IN PRAISE OF ... cobblers.

They operate in tiny premises. Fine men in brown coats who help you to walk down the street. Men behind beat-up counters, surrounded by shelves stacked with Wholesale Handbags heels and soles and strips of rubber and pieces of leather.

And their number is shrinking. There are, I'm told by one of them, only 30 or 40 of them left in Glasgow and they can't, these days, even find the tools of their trade in this country: if a machine or a tool gets broken or worn out, the replacement comes from somewhere in England. Or from somewhere on eBay.

Anyway, the thing is, sometimes you buy a pair of shoes or boots and you love them and you wear them out and about until they are worn out and about, then you find that the shop you bought them from no longer has those shoes. End of the line, you see.

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But not necessarily. A cobbler can fix them with arcane tools and some deceptively simple-looking dexterity. He'll make your shoes as good as new, charge you only a few quid and you are back in business, strolling and striding as if you'd never been away.

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There is an atmosphere in a shoe repair shop: a scent even, evocative and reassuring. And while the man and his craft may seem like a throwback, the fact is that such skills as his are not only as timeless as thrift, but contemporary, too, like your colour- coded recycle bins.

In some unassuming way, the man who repairs your shoes also restores some faith in the notion that life and its things need not be disposable, and that we need not have our heads turned by fads and fashion and their concomitant cynicism. In short, the cobbler keeps your feet on the ground.

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In court after pub violence

THREE men have appeared in court accused of violence during an incident in a Plymouth pub.

John-Ross Hopkin, aged 27, Fendi Handags Replica of Park Avenue in Plymstock, faced Plymouth magistrates charged with attacking a man, causing grievous bodily harm, with intent.

rolex watches Leon Hewings, 34, of Luxmore Close in Leigham, is charged with maliciously wounding another man during the same incident at the Windmill Cheap gucci shoes pub in Leigham on April 2. Warren Hewings, 36, of Channel Park Avenue in Efford, is charged with affray. All three were released on unconditional bail.

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Jane Cline, Insurance Commissi

(This is not a legal transcript. Bloomberg LP cannot guarantee its accuracy.)

JANE CLINE, INSURANCE COMMISSIONER OF WEST VIRGINIA, TALKS ABOUT RETAINED ASSET ACCOUNTS ON BLOOMBERG TV

AUGUST 03, 2010

SPEAKERS:

JANE CLINE, INSURANCE COMMISSIONER OF WEST VIRGINIA

JULIE HYMAN, REPORTER, BLOOMBERG NEWS

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13:53

JULIE HYMAN, REPORTER, BLOOMBERG NEWS: Joining us now West Virginia Insurance Commissioner Jane Cline. She is also the President of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Jane, thank you so much for coming in, we appreciate it. You know, first of all, one of the things that was interesting in this story is that obviously these folks, the relatives of dead servicemen and women, didn't know this was happening. Obviously, a lot of regulators didn't know it was happening. Is this something that you were aware of as you, in your dealings with insurance companies?

JANE CLINE, INSURANCE COMMISSIONER OF WEST VIRGINIA: Well, we were aware that some companies use retained asset accounts. But I think the thing that has come to light is, there needs to be improved disclosure requirements going between the beneficiaries and making sure that the regulators understand these accounts, how they're being used. But also, most importantly, that the beneficiaries of the policyholder fully understand their options and their benefits that are available to them, at the time that they have lost a loved one.

HYMAN: And what is the role of your organization in all of this in terms of trying to encourage the insurance companies to do education?

CLINE: Well, we are, we are the insurance regulators, and so our role is to protect the insurance consumers. And we take that role very seriously. So, part of our role is obviously educating the consumer. So we will be putting out a consumer alert for individuals, so that they can review that consumer alert, know questions that they should be asking. Making sure that they understand the options available to them as they are receiving the proceeds from the life insurance policy. But it's also our responsibility to ensure that companies are complying with state laws and are treating consumers fairly. And that they are disclosing the appropriate information to consumers.

HYMAN: Are these retained asset accounts something that the NAIC already tracks, and knows how much is in them, for example?

CLINE: There are some reporting requirements. But we are going back and reviewing the reporting requirements to determine if there should be perhaps more disclosure about the type of, about the monies that companies are retaining in these accounts. And making sure that we fully understand what companies are doing, and again, our prime focus is the consumer, and making sure that the consumer is being treated fairly and that they understand the options that are available to them.

HYMAN: Now, I'm curious also, obviously you have two roles here. Sort of the national role, and the then the role that West Virginia. Do you know, especially since you have begun to hear about these stories. Do you know yet how much is in these types of accounts in your particular state?

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HYMAN: We would have to look at the financial and do more in-depth research on that. We have looked, and through our consumer services division, they have had inquiries about these types of accounts in Replica Watches
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Jamaica's Olympic gold winning

Jamaica's Olympic gold winning sprinter faces hearing for pain drug

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HAVANA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Jamaican media reported that Olympic and world women's 100 meters champion Shelly-Ann Fraser has tested positive for a non-performance enhancing drug.

Bruce James, president of Fraser's MVP Track Club, told the Nationwide News Network radio station Thursday that Fraser used Oxycodone, a painkiller, following a dental procedure in May.

He ulysse nardin watches said that Fraser will exit from all athletic competition until a hearing of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association can be held.

The Jamaica Gleaner newspaper quoted James as saying that Fraser got the pain-relieving medication for a Cheap gucci shoes toothache from meet organizers in Shanghai on May 23, but did not declare this on her drug testing form before competing.

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SHWOP TILL YOU DROP

Wellington's biggest clothes swapping event, the Big Shwop, is back this Sunday. The first-floor gallery of St James Theatre in Courtenay Place will become an eco- shopping extravaganza, where you can swap up to 20 items of barely Replica Oris Watches worn, good quality clothes from your wardrobe for fabulous new-to-you ones.

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For the first time, the event will cater for men too, with a dedicated He Shwop section. Momo winery and Trilogy skincare are sponsoring the event with fab Oris Replica freebies. Tickets are $20 - you can pre-register or show up on the day from 10am. Numbers are limited, so get in quick. Visit bigshwop.co.nz for more details.

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Siblings are jailed for brutal

A BROTHER and sister who beat and kicked a man to death in an attack at a kebab shop must each serve a minimum of 13 years in prison.

Peter and Irene Singleton punched, kicked and stamped on David McShane, 43, with such force that an imprint of a shoe was left on his head.

Jailing them for life with the minimum tariff, Temporary Judge Roger Craik, QC, told the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday that their actions had deprived the McShane family of a son and brother.

He said: "Both of you have offended in the past.

"The victim was not in good general health but he was only 43 and there is nothing to suggest he would not have survived for a good few years. Neither of you appears remorseful."

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Peter Singleton, 36, and his 39-year-old sister were drunk after a night out with a third sibling, Diane Singleton, 40.

The evening turned violent after they exchanged words with their victim at Ali's Takeaway in Shettleston Road, Glasgow, on June 7 last year.

McShane, who was 6ft 3in tall and weighed 21 stone, was knocked to the ground then repeatedly stamped on and kicked. Irene Singleton, of Whinhall Avenue, Airdrie in Lanarkshire, had to be pulled away by her sister.

She and her brother, a father of three who lived in the Craigend area of Glasgow, denied murdering McShane, who lived near the takeaway. Peter Singleton was willing to admit the lesser charge of culpable homicide.

However, a jury convicted them both of murder.

The trial was told that police who arrived at the kebab shop thought McShane would die at the scene.

He was taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where he was put on a life support machine.

He survived for a month before his family made the decision to turn off his life support system.

Kebab shop manager Habib Rehman, 54, told the court that he was cleaning up for the night when McShane was pushed through omega watches the door with such force that it smashed.

He told Advocate Depute Leanne Cross: "I saw a big guy had been pushed into the shop and two people - a man and a woman - were following him.

"The lady and the guy punched and kicked him then he fell down and they kicked him quite a lot. They gave him quite a good kicking."

McShane's sister, Margaret Skinner, 45, said her brother went out jimmy Choo Shoes to get some pizza at 11.30pm and never returned home. She described her brother as a loveable big guy and said the family was devastated by his death.

Edgar Prais, QC, defending Irene Singleton, who has previous convictions for theft and assault, said: "This was not a premeditated act. It blew up in the spur of the moment and her position remains that she became involved because of the situation in which she found her brother."

Prais added that his client, a mother-of-five, had lived a troubled life.

Brian McConnachie, QC, defending Peter Singleton, who has previous convictions for road traffic offences, housebreaking and racially aggravated conduct, said the attack had been fuelled by alcohol.

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Baskin will be Bobcats' early

By David Borges Register Staff

HARTFORD -- Just before Christmas, after sitting out the season's first handful of games, Tevin Baskin will be able to suit up and play for the Quinnipiac men's basketball team.

Sound familiar?

Baskin, indeed, faced the same scenario last season. After being forced to sit out the first semester, the 6-foot-6 product of Stamford's Trinity Catholic High was due to start practicing for the Bobcats on Dec. 20 and start playing on Dec. 23.

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However, the NCAA clearinghouse swooped in and frowned upon some of the online courses, unaffiliated with Quinnipiac, that Baskin had taken that summer and fall. The NCAA ruled that Baskin would have to wait at least another year. He'd be eligible to play after the first semester of this upcoming season, provided his grades were in order.

"It was extremely disappointing," Baskin said. "I did my part, and the ruling came down to the fact that they felt that I needed to be in class for a full year. It was disappointing, but as a student- athlete, I got to experience a semester in the classroom, and also got to see what it's like to be a Bobcat. At the end of the day, it came out for the best."

Still, it wasn't without hard times for Baskin, who at times felt extremely lonely.

"It was a horrible time being by myself," Baskin said. "Everything was by myself. I couldn't attend team activities, I couldn't attend road games, I was in my dorm by

See Baskin, D2

Continued from D1 myself. (At home games) I was in the stands saying, 'That's supposed to be me out there.'"

He also learned, however, who his true friends are in life. His family, friends and Tom Moore's coaching staff stuck by him through those tough times, for which Baskin is very grateful.

Baskin insists he doesn't do so, but it's hard not to think of what Quinnipiac could have accomplished with him in the lineup for the Northeast 10 season last year. That heartbreaking, 52-50 home loss to Robert Morris in the conference championship game may have turned out birkenstock arizona sandals differently, and the Bobcats may have been the state's lone representative in the NCAA tournament.

"That night, we just needed to be a point better," said Baskin, who watched the game in the stands like thousands of his fellow students. "It came down to, the ball was on the rim, and it fell for Robert Morris. It just happens."

It should be different this season. As long as his grades are good (and Baskin says they are), he'll be good to go on Dec. 22, when the Bobcats travel to Niagara University.

A glimpse of Baskin in action Monday night at the Greater Hartford Pro-Am, during which he scored 18 points in Club Palace Slamm's overtime loss to Fairview Capital, shows just what he can add at Quinnipiac this winter. During one sequence, he drove down the lane to throw down a monster dunk, and soon afterward double- pump head-faked a defender out of his shoes for another slam.

That womens watch sale type of athletic ability is a staple of Baskin's game -- or at least it used to be.

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Baseball for women

LADIES' baseball makes its debut in Swansea on Sunday.

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It is popular in Cardiff and Newport but has never been played in Swansea before.

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Two teams made up of players drawn from the Welsh League will play a charity match at Penllergaer Cricket Club (3pm).

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Tom's inventions hit the toy s

They are the gooey product of Tom Spring's fertile imagination and could soon be the toy every child is pestering their parents for.

Yesterday, Putty Monsters were unleashed for the first time on a class of children from the young inventor's home village of Rothley.

As previously reported in the Leicester Mercury, the 13-yearold beat 1,200 people in a competition to design a new toy for an internet retailer.

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Putty Monsters - bug-eyed aliens which can be molded into many shapes - were unveiled to guinea pigs from Rothley Church of England Primary School.

P L AY I N G Tom, who attends Stonehill High School, in Birstall, and hopes to make a career in toy design, said he was delighted the toy was well received. He said: "It's simple idea and it's fun so hopefully people will like playing with them."

Ten year-old Jake Pate, from Rothley, said: "It's brilliant. You can create absolutely any shape. It's really impressive."

Zoe Gough, 10, also from Rothley, said: "I think they are great. I like the colours and that you can just squidge them."

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Firebox, the internet company which turned Tom's idea into a reality, have had a first batch of 3,000 Putty Monsters made and hope they will be a must-have Christmas craze.

Each toy is Pounds 9.99 and Tom stands to get 50% of the profits.

Tom said: "I'm very happy with the Putty Monsters but my computer is full of many more ideas for the future."

Tom's father, Gary, said he was very proud of his son.

He said: "Tom's always been very creative and has always stretched his imagination.'' Firebox spokeswoman Claire Wood said: "The monsters come in five colours and we hope that they will be swapped.

"We also hope that kids will give their monsters a name and download pictures of them on to a Facebook page where they can share modelling tips." Tom's creation was inspired by his grandfather, Les Cooke, a former marketing director for county toy-maker Palitoy.

The youngster said: "I really look up to my grandad. We always talk about how I can get my designs made and into shops. It's been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember."

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Putty Monsters go on sale tomorrow and are available at:

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Signal gets 2nd area Guthrie's

By Brittany Cofer

Just a year after opening his first Guthrie's Chicken restaurant atop Lookout Mountain, Will Garrett welcomed hungry customers to his newest location on Signal Mountain.

The restaurant, which specializes in chicken tenders and wings, opened Sexy Costumes July 2 and sold 800 wings in its first two days, Mr. Garrett said.

"People were buying them in great quantities," he said. "We had to overorder just to keep them in."

Earlier this year, Mr. Garrett began looking into opening a Guthrie's for people in the Signal Mountain area. That's when he was introduced to Grady Williams Jr., a Signal Mountain resident also interested in opening a franchise of the restaurant.

Neither man had previous restaurant experience, but both were longtime fans of Guthrie's original golden chicken fingers, they said.

Guthrie's Chicken began in Haleyville, Ala., in 1965 and began franchising in 2005. Today, there are more than Replica Oris Watches 50 locations in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and South Carolina.

The Signal Mountain restaurant in the old CVS Pharmacy building on Taft Highway, is just over 3,000 square feet and can seat more than 40 people. The building includes a separate party room and will eventually have several tables outside, the owners said.

Mr. Garrett declined to state the price tag for the project, but said it is an investment of more than $300,000.

Though the restaurant has been open only a seiko watches short time, the owners said they already have several regular customers. Mr. Williams said there's even one man who has eaten the food twice a day since the store opened.

After spending 20 years in the aviation industry, Mr. Williams said he's "enjoying every minute" of running the restaurant. Mr. Garrett said although he already had about a year of experience owning the Guthrie's on Lookout Mountain, he learned a lot from opening the new location.

"I was challenged by becoming informed with what it took to do business," he said. "But what I found was that people were hungry for a good restaurant, and that's what I think we provide."

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Sinai Hospital of Baltimore wa

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore is offering more than $2 million to buy approximately 18 acres adjacent to Pimlico Race Course, and said if it can't reach a deal to buy the property by the end of the year, it will have to spend up to four times as much to build a new parking garage for its growing employee base.

Negotiations were halted for more than a year after Pimlico's owner declared bankruptcy. But a hospital administrator said Thursday that Sinai can't hold out much longer to work out a deal with Pimlico's new owner, MI Developments Inc.

"We're concerned because the longer this goes on the more we have to bite the bullet and spend very scarce dollars on parking garages," said Martha Nathanson, vice president of government relations and advocacy for LifeBridge Health, which owns the hospital. "We'd rather spend $20 million on a health care facility that can do a lot of good, than Replica Omega Watches a parking lot ... which is more of a necessary evil."

Sinai has been leasing the land for satellite parking for the better part of the last decade and is offering Ontario-based MID $2.15 million. The lot holds up to 800 cars, and Nathanson estimates that a parking garage of similar capacity would cost $8 million, or $10,000 per space.

Sinai would continue its agreement with the track that it free up the land prior to major weekend events like the Preakness Stakes or concerts.

In late 2008, the hospital had reached a verbal agreement with the former owner, Magna Entertainment Corp. In March 2009, the company declared bankruptcy. MID is the parent company of Magna.

CEO Dennis Mills said MID was open to talking but did not wholesale lingerie want to make any decisions about its Maryland tracks until a court battle in Anne Arundel over slots is resolved. The Maryland Jockey Club (a MID subsidiary) and several anti-slots citizens groups are trying to block a slots casino development near the Arundel Mills mall. MID and the jockey club fear a competing gambling facility would kill business at Laurel Park and want slots at the track instead.

The Maryland Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments on the case July 20.

Replica Omega Watches Mills said the case wouldn't impede negotiations but MID would not be ready to commit to anything regarding its Maryland properties until Laurel's slots future was decided. MID also owns tracks in Florida, California and Oregon.

"There's journey to get to the result -- it's just the final decisions are not happening until then," Mills said. "We are hoping that the gaming experience will be at Laurel ... but we don't want to make piecemeal decisions, we want to make comprehensive decisions."

The Court of Appeals is expected to rule on the case before the Aug. 16 deadline to add a voter referendum regarding the casino's zoning to the ballot in Anne Arundel County.

Nathanson said Sinai, which is expanding its orthopedic department and in the planning stages of creating an institute for aging, would need an agreement from MID before the end of the year. The hospital and its associated Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center employ a total of 5,400 people.

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1 held for selling scanned rly

LUCKNOW: The Government Railway Police (GRP) on Tuesday arrested a man, Satyam, a resident of LDA Colony, for duping railways of money through ticket refunds.

The man used to book tickets, get scanned the original ticket, hand over the scanned copy to passengers buying tickets from him and get original ticket refunded from the current counter, minutes after passengers boarded the train. rado replica watches While he was pocketing the refund amount, passengers used to travel on scanned (or duplicate) tickets. Railways was in loss doubly.

The lid was blown off the racket on June 25, when the ticket checking team of railways caught 12 passengers travelling on such tickets at Bhusawal. The passengers were travelling in sleeper coach (S-8) of train number 2108. During checking, railway checking official S R Gore found that tickets which passengers were carrying were actually scanned copies of the originals. The original tickets were refunded at current counter in Lucknow within minutes of the train's departure. Passengers were found unaware of the ploy, said Gore in his report to GRP.

Passengers, on the contrary, informed checking officials that they had obtained tickets from Satyam and had contacted him on his mobile (numbers 9369169750 and 9389866649). GRP registered the case and arrested the man from railway Jimmy choo shoes station on Monday. The police recovered a ticket of Lucknow Mail dated July 18, along with a scanned copy, from his possession.

The GRP, on Tuesday, presented before mediapersons the original tickets and their scanned copies which were recovered by officials. The tickets were same except the 'watermark ink impression' of railways on the tickets. "Difference is slight and might not be visible with naked eye,"said A K Jain, ADG (railways). The scanned copies have lighter impression on them. Second, impression on scanned copies would smudge with a drop of water. It was this distinctive feature which led to Satyam's arrest.

During interrogation, he revealed that he was getting the ticket scanned from Amar Photostat in Charbagh. He used to sell it to passengers and get it refunded within four hours from current counter. "We are investigating the involvement of photostat shop owner as well,"said ADG. The police will also obtain the call and message details of both the mobiles recovered from Satyam for investigation. He is using Replica Longines Watches the same numbers as informed by the passengers.

The man was involved in the act for the past one year or so. Police claim that he was not running an agency. Besides, police is also writing to railway board recommending a change in refund rules. "If TTEs on board could be informed about all refunded tickets or the details are uploaded on website, it would act as a check against such crimes,"said the ADG. For Reprint Rights: timescontent.com

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1 beach hut ..for pounds 300K

THIS could be the UK's most expensive beach hut - on sale for more than pounds 300,000.

The 524sq ft single-storey three-bed wooden shack looks like a big garden shed.

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Replica Angular Momentum Watches Offers could now wholesale lingerie even hit pounds 325,000, which would buy a seven- bed home in Hull. But estate agents Symonds and Sampson say: "Beach huts are in their own niche market."

Council tax is pounds 1,032.

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Graffiti artist pays towards c

A Prolific teenage graffiti "artist" has been ordered to pay Pounds 700 to help clean up the district.

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The 15-year-old vandal struck in Beech Close and Madeira Walk Folkestone and the Polo Ground in Cheriton. He asked Folkestone Juvenile Court to consider 11 other incidents.

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He was given a six-month referral order on top of his costs, the cash from which will go to Shepway District Council to buy more cleaning materials.

Cllr Hugh Barker, cabinet member for community safety, said: "We gave the police as much information as we could and we are delighted with the outcome. Graffiti blights our beautiful district and we will do all we can to help police bring perpetrators to justice."

Anyone with information about graffiti vandals can Replica Christian Dior Watches report them in confidence by calling 01303 853600 or texting 07812 989361.

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Graduates toil in 'ant tribes'

TANGJIALING, China - Liu Jun sleeps in a room so small that he must share a bed with two other men.

It's all the computer engineering graduate can afford in a city so expensive that the average white-collar professional can't afford to buy a home.

A dim fluorescent bulb hangs from the ceiling of the 180-square- foot room on the fringes of Beijing. The floor is littered with cigarette butts, dirty laundry and half-eaten paper bowls of spicy instant noodles.

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"This is what I get for living with two guys," the 24-year-old Liu says, hunched near a pile of used computer parts. He's a chain- smoker who speaks machine-gun rapid-fire fast. "It's not just the mess and lack of privacy, but it's also embarrassing to bring girls home."

The dreams of many young educated Chinese are running up against the realities of China's rapid economic ascent. Rising living costs and low salaries - the result of a surfeit of university graduates - are dashing high expectations.

"I didn't want to be stuck in a small town forever, you know, like the frog in the well," says Liu, who comes from a coal city in the often frozen far north. "I dreamed of achieving success on my own terms in the big city."

One day he may. For now, Liu has joined the "ant tribe" - the millions of young Chinese so known for crowding together in slums in China's largest cities.

His home lies about an hour north of downtown Beijing, down a tree-lined path where a rusty sign welcomes newcomers. Once a small village of farmers and laborers, Tangjialing emerged as a cut-rate bedroom community in 2003 after the opening of massive software parks nearby, including the headquarters of computer-maker Lenovo Group and the widely used Internet search engine Baidu.com.

Now four- to six-story cement buildings in pastel hues dot the village. Most rooms contain little more than a wardrobe, a bed and a nightstand. There's no air conditioning in weather that can reach above 100 degrees.

Rent is $45 to $100 a month. Those willing to pay $15 more get a bathroom. Others use the public bath.

* n n

The term "ant tribe" was coined by Lian Si, a professor who wrote a book with that title about the post-1980 generation.

"Unlike slums in South America or Southeast Asia, these villages are populated with educated young people as opposed to laborers or street peddlers," says Lian, who teaches at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

Sexy Costumes The Chinese born after 1980 are among the most privileged generation in China's long history. Living after the communist government gave up the radical politics that tossed their parents and grandparents between chaos and penury, they have known only ever- rising levels of prosperity.

In their lifetimes, gleaming new office towers have remade China's cities. Hundreds of millions have been lifted from poverty. Travel abroad, private cars and apartments and a university education - all once the preserve of the elite - are increasingly common.

Vibrant megacities such as Beijing and Shanghai are the epitome of this good life. So the ant generation comes, bringing its aspirations.

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