Strip malls have replaced strip clubs, big-box stores draw more customers than bars and residential neighborhoods have supplanted the RV parks that once sprawled across the state's most populous city. Located in southcentral Alaska, Anchorage is the economic capital of a state more than twice the size of Texas."Anchorage has kind of grown up," said Alaska author and longtime resident Charles Wohlforth, who writes the annual Alaska travel guide for Frommer's. "It's left its adolescence and is becoming more of a mature city."The tumultuous years of oil-fueled booms and busts in the 1970s and '80s, have given way to two decades of steady growth, as Anchorage's economy has expanded to include burgeoning retail, health care and tourist industries. Since the mid-1990s, its air cargo hub has become one of the three largest in the world.

Yesterday's top story: Palladium stars as investors focus on future ...

The report said an 'impressive wave of funds' had moved into the metal's two ETFs since last November and the funds saw a further increase in February.

However, the trend in positions in Nymex platinum futures was an 'atypical near inverse relationship to the price', with net longs declining by almost 270,000 ounces (or 36%) from their recent peak in January.

The report said this was suggestive of Nymex speculators taking profits in February, in part selling into strong demand from ETF investors.

Platinum Technical Analysis

Standard Bank advised reduced long positions in platinum as the 'bull trend' has reached the $2,150 level and there were currently no further upside projections. (Although the metal price is now around $100 higher than this level.)

The report said the move off the $2,192 high was threatening the sustainability of the bull trend from a near term perspective and the bank now took a mildly bearish view.

Rights and Rockets

I was home two weeks ago, getting ready for evening prayers, sitting with my wife and child, and suddenly my mobile starting ringing. He said, I'm Rami, I'm from Shabak the Israeli security agency Shin Bet and I'm responsible for your area. What are you doing? I guess you're with your wife and your two children?' I said no, and he said Yes, your two children are with you, but now you've just moved out of the room'. I said, what do you want? He said If you don't stop your rockets it's only a matter of time before you are targeted'."

Anyone who has ever seen a modern spy movie knows what you're supposed to do next: hurl the phone as far as you can and then dive from the building before it or the telephone explodes. Next, go underground, and never use a phone or a computer again.

The amazing, imploding ISP business

Andrew's Mailbag This week I described how amazingly vulnerable much of the British ISP business is. Vulnerable to botnets, hackers or fraudsters? No, nothing so exotic. A few people watching a bit of BBC on the streaming iPlayer may be enough to bring much of the business here to its knees.

Streamed TV over the internet costs your ISP a penny per viewer per minute.

Book Excerpt

There is no doubt that it is a major advantage to be a black conservative in politics, business, talk radio and a number of other professions. White people have come to open themselves up to black success, black intelligence, and black congeniality. Observing America and the world in 2006-07, it would be Pollyannaish to say that racial prejudice was defeated, any more than terrorism or drugs have been defeated. But the world is a vastly different place today, and if one studies the subject hard enough, they might not find any place like the American South in the 37 years that span 1970 to 2007.

Southern sportswriters have there take on the evernt, whether it be Allen Barra, Keith Dunnavant, or the Birmingham Post-Herald's Bill Lumpkin, who in response to recent books and movies depicting the event wrote, "I'm sure the abundance of Alabama fans in the Legion Field crowd of 72,157 left the game that night saying to themselves: We've got to have a Sam Cunningham.

Pat McKee: High School Q&A

Question: Will the IHSAA ever put private schools in a class of their own? They really seem to be dominating sports. I don't like class sports but if they are going to have classes in sports should all schools follow the same rules or have a class of their own because their kids come from every where. (Dell from Indianapolis)

Answer: "Forever" is a long time, so I really can't say what the IHSAA will "ever" do. But the current IHSAA Board of Directors does not seem inclined to create a separate division for private schools. A proposal to do just that was presented a few years ago, and that proposal was soundly defeated. A couple of years later, another proposal called a "multiplier" that would have counted students at private schools at a higher rate than students at public schools (pushing some private schools into a larger class) also was defeated.

On the Picket Lines. Again.

Over at retailer Omar Effendi, business slowed after workers also went on strike last month. Employees claimed the new owners of the company had canceled their benefits, including El-Adha grants. The company, they allege, put 2,700 employees — each making between LE 200 and LE 800 a month — on early retirement and replaced them with 350 employees whose salaries hover around LE 25,000 each a month. At press time, the employees facing early retirement were planning further strikes, claiming they had not received their retirement payments.

When Did Cam’ron Become The “Voice of Hip-Hop?”

Ben Chavis (Who should change from Dr. to Rev. with his preaching), Kevin Liles (Who cares about your rise from intern to President? Thats not the issue) and Common (Even he had his misses). Now, 60 Minutes did a profile on the Stop Snitching epidemic which has been custom in inner-city neighborhoods for decades, but has exploded in recent years with its commercialization thru song and clothing. Who did 60 Minutes look for to talk about Stop Snitching? None other than the Albert Einstein of Hip-Hop, Camron. Whatever happened to publicists? I guess Jim Jones is preparing Killa for interviews. If you thought theres a witch hunt against Hip-Hop, your probably right? But in defense of the so-called art and poets like Russ would say are a bunch of fools. The worst legal defense team you can have.

Poll puts Zapatero ahead (but don't tell the Spanish)

In private though, Socialist Party officials worry that the high rate of immigration in the past few years could cost it votes on Sunday. Spain’s once-dwindling population has jumped from 40 million to 45 million since 2000, boosting the economy but creating tensions in working-class, urban areas, where many immigrants have settled.

Mr Zapatero swept to power unexpectedly four years ago on a wave of public anger over the previous Government’s handling of the Madrid train bombings, which killed 191 people and injured more than 1,800.

CAN 2008 to enjoy uninterrupted power - VRA

Accra, Jan. 18, GNA - The Volta River Authority (VRA) on Thursday said it was fully prepared to provide adequate uninterrupted power supply throughout the African Cup of Nations Tournament the country was hosting. The Authority told the Ghana News Agency that: "VRA has made adequate arrangements such as the provision of generating sets to serve as standby power plants at all the four stadia in the country for the tournament to start this Sunday January 20." Mrs. Gertrude Koomson, of the Corporate Affairs Department of the VRA, who gave the assurance said technicians to man the various equipment have been given orientation to effectively carry out their duties. She said, "even though the VRA is currently running two to three turbines at Akosombo, it can conveniently operate all the six turbines when the need arises given the water level as at today." The VRA official said Ghanaians and their brothers and sisters from other African nations would have enough power to enjoy their football matches but added: "This is the time that we should also know that conservation of energy is key." "The 550 Megawatts (MW) Thermal Plants at Aboadze, Government's Emergency Power Programme are all in place to ensure uninterrupted supply," Mrs Koomson said.

In this issue:

In an uncommon endorsement, Cizik says science can be an ally to help religious believers understand what faith is telling them.

The projects supporters include the two-time Pulitzer prize winning scientist and author Edward Wilson, Nasa climatologist James Hansen and Calvin DeWitt, president of the Academy of Evangelical Scientists and Ethicists.

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