Ptolemy, the zany Greek who said the Earth was the center of the universe, had them fooled for 1,500 years. Then Copernicus came along and said hold on a minute.

I doubt the politicians were handing out anti-Ptolemy literature back then - the church wouldn't allow it - but sometimes the scientific consensus does turn out to be wrong.

That's why I refuse to ridicule the five Iowa legislators who were touting a book last week that said human activity has nothing to do with global warming.

Conditions at Tri-Oval favor technical drivers

FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. It was a drivers' course Saturday and Sunday at the Tri-Oval Speedway when the United States Snowmobile Association took over the track.Over 15 inches of ice covered the track itself, while mounds of snow were piled on the infield for the first-time event.
Usually, oval-ice snowmobile racing takes place on what else? an oval. But, of course, the Fountain City track is tri-oval in shape and that meant a little less speed and a little more conditioning.The Champs Sleds 600 Opens got up to speeds around 80 mph on the ice track. On a comparable half-mile track, the same snowmobiles will get up to nearly 100 mph.What that meant for drivers was more work steering, less throttle jamming."It favored a driver in good condition," Director of USSA competition, Jerry Korinek, said, "a driver agile enough to control the sled."This was the first year Tri-Oval Speedway owner Jeff Duellman held such an event.

Blake breezes past fellow American Warburg at San Jose ATP

A wild card, Levine posted a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Steve Darcis of Belgium on Monday.

Blake is trying to erase memories of Sunday's shocking loss to Japanese teen Kei Nishikori in the final of the Delray Beach tournament.

Nishikori, who became the first Japanese player since 1992 to win an ATP singles title, also is in the field here on a sponsor's exemption. He won't see Blake unless the players reach the final.

But he could get a chance to pull off his second giant-killing episode in as many weeks if he gets past Diego Hartfield in the first round.

His second round opponent would likely be top seeded American Andy Roddick, who begins opening round play on Wednesday.

Picked off by Nishikori in the Delray Beach semi-finals, American Sam Querrey lost again Tuesday to German qualifier Denis Gremelmayr 5-7, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3.

Politicos flex muscles in opponents’ areas

Politicians in Haryana have taken a fancy to slug it out in their opponents battlegrounds to make their presence felt.

The trend by now is so prevalent that holding a rally at their home turf has almost become a thing of the past. The trend has also caught the imagination of the man on the street, forcing the politicos to show their political muscle in their arch opponents area of operation.

Although senior politicians have been organising political performances outside their own constituencies or home districts in the past, these were either a part of a statewide political campaign like the one launched by late Devi Lal in 1985 against the Rajiv-Longowal accord or such events marked the end of campaigning before the assembly or parliamentary election in the state.

For several decades, Rohtak remained the first choice of all major political parties and their leaders for hosting campaign-end shows.

ABC Names Todd S. Mann Chief Operating Officer

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today announced that Todd S. Mann has joined the association as its chief operating officer. Mann, a certified association executive, will have full oversight responsibility for ABC's financial, administrative and program activities. In addition, he will oversee its operational divisions and serve as the chief internal advocate for ABC national and chapter staff.

Before joining ABC, Mann served as senior vice president of business development for the National Restaurant Association in Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for increasing revenue, directing membership, business partnerships and sponsorship fundraising.

Dining Around at Café Fresko in Bryn Mawr

Street scenes are hand-painted on the brick walls, pressed copper ceiling, granite topped tables, white linen napkins, and red mahogany colored chairs are part of the decor romantic lighting, dimmer switches control the two chandeliers and the matching electrified wall sconces. Our party of three began dinner with several appetizers. The Chef's Soup of the day (M.P) was rich combination of potato, leek, and onion puree that we dipped fresh bread into to get the last drops of green velvety goodness at the bottom of the bowl. We also sampled a large bowl of Prince Edward Island Mussels ($11) that were tender and fresh tasting in delicious saffron Avgolomeno and citron broth, Demetri's twist on a recipe from Greek Macedonia. A traditional Greek appetizer called Saganaki ($7) made with pan-seared Kaseri cheese and flamed in the kitchen with brandy and fresh lemon was delightful.