| How a 5-foot waterboy at Texas became a football icon
The powder blue '95 Oldsmobile heads down Guadalupe Street, slightly above the speed limit, air conditioner full blast. The driver, 78-year-old William E. " Rooster " Andrews , has been animatedly telling stories for nearly four hours, first in his Rooster Andrews Sporting Goods office, then during lunch at Trudy's Café. But now, during a late-afternoon errand, his distinct and, yes, rooster -like, scratchy voice takes on a reflective tone. .
Latest updates on Techwood Drive closing
Beginning Saturday and extending through the summer of 2009, Techwood Drive, a north-south access road beside the Downtown Connector, is closed from 16th Street to 10th Street. With the closure, the southbound ramps from I-75 and I-85 to 14th and 10th streets also are shut off. For drivers heading south from I-85, the beginning of the ramp will still be open to exit to 17th Street. From I-75, DOT says southbound drivers technically still can exit onto 16th Street, but the small streets could be such a mess they should forget about it, and exit at Northside Drive. The worst of the traffic is expected Monday, when most people return to work. But the impact has been felt already. 5:45 p.m.: A little slowdown, some confusion, DOT says Crystal Paulk-Buchanan, spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Transportation, said the first day of construction and street closings went smoothly.
Pick of the paperbacks
In exploring why it happened, Martin Goodman accepts that there were many differences between Romans and Jews - Jews were more insular than Romans, for instance, knowing little of the world beyond their environs - and yet, as he points out, differences alone do not make conflict inevitable. Goodman suggests that the battle was the result of a mismanaged foreign policy which, once pursued by the emperor's son, Titus, had to be carried out to avoid the appearance of a U-turn. Whether the author is right or not - and he makes his case plausibly - the events of 2,000 years ago have consequences today, particularly for Jews, whose later way of living was greatly influenced by the destruction of their temple. This impressively detailed book is essential for anyone wanting to understand two great civilizations.
Tata Motors rolls out Nano, the world's cheapest car
India's Tata Motors on Thursday unveiled its much anticipated $2,500 US car, an ultra-cheap price tag that brings car ownership into the reach of tens of millions of people. Members of the media look at a newly launched Tata Nano car at the 9th Auto Expo in New Delhi on Thursday. The ultracheap car — $2,500 US — suddenly brings car ownership into the reach of tens of millions of people around the world. (Saurabh Das/Associated Press) But critics worry the car could overwhelm the country's roads and create an environmental nightmare. Company chairman Ratan Tata, introducing the Nano during India's main auto show, drove onto a stage in a white version of the tiny four-door subcompact, his head nearly touching the roof. With a snub nose and a sloping roof, the world's cheapest car can fit five people — if they squeeze.
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