Prepare yourselves: We're going on a trip far, far away Hidden in the open Tauntleading out Dozing on the job Off the map Scan 'em Realigned out the door A point of light Sure! Why not?

News Item: Computer models indicate our galaxy will be swallowedinto a black hole 3 billion times more massive than the sun in 1,000billion years. We remain at QTDEFCON4. Sarah Thompson, executivedirector of the Utah Gun Owners Alliance, on a compromise that wouldallow Utah gun owners to bring concealed guns to an appearance byVice President Dick Cheney but would require the guns to be checkedat the door: "We see this as being a huge victory for gun owners." Better strip-search them, just the same. The WisconsinInterscholastic Athletic Association has banned organizedcheerleaders at volleyball games because organized cheers might beperceived by the other team as "taunting," …

Italian Football Results

ROME (AP) — Results in the Serie A, the Italian first-division football league (home teams listed first):

Saturday's Games

Roma 3, Atalanta 1

Inter Milan 0, Napoli 3

Sunday's Games

Novara 3, Catania 3

Cesena 0, Chievo Verona 0

Fiorentina 1, Lazio 2

Lecce 0, Cagliari 2

Palermo 2, Siena 0

Parma 3, Genoa …

Unemployment applications jump by most in a month

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people who applied for unemployment benefits last week rose by the most in a month, signaling growing weakness in the job market.

Applications rose by 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 429,000 last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. It was the second increase in three weeks and the 11th straight week that applications have been above 400,000.

The four-week average for unemployment benefit applications, a less volatile measure, was unchanged at 426,250 last week.

Applications dipped below 400,000 in February and stayed under that threshold for seven of the following nine weeks. Applications fell as low as 375,000, a level that signals …

Plays

Walter Savage Landor (1775-1864)

Alas, how soon the hours are over

Counted us out to play the lover!

And how much narrower is the stage

Allotted us to …

Sensational Hamilton Makes F1 History

MONTREAL - Lewis Hamilton's learning curve just got shorter - a lot shorter. The 22-year-old Englishman, the first black driver in Formula One history, added his first F1 victory to an already remarkable career start by winning the crash-filled Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday.

And he made it look easy.

Hamilton started from the pole, also for the first time. Apart from losing the lead for three laps when he made his first of two pit stops, he led all the way and was never challenged.

The slim, soft-spoken youngster has six consecutive top-three finishes in six starts, something no other first-year F1 driver has accomplished.

"This is history," Hamilton …

Afghan, Pakistani leaders praise new US strategy

The leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan on Saturday praised the new U.S. strategy for dealing with growing violence in their countries, with the Afghan president saying it was "better than we were expecting" and his Pakistani counterpart calling it a "positive change."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai lauded increased civil and military aid to his country and highlighted a plan for reconciliation with moderate elements of the Taliban as the new strategy's most important initiative. He also welcomed President Barack Obama's focus on countering militant sanctuaries in neighboring Pakistan in the plan, announced Friday.

"This is better …

Tom Jones finds `Kiss' of success with return to pop

The year was '68. The Copa. Tom Jones was perspiring, which hedoes a lot. One enterprising fan stood just in front of the stage,lifted her dress, peeled off her underwear and handed them to thesinger to wipe his feverish brow.

Columnist Earl Wilson, in the audience that evening, dutifullynoted the incident. And women have been tossing undies at Tom Jonesever since.

Of course, more than 20 years have passed. The singer's fans,having aged gracefully, no longer remove their underwear on sight,and their lacy and delicate unmentionables are just as likely to besupport garments. But it's still the feeling that counts. And forfans of Jones, who will appear Friday …