After that the news goes rapidly downhill.

Uno already had earned another title: noisiest in show.

STOP McCAIN IN FLORIDA

To the extent that I understand how most Republicans think, it would seem that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani comes closer to the Republican ideal than any of the other viable Republican candidates. They are all good and decent men who would be better for America than either of the Democratic front-runners. But it is difficult to see, from a conservative- and Republican-values perspective, what major shortcoming Giuliani brings as compared to the other candidates. And given the obsession of liberal news media with publishing negative reports about Giuliani and frequent praise of John McCain, it would appear that it is Giuliani whom Democrats most fear as the Republican presidential nominee.

On the "war on terror," no Republican contender but John McCain equals Giuliani in longtime efforts on behalf of that war or in understanding and articulating the threat radical Islam poses to America and to liberty on earth.

Screw caps call for some arm twisting

Any recipient suspecting you to be a cheapskate could always Google the bottle and get set straight pretty quickly.

I'm glad everyone was happy in the end. But remember: All wine closures have their advantages and their faults, screw caps included. The big worry there is something called "reduction." An airtight seal can give wines a sulphury, barnyard smell. Screw caps remain a controversial choice for reds designed for long cellaring. So don't hold on to those bottles for too long.

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Do you have a wine or spirit question for Bill Daley? Write to him at the Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611, or e-mail wdaley@tribune.com. Questions cannot be answered individually.

Viewing all entries for: January 2008

LAST night after her uncontested "victory" in Florida, Hillary Clinton was introduced by... Alcee Hastings, removed from by the Senate in 1998 after impeachment from* in the House, under a heavy cloud of suspicion of bribery when he was a federal judge. (A bit of the colourful background here.) Bill Clinton pardoned Mr Hastings' alleged co-conspirator on his last day in office.

FEATURE: No holiday for many domestics

In Chinese societies, the most important festival is the Lunar New Year, when families reunite in a holiday atmosphere. Many migrant workers in Taiwan, however, do not have the luxury of a holiday.

Lunar New Year's day falls this year on Thursday and most people have six days off, although many workers from Southeast Asia will see their workloads increased, particularly the 160,000 domestic workers and caregivers who make up almost half of the 360,000 foreign laborers in Taiwan.

Such is the case for Mary, a young Indonesian who came to Taiwan one-and-a-half years ago. Working as a domestic helper, she starts her day at 6am by preparing breakfast, then goes to market, cleans the house and takes out the garbage. She doesn't get to call it a day until after 11pm.

Ostensibly hired to take care of an elderly member of her bosses family, in reality that is only a small portion of her strenuous workload.

Healing through movement helps the ill get fit

Q: Your program has been featured in just about every major publication, from PEOPLE to The New York Times, and on television talk shows and various health conferences. What's going on here?

A: Well, it's fun and easy and it also increases flexibility, works on balance, may help reduce lymphedema swelling, helps decrease frozen shoulder.

Firefighting teams take over high-rise, race up 10 flights for ...

Three times yesterday, separate teams of 60 or so firefighters raced to put out imaginary fires at the 11-story building. The San Diego Fire and Rescue sent teams from as far away as Rancho Bernardo to the north and the Mexican border to the south.

Between 10 and 12 fire-fighting vehicles were involved in each drill, including a helicopter that circled the unfinished building, radioing commands to the firefighters inside. Although the exercise involved 60 percent of the fire department's vehicles, enough were left behind to cope with actual fires that might have taken place yesterday, said Battalion Chief Jon Handley.

The firefighters raced to the 10th floor to put out the nonexistent fire as well as check to see whether anyone needed help.

"Fire Department!" they called out.

Agency that protects consumers is in need of help

I recall a time when product recalls were infrequent.

But lately, hazardous toys and other household products are in the news almost daily. A huge increase in imports from China, where oversight is not as stringent as in the U.S., is partly to blame, as well as manufacturers that use lead paint on toys.

Some consumer advocates say only a small percentage of dangerous products are actually removed from stores.