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   December 24, 2001   QUOTE OF THE DAY "When reboarding they went through everything. They went through our bags, they made us take our shoes off, but nobody complained."  GEOFFREY BISSEN, who was on the flight with a man with explosives in his shoes.   TolkienArchives Examine the World of J. R. R. Tolkien - This sponsored feature includes articles from the New York Times archives, slide shows of Tolkien's artwork, multimedia presentations from New Line Cinema, weekly trivia quizzes and more.    Explore Tolkien Today .     NATIONAL F.B.I. Tests Find Explosive in Shoes of Jet Passenger  Tests confirmed that explosives packed with wires had been hidden in the sneakers of a passenger on a Miami-bound jetliner that was forced to land in Boston on Saturday.   A 'Strange' Traveler Acted, and the Passengers Reacted  The passengers of American Airlines Flight 63 arrived in Miami on Sunday, relieved that their resolve had apparently averted a midair catastrophe.   San Francisco AIDS Debate Leads to Criminal Charges  Two advocates for people with AIDS have been charged with more than 30 counts of harassing health officials, researchers, and newspaper reporters.     MORE NATIONAL NEWS   Advertisement   Listen To A Christmas Best Seller - Just $1.95!  Happy Holidays from Audible.  As our special present to you, you can download and listen to a great holiday classic like A Christmas Carol or a new favorite like Skipping Christmas by John Grisham - for just $1.95.  Simply download to your computer and listen on your computer, MP3 player or Pocket PC.  Take your first selection for just $1.95!  Act now.      [IMAGE]   INTERNATIONAL Kashmir's Islamic Guerrillas See Little to Fear From U.S.  Islamic guerrillas in Pakistan who challenge India's rule over Kashmir appear unconcerned that they could be the next target in America's war on terror.   Argentine Leader Declares Default on $132 Billion Debt  After a week of riots, Argentina's interim president declared a default on the country's  debt and promised to use the money saved to create jobs and fortify social programs.   New Afghan Leaders Begin Tough Tasks  Afghanistan's new interim cabinet meeting focused its attention to the country's continuing security problems, with ministers reporting on the conditions in their provinces.     MORE INTERNATIONAL NEWS    BUSINESS 'You've Got Mail,' More and More, and Mostly, It Is Junk  Unsolicited commercial e-mail, best known by its   pejorative appellation, spam, has been annoying Internet users for years. But in the last three months, spam has spiked.   Hewlett Aims to Replace the Print Shop  Hewlett-Packard hopes to extend the reach of   its printing and imaging division, which rang up $20 billion in sales this year.   Demand Grows for Net Service at High Speed  Despite lackluster performance by high-speed Internet companies, Americans are still eager to get broadband Internet access.     MORE BUSINESS NEWS    TECHNOLOGY 'You've Got Mail,' More and More, and Mostly, It Is Junk  Unsolicited commercial e-mail, best known by its   pejorative appellation, spam, has been annoying Internet users for years. But in the last three months, spam has spiked.   Hewlett Aims to Replace the Print Shop  Hewlett-Packard hopes to extend the reach of   its printing and imaging division, which rang up $20 billion in sales this year.   Driven by a Higher Calling,  Not Dot-Com Dollars  The collapse of countless e-commerce ventures in 2001 may  have prompted  many to dismiss the   Internet as a viable economic platform, but it certainly remains  vital as a creative medium.     MORE TECHNOLOGY NEWS    POLITICS Wartime Forges a Unified Front for Bush Aides  Crisis and war have reshaped the president's foreign policy advisers into a focused group whose muscular tone has matched the unforeseen emergency.   Even Without a Stimulus Plan, the Outlook Brightens  Gail D. Fosler, chief economist at the Conference Board, spoke about the stimulus package in Congress and the economic outlook.   Bush Wants More Funding for Domestic Security  President Bush plans to propose significant increases in spending on domestic U.S. security in his next budget, according to administration officials.     MORE POLITICS NEWS    SPORTS Jets Creep Closer to the Playoffs  The Jets did not so much surge toward the   playoffs as they staggered in that direction with their win over the Colts on Sunday night.   Giants Survive With Another Rally  A 7-yard touchdown pass with 20 seconds left capped a rally that gave the Giants a win over Seattle and kept their playoff hopes alive.   Tampa Bay Buries New Orleans  Tampa Bay took a big step toward the playoffs with a rout of New Orleans. The Bucs now lead the Saints in the race for the final N.F.C. wild-card spot.     MORE SPORTS NEWS    ARTS Inheriting an Uneasy Truce Between Art and Government  When Michael Hammond assumes the helm of the   National Endowment for the Arts he will  find himself in the historically  stormy relationship  between the arts and government.   Trading Police Forensics for Writer's Life on 'C.S.I.'  Elizabeth Devine, a  crime scene investigator with the Los Angeles County  Sheriff's Department for 15 years,  left her job to become a writer on the CBS drama "C.S.I."   The Quest of 'The Ring': Draw Novices, Not Just Fans  The creators of "The Lord of the Rings" have sought to please both fervent fans of Tolkien's work and those unfamiliar with his mythic world.     MORE ARTS NEWS    NY REGION Pataki Rethinks Promise of a Pay Raise for Lawyers to the Indigent  Gov. George E. Pataki, who promised nearly a year ago to increase pay for lawyers who represent the poor, is reconsidering that pledge because of new budget deficits.   A Stay-at-Home Public Is Only the Latest Worry for Travel Agents  Some forecasters are warning that waves of failures, bankruptcies and layoffs are about to sweep through the travel agent industry.   Toms River Still Asking a Question: `Why Us?'  The results of a six-year, $10 million study into the high childhood cancer rate in Toms River, N.J., have left residents on an emotional fence.     MORE NY REGION NEWS    OP-ED  Christmas Dinner for 1,000   By BOB HERBERT  The operators of the soup kitchen at the Church of  the Holy Apostles on Ninth Avenue  will try to make today, Christmas Eve, a little special for the people  who show up for a meal.   Threat of National ID   By WILLIAM SAFIRE  Fear of terrorism has placed Americans  in danger of trading our "right to be let alone" for the false sense of  security of a national identification  card.   Betrayed by the White House   By IRIS CHANG  Our leaders in Washington must not  be permitted to sell out the American servicemen used as slave labor in Japan during World War II who  gave so much in the fight for freedom.     MORE OP-ED  NEWS    Contribute to The Neediest Cases Fund Make an online donation this Holiday Season to The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund to help thousands of people.   Donate now    About This E-Mail You received these headlines because you requested The New York Times Direct e-mail service. To sign up for other newsletters, cancel delivery, change delivery options or your e-mail address, see http://www.nytimes.com/email .   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