Crabb's bottom line

Inexpensive laserprinters Comparative ratings IBM LaserPrinter 4019, $2,395. Pros: Fastest rated speed. Cons:Many paper jams. PostScript option? Yes. Rating: 7.5

Toshiba PageLaser6, $1,549. Pros: Well-made, small. Cons: NoPostScript option. Rating: 7.5 Apple Personal Laserwriter SC, $1,999. Pros: Faster than old SC.Cons: PostScript upgrade expensive. Rating: 8.0 Epson EPL-6000, $1,899. Pros: Faster than HP …

Chavez: US wanted drug suspect to smear Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that U.S. officials hoped to use an alleged cocaine kingpin to smear his government with corruption accusations and thanked Colombia's leader for rejecting Washington's extradition request.

Chavez said the decision of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos to send Walid Makled to Venezuela instead showed improving ties between neighbors who have often feuded recently.

"Washington wants to use him so he vomits all kinds of accusations against the Bolivarian Revolution, against its political and military leadership," Chavez wrote in a newspaper column, referring to the political movement he named after 19th-century …

China tech purchasing rule angers foreign firms

Foreign companies are criticizing a new Chinese regulation they fear could block them from the multibillion dollar business of selling high-tech products to government departments.

The rule, in place for about six weeks but not widely known, requires sellers of high-tech products to have them accredited based on "indigenous innovation" _ local intellectual property _ before they can be listed in a government procurement catalog. Approved products will get preference over those without accreditation.

More than 30 business groups from the United States, Europe, Japan and South Korea lodged a protest in a joint letter dated Thursday and released …

QB Lavery isn't sure about playing football

With rumors swirling that he might leave the Illinois footballteam to concentrate on baseball, quarterback Tim Lavery said Mondayhe's committed to playing both sports, but added that reality mightdictate a different decision.

"I'm not sure right now," the left-hander from NapervilleCentral said. "I know it's going to be tough to continue to play twosports. I'm going to think about it some more over Christmas break.

"As of right now, I still want to play both sports. If Idefinitely was going to quit (football), I probably would have quitabout two weeks ago because those (weight-room) workouts are anythingbut fun."Coach Ron Turner said he's encouraged that Lavery, …

City saves $61,000/year in electricty costs by using biogas

Portland, Oregon

Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) has installed four microturbines at its Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant to turn biogas into energy. Previously, the methane generated by the treatment process had been flared off. Four years ago, BES installed a 200 kW fuel cell that extracts hydrogen from the gas; now the …

Five Africans die trying to reach Spain's Canary Islands

The bodies of five Africans have been found in a small boat packed with migrants trying to reach Spain's Canary Islands, officials said Friday _ the third such tragedy in a week.

The boat, spotted trying to reach a southern beach on the small island of La Gomera off the northwest coast of Africa, was escorted by the coast guard into port where the bodies of the five men _ all from sub-Saharan Africa _ were discovered among its 59 occupants.

Three other seriously ill men have been taken to the hospital and another eight were treated by medical teams, an Interior Ministry spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity in keeping with ministry …

Plastic recycling looks promising -: Officials point to public enthusiasm in pilot project

Beads of sweat dribbled down David Straughter's face as he sortedaluminum cans, newspapers and milk jugs from a recycling bin onSomerset Drive.

"A lot of people brought it out. Some people are putting trash inwith the recyclables, and we have to sort it out," Straughter said."It will probably take some time for them to catch on."

Behind and before him, empty and yet-to-be-emptied bins on bothsides of the street indicated enthusiastic public participation inanexpanded curbside recycling program that now includes plastics.Five trucks working Monday collected enough plastic to make a 500-pound bail at the Weyerhaeuser recycling plant on Hansford Street."That's quite a …