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Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my ife because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women such as these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?"

Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, "You shall not marry one of the Canaanite women. 2Go at once to Paddanaram to the house of Bethuel, your mother's father; and take as wife from there one of the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother. 3May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and numerous, that you may become a company of peoples. 4May he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien—land that God gave to Abraham. "sThus Isaac sent Jacob away; and he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron , and said , "Look , we are your bone and flesh. 2For some time, while Saul was king over us, it was you who led out Israel and brought it in. The LORD said to you; It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you who shall be ruler over Israel. "3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5 At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

The king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites , the inhabitants of the land , who said to David , "You will not come in here , even the blind and the lame will turn you back" — thinking , "David cannot come in here. "7 Nevertheless David tood the stronghold of Zion , which is now the city of David "'9 David occupied the stronghold, and named it the city of David. David built the city all around from the Millo inward. 10 And David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him.

11 King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar trees, and carpenters and masons who built David a house. 12 David then perceived that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

1 3 In Jerusalem , after he came from Hebron , David took more concubines and wives ; and more sons and daughters were born to David.

SAN FRANCISCO2— Barry Bonds speaks more these days about his aching body and fatigued legs than any of his amazing milestones. 3

He rarely runs out ground balls any-more. In fact, if he's certain he'll be out, there are times he makes it only a few feet down the first-base line.

This is how the slugger saves energy as he approaches his 40th birthday on July 24.

"I'm tired," he said recently. "I'm tired every time I play. "

But he's not deterred".

" I'm playing good , " he said. " I've just got to keep it going. "

Even in his 1 9th major league season , Bonds remains the most feared hitter in baseball5.

"There are certain situations in a game if you have a choice, you don't want to get beat by Barry Bonds, " Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said. " I've felt that way for a couple years now.

"That shows the respect I have for him as a player, and rightfully so. ... You give him too many chances to beat you and he eventually will. "

This season has been like none before for Bonds, who last year won his record sixth NL MVP award6. He has faced constant questions about whether he received a boost from performance-enhancing drugs, 7 he's walking more than aver - and this is the first year he hasn't had his father, Bobby, around to cheer him on.

It hasn't seemed to faze9 him.

'He's had a tremendous first half," manager Felipe Alou said. "He scored over 60 runs10 , and they let him drive in 40. He's playing a lot of baseball this year, a lot of games. "

Bonds passed godfather Willie Mays for the third on the career homers list early in the year and now has 681 , including 23 this season. Only Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) stand ahead of him - and as long as Bonds has his health, those marks clearly are within reach. 11

How does Bonds feel as he approaches 40?

"I don't know," he said. "I'll feel like I'm 40 on July 24. "

"He is amazing, because of the fact he doesn't get a lot of pitches" to hit, and when he does, he hits it," Giants catcher13 A. J. Pierzynski said. "You still look at Barry in awe14. He's so good. It doesn't matter if he's 22 or 52. "

Still for now, Bonds has several goals to reach - no matter how old and tired he might be.

It was cold, and in the ranks the men were shivering and dancing up and down to keep warm. I was only the second-in-command of the platoon at that time, under instruction from a senior lieutenant, who was the platoon commander. Punctually at seven I said to Broadhurst, "March off, Sergeant. To the aerodrome, at the double."

Broadhurst asked doubtfully whether we shouldn't wait for the platoon commander, who had not turn up. Unversed in the ways of the army, I said, "No, march off. The men are cold." We doubled off.

Three or four minutes later the platoon commander, who had about fourteen years of service, appeared. He was in a towering rage. He rushed straight up to Broadhurst and asked him furiously what he meant by marching off without permission.

Broadhurst said, "I'm sorry, sir."

My feet wouldn't move. My mouth wouldn't open. I made a gigantic effort and said,

"Sir —" But the lieutenant had given Broadhurst a final blast and taken command. I looked at Broadhurst, but he was busy. After parade I apologized to him, but I never explained to the lieutenant. Broadhurst told me the incident wasn't worth worrying about.

It was the worst thing that I ever did in the army, because in it I showed cowardice and disloyalty. The only excuses I could find for myself were that it happened quickly and that I was very young. It had a result, though. I had been frightened of the lieutenant, frightened of being reprimanded, frightened of failure even in the smallest endeavor. I discovered now that being ashamed of yourself is worse than any fear. Duty, orders, loyalty, obedience — all things boiled down to one single idea: Whatever the consequences, a man must act so that he can live with himself.

If your information is inaccurate or incomplete, the readers will make bad decisions. But telling the truth is not always a simple matter. Each of us sees reality a little bit differently, and each of us describes what we see in our own way. What can you do to limit the distortions introduced by differences in perception? Here are some guidelines:

1. Regardless of whether these facts will support your theories or please your readers, they should be included. Omitting the details that undermine your position might be convenient, but it isn' t accurate. You might also hesitate to be the bearer of had news, but you will mislead readers if you leave out unpleasant information.

2. If you tell readers, "The value of the stock has doubled in three weeks," you are giving only a partial picture. They will have a much clearer idea of reality if you say, "The value of the stock has doubled in three weeks, rising from $ 2.00 to $ 4.00 per share on the rumor of a potential merger." Taken out of context, even the most concrete facts can be misleading.

3. You can' t expect readers to fully understand your conclusions unless you offer substantial supporting evidence. Statements like " We' ve got to reorganise the sales force or we' rebound to lose market share" may or may not be true. Readers have no way of knowing unless you provide enough data to support your claim.

4. Even if you have strong feelings about the subject of your report, try to keep those feelings from influencing your choice of words. Here's an example of emotionally charged language taken from a relocation study: "Locating a plant in Kraymore is a terrible idea. The people there are mostly students, they' d rather play than work, and they don' t have the ability to operate our machines." Language like this is not only offensive, but it obscures reality and provokes emotional responses.

Today, unexpected numbers of young adults are living with their parents. "There is a major shift in the middle class," declares sociologist Allan Schnaiberg of Northwestern U-niversity, whose son, 19, moved back in after an absence of eight months.

Analysts cite a variety of reasons for this return to the nest. The marriage age is rising, a condition that makes home and its pleasantness particularly attractive to young people. A high divorce rate and declining remarriage rate are sending economically pressed and emotionally hurt survivors back to parental shelters. For some, the expense of an away-from-home college education has become so excessively great that many students now attend local schools. Even after graduation, young people find their wings clipped by skyrocketing housing costs.

Laving at home, says Knighton, a school teacher, continues to give her security and mor¬al support. Her mother agreed, "It' s ridiculous for the kids to pay all that money for rent. It

makes sense for kids to stay at home. " But sharing the family home requires adjustments for all. There are the hassles over bathrooms, telephones and privacy. Some families, however, manage the delicate balancing act. But for others, it proves too difficult. Michelle del Turco. 24, has been home three times—and left three times. "What I considered a social drink, my dad considered an alcohol problem," she explains. "He never liked anyone I dated, so I ei¬ther had to hide away or meet them at friends' house. "

Just how long should adult children live with their parents before moving on? Most psy-chologists feel lengthy homecomings are a mistake. Children, struggling to establish separate identities, can end up with a sense of inadequacy, defeat and failure. And aging parents, who should be enjoying some financial and personal freedom, find themselves stuck with re-sponsibilities. Many agree that brief visits, however, can work beneficially.

International soccer star Ronaldowill be appointed3 Goodwill Ambassador for the fight against poverty by the United Nations Development Programme" (UNDP) on 1 February, in Geneva. Ronaldo will contribute to UNDP's global mobilization effort to trigger dynamic action against poverty and inequalities and stimulate greater international cooperation.5 Extreme poverty, which affects two billion people in the developing world and at least 100 million in industrializedcountries, could be overcome within the next two decades through a con-certed6 social and political commit-ment7, pro-poor policies and just one per cent of the world's revenue8.

"Ronaldo, and other world personalities can help us take poverty eradication to the top of political agendas,"9 says Mark Malloch Brown, UNDP's Admin-istrator. "The challenge is perhaps the greatest one we face at the threshold of10 the 21st century, but we now know that the goal is within our reach. The resources, know-how and technologies are there, we just need to put them at the disposal of the poorest, and fill the gap of inequalities. "

As Goodwill Ambassador, Ronaldo will use as many public occasions as possible to bring home the message that everyone can contribute to the fight against poverty and that even small actions can make a world of difference. Ronaldo was in Kosovo" in September 1999 to launch UNDP'onating'2 a cheque for the rehabilitation13 of a school in Gjakove.

For the same campaign, he has teamed up with soccer colleague Zin dine Zi-dane'4 in an advertisement that will appear in the world's magazines and newspapers in the coming months. The advertisement, which combines the appeal of international celebrities with the power of publicity, is the first of a

series featuring a host of other international personalities calling on individu¬als, institutions, and private as well as public entities to mobilize concrete ac¬tions against poverty.

In the past few years, Ronaldo has been particularly committed to the cause of poor children in Brazil and finances projects to assist children living in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro'5. He has supported the inter-agency efforts of UN-AIDS as special representative in its 1998 and 1999 awareness-raising cam¬paigns against HIV/AIDS16.

"Each goal I score is like a message of encouragement to the poor, " Ronaldo has said. " Poor people need to know that they are not forgotten and that the world is doing something to change their situation. "

The nomination of Ronaldo is one of numerous activities UNDP has initiated to sensitize and mobilize all sectors of society for the fight against poverty. 17 It is a contribution to the International Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997—2006) , designated by the United Nations General Assembly18. As the leading UN agency in the fight against poverty and the promotion of sustain-able human development, UNDP is committed to making the next decade a period of real change and tangible" results. To that end, it will inform on va-rious aspects of poverty in the world and the way it affects our lives and the fu¬ture of all, aiming to mobilize decision-makers, individuals and their associa¬tions in a global push for broad activism against poverty.

"The objective is ambitious," adds Mark Malloch Brown. "It requires new partnerships, solid commitments, and above all the will to make concrete changes. "

Which of these numbers do you think are lucky: four, seven, eight or thirteen? In many cultures around the world, people believe that some numbers are luckier than others.

The most western cultures, many people consider the number thirteen to be lucky. In the United States, for example, many cities do not have a lirteenth street; many buildings do not have a thirteenth floor. There are Iso those who believe that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day — one on many things can go wrong.

The exact origin of superstitions about Friday the 13th is unknown. However, superstitious fears about this date have grown and spread over ic years thanks, in part, to unfortunate events. In the eighteenth century, ship — the HMS Friday — which launched1 on a Friday the 13th, Isappeared at sea. In 1945, people watched in disbelief on a Friday the 3th when the first atom bomb was tested. On a Friday the 13th in 1992, i earthquake in Turkey killed thousands of people.

is surprising, though, that the number thirteen is considered unlucky in e United States. The country was originally divided into thirteen states. n the dollar bill there is a picture of an incomplete pyramid with thirteen ;ps. The bald eagle2 carries an olive branch in one of its claws with irteen leaves and thirteen berries on it. In the other claw it is holding irteen arrows, and above its head there are thirteen stars.

different cultures, other numbers are believed to be unlucky. In Japan, >rea, and China, for example, people consider the number four to be lucky because the pronunciation of the word 'four' is very similar to the onunciation of the word that means 'death.' Many hotels in these untries do not have fourth floors. Also, people do not give gifts in iltiples of four.

ere are some numbers that are thought to bring good luck. In many stern cultures, people believe that seven is a lucky number, while many inese people believe that the luckiest number is eight. Many people also ieve significant dates in their lives — such as birthdays and liversaries — are lucky. People who regularly play the lottery3 will often these numbers in the hope that they will win.

Most episodes of absent-mindedness — forgetting where you left something or wondering why you just entered a room — are caused by a simple lack of attention, says Schacter. " You're supposed to remember something, but you haven't encoded it deeply. "

Encoding , Schacter explains , is a special way of paying attention to an event that has a major impact on recalling it later. Failure to encode properly can create annoying situations. If you put your mobile phone in a pocket, for example, and don't pay attention to what you did because you're involved in a conversation, you'll probably forget that the phone is in the jacket now hanging in your wardrobe (^'fB). "Your memory itself isn't failing you," says Schacter. "Rather, you didn't give your memory system the information it needed. "

Lack of interest can also lead to absent-mindedness. "A man who can recite sports statistics from 30 years ago , " says Zelinski , " may not remember to drop a letter in the mailbox. " Women have slightly better memories than men, possibly because they pay more attention to their environment , and memory relies on just that.

Visual cues can help prevent absent-mindedness , says Schacter. " But be sure the cue is clear and available," he cautions. If you want to remember to take a medication (•$]!$}) with lunch, put the pill bottle on the kitchen table — don't leave it in the medicine chest and write yourself a note that you keep in a pocket.

Another common episode of absent-mindedness; walking into a room and wondering why you're there. Most likely, you were thinking about something else. "Everyone does this from time to time," says Zelinski. The best thing to do is to return to where you were before entering the room, and you'll likely remember.

Yet for all the talk of a forthcoming technological Utopia little attention has been given to the implications of these developments for the poor. As with all new high technology, while the West concerns itself with the "how", the question of "for whom" is put aside once again.

Economists are only now realizing the full extent to which the communications revolution has affected the world economy. Information technology allows the extension of trade across geographical and industrial boundaries, and transnational corporations take full advantage of it. Terms of trade, exchange and interest rates and money movements are more important than the production of goods. The electronic economy made possible by information technology allows the haves to increase their control on global markets—with destructive impact on the have-nots.

For them the result is instability. Developing countries which rely on the production of a small range of goods for export are made to feel like small parts in the international economic machine. As "futures" are traded on computer screens, developing countries simply have less and less control of their destinies.

So what are the options for regaining control? One alternative is for developing countries to buy in the latest computers and telecommunications themselves—so-called "development communications" modernization. Yet this leads to long-term dependency and perhaps permanent constraints on developing countries' economies.

Communications technology is generally provided by the very countries whose companies stand to gain.

Furthermore, when new technology is introduced there is often too low a level of expertise to exploit for native development. This means that while local elites, foreign communities and subsidiaries of transnational corporations may benefit, those whose lives depend on access to the information are denied it. 1. From the passage we know that the development of high technology is in the interest of