If I were Laurinaitis I’d wear a string of garlic cloves

If I were Laurinaitis, I’d wear a string of garlic cloves around my neck, carry a rabbit’s foot and avoid stepping on cracks in the sidewalks. Unheralded Story of the WeekCaleb Campbell, a senior linebacker at The United States Military Academy at West Point, was drafted by the Detroit Lions. I like this story because the Army has a new initiative that allows ‘individuals with exceptional skills’ to defer their military obligations to pursue professional careers. Judy Battista of the NY Times covered this story in more detail Click here to read more..

(Updates with World Bank support, comment from president) Bonds  |  Global Markets  |  Mexico WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) – Mexican Finance MinisterAgustin Carstens said on Sunday the outbreak of swine flu couldhave a big impact on Mexico’s economy, although it was too soonto say how significant the effect might be. “This issue can have an important impact on the economy,although the most important impact is the one on human life andhuman well being,” Finance Minister Agustin Carstens toldreporters. “At this stage, without ignoring that this is a veryserious matter and that it has a high potential for disruption,I would say that it’s early to give a more concrete opinion,”he said. Carstens, speaking at a news conference after a meeting ofthe IMF and World Bank’s joint Development Committee, said theWorld Bank was giving Mexico an immediate loan of $25 millionto help with medicine and medical equipment. In addition, he said the Bank would provide a further $180million to help Mexico set up operations to deal with theoutbreak The flu has killed 81 people in Mexico. Twenty cases haveappeared in the United States and six in Canada, with otherpossible cases as far afield as Europe and New Zealand.

Carstens said the World Bank would help Mexico try tobetter gauge what the economic fallout might be. World Bank President Robert Zoellick said the focus rightnow was on the human toll. “For now the focus is to try to takecare of people’s lives,” he said. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Writing by Tim Ahmann) Bonds Global Markets Mexico. After a poor 2007 season in the f1 championship for Renault, they were heading into the new 2008 season with high hopes of a return to form.  Those expectations where higher with the return of former champion Fernando Alonso to the team.Pre season testing looked good, with Renault looking faster then a year ago, and Alonso seemed a much relaxed driver after the troubles of last year with Mclaren.    As the teams got ready for the season opener atAustralia, Alonso said the team were still around a second behind Ferrari and Mclaren, by the timequalifying came around it looked spot on.Australia was a baptism of fire for Renault with Fernando and new team mate Nelson Piquet both struggling to make it into quali 3, in the end result Fernando managed  12th and Piquet adisappointing 21st on his first ever grand prix.

                             The team had hoped to be the fighting with Bmw, but after there poor pre season testing, they shocked rivals with there speed in the opening race, raising fears that the team had fallen back even further, even with Alosno'sapparent 6 tenths that he brings to a car.The race looked alothope full for the team, after a first corner pile up, Alonso finished 4th while Piquet retired. But Alonso result was mainly down the mistakes andreliability problems of other drivers Malaysiadidn't have much improvement, even after Alonso gets through to quali 3, with Piquet looking faster then the previous race.  The racewasn't better, Alonso had a race long scrap for 8th place, and eventuallyfinished there.Could things getany worse? Well they did, inBahrain both drivers struggled with the cars poor pace, Alonso again made it into the top ten of qualifying, but only just in 10th place with Piquet 14th.  The race was worse with Piquetretiring near the end and Alonso's race was ruined by a clash with rival Lewis Hamilton, and ending the race not in the points. Alonso wasapparently unhappy, he knew things would be hard, but not this hard, with the car looking terrible. His future was in doubt as Renault, as he a clause which lets him leave the team if the team does not finish 4th or higher in the constructorschampionship, Alonso was looking into thepossibility of moving to Ferrari for 2009.The teams geared up for the start of theEuropean races, and back to Alonso home race in Barcelona. with the 3 week break, teams used that time to test new parts and developing their car, Renault saying they had made alot of progress, how much though.Practise looked good, with Alonso looking to provide a treat for his loyal fans, its nearlyhappened, in qualifying, for the first time this year both drivers made it into the top ten and Alonso wanted more, he tookprovisional pole, which stunned rival teams, but he was beaten in the final moments by Kimi Raikkonen, even so, this was better then expected.  The team admitted that Alonso was a on low fuel stragery, but even so, the car looked alot faster. The race started ok, he was down tothird as Felipe massa overtook him, while his team mate piquet went into the gravel trap, ending hopes of a double pointsfinish, even after Alonso's first pit stop, he was keeping up with the Mclaren's and Bmw's but his luck changed, and engine problem ended hopes of big points, his fans hearts broken, after what looked like the Renault team where back.The signs are good, recently in an interview with Executive Director Pat Symonds, saying the team had gained 3 tenths on the top 3 teams, and now they could run with the Bmw's and Mclaren's.The next race in Turkey will reveal all, can the team challenge the top 3 and stay there? If this is true will weeventually have a 4 way battle?, even though Ferrari look unbeatable,  time will tell..

April 26 (Reuters) – Following are security developments in Iraq at 2030 on Sunday. * Denotes new or updated item * KIRKUK – A Christian woman was killed inside her home in southern Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, police said Another woman was wounded in the attack. * KIRKUK – Within hours of that raid, armed men stormed the house of another Christian family in the same part of Kirkuk and shot dead one man, wounding his brother and father. BAGHDAD – A policeman was killed by a roadside bomb that exploded in the Doura neighbourhood of southern Baghdad, police said. MOSUL – A man was killed in front of his home in eastern Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.