News Issues Trends and Reports

European markets close slightly higher after central bank bonanza; Maersk shares up 8%

2023-12-15T11:20:00.000-08:00

LONDON — European markets closed slightly higher on Friday, rounding out a positive week after a deluge of key policy decisions from major central banks.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 index ended up 0.1%, having given back earlier gains of around 0.5%. Mining stocks climbed 1.3% while telecoms dropped 0.8%.

It gained 0.91% on the week in its fifth consecutive week of gains.

A day earlier, on Thursday, the European blue-chip index hitits highest point since January 2022.

Wednesday saw the U.S. Federal Reserve keep interest unchanged in a range between 5.25% and 5.5%, but risk sentiment in markets was boosted as the central bank revealed that policymakers were penciling in at least three rate cuts next year.

On Thursday, both the Bank of England and the European Central Bank also kept their respective interest rates unchanged, but the former pushed back against market expectations by retaining its hawkish guidance that monetary policy is “likely to need to be restrictive for an extended period of time.”

Alongside its decision, the ECB revised down its growth and inflation forecasts for the euro area and announced plans to speed up the shrinking of its balance sheet.

U.S. stocks were mixed on Friday after the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched a fresh record high, as the index heads for its best weekly winning streak since 2019.

Shares in Asia-Pacific also climbed overnight, led by Hong Kong, as markets in the region picked up the baton from Wall Street despite Chinese data showing an uneven recovery in the world’s second-largest economy.

Maersk to pause all container ship traffic through the Red Sea

2023-12-15T10:47:00.000-08:00

Danish shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk will pause all container shipments through the Red Sea until further notice, a spokesperson for the company told Reuters on Friday.

"Following the near-miss incident involving Maersk Gibraltar yesterday and yet another attack on a container vessel today, we have instructed all Maersk vessels in the area bound to pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait to pause their journey until further notice," the company said in a statement.

Maersk on Thursday said its vessel Maersk Gibraltar was targeted by a missile while travelling from Salalah, Oman, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and that the crew and vessel were reported safe.

Earlier on Friday Maersk by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement that the militia had struck a Maersk vessel sailing towards Israel.

"The vessel was not hit," a Maersk spokesperson told Reuters in an emailed statement following the Houthi claim.

The Houthis had claimed they carried out a military operation against a Maersk container vessel, directly hitting it with a drone. The Houthis, who made the claim in a statement, did not release any evidence.

Maersk said the company was deeply concerned about the highly escalated security situation in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

"The recent attacks on commercial vessels in the area are alarming and pose a significant threat to the safety and security of seafarers," it wrote in the statement.

Twilight' Stars: It Was 'About Damn Time' For Robert/Taylor Kiss

2011-06-06T02:15:00.000-07:00

The biggest shocker to come out of the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday night (June 5) was hands down that Robert Pattinson treated Taylor Lautner to a smooch almost as passionate as the ones in the Golden Popcorn-winning "Twilight Saga" films.
"It was about damn time, man. It's been up in the air for about three years now. I think we've all been waiting for Rob and Taylor to kiss," Jackson Rathbone told MTV News when we caught up with him backstage at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. "We knew it was coming, and finally it did. Finally, they acknowledged their love for each other." Rathbone's vampire brother Kellan Lutz admitted he was a bit surprised, but their co-star Peter Facinelli shared a little secret about how the RPattz/Taylor smooch went off without a hitch.
"They asked us to show them in practice," Facinelli said.
"We taught them everything they know," Lutz confirmed.
Tinsel Korey hought the Pattinson and Lautner kiss was "totally sexy," but Kiowa Gordon said he "puked a little bit" when his onscreen enemies locked lips. BooBoo Stewart had "no comment," but Julia Jones at least "thought it was cute."
All seemed to have been smoothed over by the time Pattinson, Lautner and their co-stars took the stage to accept the Best Movie award, with Lautner teasingly giving his sparkly co-star a knowing look and a quick tap on the chin before throwing his arm around his shoulder. As Rathbone said, those two should be nominated for a special award at next year's Movie Awards for Best Man-On-Man Kiss.
What did you think of Rob and Taylor's kiss? Tell us in the comments!

U.S. Soccer focused on Gold Cup

2011-06-06T02:10:00.000-07:00

The information from U.S. Soccer referred to an "inexperienced lineup" and the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup as "more important."
Sorry, but the U.S. national team was playing World Cup champion Spain before 64,121 Saturday night at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., and its 4-0 loss can't be treated as an afterthought.
"Spain is a great team," understated U.S. coach Bob Bradley. "It's a tough test to play against them at any time and it becomes even tougher on the eve of the Gold Cup. It's what the game at the highest level is all about. It's the best way for our team to improve."
The last time the United States played Spain was at the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa, and the Americans scored a spectacular, 2-0 victory, ending Spain's 35-game international unbeaten streak. Six players who played that night were in Bradley's lineup Saturday, and the rest of the U.S. team included players who play professionally in England, Germany and Scotland.
What inexperience?
The Spaniards used five Real Madrid players, three from just-crowned UEFA Champions League king Barcelona, and three from English Premier League teams.
Santa Cazorla (Villareal) scored two goals, Alvaro Negrado (Sevilla), and Fernando Torres, who could not buy a goal this past season for either Liverpool or Chelsea, each scored once.
"We got our butts kicked," said U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard, who will face the Union with Everton at PPL Park in July. "If we win the Gold Cup in a couple of weeks, nobody will remember this."
And who do you think will remember anything about the Gold Cup?

Thunder fighting to survive

2011-05-25T01:27:00.000-07:00

NORMAN — In what may have been the lowest point in the short history of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant sat alone. After his team gave up a 15-point lead that led to an overtime loss to Dallas in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals Monday, Durant faced the media by himself. His coach had just left and his sidekick, Russell Westbrook, was nowhere in sight.
But Durant sat there, with a hand over his face, and answered every question that was shot at him — even the ones that visibly brought up the memories of the painful collapse.
“This is basketball, man,” Durant said. “Our youth has nothing to do with what we were doing on the floor. We’ve showed we can play on this level. They played good defense. We missed some shots. Our youth has nothing to do with it.”
Durant didn’t have the type of game he had wanted — or expected — from himself in Game 5. He had 29 points, but didn’t score a point in the final 10 minutes, including overtime. He tallied 15 rebounds as he battled Tyson Chandler in the paint, but he was also one turnover away from a different kind of triple-double.
“I was trying to play with so much force and play so hard,” Durant said. “Early on, I was getting the ball where I wanted to and they were just playing straight-up defense. But later on, I got the ball where I wanted to and I seen three or four guys around me, and I had to make a pass. Some passes were tipped. A few of those, my swipe move, I didn’t get the foul and I got the turnover.”
Dallas made the decision early on that Durant was not going to beat them.
“The guys that are getting the ball a lot are facing tremendous pressure,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’re game planning like crazy for the guy. We’re chasing him, we’re double-teaming him out to half-court a lot of the time. He’s receiving a lot of attention.”
One thing is for sure, Durant will see the same attention tonight in Game 5 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. It will be up to coach Scott Brooks to figure out a way to get his star the ball in easier scoring positions.
What hurts the situation even more is that Durant doesn’t have to look too far to see how a superstar is supposed to play in the clutch. The Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki has nearly put to rest the talk of him being soft in the postseason with the way he has bullied Thunder defenders throughout the series. He’s scored 40 points or more twice. Dallas won both of those games.
But it’s more than Nowitzki outplaying Durant. It’s the Mavericks’ supporting cast outplaying the Thunder, especially late in games.
“He is a tough cover,” Westbrook said. “The way he knocks down shots, we couldn’t double because of his shooters they have around him. It was tough.”
If the Thunder want their season to continue for at least one more game, they will have to go on the road, in front of a hostile crowd, and show they have learned from their most recent failure.
“I think we can,” Thabo Sefolosha said. “We have bounced back a lot of times. We are playing against a very good team. We have to make some adjustments and keep fighting. It’s not over yet. We have a lot of basketball to play and we have to keep pushing.”
When the season started, the Thunder had championship aspirations, despite their age. Those aspirations turned to expectations after the trade deadline brought them Kendrick Perkins.
Now Oklahoma City is just fighting to survive.
“I feel upset because I think I let (the fans) down,” Durant said. “I let the city down. I just want to come back next game and play even harder. I think I played hard, but push it up another level for these fans and try to bring it back to OKC.”

Hines Ward scores, takes home mirror ball trophy on 'Dancing with the Stars'

2011-05-25T01:20:00.000-07:00

It's all over but cleaning up the tons of confetti on the dance floor of "Dancing with the Stars" Season 12, and by winning it all, Pittsburgh Steeler Hines Ward, with his partner Kym Johnson, upheld the tradition of the dancing football star. Hines was the odds-on favorite to take home the trophy after weeks of outstanding dancing, along with showing a captivating smile and personality. And I have to say: I called it last week!!
If there was a shocker for the night, it was that Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas, tied with Hines and Kym atop the leaderboard, were eliminated and had to settle for third place. It just proves that DWTS is as much a personality contest as a dancing competition.
Kirstie Alley and Maks Chmerkovskiy did their level best to wow the judges and viewers with continued improvement in dancing, while Kirstie gained confidence, endurance and a new figure. I think that Maks was hoping to break into the circle of mirror ball winners after 10 years, but Hines and Kym became a team that was just too tough to beat. Hopefully, the rumors are wrong and he'll be back next season to show off his best moves -- and bare chest.The two-hour finale was just as bloated with commercials and padded with repeats and look-backs as ever, although there were a few surprises. Josh Groban's appearance to surprise Petra Nemcova with her favorite song as she waltzed with Dmitry Chaplin was one, and Chris Jericho's spot-on impression of over-the-top judge Bruno onioli was another. The audience was packed with stars of ABC shows, celebrities, including Sarah Palin, and family and friends of the contestants. All in all, it was exactly what we've come to expect on "Dancing with the Stars." Now, how many weeks is it until the next season starts in September?

Josh Groban Receives Glowing Reviews for Current "Straight To You" Tour

2011-05-25T01:14:00.000-07:00

BURBANK, CA--(Marketwire - May 24, 2011) - On May 12^th, Josh Groban launched the North American leg of his 2011 "Straight To You" World Tour and is receiving some of the best reviews of his career. With a set designed by the award-winning British multi-media creative and digital agency Knifedge, which has pioneered the use of projection with live theater events, the tour gives fans the feeling of an intimate theater setting through stage design, lighting, and projection, as well as through the spontaneity and interactivity Groban delighted his fans with during last year's "Before We Begin" shows. Groban is not only performing an ever-changing set-list of fan favorites from his best-selling albums and his recent platinum-seller Illuminations, he is also taking questions from the audience via text, which concert-goers are given instructions on how to send before and during each show.
"Groban's genuine boy-next-door demeanor in the midst of violins, french horns, percussion, cello, piano, guitars, bass and drums makes him and his music all the more endearing. He appears truly comfortable performing, like it's his second home." - The Dallas Morning News
"Listening to Groban's commanding tenor navigate 'Oceano' and 'Alla Luce,' for example, was to us the same as admiring a painting at the Museum of Fine Arts -- it wasn't necessary to understand the lyrics to understand the song. ... Sometimes beauty, in and of itself, can be both motive and reward. And regardless of the context you're coming from, it can be pretty inspirational, too." - Houston Press
"Groban has boyish charm that belies his big voice. If you want to dismiss him as popera, be my guest; but do take a moment to listen to his voice sometime, just for its qualities and tone, and tell me it doesn't draw you in." -Dallas Voice
"Impeccable vocals, wit, make Groban concert memorable. Groban proved to be quite the showman, but his vocals truly made the show memorable. He managed to belt powerful and enunciated lyrics, then quickly switch to a soothing falsetto. Few performers have the ability to perform that way live without a hitch." - Wichita Eagle
"That had been one of the purposes of the stage set created for his 'Straight To You' tour -- to allow for more interaction between Groban and his fans, whether it be answering questions audience members could text in before the show or getting down among the adoring. But it's simply the case of a talented artist putting his instrument to its best and most effective use. And Groban sings with such obvious emotion and sincerity -- not to mention skill -- that it's difficult not to be won over." - Tulsa World

American Idol' Finale: The Case For Lauren

2011-05-25T01:10:00.000-07:00

We realize this is a futile effort. Everyone knows that Scotty McCreery, the clean-cut, mild mannered, country kid with the aw, shucks grin from Garner North Carolina, has this contest pretty much sewn up. And we’re not just talking about Tuesday night’s DialIdol results that has him leading with twice as many votes as Lauren Alaina. Let’s face it, he’s never been in the bottom three, and a source tells THR that earlier this month, Scotty led his fellow finalists by a country mile over the number two vote-getter that week. So Wednesday night’s result show should come as a surprise to, well, nobody.
Even so, this should not dissuade Lauren Alaina’s fans from harnessing their power and influence to put the Georgia peach in the winner’s column. There’s still time! But even beyond tonight’s four-hour window, we’d like to offer top five reasons why Lauren is the better choice for Season 10.
5) Lauren has versatility. Her range not only suits the country genre she so clearly loves, but it has pop undertones that would work very well with what we like to classify as “crossover” potential. Think: Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood.
4) Look at the Top 40 and the iTunes charts these days -- the biggest sellers of the past two years are female: Pink, Lady Gaga, Adele, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Rihanna, Beyonce, and, yes, Jennifer Lopez. Girls are huge sellers in multiple genres, or, in the words of Beyonce, “run the World.”
3) The top two bests-selling most beloved Idols? Women. The aforementioned Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, ‘natch. And can’t you just see Lauren fitting nicely into that coffee klatch?
2) Despite nearly losing her voice last night, Lauren soldiered on and did more than “work it out,” as Randy Jackson would say. She put heart, soul and every muscle she had into that performance Tuesdya night, showing true poise and professionalism. The show must go on, and it did. Some say Scotty is the more mature of the two. We say, who cares?
1) It has been far too long since a girl won American Idol. The last one was season 6’s Jordin Sparks who won in 2007 and, incidentally, has multiple singles still being played on the radio. No, the closest Idol had to a female winner was last year’s Crystal Bowersox.
Bottom line: Lauren has marketability and the most potential to strengthen the Idol brand by selling music, and isn’t that really what this exercise is all about?
As always, we welcome your thoughts, Idol Worshipers...

Television Review: 'Too Big to Fail'

2011-05-24T05:14:00.000-07:00

A tale of the 2008 financial meltdown comes to HBO, with straightforward direction by Curtis Hanson and a sizable cast led by William Hurt."Too Big to Fail," which premieres Monday on HBO, is the latest of that network's high-toned original films ("Recount," "The Late Shift," "From the Earth to the Moon," the upcoming "Game Change") in which a large cast of medium-big-to-big-named actors assume the skin of the real people to put you backstage at history. In this case — the story of the 2008 financial meltdown and the attempt to keep us all from ruin — the paint is barely dry on the actual events. Indeed, their ongoing consequences will affect the next election.

Directed by Curtis Hanson ("L.A. Confidential," "8 Mile") from a screenplay by Peter Gould ("Breaking Bad") and based on Andrew Ross Sorkin's book of the same name, "Too Big to Fail" is pretty consistent low-key entertainment if not exactly enlightening (because it is an impersonation of the truth) or gripping (because we already know how it sort of ends). Structurally, it is a little like an episode of "House," a series of surgeries and injections requiring further surgeries and injections but without the tidy fourth-act cure, and a little like a disaster movie, where the disaster is still rumbling on at the movie's end, just not as awfully as it might have, and a little like a samurai movie, where the soldiers carry cellphones instead of swords, minus the action. Hanson's direction is admirably straightforward; he doesn't try to compensate for what is basically a story of rich white men talking about money with overcomposed or flashy visuals or an unsettling sound design.In some respects I am a bear of little brain. Fannie Mae will always be the title of a Buster Brown song to me, and at first much of the matter here and many of the many characters went by in a blur of blue suits and gobbledygook — much like my experience of the crisis itself, for that matter. Eventually, the players resolve vaguely into teams, after which watching is less about keeping the many facts straight than tracking the energy flow.

Still, the filmmakers have tried to touch all the important bases, and there are possibly six lines in the film that do not prompt one to ask, "Will this be on the test?" (There is one about doughnuts, one about oatmeal, one about a hawk, one about a frog, one about Christian Science and one about Al Capone's gun; they are supposed to add a dash of naturalism, and they stick out a mile.) Because they have a lot to tell you, movies like "Too Big to Fail" inevitably have something of the shorthand quality of a Presidents Day pageant: "Who has chopped down my cherry tree?" "It was I, with my little hatchet." "God bless you, Mr. President!"

Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson (William Hurt) is our hero here, flanked by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke (Paul Giamatti) and then-president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Timothy F. Geithner (Billy Crudup). Of the bankers and money men — played by the power-suited likes of Tony Shalhoub, Bill Pullman, Michael O'Keefe and Matthew Modine — only James Woods' Dick Fuld, the CEO of Lehman Brothers, constitutes more than a cameo, in part because Lehman was the firm that was allowed to fail and in part because Fuld's famously difficult demeanor guaranteed him screen time. As support staff on Team Paulson, Topher Grace, Cynthia Nixon, Joey Slotnick and Ayad Akhtar all do heavy lifting lightly.

The film's main argument, really, is that we should look kindly upon Paulson and the best he tried to do; the other characters we rate by whether they help or hinder him. What moral voice there is here mostly comes out of his mouth. "We've been late on everything," he admits, and admits also that no one in power wanted to regulate the financial industry because "We were making too much money." (That's about as pointed as the film gets on the subject of corporate greed.) Hurt, who (like his costars) seems to be playing the script rather than imitating the person whose name he bears, is a tall tower of movie-star appeal, and it does not hurt our opinion of Paulson that Kathy Baker plays his wife, although she has not much to do but sympathize.

31 Modern Warfare 3 trailer screens: New York

2011-05-24T05:05:00.000-07:00

Modern Warfare 3 is being created by three separate US studios: Infinity Ward, Raven Software and Sledgehammer Games. So it's something of a surprise to see New York get quite such a violent battering in the first trailer.Activision's teaser footage for the game , which was release last night, shows The Big Apple getting pulverised - both in the handily subtitled 'America' part, and later on in the video.

Here, we've grabbed 31 stills of the action, in which you can see some very cool naval manoeuvres (can you spot the Statue Of Liberty in the background?) as well as a major attack on what appears to be Wall Street.You can check out similarly revelatory screens from the London, Paris and Berlin sections of the Modern Warfare trailer through the links.

Modern Warfare 3 is due for release worldwide for PC, 360 and PS3 on November 8.

Paul Feig: Open to ‘Bridesmaids 2

2011-05-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

For two weeks in a row Bridesmaids has far surpassed box office expectations, and has already been dubbed the first comedy smash of 2011. This is especially impressive in that going into release, the film had three strikes against it: 1) It was a comedy with no A-listers to grab notice. 2) As an R-rated comedy, it couldn’t depend on the huge youth market to boost box office receipts. 3) It’s a female-fronted comedy, which means it had to fight the chick-flick label at every turn (not to mention unfair yet potentially deadly Sex and the City 2 comparison). So, basically Bridesmaids succeeded despite the popular wisdom of many media watchers (including Nikki Finke) – but why?
To put it simply, it’s riotously hilarious. While critics are arguing the particulars, the overall opinion is that the writer, Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo, laid some amazing groundwork with a script that was relateable and hysterical. Then Judd Apatow did his thing by adding in some signature gross-out slapstick (the intro awkward sex scenes, the explosive dress shop scene) – that would get word-of-mouth spreading like wildfire. Next, Paul Feig, the creator of Freaks and Geeks, came into to wrangle a cast of sidesplitting performers that included Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jon Hamm, Chris O’Dowd and Melissa McCarthy. But beyond getting laughs out of his whip-smart cast, he wrung out some poignancy in the payoff, making a film that was as funny and moving as Apatow’s mega-hit The 40-Year-Old Virgin. When you look at it like this, Bridesmaids‘ box office makes a lot of sense – except that risks like this (that ignore the three strikes listed above) are rarely taken. This one was a go largely because of the influence of Apatow.
Of course, now that Bridesmaids has proved bankable, producers all over Hollywood will rush to churn out similar fare in hopes of pulling in audiences in droves. And Bridesmdaids’ own producers may well be on the bandwagon. According to Feig, who recently spoke with Vulture about the comedy’s smashing opening, the possibility of a sequel has already been raised:

Who knows? I mean, it depends how we do in the next couple weeks, but I know there’s definitely … it’s already been brought up. So, um, you know, when you get a group that’s this deep and this good, it’s a crime to not use them again. You just want to make sure that you do it as well as you did the first one and try to make it better, even. So, we’re up for the challenge.

As much as I’d love to see some of these characters again, I cringe at the idea of a sequel because – yes – most sequels are unforgivably bad. But notably, Apatow hasn’t looked to repeat his past successes through that means. Of course, he does do spin-offs like Get Him to the Greek (spawned from Russell Brand’s character from Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and he has been looking to make a spin-off feature centered on the squabbling married couple played by Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann from Knocked-Up. So, maybe that’s a more probable production that a straight-up sequel.
We’ve previously reported that Melissa McCarthy, the breakout comedienne of the cast, has already lined up two new vehicles for her go-for-broke comedy stylings. While one is a road movie about a woman seeking to hijack the Stanley Cup to inspire her ailing husband, the other is said to be a rom-com re-teaming with Feig. Could this be the possible Bridesmaids “sequel”? Is it possible that rather than retread Wiig’s storyline (and thereby detract from Bridemaids’ narrative), producers will spin-off and follow up on Megan’s tale? Maybe with her onscreen lover/real-life husband, Ben Falcone? Now, that’d be something I’d like to see! For her part, McCarthy would be game, saying:

I will show up wherever these guys tell me to go. If it’s a play in their backyard, I will gladly do it. I’ll do kids’ parties for them, I’ll do bar mitzvahs; I’m in.

Well, for my part – if McCarthy’s involved – I’m in too!
Would you be interested in Bridesmaids 2?

Your comments: 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' is back!

2011-05-17T11:56:00.000-07:00

Danielle Staub may be gone, but it didn't take long for Melissa Gorga to bring the drama to the world of the "Real Housewives of New Jersey." Teresa Giudice and Melissa have already mixed it up in the first episode, and there promises to be a lot of drama to follow.
The show has its fans and its hater. NJ.com user counting crow wrote:
I am soooooooooo happy I watched!! After the most horrendous season in history, I think the RHNJ are BACK!! I have no idea how they are going to go UP from the premiere episode, but you can bet your bottom dollar I will be watching. My Monday nights finally have meaning again!!! LOL.

My opinion of the new girl, Melissa...I think she's absolutely gorgeous, her children are ridiculously adorable, and I can't have too much hate for her since she was, at one time, residing in Bayonne. That being said, she's a Grade A troublemaker!!! Give Teresa a break, and shame on Joe the brother (non-juicy version)...your sister is your blood. He looked like such a drunken idiot at the party. ugh. In the middle of the episode my mother goes, "They make all Italians look so bad!" and im like no im pretty sure italians do that on their own (i'm 100% so shutty to all the haters ready to bash me).

Another user said that New Jersey residents should boycott this show (as well as "Jersey Shore") because it makes residents look back. NJ.com user Woolfland agreed and responded:

Taziki, you are exactly right. As an Army brat, I have lived all over the world and have found most people very wonderful and pleasant. I've lived in New Jersey for 20 years and the real people here are wonderful....some of the best people I've ever known. What you're seeing on TV is a representation of a very small existence....remember, most of the JS cast are NOT from New Jersey.

Many of my native NJ friends are embarrassed and ashamed of these shows as they certainly depict NJ in the worse possible way. Sadly, most of the country will never know what I do....that NJ truly deserves its name as the Garden State as it has beautiful mountains, gorgeous beaches and lush farmlands. In fact, most of the state is still rural land sandwiched between NYC and Philly. I don't believe California is full of nuts....I've been there, it's beautiful. My advice, come see for yourself.....come to NJ......Cape May is a great place to start.

Are H-P shares finally cheap enough?

2011-05-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Hewlett-Packard Co. saw its shares tumble to their lowest valuation in at least ten years on Tuesday, though some analysts are still wondering if the stock is cheap enough — given the company’s current struggles. H-P HPQ -7.79% shares slumped more than on Tuesday afternoon after the company lowered its earnings and revenue forecasts for its third fiscal quarter and entire fiscal year. Read more about H-P's results.

Those forecasts stem mostly from the company’s on-going struggles with its consumer PC and services businesses, as well as effects from the recent natural disasters in Japan. The news put the stock to its lowest level in nearly two years and pushed the shares below the lowest price targets of 30 industry analysts surveyed by FactSet Research. The stock is now down more than 14% for the year.

“A near-term catalyst is tough to identify, [and] we view the shares as washed out at current levels,” said Citigroup analyst Richard Gardner, in a research note. Gardner has a buy rating and $65-a-share price target on H-P’s stock.

Abhey Lamba of ISI Group downgraded H-P to a hold rating and cut his price target on the shares to $40 on Tuesday following the results. He said the stock “is likely to remain at current levels, despite an attractive valuation.”

Before the market opened, H-P lowered its 2011 earnings forecast to $5 a share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet estimate that H-P will earn $5.64 a share in its 2012 fiscal year.

But even with H-P giving the market little to rally around, and its stock looking depressed, several analysts say the shares, may represent an opportunity for investors who can stomach the challenges the company is currently facing.

Apotheker addressed the services issue on a conference call before the market opened Tuesday, saying H-P has “not yet shifted our services mix to higher-value, higher-margin and higher-growth categories.” Apotheker also said H-P will hire an executive vice president to focus on IT services and report directly to the CEO.

Shaw Wu, of Stern Agee, called H-P’s outlook and comments on the services business the main reason why the stock has sold off, and driven the overall price of the shares down to more attractive levels.

“Even though it [H-P’s stock] had already underperformed over the last few months, investor confidence has clearly been shaken and it will likely take a few quarters for Apotheker and the H-P management team to win it back,” Wu said. “Yes, the stock is inexpensive, but looks like it is getting more so. Though at these depressed prices, it looks interesting even on lower forward estimates.”

Wu has a buy rating on H-P’s stock and cut his target price on Tuesday to $53 a share from $56.

Auriga analyst Kevin Hunt trimmed his price target on H-P to $45 a share from $46 and maintained his hold rating on the stock. Hunt said he doesn’t see any sustainable growth opportunities for H-P’s business right now, and thinks it may take the rest of the year for H-P’s shares to qualify as “cheap.”

“It does look pretty cheap on traditional metrics,” Hunt said. “But H-P can’t be considered a growth company anymore, which is how most of tech is viewed.”

Hunt added that H-P “kind of falls into the value trap bucket now, where a stock is cheap, but cheap for a good reason.”

Bill O'Reilly, Jon Stewart debate Common White House controversy

2011-05-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

FOX News Channel and Comedy Central political pundits Bill O'Reilly and Jon Stewart don't often see eye to eye. The controversy surrounding rapper Common's invitation to the White House Poetry event on May 11th is no exception.

O'Reilly and Stewart had it out on FOX's "The O'Reilly Factor," debating whether or not the rapper's invitation was appropriate. Common has voiced his support of Joanne Chesimard (aka Assata Shakur), a member of the Black Liberation Army, who was convicted of killing a New Jersey State Trooper in 1977.FOX News Channel and Comedy Central political pundits Bill O'Reilly and Jon Stewart don't often see eye to eye. The controversy surrounding rapper Common's invitation to the White House Poetry event on May 11th is no exception.

O'Reilly and Stewart had it out on FOX's "The O'Reilly Factor," debating whether or not the rapper's invitation was appropriate. Common has voiced his support of Joanne Chesimard (aka Assata Shakur), a member of the Black Liberation Army, who was convicted of killing a New Jersey State Trooper in 1977.convicted murderers.

Watch the war of words below. Who do you think won the battle?

May 21st Doomsday: Judgment Awaits?

2011-05-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

Ah, Judgment Day! That special time of year when you go home to see the folks for Thanksgiving and your grandmother tells you that you look “puffier” than the last time she saw you…
Oh, wait, Judgment Day means talking about Doomsday? My bad! In that case, I hope you’re in the mood for a little Rapture!

According to Harold Camping, the 89-year-old leader of the Christian fundamentalist network Family Radio Worldwide, the day to repent is upon us, as the world will be ending on May 21, 2011.
According to the website, and the countdown clock, we’ve got 4 days to shape up because “The Bible guarantees” Judgment Day will be coming for us. Well— the actual destruction of Earth will take up to six months to come to fruition, but still you get the point.
It should also be stated that Camping has a previous history of some rather inaccurate predictions when it comes to the end of the world. You see, he used to be certain that the world would end come September of 1994, but once that date failed to pan out he went back to studying the Bible and realized his error— May 21st, 2011 it is!
We know our boy Ashton Kutcher has been prepping for this day. Are you??

From Housewife To Stripper

2011-05-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

Now that Danielle Staub, 48, is no longer raking in the big bucks as a reality TV star on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, she's taken her career in a different direction.
She's dancing totally nude at Scores gentleman's club in Manhattan.
This isn't the first time Staub has stripped. She was a dancer at a Miami gentleman's club two decades ago. More recently, she appeared in a celebrity sex tape.
The scandal-prone Staub has signed a three-year deal to appear at the club and on the club's website.
Stripping won't be Staub's only source of income. She's also slated to appear in an upcoming VH1 reality TV series with Heidi Montag from The Hills and Jake Pavelka of The Bachelor. The program will follow the trio as they attempt to open a restaurant together.
Before she became famous, Staub had a scandalous past in Florida. Charles Kipps' Cop Without a Badge details Staub's dealings in the criminal world. In the book, Staub is quoted as having said she had sex with 1,000 men.
These days, Staub isn't the only celebrity making money from stripping. Actor Channing Tatum's past stint as a male stripper is being turned into a movie directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Last week, it was revealed Staub's newest boyfriend is reality TV star and musician Ray J. No word yet on what Ray thinks of his lady's latest gig.

Purdy: Sharks coach should like this prediction

2011-05-15T06:33:00.000-07:00

Todd McLellan is a happy guy these days. For the first time since he began coaching the Sharks in 2008, his team is more or less officially expected to lose a playoff series. They will be the lower-seeded team Sunday in Canada when they face off against the Vancouver Canucks, who had the best record in the NHL this season.

"I think most people see us as an underdog," McLellan said the other day, barely hiding his delight -- and provoking a rare question to the coach of a team that has been so successful:
How big an underdog would he like the Sharks to be?
"I don't know," McLellan responded. "How big are underdogs?"
I guess the next part will be easy, then. I'm picking the Canucks to win in six games.
It's not at McLellan's request. It's because the Canucks have shown over the past month that they can back up their excellent regular-season record. They have a terrific core of defensemen who will give the Sharks fits, a pair of icy-eyed skilled Swedish twin forwards and a gritty American centerman at the top of his game.
Not that Vancouver will roll. The Canucks and the Sharks are the two best teams left in the playoffs. This series is the de facto Stanley Cup finals. And I expect the Sharks to come up just a little short, especially after draining themselves in Thursday's epic Game 7 against Detroit while Vancouver has been resting since Monday.
McLellan, of course, knows exactly what he is doing by casting his Shark men as scrappy, plucky guys whom nobody expects to win. He has never been able to play that psychological card. Ever since the NHL lockout ended, the Sharks have flown the flag as a perpetually underachieving team.
As McLellan noted: "We have this anchor that everybody throws at us, fairly or unfairly."
It's a little of both. The Sharks are the only team in this year's conference finals who were also there last year, which means something. Also, since 2004, just three NHL teams -- the Sharks, Red Wings and Flyers -- have been able to reach the conference finals three times. By comparison, Vancouver hasn't been there even once since 1994. So it's totally wrong to label the Sharks as miserable flops worthy of scorn.
At the same time "... well, any follower of our beloved Los Tiburones can finish the next sentence. For all of their impressive regular-season victories and their better-than-reputed playoff success, the Sharks have yet to reach the Stanley Cup finals. Let alone win the big, silver beer mug. And until they do, they will always have that sentence to finish.
Vancouver, incidentally, is in much the same situation -- although the franchise does have two appearances in the finals. As the only western Canadian team never to win a Cup, though, the Canucks will be feeling the heat from all over British Columbia. Which is why McLellan believes that "maybe we'll play more free" with the Sharks players no longer being reminded every day that they need to validate their promise.
The Sharks have shown the hockey world much fine stuff over the past month. Coming back from a four-goal deficit to win Game 3 in Los Angeles. Grinding out those four one-goal victories over Detroit, including the stomach-acid special Thursday. And you get the sense that, unlike some Sharks teams in the past who seemed to expect that their talent entitled them to win a playoff series, this one understands that it takes sustained effort to get the job done.
Joe Thornton has led the parade in that department, by the way. I stick to the statement that was written here last autumn when there was speculation after Rob Blake's retirement about who should take over the team's captaincy: To me, there is no way the Sharks will win the Stanley Cup unless Thornton is the captain.
So far, he has proved me right. Thornton has led on and off the ice, from his defensive commitment to the calm words in the dressing room before every overtime. He would never concede this, but at age 31 as a husband and new father, Thornton also is realizing that there are only so many kicks at the can left. There is no guarantee the Sharks will ever get a chance again.
His teammates realize it, too. After the Detroit clincher, someone asked Joe Pavelski if he felt a sense of relief.
"There's no relief," Pavelski said. "We've been here before. There's a higher job ahead."
The job is going to be a bear. The Sharks had only one win in four meetings with Vancouver in the regular season, and that was in a shootout. Those two Swedish twins, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, will be making life rugged for the Sharks' defensemen. Daniel is the twin most likely to win the Most Valuable Player award this season. He led the league this season in scoring the first goal of games -- with 12 -- and was a clutch performer.
Meanwhile, Vancouver's leading playoff scorer is Ryan Kesler, who joined Pavelski as the prime heart-and-soul players on the USA Olympic team in 2010. Kesler will plant himself in front of the goal and dare anyone to move him out. Let's just say Sharks goalie Antti Niemi will be growing very acquainted with Kesler's back
The Sharks have a chance to counteract all this if Thornton can get Patrick Marleau to keep raising his game and if Devin Setoguchi keeps firing accurately at the net. But they will need secondary scoring, too, plus more spectacular work from Niemi.
It should be a fun and riveting series. But the underdog won't win this time. Hope that cheery forecast makes McLellan smile.

What are the advantages of ebook readers compared to proper books?

2011-05-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

In 1455, Johannes Gutenberg printed a Bible and changed the world forever. He set in motion an industry that remained fundamentally unchanged for 600 years.
Movable type was his great innovation - individual characters arranged in a frame and used to press ink onto paper. It’s only now, with the advent of ebooks and digital readers, that we are in a position to leave print behind.
Dedicated ebook readers such as Amazon’s Kindle are rapidly falling in price, and so are books that can be read on them.
Supplied as a digital download, they don’t consume the planet’s forests, needn’t be carried to shops by sea, air or road, and are more flexible than their printed equivalents, as you can choose how they are displayed.
But can an electronic book ever replace the printed page in our homes, on the move or even on the beach in summer?
In truth, this new technology has significant problems alongside its many advantages. In this article we will look at the pros and cons, allowing you to choose whether digital or paper books are best for you.
Carry on readingJilly Cooper’s latest hardback has 739 pages and Ken Follett’s 864. Penguin’s latest translation of War and Peace runs to more than 1,300 pages. None of these can be easily carried around for any length of time, unless you buy them as ebooks.
Download all three to a Kindle and it still won’t weigh more than 247 grams - roughly the same as a single slim paperback - and there will be room inside for hundreds more books besides.
Amazon also makes Kindle software for iPhone and Android smartphones, as well as Windows and Mac computers and iPad tablets. They all synchronise online, so if you buy a book on one it can be downloaded in seconds onto any other device you own.Likewise, Apple’s iBooks app is available on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch music player, and if you own more than one your books are synchronised between them.

Digital portability only stretches so far, though, as all the major ebook services’ platforms are incompatible with one another.
Books bought from iBooks can’t be read on a Kindle, for example, and if you bought an ebook from Waterstones for the Sony Reader you couldn’t read it on the iPad or Kindle. The only real exception is that, at the moment, you can buy a book on the Kindle and read it using the Kindle app on an iPad.

IMF’s Strauss-Kahn Charged With Attempted Rape in New York

2011-05-15T06:22:00.000-07:00

May 15 (Bloomberg) -- Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the head of the International Monetary Fund and a potential candidate for the French presidency next year, was charged with attempted rape and a criminal sex act on a woman in a New York hotel, the police said today.

The charges stem from an incident that allegedly occurred yesterday against a 32-year-old female at a Sofitel hotel in midtown Manhattan, the New York Police Department said in an e- mailed statement early today. Strauss-Kahn was arrested on an Air France flight at John F. Kennedy airport, the police said. He also was charged with unlawful imprisonment.

Strauss-Kahn, 62, denies the charges and will plead not guilty, his lawyer Benjamin Brafman said in an e-mailed statement to Bloomberg News today.

He will appear in a Manhattan court later today, New York Police Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne told BBC television in an interview.

The alleged victim is a maid at the hotel, Browne said, according to the New York Times. The assault occurred about 1 p.m. yesterday when the woman entered the $3,000 a night suite - - Room 2806 -- Strauss-Kahn had checked into on May 13, Browne said, the Times reported.

The maid managed to escape from the room and notified colleagues who called the police, Browne told the Times. When officers arrived, Strauss-Kahn was not there and appeared to have left in a hurry, Browne said. His mobile phone had been left behind, Browne told the newspaper.

European Bailouts

Strauss-Kahn had been scheduled to attend a meeting of euro area finance ministers in Brussels tomorrow. The meeting will take place as officials discuss the possible increase of a 110- billion euro ($155-billion) loan package to Greece amid concerns the country may be unable to return to markets to finance its debt next year.

“For the fund, this is terrible news at a time when its leadership needs to portray stability, wisdom, and confidence,” Bessma Momani, a professor in the department of political science at the University of Waterloo in Canada, who specializes in the IMF and its policies, said in an e-mail.

The IMF “remains fully functioning and operational” following Strauss-Kahn’s arrest, the Washington, DC-based organization said in a statement on its website today.

Immunity?

“Mr. Strauss-Kahn has retained legal counsel, and the IMF has no comment on the case; all inquiries will be referred to his personal lawyer and to the local authorities,” Caroline Atkinson, the director of external relations at the IMF, said in the statement.

New York police said Strauss-Kahn doesn’t have diplomatic immunity. The French Foreign Ministry in Paris said the IMF will have to examine what immunity Strauss-Kahn may have. A French consul visited Strauss-Kahn in detention late yesterday, ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said in a phone interview.

Strauss-Kahn, a former French finance minister and member of France’s opposition Socialist Party, has consistently been among the most popular possible candidates to contest France’s 2012 presidential election, opinion polls show.

President Nicolas Sarkozy would have trailed Strauss-Kahn by 5 percentage points in the first round of the presidential voting if the election had been held at the end of last month, a CSA poll for 20 Minutes newspaper, BFM Television and RMC radio showed April 28.

French Presidency

Strauss-Kahn, whose term at the IMF expires next year, over the last several months has declined to say whether he was planning to run for president. The vote will be held in April and May 2012.

Any prospect of getting elected has now has vanished, said Laurent Dubois of the Paris Political Studies Institute. “It’s a tsunami,” Dubois said in a phone interview. “There is no way he can recover from this and run for president.”

This is the second time since he took the helm of the IMF in November 2007 that Strauss-Kahn has faced allegations of misconduct.

In 2008, he had a relationship with Piroska Nagy, a female economist at the IMF, who quit in August of that year. An investigation by the IMF board, released in October 2008, concluded that while he had made a “serious error of judgment,” he shouldn’t be fired.

Strauss-Kahn apologized to his staff and family, which includes his third wife, French television journalist Anne Sinclair, and four children from his previous marriages.

Management Changes

“For fund critics and challengers of Western leadership in international financial institutions, this is emblematic of poor judgment and may further motivate them to call for serious changes in management,” Momani said.

Last month, officials from the Group of 24, which includes Brazil, China and Mexico, repeated a call for “an open, transparent, merit-based process” for choosing the heads of the World Bank and IMF, “without regard to nationality.” The IMF job is traditionally held by a European, while an American leads the World Bank.

Strauss-Kahn took the helm of the IMF in November 2007, following his loss in the primaries of the French Socialist Party ahead of the 2007 presidential elections.

Strauss-Kahn, who succeeded Spain’s Rodrigo Rato, has helped reshape the agency’s mission and restore its relevance. When he arrived, its emergency lending dropped to $58.7 million in 2006 from $66.4 billion in 2002. Among his first moves there was to cut about 400 jobs.

Financial Crisis

The global financial panic triggered by the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. in September 2008 restored the Washington-based IMF’s relevance as its emergency loans soared to a record of $91.7 billion last year from $1.1 billion in 2007.

Strauss-Kahn gained backing from the Group of 20 to triple the IMF’s resources, and the group has over the past two years given the agency a host of new missions to help avoid another crisis. The IMF is helping the G-20 single out countries whose policies threaten global growth, and has also submitted proposals to fortify the international monetary system.

More recently, he played a key role in efforts to stem the European debt crisis which started last year in Greece, with a pledge to contribute about a third of future bailouts in the region by the European Union. The IMF has co-funded aid packages to Greece and Ireland. He was due to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel today.

Emerging Nations

Under Strauss-Kahn, the IMF also approved a plan that will make China the third-strongest voice in the 187-member organization, founded in 1945, while weakening Europe’s influence to make room for emerging countries.

Strauss Kahn has juggled careers as an economics professor, lawyer and Socialist politician. He holds a law degree and a doctorate in economics from the University of Paris.

In 1986, he was elected to the National Assembly and served as industry minister from 1991 to 1993. He returned to office as finance minister under Premier Lionel Jospin in 1997. He cut France’s budget deficit to below 3 percent in 1999, the level required for euro membership.

In November 1999, he resigned as finance minister after magistrates began an investigation into financial irregularities at MNEF, a French student insurance group. The probe covered an allegation that the company had paid him about $100,000 from 1994 to 1996 for legal work on a property deal that he never performed. Strauss-Kahn denied wrongdoing and was cleared by a Paris court in November 2001.

--With assistance from Albertina Torsoli, Helene Fouquet, Vidya Root and James Hertling in Paris. Editors: Kevin Costelloe, Dick Schumacher, Mike Harrison.

Delaware men's lacrosse: Blue Hens storm back but fall just short in NCAA tourney

2011-05-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

DURHAM, N.C. -- For the second straight year, the University of Delaware met the challenge but couldn't avoid defeat when it ventured into treacherous Atlantic Coast Conference lacrosse territory.
That left satisfaction and disappointment dwelling in close company as the vanquished Blue Hens digested a 15-14 NCAA tournament first-round loss to defending champion Duke on Saturday in front of 2,572 at Koskinen Stadium.
Two remarkable comebacks put Delaware in a position to leave with such regret."They never quit," Delaware coach Bob Shillinglaw said of his players. "They played their hearts out. I wish we had maybe another 20 seconds. Who knows?"Delaware trailed by as many as six goals three times in the first half but rallied to within 9-7 at halftime and 9-8 early in the third quarter.
Duke then surged ahead 15-10, but Delaware got goals from Grant Kaleikau, Eric and Taylor Burns 29 seconds apart beginning with 3:45 left to pull within two. Burns then picked up a loose ball and scored on a nifty backhanded scoop with 19 seconds left to make it 15-14.
Dan Cooney, who won 19 of 32 faceoffs, initially gained possession on the last draw but slipped on the wet grass and lost the ball. Delaware backup goalie Ryan Smith eventually got off a length-of-the-field shot as time ran out. It went wide.
"Sports is a game of momentum," said Kaleikau, who plays one especially known for its scoring spurts. "We rode it out. We couldn't get that last one."
The loss came a year after the Hens fell 14-13 in an NCAAtourney opener at nearby North Carolina.
"I don't think anybody thought we were going to be here," senior defender Pat Dowling said of Delaware winning two road games to take the CAA title and reach the NCAA tourney. "And down five goals in the first quarter, everybody thought the game was over. It's bittersweet to come down here and lose so close, but it's a huge accomplishment for the team and for the program."
The game was delayed 45 minutes by lightning between the third and fourth quarters.
No. 14-ranked Delaware (11-7) had rebounded from a 5-0 deficit to beat Towson this spring. No. 6 Duke (13-5) was a significantly greater challenge, but Delaware outshot the Blue Devils 40-30.
"What you saw from them for four quarters was phenomenal ball movement," said Delaware goalie Noah Fossner, who made five saves. "That's what lacrosse offense is supposed to look like."
Duke senior goalie Mike Rock was making just his third start of the year in place of injured sophomore regular Dan Wigrizer (concussion). He had 12 saves.
Duke moved to next Sunday's quarterfinals at 2:30 p.m. at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., against Notre Dame. The No. 4-seeded Irish beat Penn 13-6 Saturday. It's a rematch of last year's title game won by Duke 6-5 in OT.

Sony begins to bring PlayStation Network back online

2011-05-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

Sony is bringing services back to the PlayStation Network beginning Saturday night.
Currently, PlayStation 3 owners will be able to log onto the network and download a firmware update. Later this Saturday night, online game play for PS3 and PSP will begin rolling out, with the East Coast of the U.S. startingfirst, with the rest of the country getting services as the night goes on.In a video on the site, Sony Corp. Executive Deputy President Kazuo Hirai notes a new PSN security feature -- all users must change their PSN username and passwords. "Since the attacks on our networks we have been working around the clock to bring game and media services back online," he says in the video.
The service is being brought back in phases, Hirai said, with the first including online signin for PSN and Qriocity, online gameplay on PS3 and PSP, services such as Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, MLB.TV, friends lists, chat, trophy comparison and PlayStation Home.
PlayStation Store and Qriocity purchasing features will be back on line, he says, "as soon as possible."
Along with restoration for the U.S., PSN restoration for the rest of the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Middle East are beginning now, also, with Japan and other Asian countries and regions to be announced later. The company expects to have the services fully restored by the end of May 2011.
"While we understand the importance of getting our services back online, we did not rush to do so at the expense of extensively and aggressively testing our enhanced security measures. Our consumers' safety remains our number one priority," Hirai said. "We want to assure our customers that their personal information is being protected with some of the best security technologies available today, so that everyone can feel comfortable enjoying all that PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have to offer."
"The last few weeks have been tough for all of us," Hirai continues in the video. "Please know that we are doing everything we can to fully restore network services around the world and to regain your trust over the days weeks and months to come."

Storm clouds gathering in Bronx over Jorge Posada controversy

2011-05-15T06:11:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK — Among the Yankees’ Core Four, it was always Jorge Posada who battled the darker angels. Andy Pettitte was as innocent as a dove, Mariano Rivera remained a billboard of calm while his cut-fastball lasered through the American League, and Derek Jeter, even in decline, is still as regal as Joe DiMaggio.
Posada? He’s the brooder. He’s the angry one. That simmering temper finally bubbled over on Saturday, in what’ll be remembered as the lowest point of Posada’s career. The catcher asked out of the lineup after being dropped to the No. 9 spot against Josh Beckett — a snub that Posada couldn’t live with. Not against the arch-rival Red Sox, not on national television, not when it came directly from the manager he’s never liked, Joe Girardi.
Although Posada initially accepted the demotion with grace — "I put myself in this spot (with a .165 average)" he told reporters — his mood obviously soured by 6 p.m.. That’s when Posada walked into Girardi’s office and said, simply, "I need a day (off)."
Here’s where a series of mistakes unfolded on both sides. Posada, too indignant for a long conversation, chose not to explain why he was asking out. And Girardi, who avoids confrontations, didn’t push Posada for an answer.
Instead, the situation to become an open feud. By the fourth inning, the Yankees announced that GM Brian Cashman would address reporters in the press box. In-game briefings are extremely rare in the Bronx, reserved only for major news — or major trouble. Indeed, Cashman stared into the cameras and said Posada was out of the lineup for reasons that didn’t involve an injury. It was the Yankees’ way of putting the spotlight directly on Posada. They were officially putting him on notice.
You embarrass us, we’ll do likewise, is what Cashman all but said. Within minutes, Posada’s wife Laura posted on her Twitter account that Jorge had been suffering from a bad back, which accounted for his absence.
The counter-punch enraged Yankee officials, who believed any suggestion of an injury was a cop-out. Posada never said anything about his back to Girardi, nor did he seek treatment from the trainers or team doctors. The catcher later admitted to reporters his back problems were "not significant."
So why the need for an alibi? Because Posada and his handlers under-estimated the Yankees’ wrath. Anyone following the events on Twitters would’ve known that Hal Steinbrenner had contacted the commissioner’s office early in the evening, weighing the possible responses. At the minimum, Posada was facing a two-day fine. At worst, the Yankees were asking about voiding his contract. It was a long fall for one of the most accomplished catchers in Bomber history, a personal favorite of none other than Yogi Berra. Posada was one of the last bridges to the Joe Torre golden era — back when the Yankees were a championship-winning machine.
But his slide toward sub-mediocrity this season is only part of the problem. The fact that Posada would walk away from a battle with the Red Sox would’ve been incomprehensible under Torre — or even as recently as 2009, when he was an integral part of the Yankees’ 27th World Series conquest.
That was the former Posada, tough to the point of being indestructible. But Torre never had to sheppard Posada or Derek Jeter or any of the franchise’s guardians toward the ends of their careers.
It’s Girardi who’s been left to do the heavy lifting. With Posada unable to catch any longer, with his inability to hit lefthanders (0-for-24 so far) and near helplessness against righties, something had to give.
Still, Girardi should’ve known dropping Posada to the No. 9 spot was a glove-slap across the face of his proud catcher. Just as Posada should’ve known his request for a mental health day would never go down quietly — not in the middle of a Yankee losing streak, and certainly not against Boston.
The once-great Posada will now be remembered for a cowardly act, for hiding behind a questionable injury, and, mostly, for letting his team down. Posada would’ve been smart to own up to his mistake — to say, simply, he over-reacted, he’d let his ego and anger get in the way, and that he was sorry.
A from-the-heart apology might’ve erased the incident altogether. Instead, Posada offered no remorse, insisting to reporters that his back was stiff — although not stiff enough to have ever informed Girardi.
The catcher’s relationship with the front office is now at an all-time low, as well. Posada directly questioned Cashman for his in-game announcement, saying any misunderstanding should’ve been handled after the final out.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE 36.21 Ed Helms & Paul Simon

2011-05-15T06:07:00.000-07:00

Some weeks, "Saturday Night Live" just misses its mark. The cast can give it their all and the skits can flow according to plan, but every so often things just won't fire right. That was the case with the penultimate episode of season 36 of SNL, featuring host Ed Helms (of The Hangover 2 and "The Office") and musical guest Paul Simon.

The political cold open was more humorous than as is the norm, featuring Wolf Blitzer's CNN coverage of Fred Armisen's ever-caricaturistic Obama letting loose during a speech, working on a stand-up routine and dropping new slogans. After the intros, Ed Helms arrives for his monologue looking nervous as hell in a business-casual suit that suggests Sunday brunch with the fiancee's rich parents. Yawns are fighting to escape thirty seconds into his nonsense recollection of baton twirling as a kid (which, of course, turns into a spandex-bodysuit act), and hopes plummet for the nerd charm of Andy Bernard of "The Office" to shine through Helms. It's just not funny. He's just not funny.

A repeat spoof commercial for corn syrup and a real commercial break later, we see the return of Kenan Thompson's signature bit, What Up With That? Paul Simon sits in, alongside one of the squeaky brats from "Glee" and, of course, Bill Hader's ever-bumped Lindsey Buckingham. (Has Paul SImon been beaten about the face and neck? Was there some sort of botched surgery involved? I don't mean to be mean, but the legend looks like a geriatric malnourished mole.)

Ed Helms brings the skit to a screeching halt. It's genuinely discomforting to see him enter the skit, and his failed banjo playing didn't help much either... but that was an instant afterthought when the actual Lindsey Buckingham showed up and shredded on an acoustic for a moment.

The Ambiguously Gay Duo returns! For the first time since 2007, Steve Carell and Steven Colbert reprise their cartoon roles as Ace and Gary, the clueless homoerotic superheroes. Only this time, they're shot with an evil ray that turns them into... Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon? WTF? Soon everyone is real, and this party goes way off the deep end. Longest skit in the history of SNL? Perhaps. One of the most bizarre and out of the box for the show? Absolutely.

It's disheartening to see a formerly brilliant flame of talent falter in his twilight. Watching Paul Simon's take on his new song "Rewrite," from his new album So Beautiful or So What was tiring. His whistling was dry and off, his strumless stroking of the guitar neck audibly ineffective, and the song itself simply had no gravity. His second song had a little more strut, but ultimately the mood went terminal with the lack of energy. Sorry Paul, you just don't translate to the digital generation. And you look like you're a missed meal away from death.

Weekend Update's high point was Seth Meyers - who we hope will end his run as the solo W.U. host with next week's season finale - comparing Newt Gingrich to a Harry Potter character, so what does that tell you? Kristen Wiig & Fred Armisen's tired song-improv bit went on for at least five solid minutes, and Jay Pharoah's Will Smith impression is getting oddly creepy (they need to get him interacting with another character). Bobby Moynihan's "secondhand news guy " Anthony Crispino is always a good laugh, however, especially the part where he confides that they found a "condom wrapper in the White House".

Helms, Heder, Sudeikis & Samberg are in the basement for Poker Night, pounding beers and splitting verses of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" with stories of grandfathers in Jamba Juice cups, Bin Laden's death, female "prostate" exams and so on. Extra credit for the human centipede conclusion, yes. I'll give them that.

It's 1941 Hollywood. The skit is black and white. The humor? Nonexistent. "One Take" Tony Taluca can't do the job on the movie set. Yawn. It was, however, more entertaining than the Generic Republican Advertisement, which featured Helms completely sucking the air out of every would-be laugh in a presidential campaign monologue piece. It was downright painful to watch.

Two sketches in the first hour, with four in the final thirty minutes of the night, makes for strange impressions. The odd imbalance, mixed with Helms' complete comedic flop as host (he's got the charisma of wet bread thrown against a wall) made for an episode that was better left on the shelf. This appearance is going to hamper Helms' ability to sell himself into the comedy scene he's already got a foot in the door of (what with The Hangover sequel coming, as well as his lovable role on "The Office").

And where are all the women? Kristen Wiig's been doing the Bridesmaids junket rounds all week, but she still managed to appear in a good third of the show's skits. The other three ladies, Abby Elliot, Nasim Pedrad and Vanessa Bayer, were barely seen throughout the entire broadcast. Unacceptable!

With Justin Timberlake and Lady GaGa closing out the season next week, we're sure to see something considerably more entertaining than the 90 minute streak of mediocrity I just sat through. Even Helms' closing goodbyes were awkward and devoid of charm. Cringe.

Mike Huckabee out for 2012, citing lack of divine support; Trump, of course, takes a victory lap

2011-05-15T06:04:00.000-07:00

Credit where due, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee knows how to tease viewers to stay for the whole show -- and leave them with a little surprise.
The governor interviewed several guests -- including former "Saved by the Bell" star and "Dancing With the Stars" runner-up Mario Lopez -- and jammed with Ted Nugent on "Cat Scratch Fever."
Huckabee then took the last few minutes of Saturday's episode of his Fox News talk show "Huckabee" to reveal his decision about being a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012.
In short, no.
He said he would have been an awesome candidate; money wasn't a problem; the wife and kids were all in; and he's terribly sorry to dash the hopes of all his ardent supporters. But the Lord told him to sit this one out (not in so many words, of course, but during moments of solitary reflection).
As soon as he finished talking, a "Huckabee Alert" graphic flashed, and there was will-he-or-won't-he GOP contender Donald Trump, saying (with typical Trumpian bombast and a hint of humor) how Huck's a great guy and all, could've been a contender, but don't let the door hit your arse on the way out ... oh, and enjoy your money and the new house in Florida (Trump already has a house in Florida, the fabled Mar-a-Lago).
This tag-teaming of Huckabee and Trump will no doubt set pundit tongues a' wagging -- but, both are FNC regulars, so it could have been just a bit of home-team back-slapping.
(Imagine if it had been FNC commentator and repeatedly rumored GOP candidate, former vice-presidential nominee and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin ... liberal and conservative blogs could have dined out on that one for a week.) But it again proves that, while Trump's actual viability as a candidate is yet to be determined, there's no doubt he's a ....
....heckuva showman. As for Huckabee's rationale, it served the dual purpose of letting others either in or pondering the GOP race know that he would have given them a run for their money. And btw conversely, that if he doesn't like what they're doing, a word to his followers could dent their poll numbers. While allowing Huck to bow out now for an entirely internal reason that outsiders can neither confirm nor refute.
There will be those who think he used his faith as an excuse, and those who think he's perfectly sincere. Only Huckabee and the Almighty know for sure.
He also said nothing about accepting or rejecting a vice-presidential bid if the eventual GOP nominee calls on him to serve.
Huckabee took pains to emphasize that he believes he would have been neither just a regional Southern candidate nor just a favorite among social conservatives -- and that he polled well in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The inclusion of these states may or may not be a sly dig at former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who participated in the first GOP debate on May 5 on FNC, or at New Jersey GOP Gov. Chris Christie, an oft-declared non-candidate who has recently been the object of an enthusiastic draft campaign from some Iowa GOP donors.
After all, with a TV show, a ninth book -- called "A Simple Government," all explained in 240 pages -- radio commentaries and a lucrative schedule of public appearances, it pays for Huckabee to keep his options as broad as possible.
Huckabee will join announced GOP candidate Ron Paul this morning on "Fox News Sunday" to discuss his decision. The Ticket's usual Saturday noon lineup of Sunday morning guests is here.
Scroll down for the full text of Huckabee's announcement, followed by Trump's commentary ...
Mike Huckabee:
"Pundits and members of the political class who have spoken with certainty about my decision to run, or not, for president 2012 are amusing, if not amazing, to think that they even knew what I didn't know until late this week.
"The past few months have been a time of deep personal reflection. Even though I wasn't actively establishing a campaign organization or seeking financial support to run again, polls have consistently put me at or near the top to be the Republican nominee.
"And when possible candidates were discussed in the media -- and despite polls that showed me in the lead -- my name would sometimes go unmentioned, while some candidates barely registering single digits were touted as a front-runner.
"But I found comfort that the nomination would not be made by commentators, columnists or consultants, but by the rank-and-file voters in the Republican primary. And their support is strong; and it's been growing.
"Concerns that I had about raising the necessary funds to be competitive, or being able to win in states outside the South, were answered when signs of strong financial support materialized, and when polls showed me winning in states like Pennsylvania, Maine, even New Jersey.
"Now, that kind of shattered the notion that I was only a regional candidate or only supported by social conservatives.
"I haven't done much toward a race because, frankly, my life was filled with work that I truly loved, right here at Fox News, and doing radio commentaries on my daily 'Huckabee Report' on 600 stations, traveling the country for speaking engagements, and helping good, conservative, pro-life candidates who are running for office.
"Other people probably thought about it more than I did.
"I don't have an issue with my family being supportive. My wife actually has encouraged me to do it, despite knowing full well that it would subject her and the rest of the family to some brutal and savage personal attacks. My adult children also had made it clear that they'd be with me, no matter what. And when people asked me, what would it take for me to run, I'd tell them the same thing, 'Pray for me to have clarity in the decision.'
"I don't expect everyone to understand this, but I'm a believer and a follower of Jesus Christ, and that relationship is far more important to me than any political office. For me, the discussion and decision is ultimately not a political one, not a financial one, not even a practical one. It's a spiritual one.
"The past few weeks, the external signs and signals and answers to many of the obstacles, point strongly toward running. And when I'm with people encouraging me to run, it's easy to feel the strength of their partnership and commitment to help me to the finish line.
"But only when I was alone, in quiet and reflective moments, did I have not only clarity but an inexplicable inner peace, a peace that exceeds human understanding. All the factors say, "Go!' But my heart says, 'No.'
"And that's the decision that I've made. And in it, I finally found some resolution.
"Now, look, I don't fully understand it myself, but I am sure the pundits will. But I know this, under the best of circumstances, being president is a job that takes one to the limit of his or her human capacity. To me, to do it apart from an inner confidence that I was undertaking it with God's full blessing is simply unthinkable.
"I can't know or predict the future, but I know, for now, my answer is clear and firm. I will not seek the Republican nomination for president this year.
"I'm going to gladly continue doing what I do and hopefully helping others in their campaigns for Congress, governorships and other positions.
"I'll certainly give more detail about this decision in full time, and especially to those who have faithfully and so sacrificially been part of the process.
"I know I'm going to deeply disappoint a lot of people I love. So many good and dear people have put forth extraordinary effort, and they did it without any assurance that I would even mount a campaign. And it pains me, seriously pains me, to let them down. But I also know my decision is going to delight just as many who aren't that fond of me.
"Let me say, I am eternally grateful for the faithful support of my wife, children and my real friends, who promised to stand with me, no matter what.
"I have come to believe that I would be in the race for president -- but I won't be. I will, for sure, be rededicating myself to standing for and communicating the principles of common sense, constitutional government and civil discourse that I believe are critical to the survival of this great and wonderful republic. "From New York, this is Mike Huckabee. Good night, God bless, and, uh, I guess I'll be back next week."
Donald Trump:
"This is a special announcement. Mike Huckabee is not going to be running for president. This might be considered by some people, not necessarily me, bad news, because he is a terrific guy and, frankly, I think he'd be a terrific president.
"But a lot of people are very happy that he will not be running, especially other candidates. So, Mike, enjoy the show; your ratings are terrific; you're making a lot of money; you're building a beautiful house in Florida.
"Good luck."

Full online system reboot could take until end of May -

2011-05-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

With PSN now being down for close to three weeks, PS3 gamers have had to do without online multiplayer, trophy syncing, and many other elements that gamers have taken for granted over the course of the current generation. While Sony provided an update on the situation on Friday – full story and details here – the company remains mum on when PSN will go back online. Thanks to Sony’s continued commitment and advancements made to the service, a launch this week seems likely, but it has yet to be confirmed.
Today, a Sony spokesperson told the WallStreetJournal some new information regarding the situation and how long it may take before Sony gets the entire online service up and running once again. According to the Sony’s spokesman, a full system reboot would take until possibly the end of the month. However, they declined to comment on when the system can be expected to go live again, possibly indicating that the wait may be longer than many are expecting or hoping.

To make amends for this issue, Sony is offering a ‘Welcome Back’ program which will offer a variety of payback methods to customers. Detailed by Sony of Europe, Sony will be offering free PS3 and PSP games to customers from a catalogue of pre-selected titles – find all the details and full story here.
As the hours and days go by, gamers are looking for answers from Sony regarding this issue. As of now, it is known that Sony is testing the system and making sure it is up to par before they’ll launch the service again.