Etc...

Hey, it's just frozen water

Remembering that history's most famous cruise ship, the Titanic, was built in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Rita Duffy has come up with an idea for a bit of performance art to celebrate the industrial heritage of her city and at the same time symbolize hope for a place long scarred by sectarian strife . She and a filmmaker friend already have concluded that it's do-able; now they must decide whether to try to raise the money to make it happen. Make what happen? Well, since the Titanic was sunk by an iceberg on its maiden voyage, she wants to have another one towed to Belfast, where - over time - it would melt . She acknowledges that "some people might see it in bad taste." But she adds: "I like to think [it] is going some way to altering the damaged psyche" of the city. "It's about courageously facing that which interrupted our journey."

America's entrepreneurial spirit is never more evident than it is among the smallest businesses or those with one of more owners but no paid employees. According to the latest Census Bureau statistics, businesses that fit this profile constitute 70 percent of all economic activity. Many are home-based. Fields that are particularly attractive for start-ups: landscaping and janitorial services, nail and hair salons, real estate agencies, and child-care services. Nevada, the fastest growing state by population, is also experiencing the biggest boom in small businesses, overtaking Georgia in this category. The states with the fastest growth rates for small business (by percentage), according to the Census Bureau data:

1. Nevada 7.4%
2. Georgia (tie) Florida 6.3%
4. Texas (tie) Delaware 5.2%
6. Louisiana 5.0%
7. California 4.8%
8. Rhode Island 4.6%
9. Arizona 4.5%
10. Idaho (tie) Mississippi (tie) South Carolina 4.4%