Windows Can Have Varying Functions

Buying the right energy-efficient windows for your own particularneeds goes beyond considering just the R value of the glazing system.The window frames also should play an important role in the buyingdecision, as should the location of the house and where in the housethe new windows will be installed.

For example, cutting heat loss is important in Minneapolis, butnot so important in Orlando. By the same token, a window on thenorth side of a house in a cold climate should be designed to saveenergy. Those on the south side should save energy and allow as muchsolar energy as possible to pass through. Here are some points toconsider when shopping for new windows:

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8-year-old Brooklyn boy is killed and dismembered

NEW YORK (AP) — An 8-year-old Brooklyn boy who got lost while walking home alone from day camp in his Orthodox Jewish neighborhood was killed and dismembered by a stranger he had asked for directions, and his remains were found stuffed in a trash bin and the man's refrigerator, police said Wednesday.

The gruesome killing of Leiby Kletzky shocked the tight-knit Hasidic community in Borough Park, in part because it is one of the safest sections of the city and because the man under arrest is himself an Orthodox Jew.

A day-and-a-half search for the Hasidic boy ended with the discovery of his severed feet inside a bloody freezer at the home of a man who had been spotted with the …

Norwegian ship hijacked off Madagascar

A chemical tanker with 21 crew members has been hijacked by Somali pirates near Madagascar, the Norwegian owner said Saturday.

It was not clear whether anyone in the crew, all from Myanmar, had been injured in the attack early Friday or whether any ransom had been demanded.

Svenn Pedersen, CEO and managing director of Norway's Th. Broevigtank Shipowners, said the UBT Ocean chemical tanker was on its way from the United Arab Emirates to Tanzania when it was hijacked about 300 miles (500 kilometers) from its destination.

"The captain made contact saying pirates were on board and then the contact was cut off. Nothing has been heard from the …

Nola Bright, leader of W. Side NAACP

Longtime Chicago community activist Nola Bright was tough inprinciple, but friends say she had a heart of gold.

Mrs. Bright, 71, who died of cancer Saturday at NorthwesternMemorial Hospital, was president and former executive director of theWest Side branch of the NAACP, an organization to which she dedicatedmost of her adult life.

"Nola was cryptic," said Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.), who workedwith Mrs. Bright for 35 years. "She would chide people in a way. Shewould try and project a demeanor of toughness about herself that inmany instances was just the opposite of the way she really was."

Mrs. Bright was born in Benoit, Miss. She migrated in 1948 toChicago, …

Chaplains define the heart of their ministry

There was a time when chaplains were asked, "Why did you leave pastoral ministry?" writes Richard W. Yoder in the Alumni News (Fall 2001) of Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.

"Most of us would say, 'We never left.' We were still pastors providing pastoral care but in a different setting. For some it is a recognition of being 'gifted' for this specialized ministry."

But chaplains are not sure where they fit in conference structures. There have been some attempts to work out accountability and oversight. Some Canadians have joined the U.S. Mennonite Chaplains Association.

Seven persons who are credentialled by Mennonite Church Eastern Canada and work as …

Dems, some in GOP question McCain's intervention

Sen. John McCain's self-portrait as a bold leader willing to set politics aside to save an endangered financial bailout plan took a pounding Thursday from top Democrats and even some fellow Republicans.

His efforts to re-energize his presidential campaign will partly turn on who wins the public relations battle, destined to play out for days. Things didn't go too well for McCain on Thursday.

Top Democrats in Congress ridiculed his role after a chaotic end to a White House summit meeting that McCain had requested, and which included Democratic nominee Barack Obama. McCain's own campaign said the session "devolved into a contentious shouting match."

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UK to introduce legislation to offer smaller servings of alcohol

LONDON - Britain is calling time on more than 300 years ofhistory, by relaxing rules on pub glass sizes.

Pubs will soon be able to serve a smaller beer, holding about 400milliliters - a measure popular in some parts of Australia where itis known as a schooner.

Science Minister David Willetts said Tuesday that centuries oldrules governing the sale of alcohol are being relaxed in response tohealth concerns and following demands from businesses to sell sizesbetter suited to modern waistlines and wallets.

The British pint - a 568 milliliter pour - has been the standardsize for beer or cider since it was introduced in 1698. Bars arecurrently permitted …