1.   But then came the bloodshed, the heinous revenge of the nerds.

2.   The good news is that for once the bloodshed comes with a generous dose of cinematic art.

3.   Nearly all remaining Russian and separatist forces pulled out Saturday from the charred and crumbling city, keeping hope alive that the bloodshed might be coming to an end.

4.   The bloodshed came amid intensive U.S. efforts to broker an agreement on an Israeli troop pullback in the West Bank.

5.   The bloodshed comes as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon winds up a trip to Washington, where he insisted that Palestinians must stop attacks on Israelis before peace talks begin.

6.   The bloodshed comes two weeks ahead of the Moslem fasting month of Ramadan, a period considered auspicious by Islamic militants for jihad or holy war.

7.   The latest bloodshed came as the British and German foreign ministers prepared to embark Wednesday on a twin-pronged attempt to kick-start the moribund Middle East peace process.