ows kindle fire review community matt schaub fire island fire island diaspora social network
Monday, January 30, 2012
iVoices on the Issues: It's All About The Money, Money, Money
iVoice Sharon Rowley, in true Tim Russert style, breaks out the white board and breaks down the issues that matter to her. Sharon explains why she'd like to see money spent on education.
Ex-Pakistani envoy to US wins court victory (AP)
ISLAMABAD ? Pakistan's former envoy to Washington says a court commision probing his alleged role in a controversial memo sent to Washington has dropped a travel ban imposed upon him.
Husain Haqqani said Monday he intended to travel to the United States to join family there.
Haqqani resigned in November and returned to Islamabad to answer allegations that he masterminded a memo sent to Washington that requested its help in reining in the Pakistani army.
The memo outraged the country's powerful army, and at the height of the scandal led to speculations it could lead to the demise of the government.
Haqqani has denied any involvment in the memo.
famu martina mcbride terry jones andy reid elf on the shelf elf on the shelf 2012 grammy nominations
Quest for the golden cross (Reuters)
NEW YORK (Reuters) ? January has turned out strong for equities with just two trading days to go. If you're afraid to miss the ride, there's still time to jump in. You just might want to wear a neck brace.
The new year lured buyers into growth-related sectors, the ones that were more beaten down last year. The economy is getting better, but not dramatically. Earnings are beating expectations, but at a lower rate than in recent quarters. Nothing too bad is coming out of Europe's debt crisis - and nothing good, either - at least not yet.
"No one item is a major positive, but collectively, it's been enough to tilt it towards net buying," said John Schlitz, chief market technician at Instinet in New York.
Still, relatively weak volume and a six-month high hit this week make some doubt that the gains are sustainable.
But then there's the golden cross.
Many market skeptics take notice when this technical indicator, a holy grail of sorts for many technicians, shows up on the horizon.
As early as Monday, the rising 50-day moving average of the S&P 500 could tick above its rising 200-day moving average. This occurrence - known as a golden cross - means the medium-term momentum is increasingly bullish. You have a good chance of making money in the next six months if you put it to work in large-cap stocks.
In the last 50 years, according to data compiled by Birinyi Associates, a golden cross on the S&P 500 has
augured further gains six months ahead in eight out of 10 times. The average gain has been 6.6 percent.
That means the benchmark is on solid footing to not only hold onto the 14 percent advance over the last nine weeks, but to flirt with 1,400, a level it hasn't hit since mid-2008.
The gains, as expected, would not be in a straight line. But any weakness could be used by long-term investors as buying opportunities.
"The cross is an intermediate bullish event," Schlitz said. "You have to interpret it as constructive, but I caution people to take a bullish stance, if they have a short-term horizon ."
GREECE, U.S. PAYROLLS AND MOMENTUM
Less than halfway into the earnings season and with Greek debt talks over the weekend, payrolls data next week and the S&P 500 near its highest since July, there's plenty of room for something to go wrong. If that happens, the market could easily give back some of its recent advance.
But the benchmark's recent rally and momentum shift allow for a pullback before the technical picture deteriorates.
"We bounced off 1,325, which is resistance. We're testing 1,310, which should be support. We are stuck in that range," said Ken Polcari, managing director at ICAP Equities in New York.
"If over the weekend, Greece comes out with another big nothing, then you will see further weakness next week," he said. "A 1 (percent) or 2 percent pullback isn't out of the question or out of line."
On Friday, the S&P 500 (.INX) and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) closed their fourth consecutive week of gains, while the Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) dipped and capped three weeks of gains. For the day, the Dow dropped 74.17 points, or 0.58 percent, to close at 12,660.46. The S&P 500 fell 2.10 points, or 0.16 percent, to 1,316.33. But the Nasdaq gained 11.27 points, or 0.40 percent, to end at 2,816.55.
For the week, the Dow slipped 0.47 percent, while the S&P 500 inched up 0.07 percent and the Nasdaq jumped 1.07 percent.
A DATA-PACKED EARNINGS WEEK
Next week is filled with heavy-hitting data on the housing, manufacturing and employment sectors.
Personal income and consumption on Monday will be followed by the S&P/Case-Shiller home prices index, consumer confidence and the Chicago PMI - all on Tuesday.
Wednesday will bring the Institute for Supply Management index on U.S. manufacturing and the first of three key readings on the labor market - namely, the ADP private-sector employment report. Jobless claims on Thursday will give way on Friday to the U.S. government's non-farm payrolls report. The forecast calls for a net gain of 150,000 jobs in January, according to economists polled by Reuters.
Another hectic earnings week will kick into gear with almost a fifth of the S&P 500 components posting quarterly results. Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), Amazon (AMZN.O), UPS (UPS.N), Pfizer (PFE.N), Kellogg (K.N) and MasterCard (MA.N) are among the names most likely to grab the headlines.
With almost 200 companies' reports in so far, about 59 percent have beaten earnings expectations - down from about 70 percent in recent quarters.
(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Additional reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak and Caroline Valetkevitch; Editing by Jan Paschal)
walmart jcpenney loft old navy cyber monday best deals cyber monday best deals brownback
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Survival story "The Grey" wins weekend box office (Reuters)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Survival story "The Grey" starring Liam Neeson topped the weekend movie box office charts with an estimated $20 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.
"The Grey" knocked last weekend's winner, "Underworld: Awakening," to second place. The vampire and werewolf sequel starring Kate Beckinsale brought in $12.5 million from Friday through Sunday.
New Katherine Heigl comedy "One for the Money" finished third with $11.8 million.
Open Road Films, a joint venture between theater owners Regal Entertainment Group and AMC Entertainment Inc, released "The Grey." The film unit of Sony Corp distributed "Underworld: Awakening." "One for the Money" was released by Lions Gate Entertainment.
(Reporting By Lisa Richwine; Editing by Xavier Briand)
western black rhino western black rhino jefferson county alabama marine corps marine corps veterans day 2011 veterans day 2011
Obama administration reveals new ATF gun probe rules (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The Obama administration on Friday revealed new reforms undertaken to improve how it conducts undercover gun trafficking investigations in the wake of a botched operation in which scores of weapons disappeared.
The reforms require additional oversight of undercover operations, including those that involve more than 50 firearms, and, in most cases, ends the practice of paying gun dealers to serve as confidential informants.
Additionally, a new review committee has been established to monitor sensitive undercover cases or those that would have a "significant regional or national impact," according to the Justice Department.
The details were revealed just before Attorney General Eric Holder testifies on Thursday before members of the House of Representatives' Oversight and Government Reform Committee about the bungled operation known as "Fast and Furious."
The operation, run out of the Phoenix offices of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and U.S. Attorney's office was meant to follow the guns from the initial buyers along the U.S. border to violent drug cartel leaders in Mexico.
However ATF agents did not track the weapons after they were transferred from the initial buyer to others who smuggled them across the border. As many as 2,000 guns may have been sold under the operation.
Two AK-47 style weapons from that program were found in Arizona 18 miles from the border where a U.S. Border Patrol agent, Brian Terry, was shot and killed during a December 2010 shootout with illegal immigrants.
A similar, smaller program was run during the Bush administration dubbed "Wide Receiver."
"We are undertaking key enhancements to existing department policies and procedures to ensure that mistakes like those that occurred in 'Wide Receiver' and 'Fast and Furious' are not repeated," Deputy Attorney General James Cole said in a letter to Congress.
Republicans have been demanding to know who in the Obama administration knew about the "Fast and Furious" operation and when. Holder and other senior ATF and Justice Department officials said they did not learn about it until early 2011.
(Reporting By Jeremy Pelofsky)
cantaloupe cantaloupe credit union greys anatomy greys anatomy x factor auditions 2011 x factor auditions 2011
Saturday, January 28, 2012
AP source: Tiebreaker game would decide divisions (AP)
NEW YORK ? A person familiar with the talks says baseball players and owners have reached an understanding that ties for division titles will be broken on the field under the new playoff format.
Since 1995, head-to-head record has been used to determine first place if both teams are going to the postseason. But with the start of a one-game, winner-take-all wild-card round, both sides agreed the difference between first place and a wild-card berth is too important to decide with a formula and a tiebreaker game would be played.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because a deal hadn't been finalized.
A little more than two months before opening day, the sides still don't know whether the expanded playoffs will start this year. Negotiators plan to talk again next week and decide by March 1 whether the 2012 playoffs will have eight or 10 teams.
koch industries dexter season 6 andy rooney 60 minutes andre johnson andre johnson arrested development arrested development
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Crude price rises on promise of low interest rates (AP)
NEW YORK ? Benchmark oil prices rose Wednesday afternoon, briefly topping $100 per barrel, after the Federal Reserve said it would keep interest rates at record lows for a year longer than expected.
The Fed's plan allows consumers and business to continue to borrow money cheaply in the U.S., which should help boost the economy of the world's largest oil consumer. The central bank, which has kept its benchmark interest rate near zero for three years, said it doesn't plan to raise the rate before late 2014.
"They're telling investors `Hey, there's a lot of uncertainty in this world, but the one thing you can count on is that we're going to keep interest rates low,'" PFG Best analyst Phil Flynn said. That kind of promise should spark more expansion among American businesses "and that will hopefully encourage more energy demand."
Benchmark crude on Wednesday rose by 45 cents to finish at $99.40 per barrel in New York. At one point it was as high as $100.40. Brent crude fell 22 cents to end at $110.21 per barrel in London.
Major stock indices also rose in afternoon trading following the Fed statement.
Earlier in the day, the Energy Department said the nation's crude supplies increased by 3.6 million barrels last week, far more than analysts expected. Demand for oil dropped by about 4 percent. Gasoline demand was down as well, with the four-week average 6.4 percent below year-ago levels.
Supplies of gasoline and distillates, which include diesel fuel, dropped as refineries slowed operations in the face of slack demand.
Meanwhile, Iran ratcheted up tensions in the Persian Gulf with threats to halt oil sales to Europe.
Iran, the world's third-largest oil exporter, has been engaged in a lengthy dustup with Western nations over its secretive nuclear program, which may be developing a nuclear bomb. The European Union recently announced plans to embargo Iranian oil this summer. Iran now threatens to cut oil off to Europe sooner than that. EU nations account for about 18 percent of Iran's oil sales, and Iranian lawmakers think stopping oil sales to Europe would hurt those nations more than it would Iran.
Natural gas prices continued to rebound from recent 10-year lows, rising 17 cents, or nearly 7 percent, to finish at $2.73 per 1,000 cubic feet on Wednesday. Prices are being pushed up by forecasts for cooler winter temperatures across much of the country, closer to average for this time of year. The mild winter thus far has slowed demand for natural gas to heat homes.
Gasoline pump prices in the U.S. were flat on Wednesday at a national average of $3.38 per gallon, according to auto club AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service. That's about the same as a week ago, 15 cents higher than a month ago and 27 cents more than a year ago.
In other energy trading heating oil was virtually unchanged at $3.02 a gallon and gasoline futures rose by 3 cents to end at $2.83 a gallon.
paw paw paw paw baltimore orioles rosh hashanah rosh hashanah amanda palmer listeria monocytogenes
'Hugo' And 'The Artist' Lead Oscar Race
George Clooney and BFF Brad Pitt to face off in Best Actor category.
By Gil Kaufman
Asa Butterfield in "Hugo"
Photo: Paramount Pictures
A silent picture, a baseball flick, a horse tale, a 3-D children's movie for grown-ups, a infidelity family drama, an ode to classic cinema and a film that tackles race relations against the backdrop of the 1960's civil right movement. The nominations for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards read like a travelogue of the history of film.
The names of the nominees for the 84th annual Academy Awards, hosted by Billy Crystal, were announced on Tuesday (January 24) morning and in addition to a lot of the expected vote-getters, a few dark horses emerged from the pack, which was led by Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" with 11 nods, followed by the acclaimed silent film "The Artist" with 10.
For photos of all the Oscar nominees, click here.
The Best Picture race will be a dogfight between one of the year's most lauded films, the French silent movie "The Artist," director Alexander Payne's family drama "The Descendants," the inspiring tale of "The Help," Scorsese's 3-D children's film/ode to his love of the movies, "Hugo" and one of Woody Allen's most box-office friendly flick in years, "Midnight in Paris." Also making the list was the Brad Pitt baseball drama "Moneyball," as well as Steven Spielberg's "War Horse," reclusive director Terrence Malick's existential "The Tree of Life" and "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close."
The bids for "The Artist" mark the first time in nearly 80 years that a black-and-white silent film is the leading contender to take the Best Picture award. The Oscars will air live on February 26 from the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.
Golden Globe winner George Clooney and his pal Pitt will vie for the Best Actor award for their work, respectively, in "The Descendants" and "Moneyball." They will need to overcome a strong bid from Jean Dujardin in "The Artist," as well as Gary Oldman in the drama "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." Also in the mix is the surprise vote for Mexican actor Demian Bichir, who was praised for his work in "A Better Life" as a gardener in East L.A. intent on keeping his son out of a local gang.
It's a mix of the usual suspects and some new names in the Best Actress category, with 16-time nominee Meryl Streep leading the list for her take on Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron lady," Viola Davis earning major kudos for her work as a sweet-natured maid in "The Help," Michelle Williams getting a nod for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in "My Week With Marilyn" and first -time nominee Rooney Mara for her goth punk blitzkrieg in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo." Glenn Close was also honored for her gender-bending turn in "Albert Nobbs."
Best Director will pit three legends -- Scorsese, Allen and Malick -- against Payne and a rising star in against Payne Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist."
The Best Supporting Actor category features Kenneth Branagh ("My Week with Marilyn"), Johan Hill ("Moneyball"), Nick Nolte ("Warrior") Christopher Plummer ("Beginners") and Max Von Sydow ("Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"). In the Best Supporting Actress race, Octavia Spencer ("The Help"), will take on "Janet McTeer ("Albert Nobbs"), Melissa McCarthy ("Bridesmaids"), Jessica Chastain ("The Help" and Berenice Bejo ("The Artist").
Break-out "Saturday Night Live" star Kristen Wiig and her writing partner Annie Mumulo were honored with a Best Original Screenplay bid for their explosively funny "Bridesmaids" script, along with Allen for "Midnight in Paris," Hazanavicius for "The Artist," Asghar Farhadi for "A Separation" and J.C. Chandor for "Margin Call."
The Animated Feature battle will feature such popcorn pleasers as "Kung Fu Panda 2" going up against "Puss in Boots" and "Rango" as well as two lesser-known movies, "A Cat in Paris" and "Chico & Rita."
See the complete list of Academy Awards Nominations.
Related Videos Related PhotosSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677779/oscar-nominations-2012.jhtml
tuskegee airmen cbs red tails red tails heidi klum heidi klum red tails trailer
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
US stocks mixed as Greece negotiates to cut debt (AP)
NEW YORK ? Stocks swung between small gains and losses Monday while traders kept an eye on talks in Europe to cut Greece's crushing debt load and prevent what could be a worldwide financial crisis.
European stocks and the euro rose after the continent's finance ministers put pressure on banks that hold Greek government bonds to accept a 50 percent lower face value and lower interest rates.
The Greek stock market gained 5 percent, and markets in Germany, France, Spain and Britain all advanced less than 1 percent. The euro rose more than a penny to $1.302, close to its highest level against the dollar this year.
Negotiators are trying to prevent a disorderly default by Greece in March. The direst scenarios include a credit crisis similar to what happened after the Lehman Brothers investment house fell in 2008.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 44 points in the first hour of trading, drifted lower to a loss of 54 points, then floated higher. It was down 17 points at 12,703 just after 2 p.m. EST.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index was down less than a point at 1,314. The Nasdaq composite index was down three points at 2,783.
Stocks are off to a strong start in 2012. Investors' biggest fears have slowly faded. Stronger than expected job growth in the U.S. and falling borrowing costs for European governments have helped the S&P 500 index post gains on 11 of 13 trading days.
For the year, the Dow is up about 4 percent, the S&P about 4.5 percent.
Maybe the biggest boon to markets this year is the lack of scary headlines, said Jeff Lancaster, a principal at the investment firm Bingham, Osborn & Scarborough.
"When everybody is feeling distressed, anxious and worried as they were at the end of last year, it doesn't take a lot of good news for the mood to change," he said. "It just takes a diminishing quantity of bad news."
Energy companies made big moves. Chesapeake Energy Corp., the No. 2 producer of natural gas in the United States, jumped 6 percent after it said it plans to cut production, a response to the recent slump in natural gas prices.
Natural gas futures rose 7.4 percent to $2.57 per 1,000 cubic feet. Gas futures were trading above $4 just six months ago.
Stocks of other gas producers shot higher. Southwestern Energy Co. jumped 8.7 percent, the biggest gain in the S&P 500. Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. was right behind, rising 7.4 percent.
Apache Corp., a producer of oil and gas, added 1 percent after it said it plans to buy Cordillera Energy Partners in a $2.85 billion deal. It's the largest merger announced in the U.S. this year.
The price of oil rose 67 cents to $99 per barrel. The European Union tightened sanctions against Iran by banning the purchase of Iranian oil. Iran threatened to block shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the passageway for one-sixth of world's oil exports.
Research In Motion Ltd., maker of the BlackBerry, sank 6.5 percent after its new chief executive said no drastic changes are needed. The company's founders announced they were stepping down as co-CEOs late Sunday.
occupy congress juan williams victor martinez howard hughes alcatraz kim richards scott walker recall
Conference peers 20 years into Broadway's future
In this Jan. 19, 2012 photo, a Broadway street sign is seen in Times Square in New York. Leaders in entertainment, academics and marketing gathered Monday, Jan. 23, to peer into their crystal balls and try to predict what Broadway will look like in 2032. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes)
In this Jan. 19, 2012 photo, a Broadway street sign is seen in Times Square in New York. Leaders in entertainment, academics and marketing gathered Monday, Jan. 23, to peer into their crystal balls and try to predict what Broadway will look like in 2032. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes)
In this Jan. 19, 2012 photo, billboards advertising Broadway shows are seen in Times Square in New York. Leaders in entertainment, academics and marketing gathered Monday, Jan. 23, to peer into their crystal balls and try to predict what Broadway will look like in 2032. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes)
In this Jan. 19, 2012 photo, a theatergoer buys Broadway tickets at the Times Square TKTS discount ticket booth in New York. Leaders in entertainment, academics and marketing gathered Monday, Jan. 23, to peer into their crystal balls and try to predict what Broadway will look like in 2032. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes)
NEW YORK (AP) ? Leaders in entertainment, academics and marketing have gathered to peer into their crystal balls and try to predict what Broadway will look like in 2032.
Speakers at the one-day inaugural TEDxBroadway on Monday included Jujamcyn Theaters president Jordan Roth, "Sleep No More" producer Randy Weiner, former Lincoln Center Director Gregory Mosher, Citibank's social media strategist Frank Eliason and author Juan Enriquez.
Topics covered everything from Broadway's aging audience, its fragmented ticketing systems, poor experiences in theaters, the power of social networks to harness fans and the need to attract talent.
TEDx events are independently organized but inspired by the nonprofit group TED ? standing for Technology, Entertainment, Design ? that started in 1984 as a conference dedicated to "ideas worth spreading."
___
Online:
http://www.goldstar.com/tedxbroadway
Associated Pressjoe flacco 49ers vs giants school closings joe paterno san francisco 49ers san francisco 49ers super bowl 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
No formal bid yet for bankrupt Saab: receivers (Reuters)
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) ? The receivers for bankrupt car maker Saab are talking with several bidders and would like to sell the Swedish company as a whole, but there have been no formal bids yet, they said on Saturday.
Saab was declared bankrupt in December after frantic rescue efforts by its former owner, Swedish Automobile.
Chinese group Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile could make a fresh bid in the coming week, sources have told Reuters.
"We have had discussions with a number of interested parties. Some of them are interested in the factory as a whole and some of them are interested in parts of it," Hans Bergvist, one of the receivers, told Reuters in a telephone interview.
"There have been no formal bids," added fellow receiver Anne-Marie Pouteaux.
General Motors, (GM.N) which still licenses technology to Saab, blocked earlier rescue efforts, saying it did not want help competitors.
Swedish newspaper Dagens Industri has reported Turkish private equity firm Brightwell, as well as Indian utility vehicle maker Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd (MAHM.NS) are also interested.
Neither Bergvist nor Pouteaux would name any of the parties interested in buying Saab or parts of it.
"We do have an objective to sell a totality (of Saab)," added Pouteaux.
Saab hit crisis point early last year after its 2010 sales fell short of target.
Its production line came to a standstill in April and it has not made a car since then.
Swedish Automobile tried several times to line up buyers or financing, but all efforts so far have failed.
(Reporting by Patrick Lannin; Editing by Alison Birrane)
gravitas steve jobs and bill gates steve jobs quotes pancreatic cancer symptoms apple stock aspergers apple computer
James' passion, great range remembered (AP)
NEW YORK ? On her last album "The Dreamer," released just three months before her death, Etta James sings a mix of covers, from the R&B classic "Misty Blue" to the Ray Charles song "In the Evening." But perhaps the most curious tune included on the disc may be the Guns N' Roses staple "Welcome to the Jungle."
That a 73-year-old icon of R&B would tackle the frenetic rock song ? albeit in a pace more fitting her blues roots ? might seem odd. But the song may be the best representation of James as both a singer and a person ? rambunctious in spirit, with the ability to sing whatever was thrown at her, whether it was jazz, blues, pining R&B or a song from one of the rowdiest bands in rock.
"She was able to dig so deep in kind of such a raw and unguarded place when she sang, and that's the power of gospel and blues and rhythm and blues. She brought that to all those beautiful standards and rocks songs that she did. All the number of vast albums she recorded, she covered such a wide variety of material that brought such unique phrasing and emotional depth," said Bonnie Raitt, a close friend, in an interview on Friday afternoon after James' death.
"I think that's what appealed to people, aside from the fact that her personality on and off the stage was so huge and irrepressible. She was ribald and raunchy and dignified, classy and strong and vulnerable all at the same time, which is what us as women really relate to."
James, whose signature song was the sweeping, jazz-tinged torch song "At Last," died in Riverside, Calif., from complications of leukemia. Her death came after she struggled with dementia and other health problems, health issues that kept her from performing for the last two or so years of her life.
It was a life full of struggles. Her mother was immersed in a criminal life and left her to be raised by friends, she never knew her true father (though she believed it was billiards great Minnesota Fats), and she had her own troubles, which included a decades-long addiction to drugs, turbulent relationships, brushes with the law, and other tribulations.
One might think all of those problems would have weighted down James' spirit, and her voice, layering it with sadness, or despair. While she certainly could channel depression, anger, and sorrow in song, her voice was defined by its fiery passion: Far from beaten down, James embodied the fight of a woman who managed to claw her way back from the brink, again and again.
It's an attitude that influenced her look as well. Despite the conservative era, she dyed her hair platinum blonde, sending out the signal that she was far from demure, and owning a brassy, sassy attitude. She relished her role as saucy singer, a persona that she celebrated in her private life as well.
"In terms of 1950s rhythm and blues stars, she had kind of a gutsy attitude and she went out there and did what she did, and she was kind of bold ... and it had a huge influence," she said. "I think her gutsiness and her lack of fear and just her courage (made her special). ... I believe that made her important and memorable."
Beyonce, who played James in the movie "Cadillac Records" about Chess Records, also spoke about her influence on other singers.
"I feel like Etta James, first of all, was the first black woman I saw with platinum, blonde hair. She wore her leopard and she wore her sexy silhouette and she didn't care. She was strong and confident and always Etta James," said Beyonce in a 2008 interview.
James could often be irascible. Ritz remembers when he was working with her on the autobiography, touring with her around the country, one time he approached her with his tape recorder and she barked: "If see that tape recorder again I'm going to cram it up your (expletive)."
But at other times, she'd be effusive and warm and anxious to talk.
"Once she did talk, she was always candid and unguarded. She was a free spirit," Ritz said.
While Ritz put her in the category of other greats like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye, she never enjoyed their mainstream success. Though "At Last" has become an enduring classic, there were times when James had to scrounge for work, and while she won Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she did not have the riches, the multitude of platinum records or the hits that some of her peers enjoyed.
"She at least enjoyed a great resurgence like John Lee Hooker did and B.B. King, (and) has had some great decades of appreciation from new generations around the world," said Raitt. "There's no one like her. No one will ever replace Etta."
And Ritz said the lack of commercial success does nothing to diminish her greatness, or her legacy.
"Marvin certain knew it and Ray knew it ... the people who know that she was in that category," he said. "Whatever the marketplace did or didn't do or whether her lack of career management didn't do, it has nothing to do with her talent."
And on Friday, the Queen of Soul was among those who paid tribute to James greatness, calling her "one of the great soul singers of our generation. An American original!
"I loved `Pushover,' `At Last' and almost any and everything she recorded! When Etta SUNG, you heard it!"
___
AP Entertainment Writer Chris Talbott and AP Writer Mesfin Fekadu contributed to this report.
___
Nekesa Mumbi Moody is the AP's music editor. Follow her at http://www.twitter.com/nekesamumbi
mark madoff disturbia nick diaz michael myers power outage snow storm snow storm
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Health Insurance Increase Okayed In Mass. For 2012 ? CBS Boston
(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
BOSTON (CBS) ?Some Massachusetts residents will see only a small rise in health care premiums this year.
State regulators have approved premium hikes averaging 2.3% for what?s called the Small Group Market.? That includes thousands of small businesses and self-employed residents.
They go into effect in April.
Last year, people saw health care premiums rise 9 percent, and there have been double-digit increases in years past.
State officials say the lower increases reflect years of efforts to get costs under control.
Source: http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/01/21/health-insurance-increase-okayed-in-mass-for-2012/
mike starr gli ufc 141 fight card joseph gordon levitt katy perry russell brand kevin durant rutgers
China iPhone launch delay could boost sales for rivals during Chinese New Year holidays (Digital Trends)
Imagine just prior to the holiday season supplies of Apple?s iPhone ran dry. You?d been hoping to treat yourself to the latest 4S device, or buy one for a friend or relative, but you can?t find the smartphone anywhere. Worse still, there?s no word when they might be returning to stores. If this happened, would you instead take a look at the competition? Examine some of the Android offerings, for example? Or would you just wait until Apple?s device returned to stores, even though it could be a couple of weeks before it happens, or even a month?
As a Bloomberg report points out, this is the dilemma facing shoppers in China just now after Apple?s launch of the 4S device in the country on January 13 descended into chaos, resulting in the company withdrawing the popular smartphone from sale until further notice. And yes, right now China is in the midst of its pre-holiday shopping rush. Their one-week holiday begins on January 23, and so Apple will have lost many sales by removing the 4S from its shelves. Even its online store has sold out. The phone can still be picked up from China Unicom and authorised resellers, but supplies are scarce.
As Bloomberg points out, there?ll be many out there who?ll be rather happy with the way things have gone for Apple in China so far this year ? its competitors, for example. Samsung and others will be hoping to capitalize on the absence of the iPhone just prior to the country?s gift-giving season next week, a period which last year saw shoppers spend an estimated $64 billion.
Is the appeal of Apple?s iPhone 4S strong enough that consumers will wait, or will makers of Android handsets see a boost in sales?
David Wolf, chief executive officer of a Beijing-based consulting firm, thinks it?ll be the latter. ?A large portion of Chinese New Year sales are about having the gifts in hand right now,? he told Bloomberg. ?Android devices competitive with the iPhone will benefit.? HTC and Motorola could also be beneficiaries of Apple?s decision to postpone the launch of the 4S, Wolf said.
It???s going to be interesting to see whether there???ll be any long-term impact on sales of the iPhone in the country, and whether Apple???s image has been tarnished by events earlier this month.
?Most worrying is the potential loss of good will. There might be real demand permanently lost,? a Beijing-based analyst with IDC China commented.
Apple is currently the fourth most popular smartphone vendor in the country, behind Nokia Oyj, Samsung and Huawei Technologies.
This article was originally posted on Digital Trends
More from Digital Trends
Apple?s iPhone 4S lands Consumer Report blessing, still behind Android phones
Speaktoit: The Android answer to Siri
Samsung infiltrates Australia iPhone 4S launch
Apple iPhone 4S sales cut into Android market share: Nielsen
r. kelly x factor finale pro bowl voting kindle fire update college board pasco county rooney mara
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)