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Penny Marshall has book deal with Amazon.com

“I can’t say I’m excited about the Yankees losing, or there not being a basketball season yet, but I am excited about writing this book,” Marshall said in a statement. “People have always asked me how I got from the Bronx to Hollywood, so I thought it was time to tell how it all happened. I have had many lives _not in the Shirley MacLaine sense and you will hear about them all. Just don’t expect any recipes. I don’t cook.”

Marshall’s memoir will be available as a hardcover and an e-book. Strone told The Associated Press that several publishers bid, but that Amazon “won the auction.” He declined to offer financial details, but said that Amazon’s offer was “a lot” and that it also agreed as it usually does to a much higher royalty on e-books than the 25 percent traditionally given by publishers.

Amazon Publishing editorial director Julia Cheiffetz said she regarded Marshall as a “trailblazer” in show business and that she hoped to find “new and innovative” ways for Marshall to reach readers. Amazon has angered stores by signing deals with authors that make the online retailer the exclusive seller, but Cheiffetz said that Amazon intended “to make this book available to any retailer that would like to carry it in physical or digital format.”

Marshall’s agent, Dan Strone, announced Tuesday that the online retailer would release Marshall’s memoir “My Mother Was Nuts” in Fall 2012. Marshall is still remembered fondly for co-starring in the 1970s sitcom “Laverne and Shirley” and she is among the few women directors to have major commercial success in Hollywood, her big screen hits including “Big” and “A League of Their Own.” According to Strone, Marshall will also write about ex-husband Rob Reiner, her friendship with John Belushi and her fight against lung and brain cancer in 2009.

Amazon, which has been steadily expanding its publishing operations, recently signed a deal with best-selling self-help author Timothy Ferris and on Tuesday announced that it had started an imprint for science fiction, fantasy and horror. Publishers and booksellers have been worried about Amazon’s dual roles as client and competitor and rival stores have expressed strong reservations about selling books released by Amazon.

“It was a decision whether to go with old school or new school,” said Strone, CEO of Trident Media Group. He added that he had a history of working with the head of Amazon Publishing, Laurence J. Kirshbaum, who as CEO of Warner Books published another Strone client, Jon Stewart.

NEW YORK Filmmaker-actress Penny Marshall has a book deal with a fresh twist: The publisher is Amazon.com.

Posted 24 January 2012 † admin § Evisu ‡ Comments (0) °

Country music great Haggard hospitalized with pneumonia

NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) Country music great Merle Haggard has been admitted to a Georgia hospital suffering from pneumonia and postponed the rest of his concert dates in January, his spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Haggard, 74, entered the Macon hospital on Tuesday night after he canceled a show in that Georgia city seven minutes before he was to take the stage because he was too ill to perform, said Frank Mull, his tour manager and close friend.

A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Haggard is best known for songs including “Mama Tried,” “Okie from Muskogee” and “The Fightin’ Side of Me.”

Haggard had been scheduled to perform again on Wednesday night in Columbus, Georgia, but that show and the rest of the January slate will be rescheduled for April, according to Haggard’s Los Angeles-based publicist Tresa Redburn.

Redburn said the singer was receiving fluids intravenously. She said she spoke with Haggard by telephone “and he sounded pretty good.”

Haggard will take time off to recover and resume his tour in February, Redburn said. Haggard lives in Northern California.

The singer was unwell when he left his California home to begin the tour, but did not want to disappoint his fans, Mull said. “He thought he was well enough to work and he did work three dates, and he got progressively worse,” Mull said.

With influences ranging from Lefty Frizzell to Bob Wills to Jimmie Rodgers, Haggard is an architect of country music’s “Bakersfield Sound.”

(Editing by Paul Thomasch and Will Dunham)

Posted 19 January 2012 † admin § Rock Republic ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

China 2011 insurance premiums up 10 percent report

BEIJING (Reuters) China’s total insurance premiums rose 10 percent to 1.43 trillion yuan ($226.64 billion) in 2011 from a year earlier, state media quoted the country’s industry regulator as saying on Saturday.

Xiang Junbo, the chairman of the China Insurance Regulatory Commission said assets in the industry totaled 5.9 trillion yuan, without giving a year-ago comparison,Replica Bulzeye, according to a report by state news agency Xinhua.

In a speech at the end of a key financial conference, Xiang, who took on the job last October, said many insurance companies have not kept up with “the profound changes in the external environment.”

“A number of insurance companies do not attach importance to strengthening internal management and innovating their products and services, leading to the deterioration of their abilities to compete in the industry,” he said. “Some companies even flout the law, with no regard for cost effectiveness, in blind pursuit of…market share.”

At the same conference, China’s Premier Wen Jiabao urged the country to reduce risks stemming from local government debt and called for better regulation to manage the risks, although he described the debt situation as “still under control.”

Previous such conferences have led to significant policy changes, such as the reform of the People’s Bank of China, the central bank, and the establishment of the CIRC, the CBRC and the China Investment Corporation, the country’s sovereign wealth fund.

(Reporting by Sui-Lee Wee)

Posted 10 January 2012 † admin § Ed Hardy ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

5 charged in San Diego-area school corruption

SAN DIEGO Four current and former public school officials were among those charged Wednesday with accepting tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of lavish meals, theater tickets and hotel stays from businesses seeking construction contracts.

“For years, public officials regularly accepted what amounted to bribes in exchange for their votes on multimillion-dollar construction projects. The corruption was nothing short of systematic,” said San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. A contractor also faces felony counts stemming from the probe of the urban Sweetwater Union High School District.

Authorities said that between 2008 and last year, district officials racked up hundreds of dollars in food and drinks on contractors’ tabs, and were given tickets to the Los Angeles Lakers playoffs, Rose Bowl and to concerts and theater. They did not report the gifts.

Administrators and trustees solicited cash for the children’s beauty pageants or field trips, authorities said. They received Southwest Airlines tickets and a trip to Napa Valley. Shortly after board members received financial favors, contractors were awarded projects from a $644 million voter-approved bond offering, authorities said.

Former Superintendent Jesus Gandara and board member Greg Sandoval face eight counts of perjury and filing false statements. School board members Pearl Quinones and Arlie Ricasa face four felony counts on the same charges.

Henry Amigable, a construction company executive who worked for Sweetwater and Southwestern College, was charged with bribery and improperly influencing elected officials.

They face between four and seven years in state prison if convicted, the district attorney’s office said.

Dumanis said additional charges and defendants were possible,wholesale Ed hardy scarves, according to U-T San Diego. Based on search warrants served last month, investigators also focused on Southwestern College. The newspaper’s reporting sparked the investigation.

Gandara was terminated in June but received a payout of more than $400,000, according to U-T San Diego. His attorney noted that none of the public officials were charged with accepting a bribe and many of the gifts were reimbursed.

Amigable’s attorney, Dan Greene, said his activities were sanctioned by his supervisors, the newspaper reported. Quinones attorney, Marc Carlos, said the board member relied on advice from the school district’s lawyers.

Ricasa didn’t respond to U-T San Diego’s requests for comment and Sandoval referred calls to his attorney, who did not respond.

Posted 08 January 2012 † admin § Ed Hardy ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Walgreen 1Q profit drops on Express Scripts fight

NEW YORK Walgreen’s first-quarter earnings fell more than 4 percent due in part to a slow flu season and its impending split from the Express Scripts pharmacy network, a multibillion-dollar dispute that looks no closer to resolution in the final days of the year.

Since June, Walgreen and Express Scripts have said they were preparing to stop doing business when the three-year contract expires at the end of 2011. Walgreen gets $5.3 billion in annual revenue from Express Scripts, but the Deerfield, Ill., company has said it would rather give that up than continue filling unprofitable prescriptions.

President and CEO Greg Wasson said the company made one last attempt last week to come to terms with Express Scripts, but the two sides were unable to resolve their differences.

Walgreen remains open to another offer, Wasson said.

Unless the companies strike a last-minute deal, most people whose prescription drug benefits are handled by Express Scripts won’t be able to fill their prescriptions at Walgreen stores, starting in January. Express Scripts clients include WellPoint Inc., which is the largest U.S. health insurer based on membership, and TriCare, the health plan that serves military members and their families.

Walgreen is the biggest drugstore chain in the U.S. with 7,812 locations.

Shares of Walgreen fell as much as 8.1 percent in early trading, but later recovered and closed down 13 cents at $33.37 while the broader markets edged up less than 1 percent.

The decision to stop doing business with Express Scripts cost Walgreen a penny per share in sales at pharmacies open at least a year and a penny per share in expenses during the fiscal quarter.

The company also took a charge of 1 cent per share from the lack of a traditional cough, cold and flu season. Walgreen administered 5 million flu shots through Nov. 30 compared with 5.6 million a year ago.

Net income fell to $554 million, or 63 cents per share, from $580 million, or 62 cents per share, a year ago, when it had more shares outstanding. Revenue grew 4.7 percent to $18.16 billion, but selling, general and administrative expenses climbed 5 percent because of its acquisition of drugstore.com and other items.

Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected,Wholesale Juicy Couture jackets, on average, earnings of 67 cents per share and $18.24 billion in revenue.

In the wake of the Express Scripts stalemate, Walgreen is trying to hold on to as many prescriptions as possible by making its own arrangements with companies and health plans. Based on prescriptions Walgreen is filling in December and other trends, the company said it expects to keep between 97 percent and 99 percent of its 2011 prescription volume.

Barclays Capital analyst Meredith Adler said that projection suggests Walgreen will lose between 60 and 84 percent of the Express Scripts prescriptions. Competitor CVS Caremark Corp. said Tuesday that it believes it could pick up 17 million to 23 million prescriptions as a result of the dispute.

Analysts say the split will also hurt sales of other products, since fewer shoppers would be shopping at Walgreen stores.

Another potential issue for Walgreen is that Express Scripts is in the process of buying Medco Health Solutions Inc., another large pharmacy benefits manager. If that deal goes through, Walgreen may lose Medco’s clients over time.

Earlier this month, Walgreen said sales at stores open at least a year grew 2.5 percent during the quarter, but it said the Express Scripts fight reduced those sales by 1.1 percent. Sales at stores open at least a year are considered a key measurement of retailer health because they exclude results from stores that have opened or closed in the last year.

_____

Tom Murphy contributed to this story from Indianapolis.

Posted 05 January 2012 † admin § Abercrombie Fitch ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Walgreen unlikely to make up with Express Scripts

Dec 21 (Reuters) Walgreen Co (WAG.N) still believes it can succeed even if it stops filling prescriptions for Express Scripts Inc (ESRX.O) on January 1, and its stance suggests that the odds of the drugstore making up with the pharmacy benefits manager before the end of the year are remote.

Walgreen, the largest U.S. drugstore chain, has been battling with Express Scripts since June 21, when Walgreen said the companies could not agree on terms for a new contract.

Even before their old contract expires, Walgreen’s decision to part ways with Express Scripts cost it a penny per share in pharmacy sales in the first quarter, and another penny per share in expenses, the company said on Wednesday.

Those costs, along with lower reimbursement rates and margins, led to an unexpected drop in quarterly profit.

Now, Walgreen is “moving on” after it made what Chief Executive Greg Wasson called “another serious attempt” to reach a deal last week, days before the contract expires on December 31.

Its shares fell as much as 8 percent, then recovered a bit and were down about 1 percent at $33.31 in afternoon trading.

Walgreen, armed with fresh survey data, said that many Express Scripts clients want to keep filling prescriptions at its stores.

Walgreen and Express Scripts appear unlikely to reach a deal by the end of the year. Even if they make amends in early 2012, as some expect, patients will already be taking their prescriptions elsewhere, dragging potentially billions of dollars in revenue away from Walgreen and putting it in the hands of its competitors, such as Caremark Corp (CVS.N).

“We remain concerned that patients could develop new buying habits as they are forced to move away from (Walgreens) to other retailers if no deal is reached,” said Lazard Capital Markets analyst Tom Gallucci, who noted that once they take their prescriptions elsewhere, not all patients will come back to Walgreen even if they get the opportunity to do so.

Walgreen said it remains open to any fair and competitive offer from Express Scripts, which contends that it would only keep Walgreen in its network at rates and terms that it believes are right for its clients.

Walgreen, seeking to downplay the potential impact of the dispute on its business, has been trying to show the strength of its massive network of more than 7,810 pharmacies.

It said that more than 100 health plans,wholesale Ed hardy jeans, employers and various Express Scripts clients told it they either had changed PBMs or made sure patients would still have access to Walgreens pharmacies in 2012.

However, as health-care costs rise, employers and other contract managers are doing whatever they can to control spending.

“The market is moving in a direction that at this point is away from Walgreen’s core strengths,” said Scott Mushkin, an analyst at Jefferies & Co.

Meanwhile, CVS is showing that its decision to combine its thousands of drugstores with a pharmacy benefits management business in 2007 was expected to turn into a profitable success next year, as more companies choose its services.

While Walgreen has some partnerships, it cannot go out and negotiate prescription contracts like others such as CVS can, Mushkin said.

“Their strategic positioning appears to be a little bit off,” he said. “One solution would be to beef up their retail market share.”

Walgreen has used acquisitions to add to its store count before, most notably buying the Duane Reade chain in 2010.

Posted 05 January 2012 † admin § Abercrombie Fitch ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

NCLB Failures Reveals Lack of Educators in Congress

COMMENTARY | The Associated Press reports that almost half of all U.S. public schools failed to meet federal performance standards this year under the controversial No Child Left Behind (NCLB) protocols.

According to the article:

“Republicans in Congress say Duncan and President Barack Obama are using the waivers to push a ‘backdoor education agenda’ that will ultimately let schools off the hook.

” ‘The law needs to be fixed and it needs to be fixed in Congress and not by executive action,’ House education committee Chairman John Kline, a Republican from Minnesota, said in September after Obama announced the waivers.

“Under No Child Left Behind, states that have tough standards are punished and schools that make progress but don’t hit benchmarks get treated the same as schools that see performance dip, Jennings said.”

The House education committee has many members.

The chairman, Representative John Kline of Minnesota, has never been a professional educator.

Committee members include Howard McKeon (California), Thomas Petri (Wisconsin), Judy Biggert (Illinois), Todd Platts (Pennsylvania), Joe Wilson (South Carolina), Virginia Foxx (North Carolina), Bob Goodlatte (Virginia), Duncan Hunter (California),Cheap Juicy Couture, Phil Roe (Tennessee), Glenn Thompson (Pennsylvania), Tim Walberg (Michigan), Scott DesJarlais (Tennessee), Richard Hanna (New York), Todd Rokita (Indiana), Larry Bucshon (Indiana), Trey Gowdy (South Carolina), Lou Barletta (Pennsylvania), Kristi Noem (South Dakota), Martha Roby (Alabama), Joe Heck (Nevada), Dennis Ross (Florida), and Mike Kelly (Pennsylvania).

Glenn Thompson has an academic background in education but worked in health care, while Virginia Foxx is a former college instructor. Lou Barletta majored in elementary education before leaving school to try out for a Major League baseball team. Several have served on local school boards early in their political careers.

Most have law degrees. None has ever, according to their biographies, worked as certified teachers in a K-12 classroom. Only Virginia Foxx appears to have taught professionally as a full-time educator, but that was at the college level, which is quite different from standard K-12 public school systems.

The other 25 House committees have members and chairpersons with professional experience in those fields of endeavor. The Agriculture Committee, for example, is chaired by Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, who has a degree in Agricultural Economics, while ranking Democrat Collin Peterson of Minnesota grew up on a farm and Republican Kristi Noem of South Dakota was a full-time rancher. The Armed Services Committee has several U.S. military veterans, such as Silvestre Reyes of Texas and Todd Akin of Missouri.

The lack of former teachers in Congress is worrisome, especially when other House committees are populated with more Representatives with professional experiences in those areas. Without former public school teachers in Congress to provide first-hand knowledge of pressing issues and challenges in K-12 education, problems are considerably more difficult to fix.

Posted 05 January 2012 † admin § Ed Hardy ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Kate Middleton is fashion’s new star

There was speculation for years about whether Prince William would finally pop the question to his longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton, and on Nov. 16, Clarence House made the announcement that there was going to be a royal wedding. As soon as details of the engagement became public with William and Kate giving an interview, the Internet became slammed with searches for Kate Middleton and her fashion. Why has this future queen become such a fashion icon in such a short amount of time, and how can the average person get her style? The answers follow.

Princess Diana was also a fashion icon, but she didn’t ever have the effect that Kate Middleton has had on the fashion world in such a short time. As soon as the engagement ring that Prince William gave Kate was revealed, jewelry sites crashed and stores were inundated with phone calls for replicas of the now famous ring. We all know that the ring was the same ring given to Princess Diana by Prince Charles, and while it was replicated then, it was not ever as popular as it is today. If you want to get your hands on a replica of the ring, a good site is Emitations.com. They sell a similar faux design for $63.99. But hurry because their selling out fast.

Kate Middleton’s Sapphire Issa Dress that she wore to announce her engagement to Prince William was also a fashion must have. As soon as the world got a glimpse of how beautiful Kate looked in the dress, everyone else wanted to follow suit. Only two days after Kate was seen wearing the Issa stunner, it was sold out in London and women were scrambling everywhere to find it. Soon after, Tesco, a retailer in the UK launched a replica version of the Issa dress and, within one hour, the dress was sold out online. Peacocks, another U.K.-based retailer, also released a version of the dress, which is now also sold out.

Soon after the announcement of the royal engagement came the official engagement photos. In the pictures Kate is pictured wearing a white Reiss dress from its fall collection. Reiss, because of the dress’ newly found popularity, has decided to re-release it as a part of their spring 2011 line. Also, the earrings that Kate wore in the photos were the Links of London”Hope Egg earrings,Replica Bulzeye,” are available for sale for $470. They would make the perfect present for any woman.

So if you’re eager to get one of Kate Middleton’s looks, another one of her best pieces of clothing was the white asymmetrical collar coat Kate has been seen wearing multiple times. The coat, seen here, is a classic piece that you will be able to wear long past the frenzy that Kate Middleton has caused calms down, but for now it’s very trendy too. To get this look, try the Precis coat found here.

Once the royal wedding takes place, I’m sure brides across the world will be replicating her wedding dress too. Kate has caused such fashion frenzy because she is an admirable young lady who has fashion that is accessible to the average woman. A lot of fashion that celebrities in America wear is so expensive that most people can’t afford them. Kate has made fashion available to every woman.

Posted 05 January 2012 † admin § Abercrombie Fitch ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

General Mills earnings miss, ConAgra beats

(Reuters) General Mills Inc (GIS.N) posted disappointing quarterly earnings, hurt by weaker-than-expected margins, and its shares fell more than 2 percent, while rival ConAgra Foods Inc (CAG.N) topped Wall Street’s expectations, sending shares up 4 percent.

Both packaged food companies backed their fiscal 2012 outlooks on Tuesday despite higher ingredient costs and lingering economic uncertainty.

Food companies like General Mills and ConAgra have had a tough year in 2011, as soaring costs for commodities hurt margins and consumer frugality made retailers push back against price increases.

ConAgra, maker of Chef Boyardee pasta and Hunt’s ketchup, said it expected year-over-year cost inflation to peak in the current quarter,Replica Lacoste shoes, the third of its fiscal year, due to higher prices for goods such as meat, dairy and packaging. It said it now expects full-year inflation of about 10 percent, which is higher than prior expectations.

General Mills, the maker of Progresso soups and Cheerios cereal, affirmed its expectation for full-year costs to rise 10 percent to 11 percent. The company’s largest inputs include grains, sugar, dairy and packaging.

The company reported net income of $444.8 million, or 67 cents per share, for the second quarter ended November 27, down from $613.9 million, or 92 cents per share, a year earlier.

Excluding the effects of accounting for commodity hedges, costs from the acquisition of Yoplait and a tax benefit, earnings were 76 cents per share.

On that basis, analysts on average were expecting 79 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Chief Financial Officer Don Mulligan told Reuters that the company’s performance was in line with its expectations, though gross margins had compressed more than analysts were expecting.

He cited the impact of acquiring Yoplait, which carries slimmer margins than the company overall.

Sales rose 14 percent to $4.62 billion, helped by the addition of Yoplait, increases in price and volume, and foreign exchange rates.

The company affirmed its forecast for fiscal 2012, saying it still expects earnings of $2.59 to $2.61 per share, excluding items.

Meanwhile, ConAgra’s earnings of 47 cents per share, excluding items, for the second quarter ended on November 27 topped the analysts’ average estimate of 43 cents. The company cited strength in its commercial foods segment, particularly improving performance at its Lamb Weston potato operations.

The commercial foods segment, which sells potato, seasonings and milled grain products to food service customers, saw sales rise 16 percent, helped by price increases.

ConAgra also affirmed its full-year outlook, saying 2012 earnings should grow at a low- to mid-single-digit percentage rate from the $1.75 per share it earned last year.

Most earnings growth in the back half of the fiscal year will be in the fourth quarter, ConAgra said.

Shares of General Mills were down 84 cents, or 2.1 percent at $38.75 in morning trade on the New York Stock Exchange, while ConAgra shares were up $1.10, or 4.4 percent, at

$26.27.

(Reporting By Martinne Geller in New York; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Gunna Dickson)

Posted 05 January 2012 † admin § Lacoste ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Places Blame on American Households

American households got blasted by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission because they borrowed too much and saved too little. American households had created an environment of taking on too much risk by over-extending themselves. They did this by placing record debt on themselves and by overstating their income on mortgage applications.

“When the housing and mortgage markets cratered, the lack of transparency, the extraordinary debt loads, the short-term loans, and the risky assets all came home to roost. What resulted was panic,” the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission concluded. “We had reaped what we had sown.”

High-risk loans were taking place with people all over the country; everyone had a stake in ensuring that the steady flow of mortgages would continue; and when they stopped,Wholesale True Religion, the markets simply collapsed. American households thought that they would just take on no interest loans. Then, after a few years, when their houses increased in value, they would be able to borrow from their home or refinance to an even lower interest rate. Financial institutions can be blamed some because they did indeed act in a manner that can be termed reckless.

As the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission says, “Compensation systems–designed in an environment of cheap money, intense competition, and light regulation–too often rewarded the quick deal, the short-term gain–without proper consideration of long-term consequences.”

We have been taught since the earliest years in school that the American Dream is homeownership, that the path to that is difficult, yet rewarding because it shows a status of what we have achieved. We have believed that the more money we have, the more we can spend it. In some small way, buying things and having things is not only the American way, but the American right.

Home owners are at fault for the money they borrowed to buy homes they couldn’t afford, they are at fault for their spending and believing for every second of the day that the value of their house would just keep going up. The homeowner never believed for a moment that the party would end, never thought for a moment that when the money dried up and the bills came due what they would do. Everything that seemed like the American dream was wrong. Cheap money only made people spend even more money they didn’t have, and the high prices of homes were just a mad disease that needed to be cured through a total and complete collapse.

The American household has been put at the center of the recession through television, articles and even our own personal experiences. We have seen homes foreclosed on, we have met the people who have lost everything. We have seen what the recession with the housing collapse has done to the country as a whole through high unemployment, state budget shortfalls and lost hope in our government. The American household pursuit of home ownership ended in disaster, and while rebuilding a better tomorrow for some might take a little longer, it remains to be seen if the lessons we learned from the recession will remain much longer.

Posted 04 January 2012 † admin § Christian Dior ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: