Warnock Roars to Victory Tri-State Tour / Woodside, NY by InsidePOOL Staff Stewart “The Scottish Lion” Warnock roared through a 38-player field at the February 20, taking first place over Mike Gasper in the finals. The $750-added 10-ball event was hosted by Sandcastle Billiards in Woodside, NY. Warnock went undefeated through the field, winning over Paul Everton in a [...]

State Sen. Mark Leno said he's one of an estimated 4 billion cellular phone users worldwide – and loves it.

But because of emerging international health studies, Leno said Thursday, he has introduced a bill that would require all cell phones sold in California to include information about their radiation emissions on sales boxes, instructional materials and model displays in stores.

"I think that what we're proposing here today is very modest," Leno, a San Francisco Democrat, said at a Sacramento news conference.

Cell phones, Leno said, "have enriched our lives. They have bettered our lives in ways we are only beginning to understand. They also emit radio-frequency radiation, which does have human health effects."

Leno noted that a joint study by researchers in European countries suggested recently that people who use cell phones for more than 10 years face a greater risk of developing a brain or gland tumor.

The U.S. maximum allowable level of cellular phones' "specific absorption rate" of radiation, known as SAR, was set by the Federal Communications Commission in 1992.

Manufacturers are not required to disclose to consumers the various rates that cell phones have, although some include it in materials inside boxes or on Web sites.

Leno said his bill would ensure that consumers – before they buy a device – would see this information to help guide them in their selection.

Industry groups look likely to try to block the measure. John Walls, vice president of public affairs for CTIA-The Wireless Association, said in a statement: "We are opposed to this legislation because it is unnecessary and would mislead consumers."

Walls said the FCC works with the federal Food and Drug Administration to adopt safe exposure levels that must be followed. According to the FCC, Walls said, "any cell phone at or below these SAR levels is a 'safe' phone."

Motorola, which makes the popular Droid smart phone, said in a statement: "Although SAR values for products vary, all SAR values for Motorola products are within safe exposure limits, and all products are considered equally safe."

FDA officials, who have the power to take action against devices that exceed standards, did not respond to requests for comment on the proposal.

The FDA's Web site, however, states that "the weight of scientific evidence has not linked cell phones with any health problems."

The FDA site also recommends that to reduce radio-frequency exposure, adults and children can "reduce the amount of time spent on the cell phone" and "use speaker mode or a headset to place more distance between the head and the cell phone."

Renee Sharp, an Environmental Working Group biologist who appeared at Leno's news conference, said more research is needed on what the risks may be over time of exposure to cell phone radiation.

"We can't say, and we aren't saying that cell phones cause cancer," said Sharp, whose group has sent scientists to testify before Congress about European research and is sponsoring Leno's measure.

A review of more than 200 scientific studies and government advisories, Sharp said, shows "reason to be concerned" and "to take some basic cautionary measures."

Studies show children's thinner skulls are less of a shield against emissions, Sharp said.

"We also now know that children's brains absorb twice as much radiation as adult brains," Sharp said. "But this wasn't taken into consideration – and in fact it wasn't known – 20 years ago when the FCC set standards for cell phone radiation."

Health advocates hope Leno's bill will build momentum for a federal labeling requirement.

The city of San Francisco is considering requiring stores to display emissions information next to cell phone models.

A Maine legislator has proposed placing a possible cancer warning label on devices.

Sharp said many European countries, while not adopting labeling requirements, are aggressively urging parents to limit children's cell use, use earpieces and text more often.

A joint legislative committee on Wednesday approved auditing a costly statewide court computer system despite lobbying by top judicial branch administrators, including the chief justice of the Supreme Court of California.

The Joint Legislative Audit Committee directed the state auditor to look into the Court Case Management System, a massive information technology project to link all courts on one system.

"It is critically important we have taxpayer accountability for all branches of our government," Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, R-Moorpark, said after the hearing. "We are looking at somewhere between $1 (billion) and $2 billion that would be going to this computer system."

Chief Justice Ronald George discussed the proposed audit Tuesday with several lawmakers – including two on the committee – along with a host of other issues such as the budget and traffic cameras, he said in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon.

George said he opposes the audit because the state's chief information officer will complete a review of the project in March. An audit would divert limited staffing and resources, George added, calling the additional review "premature."

The judicial branch's leaders have faced unprecedented scrutiny this past year as they chose to close the state courts one day a month for budget reasons. Some judges and union officials have been particularly vocal, questioning judicial spending on projects such as the computer system.

Sen. Denise Ducheny, D-San Diego, who voted for the audit, praised the purpose of the computer system: to unify outdated case-management systems that have trouble communicating with each other.

Currently, there are more than 70 systems statewide, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to get information.

Ducheny said "the point of the audit is not to say why we should not do this. It is to say how we do it more effectively and how we proceed to spend our tech dollars more wisely."

Inside POOL Magazine to Stream Super Billiards Expo Video Inside POOL Magazine Named Official Streaming Video Provider Inside POOL Magazine is pleased to announce that it will be the official live streaming video provider for the Super Billiards Expo. The Super Billiards Expo will be held March 18-21, 2010 at the Valley Forge Convention Center in [...]

Berry Breaks the Bank Billiard Congress of Wisconsin Open 9-Ball Tour / Waukesha, WI by Jonathan Demet Master Z’s in Waukesha, WI, brought out 15 players on February 14 for the BCW Open 9-Ball Tour. All players hoped to take a win straight to the bank, and it was Mark Berry who took home the lion’s share [...]

Blackstock Bests Dominiak Tour Field Dominiak Cues Northeast 10-Ball Tour / Springfield, MA by Kevin Vidal Kevin Blackstock broke hearts February 14 when he recovered from an early loss to win the Dominiak Cues Northeast 10-Ball Tour stop. Hosted by Snooker’s Billiards in Springfield, MA, the stop was attended by many tour regulars, including Gene Hunt, Mike Wheeler, [...]

Bishop Jaime Soto, leader of the Sacramento Diocese, is asking Catholics to fast from "needless television, video games, Internet use and social entertainment" during Lent. The bishop calls his PDA "indispensable," but he counsels moderation.

Bishop Jaime Soto is the first leader of the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento to use a laptop, browse the Internet on his cell phone and read a book on Kindle. He regularly e-mails his priests and reads religious blogs.

But starting today, the first day of Lent, Soto will begin a 40-day, virtual "fast." The bishop is calling on the area's 900,000 Catholics to join him in cutting back on their online connections.

"The computer, or the iPhone or Facebook, have become addictions for many people," Soto said. "During Lent we should look at everything we do and think: How can we exercise moderation?"

Lent is the season of reflection, repentance and spiritual discipline for Christians. The observance begins today, Ash Wednesday, and ends Easter Sunday.

This year, in addition to reminding Catholics to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during Lent, Soto is asking followers to fast from "needless television, video games, Internet use and social entertainment," according to the 2010 Lenten Regulations and Admonitions. He is not seeking a ban – just restraint.

The rules were posted on the diocese's Web site last week.

The Catholic Church has embraced new technologies in recent years, with Pope Benedict XVI welcoming them as "a gift." Last month, the pope urged priests to use digital communication to preach the Gospel. The Vatican has a YouTube channel and a Facebook account. Several bishops blog.

In his two years as the spiritual leader of the diocese, Soto has urged the faithful to use technology. Most parishes have Web sites. Men training for the priesthood in the diocese now blog about their experiences at Santissimo Sacramento – "The Most Holy Sacrament."

"It demystifies the whole seminary process. … Some people are surprised that we blog; they think we live in a cave or something," said Brian Soliven, 29, a seminarian interning at St. Rose of Lima Church in Roseville. "The blog gives people a peek into our lives."

He said technology will play a vital role in his ministry. Nowadays, he said, the first impression most people have of a parish is not when they walk into a church. "Their first impression is the church's Web site."

While encouraging followers to use media to communicate their message, church leaders also have become increasingly aware that technology can be misused. The pope has warned against "obsessive" virtual socializing. For some, it has taken the place of human interaction, said Bishop Soto.

"People should become less plugged into their iPod and more plugged into the people around you," Soto said.

As she walked out of noon Mass at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Gloria Hernandez said she was glad to hear the bishop asking for moderation during Lent.

As the mother of three teenagers who are constantly texting their friends, she said she is not sure how they will react to the bishop's call. "Giving up meat for them is not a problem. It's probably easier than giving up their cell phones."

Soto, who carries a bag full of his latest technological gadgets with him when he travels, understands.

He calls his PDA "indispensable," and he signs onto his computer first thing every morning. But cutting back during Lent will give him time to reflect on how he is using technology to further his ministry and communicate God's message, he said.

"I want to have more time in prayer and not be distracted by what's in my inbox."

Bishop Jaime Soto, a regular user of electronic gadgets, checks his PDA on Tuesday. He worries that such devices are "addictions" for many.

Relationship status is one little line in a Facebook profile with infinite pitfalls.

Sacramento therapist Stephen Grinstead has seen it up close.

"It's almost caused a number of divorces," he said.

He cited a couple in which the wife discovered her husband had a Facebook account where he'd listed himself as single.

"With Barbara, they'd been married and she thought they were happily married," Grinstead said. "It was one of those 'Busted!' moments."

The Facebook status options are "single," "in a relationship," "engaged," "married," "it's complicated," "in an open relationship" and "widowed." The online networking doesn't cause cheating, but it can facilitate it.

It has other problems, too – even when no one is trying to be underhanded:

• A young woman may hurt her mother by posting her engagement on Facebook before telling her.

• A young man posts that he is in an open relationship as a joke. His girlfriend is not amused, so he changes it to engaged, confusing his family.

• A woman splits up with her husband and, because their marriage was all over Facebook, spends hours in the dead of night to complete a Soviet-style purge of the relationship history.

Most of the problems are less dramatic – just "a little bickering," said Rebecca White, a junior at the University of California, Davis.

Still, it's enough to cause her and others not to post any status.

"It's not something to advertise," White said.

Tiffany Nguyen, another third-year UC Davis student, feels much the same.

"I actually took mine off," Nguyen said. "People make such a big deal out of it."

She admitted, though, that it's the first thing she checks when she meets someone new.

"I'm not going to lie. That's what everyone looks at," she said.

And it's another source of friction with couples, said Samantha Karlin, the "Dating Diva." Karlin has an advice blog on meezoog.com, a site that's a bit of a cross between networking and dating match sites.

The friction comes when a woman asks her boyfriend why he doesn't have "in a relationship" posted on his Facebook profile.

Her boyfriend demurs.

"The guy says, 'I'm a private person,' " Karlin said.

But because of social pressures, the woman feels she needs the validation. It's like a Good Housekeeping Seal of approval, Karlin said.

"They don't really take a relationship seriously before it's been Facebook- approved," agreed Malcolm Park, a University of Washington professor of communications who studies social networking.

Park thinks Facebook has merely added more complexity to what has always been complex: love.

"Making a relationship public has always been difficult," he said.

Ending one in the spotlight of Facebook has consequences, too.

Karlin cited a married friend who got divorced and changed his status to single.

"These women were coming out of the woodwork," she said. "It goes on everyone's news feed that so-and-so is not in a relationship. Can you say, like, any more clearly, 'Fresh bait?' "

That may be clear, but there is a lack of clarity in some status lines.

What does "It's complicated" mean?

That – and "In an open relationship" – may translate to "Stay away," Karlin said.

The networking site ought to streamline its options and leave those out, she said, but other people think more options may be needed.

What does a gay woman do when "married" doesn't apply and "in a relationship" doesn't reflect the strength of her commitment?

Parks was asked whether Facebook's seven options were enough to describe human relationships.

His answer was another question: "Is all of literature, poetry and art enough to describe the gamut of human emotions?"

In other words, it's never going to be enough.

The solution, said experts and beginners alike, is better communication.

"It comes down to communication in a relationship," Karlin said. "It (Facebook status) is really just symbolic. … You need to talk to each other if it's a problem."

Or talk before it's a problem.

That's what Samantha Li of Davis did.

When she became engaged, she made sure to tell her friends and family before she changed her status.

So when she did post her new status, she got congratulations, Li said, not anger.

March of the Microbes Sighting the Unseen by John L. Ingraham scanned cover

John Ingraham is on a first-name basis with microbes of all designs and "intentions" – the good kind and the bad kind.

You'd do yourself a favor getting to know microbes, too. They're invisible but ubiquitous, directly affecting us and our world: human illness and well-being, the planet's atmosphere, its geology and oceans, the food chain and, of course, that bottle of Champagne you popped on Valentine's Day.

As the author of "March of the Microbes: Sighting the Unseen" (Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, $28.95, 336 pages), Ingraham offers a rare thing – novice-friendly science.

Ingraham retired in 1990 from the University of California, Davis, where he spent his career as a researcher and teacher in the departments of viticulture and enology, and microbiology.

In the book, he discusses the microbial world's impact past and present – for instance, he speculates on the likely origin of cheese- making and explains how clouds over the oceans are formed. On a larger scale, he takes us to the limestone caves of Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, traces the life cycle of lichens and speculates on the cause of the dinosaurs' extinction.

Ingraham is an avid hiker who keeps chickens in the yard of his Fair Oaks home. He is writing a biography of Davis wine pioneer Maynard Amerine and is a frequent contributor to Wines & Vines magazine.

We can't see microbes with the naked eye, but we can see their effects. Examples?

The leaves that drop … in the fall aren't around by the next year because microbes have consumed them and converted them into better soil. And grass is green because it's fertilized with nitrogen, much of it supplied by the activities of microbes.

What familiar foods do microbes make possible?

Bread is overwhelmingly microbial, and all fermented things – wine, yogurt, soy sauce, pickles, sauerkraut. Given microbes' contribution to the growing of plants and animals, you'd have to say they make all foods possible.

When it comes to our personal health, can we encourage the presence or growth of so-called good microbes in our bodies?

The actions of microbes on the foods we eat certainly add some nutrition to our diets. An age-old issue that remains somewhat controversial is foods such as yogurt. … Does yogurt help (the human digestive system)? You can get arguments on both sides.

How can we avoid contact with bad microbes?

Most microbes that are going to hurt us are from other humans. So it's contact from humans to the food and then to us. Certainly if we're going to can foods (at home), we must make sure we've killed the microbes that can make toxins. Tomatoes aren't (difficult), but green beans can be a real problem.

Is there anything in which microbes don't play a role?

It gets tough when we start thinking about where we get the beginning materials (to make things). For instance, the chemical industry is based on sulfuric acid; it's the thing that most things started from way, way back in the synthesis. And we got the sulfur from the activity of microbes.

What's the last word on microbes?

We have to remind ourselves that if it weren't for microbes, we would not be here at all.

A customer picks a card at Pulp Papery in east Sacramento. Co-owner Manpreet Bains says the recession has hurt but there will always be a market for paper cards.

A few days before Valentine's Day, shoppers jostled shoulder to shoulder before overflowing racks of greeting cards with touches of red at Target on Broadway in Sacramento.

"Why not get a good card?" said Dan Hood, a retired architect who isn't crazy about e-cards.

Nearly 200 million Valentine's cards are expected to exchange hands today – the second biggest greeting card day after the December holiday season.

Even though that's enough for almost every adult in the country to receive a card, it's a slowly diminishing convention.

People who select a paper card from a merchant and deliver it to someone are shrinking in number and spending, according to every economic indicator.

Revenue generated by the card industry will shrink at an average of 2.5 percent annually over the next five years, hammered by competition from free or less expensive e-cards, rising postal rates and growing options for do-it-yourselfers, according to industry watchers.

"The decline is well entrenched," said George Van Horn, a senior analyst with Los Angeles-based research company IBISWorld Inc.

The number of gift and card shops dropped from 95,000 in 2006 to 83,390 in 2009, according to IBISWorld.

The number of adults participating in Valentine's Day who buy cards has dropped from 63 percent in 2007 to 55 percent today, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation.

Some of the drop-off could be because of the economy, said Kathy Grannis, a spokeswoman for National Retail Federation.

"That extra four or five bucks could go toward a gift or the dinner," she said.

But the opposite could also happen in a recession: "Maybe people will only be getting a greeting card," she said.

Shifting social dynamics are also changing the industry: Even when people are separated by a continent, they are in easy, constant touch through e-mail, social media and cell phones. Maybe a "happy birthday" or "congratulations" on Facebook will do?

In spite of the slow erosion, paper greeting cards will not go the way of eight-track cassettes, say those in an industry with ancient roots.

"I don't think that the nostalgia of giving a greeting card will ever die," Grannis said.

Online sales of all retail products represent only 7 percent of total sales, which could indicate that online card-giving will always lag behind paper cards purchased at a brick-and-mortar retailer, she said.

As we push into a digital age, the tactile distinction of a paper card can't be matched, said Barbara Miller, a spokeswoman for the Greeting Card Association.

"Almost everyone has a shoe box under their bed," she said. People hold on to cards like first Mother's Day cards, graduation cards, baby cards, she said.

Hood, who was looking for a Valentine's card for his mother, said he collects cards in just such a shoe box, along with other memorabilia.

He appreciates the thought, no matter whether it's by e-card or any other form, he said, but he treasures the ones that make him laugh or cry and he believes those emotions are best evoked by a paper product.

He expects to be among the 200 million getting a Valentine's card today. "I'm sure my wife will give me one," he said. "It'll be a paper card."

In east Sacramento, cards with a delicate, handmade look line the racks of the Pulp Papery, which also specializes in custom wedding invitations.

"They don't even teach penmanship in school," co-owner Manpreet Bains said, lamenting the demise of paper-related flourishes.

Though buying is down somewhat because of the economy, she believes there will always be customers who want to send a paper card.

"Maybe I'm Pollyanna-ish, but I do think so even in this hardened day of e-mails and texting," she said.

At Knott's Leader Pharmacy in east Sacramento, Steve Dokimos, owner and pharmacist, said he experienced a drop-off in boxes of Christmas cards this past season, but other cards sell as they always have.

"I'm in a decent location so I'm doing well," he said.

Drugstores used to devote a lot of space to greeting cards, he said, but that's changed.

He draws a diverse clientele from his neighborhood, which could be why cards are still doing well, he said.

Like other publishing businesses, the greeting card industry is also shifting for survival, for relevance, Van Horn said.

By creating online card-sending options, incorporating digital gadgetry in cards, offering personal touches like e-cards with voice recordings or your own photos, traditional card companies are attempting to draw customers, he said.

"They have diversified," Van Horn said of the estimated 3,000 greeting-card publishers. "They have embraced new technology and have kept up in the digital world, which is a struggle for all media companies."

Greeting cards, a tradition dating to ancient Chinese heralding the New Year and Egyptians who scrolled good wishes on papyrus, is an estimated $7.5 billion industry, according to the Greeting Card Association.

It's proving a flexible one, said Miller, the spokeswoman for the association.

The two largest publishers, Hallmark and American Greetings, which combined make up 30 percent of the total U.S. market, are also the biggest e-card publishers, she said.

"People are changing the way they connect," said Sarah Kolell, a spokeswoman for Hallmark, the iconic greeting card publisher.

Customers now are looking for more diverse means to convey sentiments and best wishes, she said.

Hallmark's Web site combines technology and tradition by letting customers select a paper card online and have it stamped and sent.

After a decade of the e-card phenomena, its importance is debatable, Kolell said.

The Kansas City-based company, which has introduced greetings sent to mobile devices, estimates that for every 20 paper cards bought and sent, one e-card is sent.

"The greeting card will remain relevant," she said. "When someone goes through a stack of mail and finds something that isn't a credit card offer or something like that, people appreciate that and it warms their heart."

200 million: Valentine's cards expected to be received today – the second-biggest greeting card day after the December holiday season

Valentine's Day cards are displayed at Pulp Papery. The tradition of sending greetings dates to ancient Egypt and China.