J.C. Penney looks to sales to lure back shoppers

7 hrs.

Anne D'Innocenzio , The Associated Press

J.C. Penney is bringing back sales.?

The struggling department store chain this week will begin adding back some of the hundreds of sales it ditched last year in hopes of luring shoppers who were turned off when the discounts disappeared, CEO Ron Johnson told The Associated Press.?

Penney also plans to add price tags or signs for more than half of its merchandise to show customers how much they're saving by shopping at the chain ? a strategy used by a few other retailers. For store-branded items such as Arizona, Penney will show comparison prices from competitors.?

The reversal comes on the eve of the one-year anniversary of its original vow to almost completely get rid of the sales that Americans covet but that cut into a store's profits. The idea was to offer everyday low prices that customers could count on rather than the nearly 600 fleeting discounts, coupons and sales it once offered.?

The bold plan has been closely watched by others in the retail industry, which commonly offers deep discounts to draw shoppers. But so far the experiment has served as a cautionary tale of how difficult it is to change shoppers' habits: Penney next month is expected to report its fourth consecutive quarter of big sales drops and net losses. After losing more than half of its value, Penney's stock is trading at about $19. And the company's credit ratings are in junk status.?

Johnson, who rolled out the pricing plan shortly after taking the top job in November 2011, told The Associated Press the latest moves are not a "deviation" from his strategy but rather an "evolution."?

"Our sales have gone backward a little more than we expected, but that doesn't change the vision or the strategy," said Johnson, who previously masterminded Apple Inc.'s retail stores and Target Corp.'s cheap chic fashion strategy. "We made changes and we learned an incredible amount. That is what's informing our tactics as we go forward."?

But critics say Johnson is backpedaling. Walter Loeb, a New York-based retail consultant, said Johnson "is now realizing that he has to be more promotional to attract shoppers."?

The pricing strategy has been a key part of Johnson's plan to reinvent Penney, which had failed to change with the times as its competitors updated their stores to make them cool places to shop. The plan includes adding hip new brands such as Joe Fresh and replacing racks of clothing with small shops-within-stores by 2015. But this isn't the first time the pricing strategy has been tweaked.?

When it was rolled out in February 2012, the plan entailed permanently slashing prices on everything in the store by 40 percent. Penney decided to have just 12 monthlong sales events on some merchandise. And there would be periodic clearance events throughout the year.?

But the new pricing plan wasn't well received on Wall Street or Main Street, so six months after launching it, Johnson ditched the monthlong sales, saying that they were too confusing to shoppers. Johnson said Penney has learned that people don't shop on a monthly basis, but rather they buy when they need something for say, back-to-school or during the winter holidays. And during those times, he said, they're looking for even more value.?

"I still believe that the customer knows the right price, but they want help," he said.?

Penney declined to say how many sales events it will offer going forward, citing competitive reasons. But the company said the figure will still be well below the nearly 600 it used to offer. The company said the discounts will vary depending on the sale. From Feb. 1 through Feb. 14, for instance, shoppers will get 20 percent off some jewelry for Valentine's Day. One example: half-carat diamond heart pendants on sale for $96, below Penny's everyday price of $120.?

Penney said the decision to add tags or signs on much of its merchandise that shows the "manufacturer's suggested retail price" alongside Penney's "everyday" price was a result of his realization that shoppers want a reference price to consider.?

National brands were also asking Penney to show the suggested price to shoppers, he said. Penney began showing the suggested manufacturer's price on Izod men's merchandise last fall and was encouraged by the response.?

Burt Flickinger, a retail consultant, said the move could help Penney because manufacturers' suggested retail prices can be as much as 40 percent higher than what retailers wind up charging. The practice is common in the home appliance industry but spotty in the department-store industry because stores generally hike prices up even more to give shoppers the illusion of a big discount, he said.?

"The strategy will be helpful for shoppers to understand lower prices," Flickinger said. "At the same time, it will be tough to get consumers back in the store from competitors."?

But Craig Johnson, another retail consultant, said that adding the suggested manufacturer's price is just a gimmick. "The objective of this exercise is to maximize the perceived value for the purchase."?

Johnson said that for Penney's own store brands like Arizona and Worthington, the team will research other stores and will submit supporting data to its legal team for approval before it advertises comparison prices, using certain criteria. For example, they'll make sure the fabric used is of the same quality as its rivals. For jewelry, Penney is using the International Gemological Institute, a third-party appraiser.?

"There are no makeup prices here," Johnson said. "It's all about trying to communicate what it's worth to the customer."?

Penney will not show comparison prices for merchandise that is part of exclusive partnerships with brands such as Nicole Miller and Mango, however. The company said it's difficult to offer such references.?

To promote the strategy, Penney on Wednesday will begin launching TV, print and digital ads. One TV ad compares a $9 polo shirt under its store brand Arizona with $19 "elsewhere." "Two polos, same color, same vibrant, same details, same swing, same swagger, different prices," the ad said.?

Johnson reiterated that he expects Penney to return to sales growth sometime in 2013. That would be a welcome change for Penney, which has had steep sales and profit losses since the new strategy was launched.?

For the first nine months of its current fiscal year, Penney lost $433 million, or $1.98 per share compared with a loss of $65 million, or 30 cents per share in the year-ago period. Total sales dropped 23.1 percent to $9.1 billion.?

Analysts expect Penney to post a loss of 17 cents on sales of $4.22 billion for the fourth quarter. They expect the company's annual sales to fall by 23 percent, or nearly $4 billion, to $13.3 billion for the latest year. Revenue at stores opened at least a year ? a measure of a retailer's health ? are expected to drop 25 percent, in line with the third quarter, according to analyst polled by research firm FactSet.?

Meanwhile, investors have sent shares down more than 55 percent from a peak of $43 in the days after the plan was rolled out in February. Shares slipped 18 cents to $19.17 on Monday.?

"A year ago, we were launching a major transformation and didn't know what to expect," he said. "Today, I know what happened. Our team has a year's worth of history. This is going to be a great year because the new JCP is coming to life for customers."?

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/j-c-penney-hopes-lure-back-customers-sales-1C8162018

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Innocent of Crime, Tainted by Time: Exonorees Struggle - City Limits

On November 12, 2009, Fernando Bermudez walked out of a courtroom and into the free world. After spending 18 years in prison for a 1991 murder in Greenwich Village that he did not commit, the charges against him were dropped. He was declared innocent. But a difficult path awaited him.

Bermudez recalls having to readjust to basic aspects of life that many take for granted?like sleeping in his own bedroom, an environment worlds away from his stark prison cell. "Just simply being able to cross the street was an issue. Shopping at department stores and handling money confused me," he says.

"Upon my exoneration, reentry into society was?culture shock," he says. "I had to adjust from nearly two decades of harsh prison?life to a drastically changed society with no financial or psychological assistance to help me cope against the harm that my family and I suffered. "

In recent years, some criminal justice advocates in New York have focused on the need for stronger procedures to avoid wrongful convictions: According to the Innocence Project, more than 10 percent of DNA exonerations nationwide have occurred in New York State.

Meanwhile , other advocates have called attention to the plight of former inmates returning to society.

In exonerees, these two hot topics converge. All former prison inmates face challenges. But, three months of reporting and interviews with 12 exonerees and thirty parolees (who were not wrongly convicted) reveal that exonerees are spared few of the indignities that "guilty" ex-inmates suffer.

Readjustment is just as hard

Some of the problems facing exonerees mirror those confronting all former inmates?the difference is in the degree of injustice. Some are as simple as finding shelter.

Korey Wise, one of the men wrongly convicted of the Central Park beating and rape of 1989, echoes these accounts. Before his entrance into prison, he was 16 years old and lived with his mother. After being incarcerated for more than 11 years, Wise had difficulty finding a place to live. He stayed with friends and family for three years and now resides in a transitional housing program for people seeking assistance in the Bronx. (Wise was arrested on December 19th and charged with menacing and assault. He denies the allegations against him).

Similar to individuals on parole, more than half of the exonerees interviewed also faced some type of obstacle to finding a job or holding down steady work. Incarceration, even for individuals innocent of their convicted crime, can be a disadvantage in the labor-market.

The disadvantage does not appear to be nearly as severe for exonerees as it does for those on parole, who are frequently denied employment due to their criminal record. But exonerees may encounter difficulties maintaining a stable job, while trying to readjust to society. After two years of working in construction after his incarceration, Wise was laid off during the recent recession. For both Bermudez and Wise, public speaking engagements are a source of income, while Wise is also on disability.

John Kogut, exonerated of a Long Island rape and murder in 2005, initially found employment through Centurion Ministries, a national organization that frees innocent people from prison by reinvestigating their cases; it was responsible for Kogut's exoneration. After his release, he worked at a church as a handyman for year and at a small dog rescue service for another three years.

Currently, he is unemployed, with hopes of starting his own dog rescue business. After his return from prison, Centurion Ministries assisted him in finding an apartment and paying the first few months' rent, while he saved money. "At the beginning, I had nothing," Kogut says, "If I didn't have Centurion Ministries, who knows where I would be now."

Kogut found himself having to start life from scratch. He faced problems obtaining critical documents like identification and his social security card after his return from prison?a process that lasted six months. "When you come out, you really don't have none of that. After doing 15 to 20 years, you don't exist no more. You have to build your identity all over again," he says. Kogut emphasizes that without a support network it can be nearly impossible to adjust and reestablish one's life outside the prison walls.

Unique challenges

Exonerees are often left coping for the rest of their lives with the trauma left by both their wrongful conviction and lengthy prison term. It is not uncommon for them to enter society suffering from anxiety as well as more significant mental health issues.

Like other ex-inmates, they may turn to drugs or alcohol in an effort to deal with the effects of their wrongful conviction. Kogut says he initially turned towards illegal substances as a coping mechanism. "It's an issue of coming out angry. These people?even though they're wrong?want to fight you tooth and nail (on your innocence). They won't admit they were wrong," Kogut says.
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Exonerees may file for monetary compensation as a result of their wrongful conviction. Twenty-seven states and Washington D.C. have laws that promise varying amounts of compensation for exonerees. But it can take several years to receive the funds ,and advocates maintain that the amount of money provided by many states is not enough.

New York defers to the Court of Claims to decide how much an individual is entitled.

In states without compensation statutes, obtaining money can be a lengthy and complicated legal process. Research conducted by The New York Times in 2007 found that of 206 exonerees surveyed, 40 percent had received no compensation from their state.

Currently, Bermudez has a civil suit for compensation pending against New York State and city, while Kogut and Wise's suits are in the federal court.

Exonerees acknowledge that a few, small-scale support systems do exist for them coming out of prison, like the social work program established by the Innocence Project in 2006 or in Kogut's case, Centurion Ministries. Exonerees rely on these types of services or mental health counselors in times of need; yet, the overwhelming consensus is that these are far too few in number.

Advocates assert that New York State offers exonerees no reentry services, in contrast with ex-offenders. According to a New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision spokesperson, the department partners with community based organizations and governmental agencies to deliver support to individuals on parole. The spokesperson said he did not know whether exonerees could qualify for these services.

Both exonerees and ex-offenders encounter serious problems reestablishing relationships with their families and friends. In many instances, their incarceration disrupts their bonds with their children. Bermudez explains that his relationship with his daughter was affected by his wrongful conviction. "She was under the assumption that I didn't love her because I was still trying to adjust. We were just trying to situate ourselves as a family. Now she realizes that it wasn't that I didn't love her, it was just that her dad had real issues in terms of trying to understand the world after being away from it so long," he says.

Similarly, Kogut experienced difficulties reestablishing relationships disrupted by his incarceration: "Most people forget about you after that amount of time."

The sense of isolation can be frightening. As Bermudez recalls, "It's hard to forget what you saw, it's hard to forget the idea of you being trapped in a cell and declaring your innocence everyday whether mentally or to someone else, and not being believed, or feeling voiceless."

Source: http://www.citylimits.org/news/articles/4725/innocent-of-crime-tainted-by-time-exonorees-struggle

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Malian army ill-equipped to fight Islamists

An unidentified man takes a picture of the charred remains of trucks used by radical Islamists on the outskirt of Diabaly, Mali, some 460kms (320 miles) North of the capital Bamako Monday Jan. 21, 2013. French and Malian troops took control Monday of the town of Diabaly, patrolling the streets in armored personnel carriers and inspecting the charred remains of a pickup truck with a mounted machine gun left behind by the fleeing militants. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

An unidentified man takes a picture of the charred remains of trucks used by radical Islamists on the outskirt of Diabaly, Mali, some 460kms (320 miles) North of the capital Bamako Monday Jan. 21, 2013. French and Malian troops took control Monday of the town of Diabaly, patrolling the streets in armored personnel carriers and inspecting the charred remains of a pickup truck with a mounted machine gun left behind by the fleeing militants. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A convoy of French soldiers drives north as they pass through Segou, central Mali, some 240kms (140 miles) from Bamako Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. French troops in armored personnel carriers rolled through the streets of Diabaly on Monday, winning praise from residents of this besieged town after Malian forces retook control of it with French help a week after radical Islamists invaded. The Islamists also have deserted the town of Douentza, which they had held since September, according to a local official who said French and Malian forces arrived there on Monday as well. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

French foreign legionnaires take position outside Marakala, central Mali, some 240kms (140 miles) from Bamako Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. French troops in armored personnel carriers rolled through the streets of Diabaly on Monday, winning praise from residents of this besieged town after Malian forces retook control of it with French help a week after radical Islamists invaded. The Islamists also have deserted the town of Douentza, which they had held since September, according to a local official who said French and Malian forces arrived there on Monday as well. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Malians hang on the back of a packed minibus as they drive to Marakala, central Mali, some 240kms (140 miles) from Bamako Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. French troops in armored personnel carriers rolled through the streets of Diabaly on Monday, winning praise from residents of this besieged town after Malian forces retook control of it with French help a week after radical Islamists invaded. The Islamists also have deserted the town of Douentza, which they had held since September, according to a local official who said French and Malian forces arrived there on Monday as well. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Children watch a convoy of French soldiers drive north as the pass through Segou, central Mali, some 240kms (140 miles) from Bamako Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. French troops in armored personnel carriers rolled through the streets of Diabaly on Monday, winning praise from residents of this besieged town after Malian forces retook control of it with French help a week after radical Islamists invaded. The Islamists also have deserted the town of Douentza, which they had held since September, according to a local official who said French and Malian forces arrived there on Monday as well. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

DIABALY, Mali (AP) ? Explosions rang out at 3 a.m. last week as the radical Islamists descended on the town of Diabaly, home to a Malian military camp. Residents cowering in their homes believed the Malian soldiers would protect them.

Instead dozens of Malian troops fled in fear, ripping off their uniforms and taking off on foot into the dark.

"We thought for sure the Malian army would hit back," said local resident Gaoussou Kone of the Jan. 14 attack. "We were surprised to learn that our soldiers ran away. There is no African country that is strong enough to fight these people on their own. They are too well-armed."

Returning to the central town Monday, after the Islamist extremists retreated, the Malian soldiers found the entrance to their military camp littered with charred cars and weapons destroyed by the French air strikes.

Inside, they found ransacked buildings which the Islamists had pillaged in search of food and weapons. Not even the cafeteria was spared, with pots and lids thrown about.

One thing the Islamists didn't take ? the gris-gris, or talismans, that members of the Malian military wore for protection, but the army will need more than charms to effectively fight the rebels.

Security experts have long expressed concern about the weakness of Mali's military and its inability to contribute forcefully in the international intervention against the Islamist extremists, who are well-armed and determined fighters.

When a Tuareg rebellion erupted in northern Mali more than a year ago, Malian soldiers complained that those sent to fight in the harsh desert environment were not given sufficient supplies, including arms and food. The fighting claimed the lives of numerous soldiers. Then, after the military coup in March 2012, the Malian army gave little to no resistance as the Islamists seized the major cities of northern Mali: Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal.

After holding northern Mali for several months, the Islamists went on the offensive again and seized the central Malian town of Diabaly on Jan. 14. But this time the French military was in Mali and began airstrikes later that evening. Residents say the Islamists fled the town later in the week.

The Malian soldiers would not have been able to recapture the city without French help, according to many residents, including Modibo Sawadogo.

"We are happy about the presence of (foreign) soldiers who can reassure us because without them our military wouldn't be able to return," he said.

However, Modibo Traore, a Malian army spokesman, asserted that the military is prepared for the challenge and will be aided by forces coming from Mali's neighbors.

"At each retaken city there will be African units who will be supporting the military in securing the city," he said. "At the same time, other soldiers are advancing to recapture other towns."

Military experts say that the Malian army is a weak partner.

"The Mali army is not up to the task of holding control of the country's cities on its own. It needs the French and the support of a big African force," said David Zounmenou, senior researcher for the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, South Africa. "It's extremely risky to rely on the Malian army.

"This African-led support mission ? that will certainly be the backbone of the military presence that will take over for France," said Zounmenou. "Even then French air support will be needed."

The Mali army is weak for a number of reasons. After Mali suffered coups in 1968 and 1991, the government wanted to reduce the army's influence and to strengthen democracy, so the defense budget was reduced and its equipment became outdated, said Zounmenou. The Mali army became filled with people who were friends of the regime and seeking jobs, he said.

"The military coup in March 2012 was by mid-ranking officers, led by Capt. Amadou Sanogo, who destroyed the command structure of the army. Many top officers of the army are still in jail," said Zounmenou. "The army is faced with considerable internal problems. It adds up to a situation in which the army is not well-trained or disciplined. It is ill-equipped for the current fight to regain northern Mali from the committed Islamist fighters."

Yet the Malian army now has the responsibility of holding the centers that have been retaken by the French. In Diabaly, after securing the town, the French military took off just as quickly as they arrived, leaving only the Malians late Monday in a column of at least seven armored vehicles along with journalists.

The Malians are again alone ? and in charge of Diabaly. Some residents, though, wonder how safe they, in fact, are.

Mohamed Sanogo said: "I still don't understand the ease with which the Islamists were able to take my city."

___

Associated Press writer Andrew Meldrum contributed to this report from Johannesburg.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-23-Mali-Broken%20Army/id-5d6242eb4f9049649ef25778ac869641

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Rift Widens Over Mining Uranium in Virginia

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Bills introduced to the General Assembly would lift a moratorium on uranium mining at a site in southern Virginia, but the issue has divided the region.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/20/us/rift-widens-over-mining-uranium-in-virginia.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Pitta says Flacco playing ?fantastic? football in postseason

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html = html + "\n"; html = html + "\n"; html = html + "\n"; //var url_parsed = url.replace("http://c631904.r4.cf2.rackcdn.com/", "http://wnst.net/audio-vault/?listen="); */ var url_parsed = "http://wnst.net/audio-vault/?listen=" + title; url_parsed = url_parsed.replace(".MP3", ""); url_parsed = url_parsed.replace(".mp3", ""); // http://tinyurl.com/api-create.php?url= jQuery.get("/wordpress/wp-content/themes/wnst_3/includes/tinyurl.php?url=" + encodeURIComponent(url_parsed), function(data) { html = html + "Audio Link: " + "" + ""; jQuery("#audio-controls").html(html); }); jQuery("#audio-download-url").html("Download The File (right-click Save As)"); jQuery("#jquery_jplayer_1").jPlayer("setMedia", { mp3:"http://c631904.r4.cf2.rackcdn.com/" + url }); jQuery("#jquery_jplayer_1").jPlayer("play"); } jQuery(document).ready(function() { jQuery("#jquery_jplayer_1").jPlayer({ ready: function() { playAudio('1-17 Pitta Bowmans part 1.mp3', 'Thursday Night Live Seg. 1 feat. Dennis Pitta, Glenn & Drew'); }, swfPath: "/wordpress/wp-content/themes/wnst_3/includes/js", supplied: "mp3", wmode: "window", volume: 0.5, cssSelectorAncestor: '#jp_container_1', cssSelector: { videoPlay: '.jp-video-play', play: '.jp-play', pause: '.jp-pause', stop: '.jp-stop', seekBar: '.jp-seek-bar', playBar: '.jp-play-bar', mute: '.jp-mute', unmute: '.jp-unmute', volumeBar: '.jp-volume-bar', volumeBarValue: '.jp-volume-bar-value', volumeMax: '.jp-volume-max', currentTime: '.jp-current-time', duration: '.jp-duration', fullScreen: '.jp-full-screen', restoreScreen: '.jp-restore-screen', repeat: '.jp-repeat', repeatOff: '.jp-repeat-off', gui: '.jp-gui', noSolution: '.jp-no-solution' }, errorAlerts: false, warningAlerts: false }); }); Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. Jan 17th, 2013 D&L Window Tinting Morning Reaction Cheap Shots from the Bleachers - Luke takes a shot at Lance Armstrong Jan 17th, 2013 D&L Window Tinting Morning Reaction Cheap Shots from the Bleachers - Drew takes a shot at the dormant offseason of the Orioles Jan 17th, 2013 Pat Skerry (Towson coach) talks Tigers hoops with Drew Jan 17th, 2013 Paul Bessire (predictionmachinedotcom) talks Championship weekend with Catch The Buzz Jan 17th, 2013 Mike Hill (ESPN NFL Live Host) joins Drew to talk NFL Championship weekend Jan 17th, 2013 Catch The Buzz open on a last show Thursday Jan 17th, 2013 Catch The Buzz continues the telephone game Jan 17th, 2013 Catch The Buzz goes over the AFC Championship game prop bets Jan 17th, 2013 Scott Zolak (98.5 the Sports Hub-Pats Radio Color Analyst) tells Thyrl and Glenn that Flacco deserves more credit Jan 17th, 2013 Jerry Rosburg meets with media at 1 Winning Drive Jan 17th, 2013 Lou Angelos, Dan Duquette, and Buck Showalter meet with the media at The Warehouse Jan 17th, 2013 Shaun King (NBCSports analyst) joins Thryl to talk Teo scandal and Ravens championship chances Jan 17th, 2013 Dan Duquette meets with reporters at The Warehouse Jan 17th, 2013 Nick Markakis meets with media at The Warehouse Jan 17th, 2013 Lou Angelos (Orioles ownership representative) meets with media at The Warehouse Jan 17th, 2013 Buck Showalter meets with media at The Warehouse Jan 17th, 2013 Nick Minnix (KFFL writer) joins Thyrl to talk AFC championship game and Flacco vs. Brady Jan 17th, 2013 The Towson Place Liquors Handoff Jan 17th, 2013 Jim Caldwell meets with media at 1 Winning Drive Jan 17th, 2013 Jerry Rosburg meets with media at 1 Winning Drive Jan 17th, 2013 Dean Pees meets with media at 1 Winning Drive Jan 17th, 2013 Kimberly Jones (NFL Network) says Ravens should be thankful for second chance against Pats in AFC Championship Jan 17th, 2013 ABC Rental Web Junk Jan 17th, 2013 Gregg Doyel (CBS) doesnt buy the story of Manti Teo Jan 17th, 2013 Peter King (Sports Illustrated-NBC Football Night in America) tells Glenn its time to make room for Joe Flacco Jan 17th, 2013 Dan Fouts (DialGlobal) sorry for Ravens defenders having to take on Tom Brady this weekend Jan 17th, 2013 Pat Stoetzer (Carroll County Times) joins Drew to talk Terps basketball Jan 17th, 2013 Brian Billick tells Glenn that Manti Teo draft stock wont fall Jan 17th, 2013 Totally Tubular Jan 17th, 2013 Thursday Night Live Seg. 1 feat. Dennis Pitta, Glenn & Drew Jan 17th, 2013 Thursday Night Live Seg. 2 feat. Dennis Pitta, Josh Bynes & Glenn Jan 17th, 2013 Thursday Night Live Seg. 3 feat. Dennis Pitta, Josh Bynes & Nestor Jan 16th, 2013 D&L Window Tinting Morning Reaction Overrated-Underrated Jan 16th, 2013 Wisp Resort brings the Wednesday Ski Report Jan 16th, 2013 Brian Billick addresses Eagles interview and talks NFL headlines with Drew Jan 16th, 2013 Joel Ward (Caps forward) previews the season and talks Ravens with Drew Jan 16th, 2013 Pete from Downtown checks in with Drew Jan 16th, 2013 Catch The Buzz open Jan 16th, 2013 Kevin Harlan (dialglobalsports) talks Ravens and Patriots with Catch The Buzz Jan 16th, 2013 Marco Mangione (Baltimore Blast) talks Blast soccer with Catch The Buzz Jan 16th, 2013 you sure can pickem on Catch The Buzz Jan 16th, 2013 James Ihedigbo (Baltimore Ravens) talks AFC Championship game with Catch The Buzz Jan 16th, 2013 Jay Bilas (ESPN Basketball Analyst) previews Maryland-NC State Jan 16th, 2013 Joe Vellano (former Terp defensive lineman) talks with Thyrl about process of being an NFL prospect Jan 16th, 2013 Luke Jones (WNST Ravens Insider) joins Thyrl to talk Tucker\'s confidence this season and upcoming AFC CG vs Patriots Jan 16th, 2013 John Harbaugh meets with media at 1 Winning Drive Jan 16th, 2013 Ray Lewis meets with media at 1 Winning Drive Jan 16th, 2013 Mike Wilkening (AFC North Analyst) joins Thyrl to talk NFL playoffs Championship weekend Jan 16th, 2013 Troy Brown (CSNNE Patriots Analyst) joins Thyrl to talk about the upcoming AFC championship game in New England Jan 16th, 2013 Ray Rice meets with media at 1 Winning Drive

Source: http://wnst.net/audio-vault/?listen=Thursday%20Night%20Live%20Seg.%201%20feat.%20Dennis%20Pitta,%20Glenn%20&%20Drew

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Source: http://bluestarpartynyc.com/team-building-events-strategy-for-successful-online-business-management/

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Thursday?s area sports briefs

RADFORD, Va. Alexx Puckett, Angelica Henry and Katelyn Connor each scored double digits for Coastal, but it wasn?t enough as Radford dominated with four players posting 10-plus point performances to down the visiting Chanticleers 68-50 on Thursday afternoon.

Puckett led Coastal with a career-high 16 points, Henry poured in 13 of her own, and Connor added 10. The Chants? 24 turnovers were the proverbial nail in the coffin that led to the loss.

Radford?s Ashley Buckhannon established a game-high 22 points, including five three-pointers. Victoria Hamilton and Diani Mason each scored 11, while Sara Tabb added 10 points.

The Chanticleers will face Big South newcomer Longwood on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Coastal Carolina (7-10, 2-5 Big South) ? Savannah Pippin 1-4 0-0 2, Alexx Puckett 6-16 2-4 16, Katelyn Connor 4-9 2-2 10, AJ Jordan 1-3 1-2 4, Anjelica Henry 3-4 6-9 13, Shatia Cole 1-7 0-0 2, Corinne Holland 1-2 0-0 2, Kayla Cook 0-2 1-2 1, Ressa Borkovich 0-0 0-0 0, DJ Hunter 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-47 12-19 50.

Radford(9-6, 4-2) ? Sara Tabb 4-8 2-2 10, Ashia Holmes 1-4 0-0 2, Breshara Gordon 0-0 0-0 0, Victoria Hamilton 4-7 3-4 11, Ashley Buckhannon 7-15 3-3 22, Aisha Foy 0-2 2-2 2, Ayana Avery 1-4 0-0 2, Diani Mason 4-7 3-3 11, Jordynn Gaymon 2-6 2-2 6, Katherine Brockett 1-2 0-0 2, Kiera McIvor 0-2 0-0 0, Ema Reskoska 0-1 0-0 0, La-She? Walker 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-65 15-16 68.

Halftime?Radford 31-20. 3-Point Goals?CCU 4-8 (Puckett 2-4, Jordan 1-1, Henry 1-1, Holland 0-1, Cook 0-1), Radford 5-12 (Buckhannon 5-8, Foy 0-1, Avery 0-2, Brockett 0-1). Fouled Out?None. Rebounds?CCU 37 (Puckett 8), Radford 39 (Tabb 10). Assists?CCU 11 (Henry 3), Radford 16 (Hamilton 6). Total Fouls?CCU 17, Radford 19. Att.?220.

High school boys basketball

?? Dillon 74, (at) Loris 39 | Dillon proved to be too much for the Lions, dominating most of the game.

?? DILLON (74) ? McLeod 4, Bethea 7, Page 9, Blue 2, Cabbagestalk 8, Salmon 2, Caulder 5, Fenton 14, Hayes 2, Williams 7, Lighty 4, Knowlin 10.

?? LORIS (39) ? Jackson 2, Soles 4, Stone 11, Wheeler 2, Faircloth 7, Wideman 6, Johnson 7.

Dillon	29	8	20	17	?	74
Loris	10	14	6	9	?	39

??3-point goals: Dillon 3 (Page 2, Caulder); Loris 2 (Stone, Johnson). Team fouls: Dillon 15, Loris 9. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: None.

??Records: Loris (2-15, 0-4)

?? (At) Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach 93, Pee Dee Academy 38 | Austin Guyton score 22 points and Kendall Henry had a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 steals as the Saints rolled over Pee Dee Academy. Guyton, Cole Gore and Cody Williams had seven rebounds and four steals each in the win.

?? PEE DEE ACADEMY (38) ? Korey Thomas 5, Josh Page 5, Chase Ankarstran 2, Gib Fenters 9, Tyler Page 6, Logan Hennesy 1, Dalton Rowe 10.

?? CAMB (93) ? Josh Lang 4, Austin Guyton 22, Max Smith 10, Bernard Jones 11, Cody Williams 6, Cole Gore 13, Matt Doria 13, Kendall Henry 14.

Pee Dee	10	13	6	9	?	38
CAMB	21	34	26	12	?	93

??3-point goals: Pee Dee Academy 1 (Page); CAMB 6 (Jones 3, Guyton, Gore, Doria). Team fouls: Pee Dee Academy 11, CAMB 20. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: None.

??Records: Pee Dee Academy (2-11), CAMB (14-5, 1-0)

Pro golf

ATLANTIS, Fla. Conway native Michael Midgette birdied the first playoff hole of the Golfslinger.com Tour event at Atlantis Country Club to win his second event of the year.

Midgette beat Chris Damiano after the pair finished the day at 67.

Source: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2013/01/17/3279494/thursdays-area-sports-briefs.html

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Inaugural transit options all have drawbacks

WASHINGTON (AP) ? If you want to get to the National Mall on Inauguration Day, you're probably better off not driving.

The hundreds of thousands of people spilling into the nation's capital Monday are encouraged to travel by rail, bus or bicycle. And no matter what they choose, those watching the inauguration activities will eventually end up on foot ? and possibly walking several miles ? if they want to catch a glimpse of President Barack Obama.

The region's transportation infrastructure is strained during peak driving hours on a normal day. During the morning rush hour, it can take an hour to traverse the 10-mile stretch of Interstate 395 between Springfield, Va., and the District of Columbia. Many Metro subway trains are standing room only.

However, with much smaller crowds expected than for Obama's historic first inauguration four years ago, getting in the car will still be an option.

Four years ago, most vehicle traffic into the city was halted. The five major bridges over the Potomac River were closed, except to mass transit vehicles. This year, most of the bridges will be open, although drivers will be diverted from closed roads surrounding the Mall ? raising the prospect of gridlock for those who drive.

"Obviously, we don't want a lot of automobiles in the city," Mayor Vincent Gray said. "It'll be very hard to travel around the city on that day."

There is a potential enticement to drivers: free parking. Because Inauguration Day falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the city won't enforce street parking restrictions.

Still, as with past inaugurations, Metro will be the most popular transportation option and the one encouraged by local and federal officials. A record 1.1 million people rode Metro's rail service in 2009. This year, Metro is projecting subway ridership of 600,000 to 800,000 ? roughly the same as on a regular business day. However, the riders won't be spread across the system's 94 stations as usual. Most will head to a handful of stations close to the Capitol and the National Mall.

The transportation challenges have Paul Darby preparing for a long day. Darby, 64, a volunteer on the parade route, plans to leave his home in Fredericksburg, Va., in the early hours of the morning and park at a friend's house in Alexandria before boarding the Metro, which opens at 4 a.m. ? an hour earlier than usual.

"I expect it to take a while. If for any reason there starts to be concern that we won't be able to get into town easily, I'll stay with friends in Alexandria (and) come up the night before," Darby said. "We'll do whatever it takes, and be patient and courteous and kind to everybody because there will be a lot of stressed-out people."

In an effort to ease crowding at the stations around the Mall, Metro is encouraging riders not to change trains. For example, people riding the Blue Line from Virginia are being asked to get off at Arlington National Cemetery and walk across the Potomac River's Memorial Bridge to the Mall. Be forewarned that the distance from the Lincoln Memorial on the west end of the Mall to the Capitol is two miles.

The idea is to prevent people from "needlessly traveling through the core" of the city, Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said, although there will be no penalty for ignoring that advice.

"Anyone going to the inauguration should plan to walk. This is an event that does require a lot of walking and a lot of standing, and that's just part of the day," Stessel said. "Wear comfortable shoes, dress very warmly and just think about what the day entails. Make sure you're up for it."

Also hoofing it will be people who ride into town on tour buses. About 2,500 buses are expected, and most will park at RFK Stadium. The city will provide shuttle buses, giving priority to elderly and disabled passengers, but some tour-bus riders will probably end up having to walk the 3 miles from the stadium to the Mall, said John Lisle, a spokesman for the district's Department of Transportation.

Four years ago, many tour buses dropped off passengers at Metro stations, but Metro won't allow that this time, Stessel said.

People traveling from Maryland can ride MARC commuter trains, which will offer a schedule tailored to the inaugural crowds. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at select stations on Inauguration Day. Commuter trains from Virginia won't be running, though. In 2009, the Virginia Railway Express was open at the request of the inaugural committee, said Mark Roeber, a VRE spokesman. The rail service received no such request this time and will follow its standard policy of closing when federal offices are closed.

Then there are bicycles, an increasingly popular option for Washington-area commuters. The city will run a massive bike parking lot a few blocks from the White House, and there will also be a station near the Mall with enough space for anyone who wants to drop off a bicycle from the region's popular bike-sharing service. Shane Farthing, executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, said riding bikes to the event makes sense ? and not just for district residents.

"I think folks even farther out are going to see biking as an attractive option if they want to avoid the crowds," Farthing said.

Even after the inauguration, some travelers may be inconvenienced. People flying out of Reagan National and Dulles International airports on Tuesday have been advised to arrive at least two hours before their scheduled flights because of anticipated crowding and long lines.

___

Follow Ben Nuckols on Twitter at http://twitter.com/APBenNuckols

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/inaugural-transit-options-drawbacks-080302912--politics.html

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US slams hostage-taking; Clinton to call Algeria

This April 19, 2005 photo released by Statoil via NTB scanpix, shows the Ain Amenas gas field in Algeria, where Islamist militants raided and took hostages Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013. As Algerian army helicopters clattered overhead deep in the Sahara desert, Islamist militants hunkered down for the night in the natural gas complex they had assaulted Wednesday morning, killing two people and taking dozens of foreigners hostage in what could be the first spillover from France's intervention in Mali. (AP Photo/Kjetil Alsvik, Statoil via NTB scanpix) NORWAY OUT

This April 19, 2005 photo released by Statoil via NTB scanpix, shows the Ain Amenas gas field in Algeria, where Islamist militants raided and took hostages Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013. As Algerian army helicopters clattered overhead deep in the Sahara desert, Islamist militants hunkered down for the night in the natural gas complex they had assaulted Wednesday morning, killing two people and taking dozens of foreigners hostage in what could be the first spillover from France's intervention in Mali. (AP Photo/Kjetil Alsvik, Statoil via NTB scanpix) NORWAY OUT

ALGERIA 2 011613: ADDS oil field satellite image; map locates Ain Amenas, Algeria where American hostages were taken

Map locates Ain Amenas, Algeria where American hostages were taken

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Obama administration appeared to be in the dark Thursday about a hostage situation at a natural gas plant in Algeria, where Algerian forces launched a military assault to free dozens of foreign hostages, including an unknown number of Americans, held by Islamist militants.

An administration official said the U.S. was not aware of the raid to free the hostages in advance. The U.S. was offering no details about how many American hostages had been taken and whether they were still in captivity or even alive.

The U.S. condemned the militants for seizing the isolated plant 800 miles south of the capital, Algiers, in the Sahara Desert.

Militants with the Masked Brigade, a Mali-based al-Qaida offshoot that has been speaking through a Mauritanian news outlet, said the Algerians opened fire Thursday as the militants tried to leave the vast Ain Amenas energy complex with their hostages. They claimed that 35 hostages and 15 militants died but seven hostages survived when Algerian helicopters strafed their convoy.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said U.S. counterterrorism officials were in touch with their Algerian counterparts and that she planned to speak Thursday with Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal for the second time in as many days. She made a vague reference to ongoing U.S. "planning," without elaborating.

"The security of our Americans who are held hostage is our highest priority," Clinton told reporters. "Because of the fluidity and the fact that there is a lot of planning going on, I cannot give you any further details."

"This is a serious and sensitive situation," Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters traveling with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in England. Little said military officials were actively seeking information, and that Panetta had been briefed by senior military officials.

Ahead of the raid, U.S. officials had been urging the Algerians to be cautious in their actions, but did not know a rescue mission was planned, said the administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Militants earlier said they were holding seven Americans, but the administration confirmed only that Americans were among those taken.

"We are deeply concerned about any loss of innocent life and are seeking clarity from the government of Algeria," White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters.

During her conversation with Algeria's prime minister Wednesday, Clinton expressed Washington's "willingness to be helpful," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. They also discussed what type of assistance might be needed, Nuland added, but declined to provide details.

A senior U.S. military official said the military offered Algeria hostage-rescue teams on Wednesdays, but the offer was refused. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the offer publicly.

Nuland said the United States also was in contact with American businesses across North Africa and the Middle East to help them guard against the possibility of copycat attacks.

___

Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor in London and Kimberly Dozier and Julie Pace in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-17-US-Algeria-Kidnapping-US/id-02d516de38f54be1b2b06f3c1d253863

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Panetta: U.S. will take 'necessary' steps in Algerian hostage situation

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) ? In what could be the first spillover from France's intervention in Mali, Islamist militants attacked and occupied a natural gas complex in southern Algeria on Wednesday. Two people were killed and dozens of others, including several Americans, were reportedly taken hostage.

A militant group claimed responsibility for the rare attack on one of oil-rich Algeria's energy facilities, saying it came in revenge for the North African nation's support for France's military operation against al-Qaida-linked rebels in neighboring Mali. The militants said they were holding 41 foreigners from the energy complex, including seven Americans.

The group ? called Katibat Moulathamine or the Masked Brigade ? phoned a Mauritanian news outlet to say one of its affiliates had carried out the operation at the Ain Amenas gas field, located 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) south of Algiers, the Algerian capital.

BP, together with the Norwegian company Statoil and the Algerian state oil company Sonatrach, operates the gas field. A Japanese company, JGC Corp, provides services for the facility as well.

In Rome, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta declared that the U.S. "will take all necessary and proper steps" to deal with the attack in Algeria. He would not detail what such steps might be but condemned the action as "terrorist attack" and likened it to al-Qaida activities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.

Algeria's top security official, Interior Minister Daho Ould Kabila, said that "security forces have surrounded the area and cornered the terrorists, who are in one wing of the complex's living quarters."

He said one Briton and one Algerian were killed in the attack, while a Norwegian and two other Britons were among the six wounded.

"We reject all negotiations with the group, which is holding some 20 hostages from several nationalities," Kabila said on national television, raising the spector of a possible armed assault to try to free the hostages.

It was not immediately possible to rectify the discrepancies in the number of reported hostages. Their identities were also unclear, but Ireland announced that they included a 36-year-old married Irish man and Japan, Britain and the U.S. said their citizens were involved as well. A Norwegian woman said her husband called her saying that he had been taken hostage.

Hundreds of Algerians work at the plant and were also taken hostage in the Islamist attack, but the Algerian state news agency reported they were gradually released unharmed Wednesday in small groups.

The Algerian minister said the militants appeared to be hoping to negotiate their departure from the area, something he rejected. He also dismissed theories that the militants came from across the border in Libya, which is just 60 miles (100 kilometers) away, or from Mali, more than 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) away.

Kabila said the roughly 20 well armed gunmen were from Algeria itself, operating under orders from Moktar Belmoktar, al-Qaida's strongman in the Sahara.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland confirmed that "U.S. citizens were among the hostages."

The caller to the Nouakchott Information Agency, which often carries announcements from extremist groups, said the kidnapping was carried out by "Those Who Signed in Blood," a group created to attack the countries participating in the offensive against Islamist groups in Mali.

The Masked Brigade was formed by Belmoktar, a one-eyed Algerian who recently declared he was leaving the terror network's Algerian branch, Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, to create his own group. He said at the time he would still maintain ties with the central organization based in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The name of his group could be a reference to the nomadic Tuareg inhabitants of the Sahara, known for masking their faces with blue veils.

A close associate of Belmoktar blamed the West for France's recent air and ground intervention against Islamist fighters in Mali.

"It's the United Nations that gave the green light to this intervention and all Western countries are now going to pay a price. We are now globalizing our conflict," said Oumar Ould Hamaha told The Associated Press by telephone Wednesday night from an undisclosed location.

French President Francois Hollande launched the surprise operation in Mali, a former French colony in West Africa, on Friday, hoping to stop the al-Qaida-linked and other Islamist extremists whom he believes pose a danger to the world.

Further kidnappings could well be on the horizon, warned Sajjan Gohel, the international security director for the Asia-Pacific Foundation.

"The chances are that this may not be a one-off event, that there could be other attempts in Africa ? especially north and western Africa ? to directly target foreign interests," he said. "It's unclear as to what fate these individuals may meet, whether these terrorists are going to want a ransom or whether they'll utilize this for propaganda purposes."

Wednesday's attack in Algeria began with an ambush on a bus carrying employees from the massive gas plant to the nearby airport but the attackers were driven off, according to the Algerian government, which said three vehicles of heavily armed men were involved.

"After their failed attempt, the terrorist group headed to the complex's living quarters and took a number of workers with foreign nationalities hostage," the government said in a statement.

Attacks on oil-rich Algeria's hydrocarbon facilities are very rare, despite decades of fighting an Islamist insurgency, mostly in northern Algeria.

In the last several years, however, al-Qaida's influence in the poorly patrolled desert of southern Algeria and northern Mali and Niger has grown and the group operates smuggling and kidnapping networks throughout the area. Militant groups that seized control of a vast section of northern Mali last year already hold seven French hostages as well as four Algerian diplomats.

Prime Minister David Cameron's office said "several British nationals" were involved, while Japanese news agencies, citing unnamed government officials, said there are three Japanese hostages.

Late Wednesday, Statoil said five employees ?four Norwegians and a Canadian ? were safe at an Algerian military camp and two of them had suffered minor injuries. It said 12 employees were unaccounted for.

The Norwegian newspaper Bergens Tidende said a 55-year-old Norwegian working on the site called his wife to say he had been abducted.

Algeria had long warned against any military intervention against the rebels in northern Mali, fearing the violence could spill over its own long and porous border. Though its position softened slightly after Hollande visited Algiers in December, Algerian authorities remain skeptical about the operation and worried about its consequences on the region.

Algeria, Africa's biggest country, has been an ally of the U.S. and France in fighting terrorism for years. But its relationship with France has been fraught with lingering resentment over colonialism and the bloody war for independence that left Algeria a free country 50 years ago.

Algeria's strong security forces have struggled for years against Islamist extremists, and have in recent years managed to nearly snuff out violence by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb around its home base in northern Algeria. In the meantime, AQIM moved its focus southward.

AQIM has made tens of millions of dollars off kidnapping in the region, abducting Algerian businessmen or politicans, and sometimes foreigners, for ransom.

_____

Paul Schemm reported from Rabat, Morocco. Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Rukmini Callimachi in Bamako, Mali, Bradley Klapper in Washington, Jill Lawless in London, Elaine Ganely in Paris, Jan Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Shawn Pogatchnik in Dublin contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/militants-seize-dozens-hostages-algeria-212226289--finance.html

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Small Business Branding | 6 Branding Myths Every Business Owner ...

Effective branding can build your reputation, push you ahead of your competitors, and allow you to set standards for your market, i.e. premium pricing. Name recognition gains consumer trust, and in turn, more loyalty. Before this can happen, though, a few things about this whole small business branding concept needs to be cleared up. Here are some of the biggest myths people have on the topic and some important principles to take home with you.

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Source: http://www.inspirefirst.com/2013/01/16/small-business-branding-6-branding-myths-business-owner-medianovak/

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Kendrick Lamar - Cartoons and Cereal

This is one of the best songs that never actually made it onto Kendrick Lamar's highly-praised 2012 album Good Kid mAAd City. Even though this track was omitted, it totally fits in with the opus—a tale of Lamar's coming of age in Compton. But apparently someone thought it didn't work. Regardless, it has some pretty awesome references to some classic Saturday morning cartoons. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ev1MHlUgKUs/kendrick-lamar-+-cartoons-and-cereal

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