News 2008-08-15 Andanh.com

Russian troops continue to block Georgian city Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:13:59 PDT
Russian troops are still blocking entrance to the city of Gori in war-battered Georgia. Doubt remains about whether Russia will honor an agreement to pull back its forces. The city is on Georgia's main east-west road. The Russian troops' presence there...

Clinton to get roll call at Democratic convention Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:02:57 PDT
Turns out Democratic primary loser Hillary Rodham Clinton will get time to shine at the party's national convention after all _ and quite a bit of it. Democrats officially will choose Barack Obama to run against Republican John McCain this fall. But in an...

Netflix shipping centers slammed by problems Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:03:52 PDT
Netflix Inc. said Thursday that major technical problems over the past three days have severely limited the number of DVDs it could send out. The unspecified problems affected all of the Los Gatos-based company's 55 shipping centers and marked the biggest...

Teen's substance abuse turned him into 'somebody I never wanted to be' Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:13:41 PDT
Aidan got his first taste - literally - of pot in the seventh grade after finding his brother's stash in his sock drawer. "I ate it," he said. "To me, it was like my step into manhood." Over the next few years, drugs and alcohol gradually consumed his life....

Steady growth shown on California Standards Test Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:49:49 PDT
The state's public school students improved yet again in reading, writing and mathematics, marking five years of near-steady growth on the tough California Standards Test, according to results released Thursday by the Department of Education. But the good...

Links between Ark. Democrat leader, killer unclear Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:36:22 PDT
The killer of Arkansas' Democratic Party chairman had written his victim's name on a Post-It note and had two sets of car keys from his victim's car dealership, but links between the men and a motive for the slaying remained a mystery to investigators...

Hasbro updates Clue with new characters, weapons Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:43:31 PDT
Goodbye, professor. Farewell, colonel. Toy maker Hasbro Inc. has updated its classic Clue game for today's tabloid culture to include younger characters, more weapons and new rooms including a spa and guest house. The six characters' last names remain the...

Penns selling Marin County property for $15M Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:19:16 PDT
The Marin County property of Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn and his wife, actress Robin Wright Penn, is up for sale for $15 million. The couple purchased the 2.2-acre property in 1996 for $2.1 million and spent more than two years redoing the 1933 Spanish-...

Drugs at home easy for teens to find, abuse Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT
The following stories tell the tales of two teens and their descent into and recovery from prescription drug use. Danny, who lives in Marin County, first got hooked on drugs and drink in the eighth grade. He'd crush and snort the Ritalin he took for his...

Pelosi won't limit vote to offshore drilling Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday firmly rejected the idea of a House vote solely on the issue of offshore oil drilling, calling it "a hoax on the American people" backed by oil companies. Instead, she said, she wants Congress to tackle a compromise...

Georgia-Russia fight endangers U.S. oil goals Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT
When the main pipeline that carries oil through Georgia was completed in 2005, it was hailed as a major success in the U.S. policy to diversify its energy supply. Not only did the pipeline transport oil produced in Central Asia, helping move the West off its...

State top court to review medical pot limit Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT
The state Supreme Court returned to the medical marijuana wars Wednesday, agreeing to decide the validity of a law that shields doctor-approved pot users from arrest for possessing up to eight ounces of dried marijuana or growing six plants. The justices...

Parents' prescription drugs pose risk to teens Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Parents who don't safeguard their medications are putting their teenagers at serious risk of addiction to prescription drugs, according to a national survey. The survey, released Thursday by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, found that...

Scientists alarmed by ocean dead-zone growth Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Dead zones where fish and most marine life can no longer survive are spreading across the continental shelves of the world's oceans at an alarming rate as oxygen vanishes from coastal waters, scientists reported Thursday. The scientists place the problem on...

Foreclosure's hidden victims Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT
In early June, a handwritten note appeared on the front door of Bing Ling Zeng's San Francisco apartment, written in a language she couldn't understand. "You will be needing to vacate this property soon," it said. The following month, Pacific Gas and Electric...

Palace of Fine Arts' well-rounded restoration Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:51:11 PDT
The outside of San Francisco's landmark Palace of Fine Arts is ringed with scaffolding these days, like a patient who just had surgery. But the most complex part of a $22 million restoration job of Bernard Maybeck's architectural masterpiece is out of public...

Legislature plans to vote on budget Sunday Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:50:58 PDT
The California Legislature is likely to vote Sunday on a new version of the Democrats' budget proposal that includes additional spending cuts and fewer tax increases than their previous version, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass said Thursday. But the budget is...

Radio host drops lawsuit against Islamic group Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:00:20 PDT
Conservative talk show host Michael Savage has changed his mind and is reluctantly dropping his lawsuit against an Islamic rights group that launched an advertisers' boycott after he attacked Islam and the Quran on the air, his lawyer said today. A San...

2 men shot to death in car near USF campus Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:26:56 PDT
Two men were found shot and killed early today inside a parked car bordering the University of San Francisco campus, police said. The shooting was reported at 5:30 a.m. at 2245 Golden Gate Avenue, a police spokesman said. << Map of homicides in San...

S.F.: Tale of a perpetual sidewalk puddle Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT
HERE'S THE DEAL S.F. water leak: The story involves an old creek, a modern leak and a watchful passer-by, and it's been unfolding near the northeast corner of Seventh and Folsom streets in San Francisco. There, ChronicleWatch reader Bay Gelldawg noticed water...

Suspects plead not guilty in carjacking, shooting case Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Two suspects indicted in connection with the carjacking of state Senate Pro Tem Don Perata and a gas-station shooting that left a 10-year-old boy paralyzed pleaded not guilty today to the high-profile Oakland crimes. Jared Adams, 25, and his girlfriend,...

Missing Texas student wanted to 'disappear' Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Matthew Wilson's family considered him to be a missing person. But after the 21-year-old former computer science student at Rice University in Houston turned up in a tiny UC Berkeley classroom this week, he told investigators he had "wanted to come West and...

Five plead guilty to felony charges in beating of homeless man Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Five young people from west Marin County have pleaded guilty to felony charges in the near-fatal beating of a homeless man in Bolinas, an attack that included a knife and a skateboard and stunned the reclusive community. The suspects, prosecutors said, beat...

S.F. homeowners want property values reduced Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Homeowners are flooding City Hall with so many requests to reduce their property values that the tax assessor said Wednesday his office may not be able to meet the demands. So far, Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting's office has received about 1,000 requests for...

Response to 911 medical calls has not improved Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT
San Francisco emergency officials have been unable to make significant improvements in responding to 911 medical calls despite their pledges to reduce the city's ambulance delays. Mayor Gavin Newsom promised in April to improve response times after a special...

Ostler: Former Chinese table-tennis prodigy resuscitates her career with U.S. team Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:04:09 PDT
The tall, skinny 7-year-old girl was facing big-time sports pressure. In her hands, three pingpong balls. Ten feet away, a bucket. Toss each ball into the bucket and little Wang Chen would be invited to join an intensive table-tennis training program. A...

Giants notes: Now it's Aurilia who's mentoring the kids Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:56:30 PDT
When Rich Aurilia broke into the majors, established infielders Matt Williams and Robby Thompson tutored him on what to do and what not to do as a big-leaguer. "Mostly what not to do," Aurilia said. "Matt and Robby took care of me and told me how to conduct...

Phelps easily wins 6th Olympic gold medal in pool Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:13:06 PDT
Michael Phelps won his sixth gold medal of the Beijing Olympics on Friday in record time, defeating rivals Laszlo Cseh and teammate Ryan Lochte in the 200-meter individual medley. Phelps defended his title from four years ago in Athens, winning in 1 minute,...

Running straight / Older, wiser Felix looks to improve herself - and track's image Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:24:13 PDT
- When she came to the Athens Olympics in 2004 as an 18-year-old ingenue, Allyson Felix knew so little of protocol she didn't realize athletes could take victory laps even if they finished second or third. She had raced to the silver medal in the 200 meters...

Track: Gay cruises to heat victory Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:12:41 PDT
Tyson Gay is back. For now. America's hope in the 100 meters came out of six weeks of racing seclusion this morning, winning his first-round heat in an easy 10.22 seconds. The other two contenders in what is shaping up as one of the greatest three-man races...

Dredging up bad memories / Hapless A's recalls the struggling sad sacks of '79 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:06:14 PDT
After the Rays' Carlos Peña took Santiago Casilla deep to right to lead off the 12th inning, only about 1,500 of the announced crowd of 16,689 remained at the Coliseum on Thursday afternoon. The near-empty stands made a perfect backdrop for echoes - in the A'...

A's notes: Weird, wild stuff at Coliseum Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:06:14 PDT
Three batters into Thursday's game, you got a sense that this would not be a routine afternoon at the ballyard. The Rays' Carlos Peña flied into your typical 9-1-6 double play. He drove a ball to deep right and B.J. Upton rounded second before Emil Brown made...

Greece is the word for Americans' payback Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:32:32 PDT
Never mind the warm, fuzzy feeling of redemption. This was revenge. For nearly two years, Team USA has stewed over their failure against Greece in the semifinals at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, where they were picked apart by the pick-and-roll....

Can they stop the run? Raiders ready to face the music Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:26:05 PDT
Take three returning linebackers, add strong safety Gibril Wilson, carry over Michael Huff to free safety, multiply defensive tackle Tommy Kelly's contract 10 times over, divide snaps between nose tackles Terdell Sands and Gerard Warren, exchange Fabian...

Ratto: Ziegler just another guy now that streak is over Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:26:05 PDT
And so ends the story of Brad Gregory Ziegler, The World's Greatest Pitcher Ever. A 3-1 fastball, more or less, grooved to Tampa Bay's B.J. Upton, a double ringing off the wall in the left field corner, Akinori Iwamura racing around from first to score the go-...

Giants: Another sad ending, leads turn to toast in Texas Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:26:05 PDT
Jonathan Sanchez tossed five hitless innings Monday. Barry Zito threw five scoreless innings Wednesday. In between, Tim Lincecum had a lead in the fifth inning until a liner knocked him out. The Giants lost them all. Thursday, it was more of the same. Solid...

Nolan won't name starting QB yet, but O'Sullivan seems to be the guy Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:26:05 PDT
Nobody in the 49ers' organization will acknowledge it, but the starting quarterback job is J.T. O'Sullivan's to lose. That much was clear Thursday when coach Mike Nolan announced that the offseason acquisition, who started the preseason open against the...

Starting grid Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:26:05 PDT
Starting grid NASCAR SPRINT CUP 3M Performance 400 Site: Brooklyn, Mich. Schedule: Today, qualifying (12:30 p.m., Speed Channel); Sunday, race (11 a.m., ESPN) Track: Michigan International Speedway (D-shaped oval, 2 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns). Race...

Bay Area highlights Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:26:05 PDT
Bay Area highlights How selected locals on the U.S. team fared from late Wednesday night to Thursday night. See biographical capsules on every Bay Area Olympian at sfgate.com/olympics. Baseball The U.S. beat Netherlands 7-0. John Gall (Stanford) went 2-for-3...

Golf: Ochoa back in form in Canada Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:26:05 PDT
Defending champion Lorena Ochoa shot a bogey-free 6-under-par 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Annika Sorenstam in the Canadian Women's Open in Ottawa, leaving Michelle Wie nine strokes back in her final LPGA Tour event of the year. Ochoa, the winner last...

NFL: Lynch lands with Patriots, Colts lose another starter Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:06:02 PDT
Nine-time Pro Bowl safety John Lynch took a physical with the New England Patriots, who need secondary help after being hit by injuries. Coach Bill Belichick said Thursday that he met Wednesday with Lynch and that the former Denver Broncos star was given a...

Giants On Deck Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:06:02 PDT
TODAY Opponent: At Braves Time: 4:35 p.m. TV: CSNBA+ Pitchers: Cain (7-9) vs. Jurrjens (11-7) SATURDAY Opponent: At Braves Time: 4:10 p.m. TV: CSNBA Pitchers: Sanchez (8-9) vs. Hampton (1-1) SUNDAY Opponent: At Braves Time: 10:35 a.m. TV: CSNBA Pitchers:...

Walsh, May-Treanor of US win in beach volleyball Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:32:28 PDT
Athens gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor overcame five set points in the first set to beat Belgium 24-22, 21-10 and advance to the quarterfinals of the Olympic beach volleyball tournament. The win Friday was the 105th consecutive victory for...

SF swimmer advances in 50 freestyle Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:56:50 PDT
San Francisco's Ben Wildman-Tobriner swam the third-fastest prelim time in the 50-meter freestyle to move on to Friday morning's semifinals at the Water Cube. The Stanford graduate tied for second in his heat at 21.75 seconds. There were two faster heat...

Federer, both Williams sisters upset at Olympics Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:12:34 PDT
Roger Federer's bid for his first Olympic singles medal has ended with a loss to American James Blake. With the sort of lackluster performance that was once unthinkable for Federer, he was eliminated in the quarterfinals on Thursday night. Meanwhile, Serena...

Giants Swept In Houston Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:55:16 PDT
Lance Berkman hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to help lift the Houston Astros to their eighth straight win with a 7-4 victory over the Giants Thursday. It gave Houston, which has won 16 of 20, a four-game sweep of the Giants. With the score tied in...

O'Sullivan to start Saturday Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:10:57 PDT
Nobody in the 49ers' organization is saying it, but the starting quarterback job is now J.T. O'Sullivan's to lose, following coach Mike Nolan's announcement Thursday that the offseason acquisition will start for the second straight exhibition game. O'Sullivan...

US men's volleyball team stays undefeated Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:03:31 PDT
The U.S. men's volleyball team remains undefeated at the Beijing Olympics with a 3-1 victory over Bulgaria. The United States was cold at the start Thursday night, but took the next two sets and held off Bulgaria in the end, 27-29, 25-21, 25-14, 26-24 in...

State-media story fuels questions on gymnast's age Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:30:18 PDT
Just nine months before the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government's news agency, Xinhua, reported that gymnast He Kexin was 13, which would have made her ineligible to be on the team that won a gold medal this week. In its report Nov. 3, Xinhua identified...

The Fishing Report Brian Hoffman / Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Kept dreaming about Gypsies, though alone that don't mean much, and in the dark before morning, quitting on sleep, the gear went into the truck and then the truck went into West Marin, and at dawn there was the pullout to the path to the hill to the cliff to...

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