First, just after Canada Day, there was Joshua, George Ratliff's marvelously creepy thriller about a New York family being torn apart by mysterious and disturbing accidents following the birth of their second child; the studio didn't know how to market it, selling the film as a horror movie in the tradition of Rosemary's Baby and The Omen – a comparison that's only superficially appropriate – and failing to give it the kind of promotional push necessary for a small film to distinguish itself amidst the summertime competition. Not that it was ever going to be Little Miss Sunshine, but still. .

January 2008

McCain supporter Sen. Joe Lieberman suggests if his guy wins the GOP nomination, Mayor Bloomberg will have no "real reason" to run for president.

The Onion pans AG Andrew Cuomo's proposal to make sex offenders register their email addresses.

Hair Stylists Promote Breast Cancer Prevention Messages To Clients

Authors of a Brooklyn, N.Y., study say hair stylists might be a good resource for both healthy hair and information on breast cancer prevention. However, it is not clear if learning about breast health practices at the beauty shop has a significant effect on client's health behavior.

Hair stylists "are an institutionalized resource in the community and we consider them leaders in an environment that a lot of people come through," said Dr. Ruth Browne, principle investigator of the new study.

Women in the African-American community often have a regular source of hair care, but might not have a similar resource for health information, said Browne, head of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health in Brooklyn.

As part of the study, 29 stylists from three Brooklyn neighborhoods participated in two two-hour workshops to learn about encouraging clients to practice three breast health behaviors: conducting monthly breast self-examinations, getting annual clinical breast exams from a health care professional and for women 40 years and older undergoing routine mammography.

Health calendar

Sports, Health & Fitness Expo, family-friendly event with a variety of activity zones; 4-9 p.m. Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Feb. 16, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 17; Blaisdell Exhibition Hall; $4 ($2 military with ID, free for children ages 12 and younger, seniors and registered Great Aloha Run participants).

"Creating Beauty in Our Daily Lives," healthy-lifestyle presentations on flower arrangement and purifying therapy; 1-3 p.m.; Feb.

Musharraf's Days Could Be Numbered

Pervez Musharraf has survived combat as a career soldier and assassination attempts as president. Now the will of his own people has pushed him to the precipice.

Monday's elections, in which the ruling party mustered just 15 percent of the vote, exposed how little support Musharraf has among Pakistan's 160 million people.

Revising late-term abortions proposed

TOPEKA | Abortion opponents announced planned legislation Thursday that they say would enhance enforcement of late-term abortion laws and prevent women from getting coerced abortions.</p><p>The measure would give district and county attorneys the ability to see abortion records and pursue a case if they think a crime was committed.</p><p>The announcement came a day after a judge allowed a grand jury to examine the medical records of 2,000 women who sought late-term abortions at Wichita physician George Tiller's clinic.</p><p>Women who sought abortions and their families also would be allowed to file civil suits against those they think violated the state's abortion law, said Rep. Lance Kinzer, a Republican from Olathe.</p><p>“A very good and limited late-term abortion law in the state of Kansas is not being followed and enforced,” Kinzer said.</p><p>But the proposed measure “trivializes the real pain and heartache that women and their families go through when they have to make a decision” to have an abortion, said Julie Burkhardt, chief operating officer for ProKanDo, which supports abortion rights.</p><p>She highlighted a part of the proposal that would allow citizens to take the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to court if it did not issue the public abortion data it is required to disclose.</p><p>Burkhardt said the measure was an effort to restrict legal access to abortion and intimidate abortion providers.</p><p>Kansans for Life said the proposed new measure would help prevent coerced abortions.</p><p>One of the provisions would require women to have at least 30 minutes of reflection time beforehand and be given a copy of the doctor's determination about the baby's viability.</p><p>Other provisions include:</p><p>- Allowing women the chance to see any ultrasound images of their fetus or hear a fetal heartbeat.</p><p>- Requiring the Kansas Board of Healing Arts to revoke the medical license of a doctor who breaks the state's late-term abortion law.</p><p>- Requiring doctors to retain abortion records for 10 years instead of the current five.</p><p>- Allowing the attorney general or district or county attorney to prosecute a reported violation in the county where the abortion was performed or where the woman lives.