ID'ing the masses may solve Indian identity crisis

A small square of plastic, no bigger than a credit card, is all that stands between Pralhad Dandekar and his ability to bring home food for his wife and two daughters.

It is a special identity card, issued by the state government, which all fishermen on the open seas are required to carry.

Dandekar, a wiry 58-year-old, says he applied for the card two years ago.

"I wait, wait, wait," he said.

India has a huge identity problem: too many people like Dandekar struggle to definitively establish who they are. Indians of means can flash passports, driver's licenses, and credit cards, but the poor rely on a jumble of electricity bills, ration cards, voting cards, and …

Zanders Aids Joliet in a Pinch

Where did he come from?

That's what Homewood-Flossmoor wanted to know after JolietTownship junior Mark Zanders, a menacing presence with his 6-4,215-pound frame and goatee, ruined what had been an upbeat Saturdayafternoon for the host Vikings with one swing of the bat.

In hiding for six innings, Zanders emerged from the dugout toslam a pinch-hit home run, a two-run shot to left field in the top ofthe seventh that erased a 6-5 deficit and capped a four-run rally forthe No. 6 Steelmen (7-1) in Game 1 of a non-conference doubleheader.

Armed with a heavy fastball and sharp curve, Zanders then wentto the mound in the bottom of the seventh to record his first …

LHP Howell activated by Rays

MIAMI (AP) — Left-hander J.P. Howell returned to the mound Friday for the Tampa Bay Rays, one year and one day after he underwent surgery to repair a left shoulder injury that sidelined him all of last season.

Hours after being activated, Howell pitched a scoreless sixth inning in the Rays' 5-3 loss at Florida.

"It's not as fun when you lose, but it's still a great time," he said.

Howell led all major-league relievers with 13 wins in 2008-09. He was a key member of Tampa Bay's AL championship team in 2008 and had 17 saves in 2009.

"He's very valuable to us," manager Joe Maddon said. "I can visualize him pitching like he did a couple of years ago and being that …

Obama meets families of plane crash victims

President Barack Obama on Thursday told families who lost loved ones in a 2009 plane crash their advocacy for greater airline safety standards will help the cause move forward.

Obama met privately for 10 minutes with relatives of victims from the plane crash that killed 50 people near Buffalo.

Inquiries into the crash of Continental Connection Flight …

Pat pourri

DELUXE LUNCH

Lunch at the Blue Water Grill was excellent. Good choices weremade. Quite outstanding were the spicy tuna rolls (above), which,praise be, were really spicy. Six pieces of pure sushi pleasure

Not to be missed is the lobster sandwich. It's an outlay of 19bucks, but worth it. Plenty of sweet lobster meat got together withpeppery arugula and thin slices of avocado on a pretzel roll with achili-aioli (amped-up mayo). A couscous "salad" of notable interestcame with it. …

Impact of e-business

AUDITING STANDARDS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY TECHNOLOGY CHANGES, AND A REVIEW SHOWS THAT MORE MAY BE NEEDED

Auditing standards have been in the CICA Handbook for more than 30 years. Most were developed well before the e-business revolution and some before the use of technology became prevalent in business. To determine whether they have been affected by technology driven change related to e-business, the Information Technology Committee (ITAC) of the CICA conducted a review in 2000. Since then, there have been changes, but more still needs to be done.

While the term "e-business" has been overworked, it's widely used, although definitions vary considerably. As ITAC noted, there …

CPR study suggests 'Stayin Alive' lives up to name

"Stayin' Alive" might be more true to its name than the Bee Gees ever could have guessed: At 103 beats per minute, the old disco song has almost the perfect rhythm to help jump-start a stopped heart.

And in a small but intriguing study from the University of Illinois medical school, doctors and students maintained close to the ideal number of chest compressions doing CPR while listening to the catchy, sung-in-falsetto tune from the 1977 movie "Saturday Night Fever."

The American Heart Association recommends 100 chest compressions per minute, far more than most people realize, study author Dr. David Matlock of the school's Peoria, Ill., …