European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 11, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 b the stars and stripes Morte Mattere wednesday december 11, 1991 presence not presents is what counts children want togetherness experts say by Maureen Downey Cox news service the Best things in life May be free but can you put them under the Christmas tree yes says Jerry Washington an Atlanta father who has been out of work for the past year. He cares for his two Young children while his wife Carmelita works As a nurse. Instead of deluding his 3-year-old daughter Gabri Elle and 14-month-old son Jerald with toys Washington creates a fun Days in which he plans a special Outing. Last week it was a visit to Atlanta s High museum of Art where there is no admission charge thursday afternoons. The week before it was the lighting of the downtown tree in the suburb of Decatur. A other kids May have the toys but we have the time together a Washington said. His time May prove a far More valuable gift than any toy Washington could buy according to experts. A what people remember Are the feelings of the holidays Quot said Roy Kern a professor of counselling at Georgia state University in Atlanta. A it is the atmosphere created by the people rather than the  feelings Are All some people can afford this Holiday season because of High unemployment. But even those unaffected by the recession Are tiring of the crass commercialization said Atlanta psychologist Brenda Hawkins. Many of her clients offended when retailers began remember Are the feeler Isof the holidays. It is the atmosphere created by the people rather than the gifts a Xiv y 1� 1 to o to a i rat >1 1- Quot i a a i Quot la i i Quot j it i a Quot Quot a v a Quot a i a a Roy Kern Georgia state University professor the Christmas advertising Blitz at halloween resolved to Mark the holidays More simply this year. A that May be staying at Home popping Popcorn and watching videos instead of celebrating with a lot of presents and i foot tree a Hawkins said. Although it May be possible to convince an adult that less is More this Christmas can you get an 8-year-old intent on a $260 set of Power wheels to believe it to Robinson and Jean Coppock Staeheli authors of unplug the Christmas machine a Complete guide to putting love amp Joy Back into the season think so. The women wrote their Book published by William Morrow based on their 14 years of experience leading workshops on creating More joyous christmases. Despite the pleas for Nintendo the authors insist that time with parents is what children really want. Their suggestions on How parents can make the holidays special for their children include taking extra time off from work to spend with them to create traditions that involve the children such As making wreaths or buying the Christmas tree. Washington is convinced that the greatest gift he can give his children is his attention. Although it is difficult to be out of work and living on his wife a income Washington also recognizes there is a positive Side As caretaker of his two children during the Day he has the Opportunity to grow closer to them and to guide their introduction to the wider  deficit soars in dismal third Quarter Washington a the . Foreign Trade deficit jumped to $10.5 billion in the july september Quarter the worst performance this year the government said tuesday. The deficit in the current account the broadest measure of americans performance with the rest of the world followed two rare Back to Back surpluses As the country s perennial merchandise Trade deficits were offset by contributions made by the allies to pay for the persian Gulf War. However those contributions fell by 60 percent in the third Quarter to $4.6 billion. This was not enough to offset a giant 33 percent increase in the merchandise Trade deficit to $20.5 billion. The current account is considered the most important Trade statistic because it measures not Only merchandise imports and exports but also imports and exports of services and investment Between the United states and other countries. In the first two quarters the country posted surpluses of $10.5 billion and $3.0 billion the first time that has occurred since the first half of 1982. The surpluses occurred because the merchandise Trade deficit improved modestly and the country collected $35 billion in payments from Japan saudi Arabia and other countries to reimburse the . Military for the persian Gulf War. Many analysts Are predicting that this year s current account deficit could dip to $20 billion or less As the Allied War payments and lower imports resulting from the . Recession help make a dramatic improvement from last years $92.12 billion deficit. However analysts said the big jump in the third Quarter deficit was an ominous sign of things to come As the War payments come to a halt and demand for . Exports stalls out because of sluggishness in some of americans biggest overseas markets. Many Are forecasting that next years deficit could balloon again to $70 billion or More. A rising Trade deficit is certain to make an inviting target in a presidential election year. Already congressional democrats have begun to complain about the Bush administrations alleged failure to move aggressively to open overseas markets in such countries As Japan and China. The department said one of the factors making the third Quarter deficit worse was $2.9 billion in debt forgiveness awarded to Poland and Egypt. The big jump in the merchandise Trade deficit to $20.5 billion reflected a 4.5 percent increase in imports which climbed to $125 billion. This swamped a tiny 0.3 percent Rise in exports which totalled $104.5 billion. Rising exports have been one of the few Bright spots in the stagnant . Economy. Now analysts Are worried that spreading weakness overseas will Cut into those gains in coming months. Americans surplus on services such As tourism and banking climbed to $9.46 billion in the third Quarter a 5.8 percent increase Over the second Quarter. The balance on investment income Rose 6.8 percent to $2.5 billion in the third Quarter As unilateral transfers the category that includes the foreign military payments and debt forgiveness fell into a deficit of $1.94 billion in the third Quarter following a surplus of $7.13 billion in the april june Quarter. The current account deficit is the sum of the merchandise services investment and unilateral Transfer payments. A phone in every pocket predicted along with headaches for Faccon fears of new iraqi Oil exports new York heating Oil prices plummeted almost 3 cents a gallon monday on the new York mercantile Exchange dragged Down by fears that a resumption of iraqi Oil exports would unleash a Price War. A i think a decision has been made by saudi Arabia that if Iraq gets Back in the picture the saudis will not lose a single customer a said Peter Beutel a trader with the Pegasus Econometrics group in Hoboken . Beutel said Iraq will have to offer a lower Price if it wants to re enter the Market and attract customers. He expected that fellow open member saudi Arabia would undercut iraqis prices. Home heating Oil for january delivery skidded 2.70 cents to 54.55 cents a gallon on the merc. On the . Gulf coast spot Market where Oil is sold to the highest bidder Home heating Oil collapsed 3.75 cents to 49.70 a gallon. Unleaded gasoline for immediate delivery on the merc dropped 1.74 cents to 53.26 a gallon. Washington a its a Busy Day in Manhattan and hordes of people Are storming along the sidewalks not watching where they re going and Yelling at something in their hands. Its the future not too Long from now and they re talking on the phone. It May be a Blessing and a curse. With the phones of tomorrow there will be no More excuses such As a i was at lunch Quot a i was in Bill a office Quot or a i was in the  tie phone can go with you a and sonic Boss will probably want to know Why it did t. Everyone in the Home can have his or her own pocket phone. If yours is ringing or beeping or maybe even softly repeat in your name the Call is for you. The Federal communications commission is trying to figure out what to do about this. There will have to be rules written and frequencies assigned on the airwaves. A by the end of the 1990s, a Telephone with its Bell ringing insistently for attention will strike us a and especially our children a As a crude anachronism a or. W. Russell Neuman told the Federal communications commission last week. A in retrospect we will come to see such a Telephone Call As something Akin to an electronic scud missile not Well targeted and often unwelcome a said Neuman who teaches communications policy at the Massachusetts Institute of technology. The phone on the receiving end will be Able to identify a caller then decide whether to sidetrack him to an answering machine and what recording to play for him Neuman said. It could even give some fix on the callers location. That along with privacy considerations have caused people to worry about the phones of the future. But John e. Defeo president of us West new vector group inc., said that worry May translate into a business Opportunity. If you want privacy its for Sale. A a there a going to be degrees of privacy a Defeo told the commission. A some customers May be willing to pay for More  the potential Market is big. A forecast by Arthur d. Little inc., a consulting firm said these personal communications services May attract 50 million to 60 million users in the first 10 years. Defeo said research shows Consumers would be willing to pay around $30 a month for. Such services. And the companies ability to meet that Price depends on what the commission does and How the system is designed. R. Craig Roos president of personal communications network services of new York inc., Drew yet another picture of the future for the acc. Of the 1.4 million people living in Manhattan Only 13 percent own cars he said. And cars Are where most people put their cellular phones. But an affordable phone system that people could carry in their pockets would change that he said