Dow futures down

Europe's down about 6%, Japan fell 4%, and Dow futures are down 350 or so. Still 24 hours before the market opens, so plenty of time for a (temporary) bounce, but regardless of what happens tomorrow, it's increasingly clear that our credit-fueled dream years are rapidly coming to an end.

Hard to say which would be worse: A sudden 2,000-3,000 Dow drop to the past century's average valuation level*--or a grinding, gut-wrenching slog of head-fakes, dashed hopes, and ever-spreading depression. Either is possible (as, we suppose, is a sudden recovery, but we're hard-pressed to find a fundamental explanation for that one).


Read the rest of the story at the alleyinsider article

Naked DSL

After long requiring Internet customers to also have land-line phone service, AT&T is offering stand-alone DSL service for as little as $20 a month.

The San Antonio-based telecommunications giant had feared customers would ditch their phone lines in favor of wireless phones if they weren't required to stay tethered, but the Federal Communications Commission ordered the marketing switch as part of AT&T's 2006 merger with BellSouth Corp. AT&T launched it this year.

"We want to give people the opportunity to find the services that best suit their lifestyles," AT&T spokesman Dan Feldstein said.

Fewer traditional phones

The cell phone boom has burdened phone companies, which have typically seen traditional phone subscriptions drop about 9 percent a year, independent telecommunications analyst Jeff Kagan said.

It's too early to tell whether the new "naked DSL" offer is hurting the land-line phone business, Feldstein said.

Kagan predicted any hit would be minimal because the demand for stand-alone Internet service is small.

AT&T declined to say how many local customers have stand-alone Internet service.

Verizon Communications, which provides phone and other services to some Houston-area communities, has offered naked DSL since April 2006. The company began offering it because some customers wanted it, spokesman Bill Kula said.

"It's a fairly small number of our customers," said Kula, who declined to provide Houston-area market data.

Bundling trend

With phone companies providing television service and cable companies selling phone service, the trend is toward picking one company or the other to provide bundled phone, Internet and television, Kagan said.

AT&T charges $20 a month for its slowest stand-alone DSL — 768 kilobytes per second. A 1.5 megabytes-per-second version costs $24, 3 Mbps is $29, and 6 Mbps is $39.

Verizon's pricing is more expensive: $30 for 768 Kbps and $40 for 3 Mbps — with a $5 discount for customers who order online.

Besides Comcast's "triple play" bundled service, for which it charges $99 a month for the first year, the cable company offers stand-alone Internet service. Its 768 Kbps service is $40, 6 Mbps is $55, and 8 Mbps is $68.

Comcast spokesman Michael Bybee also declined to provide specific Houston statistics but said most customers are choosing to bundle services.

From the chron article

Danity Kane's Aubrey O'Day Named Spokesmodel for Famous Stars and Straps Clothing Line

Aubrey O'Day is the new spokesmodel for Famous Stars and Straps, the clothing line owned by former Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker.

O'Day is best known for being a member of Danity Kane, the pop group founded by Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. The five girls that comprise the group were the winners of the "Making The Band 3" television competition on MTV.

O'Day is joined by Aundrea Fimbres, Dawn Angelique Richard, Shannon Bex, and Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgette in the group.

The group's 2006 debut album "Danity Kane" is certified platinum, selling over 1.1 million copies.

The group will also appear on the second season of "Making the Band 4", which debuts on January 28 on MTV. Danity Kane and the contestants from the first season of "Making The Band 4" will live and record their albums together on this new season.

Their second album is slated to come out in March.

Read the story at the transworldnews article

Romney declared winner in the Michigan Primary

A busy night for politics tonight. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards (Dennis Kucinich was barred) debate in Las Vegas and, simultaneously, the Michigan primary results are in.

Michigan is an odd state in this election. It moved its primary ahead in the year to compete with Iowa and New Hampshire's early-state influence. While this led the Democrats to strip it of all convention delegates and the Republicans to slash the number by half (in theory lessening its influence) the result has become seen as crucial to the fortunes of Michigan-born Mitt Romney's campaign and John McCain's drive to project himself as a national frontrunner.

On the Democratic side it is somewhat less gripping. Clinton is the only one of the three main contenders with her name on the ballot. Polls suggest a two-way battle with "uncommitted", which could see a number of delegates unpledged to any particular candidate sent to the Democratic convention. If Michigan was sending any delegates to the convention ...

Read the rest of the story at the blogs article

Romney declared winner in the Michigan Primary

A busy night for politics tonight. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards (Dennis Kucinich was barred) debate in Las Vegas and, simultaneously, the Michigan primary results are in.

Michigan is an odd state in this election. It moved its primary ahead in the year to compete with Iowa and New Hampshire's early-state influence. While this led the Democrats to strip it of all convention delegates and the Republicans to slash the number by half (in theory lessening its influence) the result has become seen as crucial to the fortunes of Michigan-born Mitt Romney's campaign and John McCain's drive to project himself as a national frontrunner.

On the Democratic side it is somewhat less gripping. Clinton is the only one of the three main contenders with her name on the ballot. Polls suggest a two-way battle with "uncommitted", which could see a number of delegates unpledged to any particular candidate sent to the Democratic convention. If Michigan was sending any delegates to the convention ...

Read the rest of the story at the blogs article

Brad Renfro Dead At 25

Actor Brad Renfro, 25, was found dead in his Los Angeles home Tuesday morning (January 15). Although the circumstances of his death are currently unknown, the former child star had been plagued for nearly a decade by drug abuse and run-ins with the law.



Read the rest of the story at the MTV article

Dr Hasnat Khan: Princess Diana and me

His hair is greyer and his features are more rounded but Dr Hasnat Khan's affection for Diana, Princess of Wales, remains undiminished by the passing of more than a decade. The heart surgeon the late Princess described as "Mr Wonderful" is sitting on a sea-green sofa at his home in Pakistan. Dressed in a white shirt, faded jeans and trainers, he fondly recalls the woman he shared an intimate relationship with until just months before her death.

Read the rest of the story at the telegraph article