150,168 Operating Cash Flow Margins   (for the quarter ended):   Consolidated                          38.0%      36.4%      36.7%   Core Video Operations(b)              39.6%      39.6%      40.4% Ratio of Debt to Annualized   Operating Cash Flow                    5.0x       5.2x       5.2x  (a) Reflects the trades of cable systems in the first quarter of     1997.  (b) Excludes satellite, Fibernet and direct costs of telephony &     data services.      U.S. Broadband                     International Broadband Distribution Investments               Distribution Investments  3.3 million customers  100.0%           TeleWest Communications                                         plc             14.6% 168,361 customers in TWC   Cable Partners        50.0%                Telecommunications and Technology Investments  Cox Communications PCS, L.P.     40.0%  At Home Corporation    12.4% PhillieCo, L.P.                  17.6%  Gemstar International   2.8% Sprint Spectrum                  15.0%  National Cable Teleport Communications Group,          Communications         12.5%  Inc.                            24.4%  PrimeStar Partners     10.4%                                         Syntellect              8.5%        U.S. Programming                    International Programming       Investments                              Investments  Digital Cable Radio              13.6%  European Channel Discovery Communications         24.6%   Management            10.0% E! Entertainment                 10.4%  Flextech plc           12.6% Outdoor Life Network             41.0%  GEMS                   50.0% Product Information Network      45.0% Speedvision Network              39.0% The Sunshine Network              5.3% Viewer's Choice                  20.0%  

CONTACT: Cox Communications, Inc., Atlanta

Analysts and Investors:

Dallas Clement, Treasurer

(404) 843-5677

or

Financial and Trade Press:

Anthony Surratt

Manager of Communications

(404) 843-5124

Rising rates needn't be too painful; FINANCIAL MAIL.

Byline: HELEN LOVELESS

INTEREST rates are on the rise. Ten days ago, the Bank Rate rose to five per cent, the highest level since the aftermath of September 11. But there could be worse to come. Experts are predicting a rise to 5.25 per cent early next year. While it is good news for savers, it is less welcome for many borrowers whose payments could rise steeply. HELEN LOVELESS assesses the best strategies to adopt for savers and borrowers.

MORTGAGES OPTION 1: FIX

BORROWERS can protect against further Bank Rate rises by taking out a fixed-rate mortgage. By doing this, they guarantee that monthly loan payments will remain the same, irrespective of dearer borrowing.

The risk, of course, is that borrowers could end up paying over the odds if rates fall unexpectedly.

Over the past three months, fixedrate deals have become more expensive, but it is still possible to find rates under five per cent.

Natasha and Richard Fetherston have just sought the safety of a fixedrate loan. They have remortgaged their three-bedroom Edwardian home in Brentwood, Essex, taking out a twoyear 4.85 per cent fixed-rate deal with Cheltenham & Gloucester.

Natasha, 30, an account manager for a lingerie firm, says: 'We need the security of knowing what our monthly payments will be.' OPTION 2: SEEK OUT A DISCOUNT DISCOUNTED mortgages offer borrowers a rate linked to the lender's standard variable rate (SVR). These can appear attractive. But David Hollingworth of mortgage adviser London & Country in Bath, Somerset, warns that borrowers taking out such discounted deals leave themselves vulnerable, not only to further rate rises but to the whim of lenders.

'If rates go up by a quarter of a percentage point, most lenders will pass on the increase, but some may also choose to increase their profit margins by putting up their SVR by more than a quarter point.' OPTION 3: CONSIDER A TRACKER THERE are some competitive tracker loans available, which follow the Bank Rate. For example, nationwide mortgage advice firm Charcol is offering a tracker from Darlington Building Society at 0.01 of a percentage point below Bank Rate until 2012, giving a rate of 4.99 per cent. There is a [pounds sterling]499 arrangement fee and borrowers can make unlimited overpayments without penalty. But the main attraction of this deal is its 'droplock' option, which allows borrowers to switch to one of Darlington's range of fixed-rate mortgages if rates look likely to go up.

Woolwich, part of Barclays, has a lifetime tracker. The rate is charged at Bank Rate plus 0.17 of a percentage point for the life of the deal and there is a [pounds sterling]795 arrangement fee.

SAVINGS

OPTION 1: ISAs THE rise in rates is good news for savers who have not already used up their annual mini-cash Isa allowance of [pounds sterling]3,000. Rates on most cash Isas are more competitive than many deposit accounts and savers benefit from earning tax-free interest.

OPTION 2: INSTANT ACCESS WITH RATE GUARANTEES A NUMBER of companies are promising returns a quarter-point above Bank Rate for the foreseeable future.

Indian internet bank Icici's hi-save account, for example, pays 5.45 per cent and guarantees to keep the rate at least a quarter point above Bank Rate until the end of next year.

OPTION 3: FIXED-RATE BONDS PAUL Ilott of Bates Investment Services in Leeds says savers should be wary of fixed-rate bonds. This is because the rates could become uncompetitive if there are further Bank Rate rises. If a fixed-rate savings deal is a must, Ilott says savers should opt for a shorter-term deal. For example, Coventry Building Society pays 5.8 per cent fixed on balances over [pounds sterling]1,000 into its bond, which matures at the end of January 2008.

Even plastic is getting more expensive

THE good news is that credit card borrowing rates are not usually affected by increases in the Bank Rate. The bad news is that many leading card providers have put up rates by up to six per cent in the past three months in response to the Office of Fair Trading's call for default and penalty charges to be reduced to a maximum [pounds sterling]12. And further rises cannot be ruled out. Card borrowers who cannot escape from the consequences of higher rates are those with Bank Rate tracker plastic - Coop (Platinum Bank Rate tracker), Northern Rock and Yorkshire building society offer such cards. Michelle Slade, left, of financial information provider Moneyfacts says that credit card borrowers must be on their guard against the rising cost of using plastic.

Some card issuers such as Coop have now introduced monthly fees, while others are planning to reintroduce annual fees.

RECOVERING FROM THE STORM; EMPLOYERS GIVE BACK BY HIRING KATRINA'S EVACUEES.(Business)

Byline: Katherine Reynolds Lewis Newhouse News Service

Just as Americans are opening their checkbooks and homes to survivors of Hurricane Katrina, business owners across the country are offering jobs to some of the more than half-million people whose livelihoods were swept away.

In cities with large shelters for evacuees, job fairs organized by relief agencies make the process easier. But far-flung employers face the challenge of locating and interviewing qualified workers who have no home address to put on a resume, much less a reliable Internet or phone connection.

"How does someone 1,000 miles away actually help?" asked Tom Dixon, president of I. Auman Machine Co., a precision machine shop in Lebanon, Pa.

Dixon has four job openings at hourly wages starting around $12, with the potential for raises to $18.

"We're always looking to train and bring people on," he said.

He has contacted the Red Cross and Salvation Army, Louisiana's Labor Department, staffing agencies and politicians and posted notices on www.craigslist.org , but so far has had no takers. Positions for displaced workers are also flooding to www.katrinajobs.com,hurricanerelief.monster.com and specific industry Web sites.

Charline Spektor and her husband grew up hearing about their parents' rescue from the Holocaust by American strangers who arranged jobs and work visas. So it seemed natural to offer positions at their three BookHampton bookstores on Long Island and to encourage other merchants to follow suit.

"People's lives have been completely ripped out. They lost their homes; they lost their livelihoods; their children have been destabilized," Spektor said.

The first evacuee is soon to arrive. He'll work as a bookseller and his fiancee will be a receptionist. They'll live with their pygmy goat in a donated house.

The hiring process was a little unusual - no reference checks because of the difficulty in reaching former employers in the hurricane zone - but Spektor said she could tell from a phone interview that the candidate knew books.

"He called back three times, that was the employment test," she said.

Other employers agreed that communicating with hurricane survivors was the most difficult part of hiring them. Even evacuees with cell phones may have sporadic service, and many can't frequently check e-mail.

Companies also are encountering reluctance to commit to new lives in distant places. People may have survived the storm with nothing but their family ties intact. Many are waiting for insurance claims to come through or to return home to gather any belongings.

Mary Bates, 39, was a caterer for Messina's Restaurant in New Orleans when the hurricane hit. Her employer wants her to come back to work at a different location in the area.

But now that Bates has evacuated to Washington, D.C., with four family members and two friends, the lifelong Louisianian wants to wait and see what happens with the rest of her group.

"We're sticking it out together," she said. "My mind don't stay focused long enough to get a job."

Gason Nelson, a 36-year-old personal chef, lived his whole life in New Orleans before evacuating to Houston ahead of Katrina.

"I'm not prepared to be transplanted to a new place," he said.

"It's weird," Nelson said of the contrast with his former life assembling gourmet meals. "If you'd have told me last month I'd be on food stamps - when I'm in New Orleans, I make phone calls and people bring me food."

Since arriving in Houston, Nelson has turned down an offer to cook at a restaurant because it would have required too much time away from his wife and two daughters, who are living in a hotel. Once they get an apartment and things settle down, he said, he'll figure out whether to remain in Houston and try to rebuild his business.

"I know I'm going to bounce back," he said. "It's just a process."

Complicating the turmoil for the evacuees is that many employers want only long-term hires.

"I don't want to train someone for six months and then have them go back when it's all dried out," said Peter Cohen, owner of Asset Servicing Corp. in Long Beach, N.Y. The woman he's flying in for an interview told him she never wants to return to New Orleans.

Stuart Phillips, a recruiter with Management Recruiters in Seattle, is looking to hire civil engineers to fill permanent jobs in Seattle and Portland, Ore.

"When I saw how bad things were down in New Orleans, it was obvious that there were going to be people who were not going to be able to move back there or would not want to," Phillips said. "I didn't want people to have to get stuck in just taking a job somewhere so they'd be able to eat, when they could go somewhere nice and start a life."

At eMazzanti Technologies, a computer network consultant in Hoboken, N.J., new employees receive so much training to become certified that they must repay education costs if they quit within one year, co-owner Jennifer Shine said. She has talked to many hurricane survivors eager to move; they seem desperate for jobs.

"Some of the cover letters are just incredible," she said. "Over and over we read or heard the phrase, "I can move in 24 hours, I have nothing left here."'

Job hunters with specialized skills are advised to check with their unions, professional associations or trade groups. Many industry organizations have set up networks to provide jobs, housing and other resources.

Theresa Reyes, co-founder of Pediatric Speech Services in Kensington, Md., is working with her professional association to place speech language pathologists.

"These are professionals, so they're not showing up at the job fairs," Reyes said. "We would be interested in having them come here for a year's assignment, and the assignment could be extended."

David Esrati, chief creative officer of the Next Wave in Dayton, Ohio, has offered a job and studio space on several advertising industry Web sites.

"What you do is who you are," Esrati said, "and if you're sitting around doing something that's not what you do, it's real easy to get discouraged. Despair takes over."

Elvin Brown, 50, a carpenter from New Orleans, agreed. He evacuated to Washington, D.C., to be closer to his 13-year-old son and ex-wife in Fort Washington, Md.

"I'm not used to laying around and waiting for someone else to do for me," Brown said. "The only way I can feel like a whole person is if I get to work."

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PHOTO

Chriss Rossi/Newhouse News Service

MARY BATES,39, is a caterer who declined her New Orleans employer's offer to work at a different location so she could stick with her family and friends sheltering with her at the National Guard Armory in Washington, D.C.

Chris Knight/Newhouse News Service

TOM DIXON,president of I. Auman Machine Co., a precision machine shop in Lebanon, Pa., has four job openings, but so far has had no takers.

GRAPHIC: Livelihoods swept away. The Post-Standard. Note: For text see microfilm.

Phone calls tell Krause he has some marketable talent.

Byline: K.C. Johnson

CHICAGO _ A popular line of thinking as the Feb. 22 trading deadline approaches is that the Bulls will be hamstrung and their options limited by an unattractive talent pool. General Manager Jerry Krause disputed that theory Monday.

Asked if his team had players who were attractive to other teams, Krause didn't hesitate to respond: "By the calls we're getting we do," he said.

Coach Tim Floyd said "a couple calls" came during the Bulls' annual organizational meetings Monday. Center Brad Miller remains the most rumored trade bait, with Miami a potential suitor. But even with Krause proclaiming nobody untouchable, don't expect a blockbuster trade.

"There were some conversations this weekend, but not much," Krause said. "We have initiated some conversations. Other teams have initiated some conversations with me. But you don't really get serious until later on. If something is going to happen, it's going to happen late. That's just the way this league is."

Krause had an eye on both the future and the past Monday, detailing yet again some of last summer's failures to land desired veteran free agents and the ramifications of those failures. For instance, Krause waived Hersey Hawkins to make room for what he thought was the imminent signing of Glen Rice. He also didn't expect all six draft picks to be on the roster.

Both Tracy McGrady and Eddie Jones cited the desire to play near their hometowns as reasons for spurning the Bulls and signing with Orlando and Miami, respectively. Chicagoan Michael Finley will be one of the more attractive free agents this summer but is expected to remain in Dallas.

"I can't tell you what will happen this summer," Krause said. "I know in two cases last summer, hometowns played a factor."

Both Krause and Floyd scoffed at questions regarding Floyd's future.

"Unless [owner] Jerry [Reinsdorf] and Jerry don't want me, I'm not going anywhere," Floyd said.

Floyd was in little mood to discuss the incidents surrounding his one-game suspension and $10,000 fine for making contact with referee Greg Willard in Los Angeles last week. Privately, Floyd still insists he didn't bump Willard.

"The bottom line is, our team should know I'm out there still trying to fight for them a little bit," Floyd said.

Krause jokingly said he ordered Floyd to go fishing this weekend on his All-Star vacation to get away from everything. Countered a smiling Floyd, who watched Sunday's All-Star Game: "I don't always follow his orders."

This just in: Floyd, in the quote of the day, officially declared the team's franchise-worst 16-game losing streak as over.

"We scrimmaged out here, and the white team won one game and the red team won one game," Floyd said, smiling. "So it's ended. The streak is gone."

Injury update: Elton Brand returned from All-Star weekend and practiced Monday, saying the hyperextended right elbow that sidelined him for the Bulls' last game in Phoenix is feeling better.

"It's close to 100 percent," Brand said. "Sunday night, I was having some problems with it, but I had no problems at all in the practice."

And rookie guard A.J. Guyton, who turned 23 Monday, is fully recovered from his sprained right knee. But it's uncertain when Guyton will receive the present he would love_to be activated. Floyd already is struggling with his point-guard rotation, and adding a fourth player to the position would only complicate matters.

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