Wafer

A waffle is a wafer--historically speaking, that is. So is an ice cream cone. The original wafer was the oblatum , the unleavened Communion wafer (unleavened because the bread at the Last Supper was a matzo). The idea of cooking oblata between sheets of metal to make them as thin as possible goes back at least 1,300 years; a wafer iron has been found at a 7th-century site in Carthage, Tunisia. In the 13th century, bakers in France and the Netherlands started producing secular versions of oblata with a honeycomb pattern, probably so that there would be no confusion with consecrated wafers.

A waffle is a wafer--historically speaking, that is. So is an ice cream cone. The original wafer was the oblatum , the unleavened Communion wafer (unleavened because the bread at the Last Supper was a matzo). The idea of cooking oblata between sheets of metal to make them as thin as possible goes back at least 1,300 years; a wafer iron has been found at a 7th-century site in Carthage, Tunisia. In the 13th century, bakers in France and the Netherlands started producing secular versions of oblata with a honeycomb pattern, probably so that there would be no confusion with consecrated wafers.

The company said its process uses microscopic current conductors deposited on a wafer, rather than wires to link chips together. Troy, Mich.-based Mosaic Systems said the development can make it possible to "build much smaller, faster and more powerful computers and to manufacture them at a lower cost." The company described the wafer as miniaturized circuit board in which chip-to-chip signals travel only very short distances.

About 40 miles west of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, another kind of crisis may be unfolding — this one striking at the heart of the world's multibillion-dollar market for smartphones, portable music players and other cutting-edge electronics. The powerful earthquake that rocked Japan last month knocked out a hillside factory owned by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Little known outside industry circles, Shin-Etsu is the world's biggest producer of advanced silicon wafers, a key material needed for the manufacturing of semiconductors.

The virtues of LCD Soundsystem ? a surgeon's attention to detail, the pleasure of a slow-burning bass groove ? are ageless. "This Is Happening," the third and reportedly final LCD Soundsystem record, perfectly executes James Murphy's inimitable ideas for disco-rooted rock. But his sense of emotional grandeur has settled down a bit. Instead, "This Is Happening" brims with smaller joys: the contrast between the wafer-dry vocal harmonies and funk-sopping synth bass on "Dance Yrself Clean" and the cut-rate laser noises on the calisthenic banger "Pow Pow. " With Hot Chip and Sleigh Bells.

Two of Fairchild Semiconductor's overseas manufacturing plants are up for sale, amid efforts by Fairchild's parent, Schlumberger Ltd., to get out from under the heavy burden of the semiconductor business. Fairchild itself is up for sale. Since a plan for Japanese chip maker Fujitsu to buy Cupertino, Calif.-based Fairchild collapsed last month, Schlumberger has considered options including a management-backed buyout for the subsidiary.

My daughter rips open mail from Michigan, and out flutters a snapshot of my 7-year-old niece wearing a crisp, puffy white dress, a veil on her head, her gloved hands folded in reverence. "Why is cousin Angela wearing that beautiful dress?" asks my awe-struck 5-year-old. I explain the Catholic tradition of dressing like this when girls make their first Holy Communion.

Semtech Corp., which makes semiconductors for computers and communications equipment, will shut its last wafer plant as part of a plan to get all its silicon wafers from outside sources by the end of the year. Semtech said the Corpus Christi, Texas, facility would be closed within the next nine months but didn't indicate how many jobs would be affected. Semtech shares fell 41 cents to $33.74 on Nasdaq.

The Clippers are expected to soon sign guard Von Wafer from the development league to a 10-day contract, team sources said Tuesday. As for a potential major move before Thursday's trading deadline, the Clippers are not close to completing a deal. General Manager Elgin Baylor and Coach Mike Dunleavy do not comment on trade talks, but sources said other teams have continued to inquire about disgruntled sixth man Corey Maggette.

The "wild horse" didn't run free. Laker Coach Phil Jackson suggested he might start rookie Von Wafer in Kobe Bryant's place Sunday against the Utah Jazz, but he went with a safer choice, Luke Walton. Jackson mused Saturday that sometimes "it's good to have a wild horse out there" and revisited the possibility before the game, saying he was "standing on the teeter-totter" whether to start the second-round draft pick from Florida State.

The natural disasters that struck Japan's northeast continued to wreak havoc on the nation's economy on Tuesday, with two of the country's largest carmakers announcing further delays in resumption of production at their plants because of continued disruption in parts supplies. Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., which were scheduled to resume production at their earthquake-affected plants early this week, said Tuesday that operations would not begin again until the weekend. Toyota had suspended operations at four plants, Honda at three.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi survived an important vote of no confidence by the narrowest of margins Tuesday but emerged with a severely weakened mandate that has thrown doubt on his ability to govern effectively. The 314-311 vote in the lower house of Parliament was a fresh demonstration of the billionaire politician's Houdini-like knack for escape. Although Berlusconi had insisted that he would prevail, the outcome was on a knife edge going in to the vote, even after days of intense behind-the-scenes negotiations.

The virtues of LCD Soundsystem ? a surgeon's attention to detail, the pleasure of a slow-burning bass groove ? are ageless. "This Is Happening," the third and reportedly final LCD Soundsystem record, perfectly executes James Murphy's inimitable ideas for disco-rooted rock. But his sense of emotional grandeur has settled down a bit. Instead, "This Is Happening" brims with smaller joys: the contrast between the wafer-dry vocal harmonies and funk-sopping synth bass on "Dance Yrself Clean" and the cut-rate laser noises on the calisthenic banger "Pow Pow. " With Hot Chip and Sleigh Bells.

The reddish-brown scorch marks are still visible on the roofs and cream-colored stucco walls. Villagers here in this southern Gaza farm town say their neighborhood was showered with hundreds of chunks of burning white phosphorus, a controversial substance commonly used as a smoke screen to cover troop movements, over a three-day Israeli incursion in Khozaa last month. Majid Najar said the phosphorus started fires all around the home where he had taken shelter along with 20 relatives.

Houston 89, at Boston 85: Von Wafer made a three-point basket with 44 seconds left to give the Rockets the lead. It was the defending NBA champion's first loss at home since a Nov. 14 defeat to Denver. -- Toronto 99, at Washington 93: The Raptors' Andrea Bargnani scored 25 points, going four for five on three-pointers. -- Orlando 106, at Atlanta 102: The Magic nearly squandered a 21-point advantage but got a huge break when Mike Bibby missed a breakaway layup with just under 1 1/2 minutes left.

The Clippers are expected to soon sign guard Von Wafer from the development league to a 10-day contract, team sources said Tuesday. As for a potential major move before Thursday's trading deadline, the Clippers are not close to completing a deal. General Manager Elgin Baylor and Coach Mike Dunleavy do not comment on trade talks, but sources said other teams have continued to inquire about disgruntled sixth man Corey Maggette.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. said Thursday that it plans to invest $1.9 billion in a plant in Germany that would nearly double its share of processors for the personal computer market. Company President Jerry Sanders, taking aim against market leader Intel Corp., said the company intends to invest $1.9 billion in the Dresden factory. It hopes to launch production in 1998 with a work force of 1,400.

The "wild horse" didn't run free. Laker Coach Phil Jackson suggested he might start rookie Von Wafer in Kobe Bryant's place Sunday against the Utah Jazz, but he went with a safer choice, Luke Walton. Jackson mused Saturday that sometimes "it's good to have a wild horse out there" and revisited the possibility before the game, saying he was "standing on the teeter-totter" whether to start the second-round draft pick from Florida State.

The phone call came about two months ago. "Is this Arthur Wiknik who served in Vietnam?" the voice asked. Indeed it was. Did Wiknik recall losing, all those years ago, one of his military-issue dog tags? There were a lot of Vietnam memories seared into Wiknik's mind. But none about dog tags. Bryan Marks, who was calling from California, said he bought the tag from a vendor on a recent trip to Vietnam. He read the stamped metal he held in his hand.