I like the world today
I like the world today
I like the world today
I like the world today
I like the world today
I like the world today
I like it when it's green
I like the world today
I like the world today
Oh what a hell of a price
What a hell of a price
But sometimes it's mean as hell
But sometimes, but sometimes
But sometimes it's mean as can be
I like the world today
I like the world today
I like the world today
When it's green
I like the world today
I like the world today
Hell of a price to pay
It's a hell of a price to pay
And sometimes it's mean
And sometime it's mean
And sometime it's mean
Today
Today
Today
Today...
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Rihanna no quiere hablar del problema con Chris Brown
En su primera declaración desde que fue supuestamente golpeada por el cantante Chris Brown, Rihanna le agradeció a la gente su apoyo, pero se negó a hablar de las acusaciones en contra de su novio, citando una investigación policial en desarrollo.
"A pedido de las autoridades, Rihanna no va a hacer comentarios sobre el incidente que involucra a Chris Brown", dice una declaración presentada por la firma Rubenstein Associates. "Ella quiere reafirmarle a sus fanáticos que se mantiene fuerte, se encuentra bien y aprecia mucho el apoyo que ha recibido durante esta difícil época".
La declaración fue presentada horas después de que el sitio de internet TMZ publicó una fotografía, la cual mostraría el rostro de la cantante con raspones en la frente, labios ensangrentados y otras marcas.
El Departamento de Policía de Los Angeles anunció que investigaba cómo fue filtrada la imagen, luego de que las fotos fueron publicadas el jueves por la tarde. El viernes, el jefe William Bratton indicó que su departamento conduce una investigación interna y también un caso de complot penal que podría resultar en tres años de prisión para el culpable.
"Es una vergüenza para este departamento", dijo Bratton. Indicó que la agencia considera que un empleado filtró la fotografía a la prensa y que el departamento trata de completar las investigaciones sobre la supuesta golpiza contra Rihanna y la publicación de la imagen.
Brown, de 19 años, está siendo investigado por golpear a una mujer en las horas previas a la entrega de los Premios Grammy en Los Angeles. Una persona cercana a las investigaciones, quien no está autorizada a hablar con los medios y por ende pidió no ser identificada, dijo que la mujer fue de hecho Rihanna, cuyo nombre completo es Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
Ambos cantantes iban a presentarse en la entrega de premios, pero finalmente cancelaron sus actuaciones. Brown se entregó a las autoridades mientras se desarrollaba la ceremonia.
While New York Bleeds Washington Thrives
At the same time Wall Street is losing jobs and prestige, the nation's capital is gaining steam as it ramps up to fight the recession
Look out, New York. Washington is gaining on you.
As the nation's most populous metro area feels Wall Street's pain, the fourth-largest -- Washington -- is barely sensing the recession. In fact, Moody's Economy.com estimates that metro Washington's economy will actually grow 2.5% from mid-2008 through mid-2010. New York's economy is expected to shrink 4.2%.
It wouldn't be the first time that Washington benefited from a national crisis. Back in 1930 the District of Columbia was a quiet Southern town, scoffed at by New York sophisticates. But as the federal government ramped up to fight first the Great Depression and then World War II, its population grew 65% in two decades, vs. just 14% for New York City.
This time Washington is getting a boost from government spending to fight the recession and fix the financial system, as well as the ongoing expenses of fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and promoting homeland security. While President Barack Obama pointedly left Washington for Denver to sign the $787 billion stimulus package on Feb. 17, locals expect the metro area to garner a big share of the dollars.
Where Home Sales Rise
"Oversight alone will (mean) tons of new jobs," enthuses Jill Landsman, a spokeswoman for the Northern Virginia Assn. of Realtors, who says the pace of home sales has picked up over the past year even as prices have continued to fall.
Job-seeking Wall Streeters who jump on Amtrak's Acela to Washington may be dismayed to find that the maximum pay for an FDIC bank review examiner is close to $180,000. That's great for most folks, but paltry next to the bonus-swelled compensation many bankers are used to. The pay can be a lot better, though, at the Beltway Bandit consulting firms that are ramping up to assist the FDIC, Treasury Dept., and others. Consulting jobs for senior specialists in finance "can pay north of $200 an hour," says Andrew Reina, a practice director for risk consultant Ajilon Solutions.
Companies such as Computer Sciences Corp., Science Applications International Corp., or SAIC, and Booz Allen Hamilton employ tens of thousands of people in the Washington area and continue to expand. Even before the current crisis, professional and business services, which include private-sector lawyers, accountants, engineers, and consultants, made up 21% of metro Washington's annual economic output, even more than the 20% made up by government itself, according to a BusinessWeek estimate based on government data. The financial crisis "creates opportunities for companies like ours" to provide expert assistance, says David Booth, Computer Sciences Corp.'s president of global sales and marketing.
The New Talent Magnet
By at least one measure, it's Washington rather than New York that's attracting the best and brightest these days: According to George Mason University's Center for Regional Analysis, metro Washington leads the nation in the share of jobs that are in high-tech and the share of workers with advanced degrees.
As for New York, the mix -- and the outlook -- is bleak. Finance typically accounts for 32% of the metro region's output, mostly because finance jobs pay so well. But pay limits, combined with job cuts, will harm everything from condos to car dealerships. New York State Labor Dept. analyst James Brown says, "There will still be a need for capital-raising, but it's pretty clear the sector won't be as profitable or as large."
Adds Moody's Economy.com economist Marisa Di Natale: "New York, we think, is going to have a pretty severe recession."
Staging a Comeback?
In one measure of how dire things have gotten for New York's finance sector, Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Feb. 18 announced a $45 million plan to retrain investment bankers, traders, and others who have lost jobs on Wall Street. The money will also provide startup money and office space for new businesses by the former Wall Streeters. According to The New York Times, city officials expect New York to lose 65,000 jobs in finance during this recession, and not gain them back any time soon.
"We say good luck to the people in New York. We know they're going through some tough times," says Arnold Punaro, general manager of SAIC's Washington operations.
Then again, there is one resource that New York has in abundance, and that's self-confidence. Regional Plan Assn. President Robert Yaro, whose nonprofit organization coordinates planning in a 31-county area, says New York has been declared dead over and over since the 1880s, but always springs back.
"The fundamental strength," says Yaro, "is that every 24-year-old in America and the world wants to be here. Because every other place seems kind of sleepy."
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Disney parks to consolidate some operations
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Walt Disney Co said on Wednesday it will consolidate some "back of house" operations, including menu planning and ride design, at its two U.S. theme parks to try to offset the effects of the global economic downturn.
The reorganization is effective immediately and will result in new job cuts, but the company would not specify how many.
Disney Parks Chairman Jay Rasulo said "economic realities" required the company to focus and streamline its operations in a way that "eliminates redundancies."
Earlier this month, Disney's parks division reported a 24 percent drop in quarterly operating income and a 4 percent revenue decline in part due to slowing consumer spending.
The new organization calls for Walt Disney Imagineering, the parks' engineering and design teams, to be consolidated into a single group that handles attractions for all parks.
The company also will create a single domestic group to handle behind-the-scenes services such as maintenance, menu planning and security, for Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
Last month, Disney Parks and Resorts offered voluntary buyouts to 600 parks executives at the U.S. parks to trim its administrative costs as hotel bookings slipped at its parks.
The company received "a satisfactory response" to that offer but did not divulge the number of executive positions that would be eliminated.
Best Buy to lay off 250 headquarters workers
ATLANTA (Reuters) – Best Buy Co Inc (BBY.N) said on Thursday it plans to lay off 250 workers at its corporate headquarters in Minneapolis as it cuts costs in the recession.
But the top U.S. specialty electronics retailer added it will also create 210 new posts the idled workers could take, for a net loss of 40 jobs.
The retailer said last month that involuntary layoffs would be necessary after about 500 of its slightly less than 4,000 headquarters workers accepted voluntary exit packages that provided 7.5 months severance for the average non-managerial corporate staffer.
"The voluntary program was a success as it significantly reduced the number of necessary involuntary reductions," Best Buy spokeswoman Sue Busch Nehring said in an email.
Workers who took the voluntary separation packages left the company on February 12, she said. Workers affected by the involuntary layoffs will remain employed for 30 days.
Busch Nehring said Best Buy, which has expanded mobile phone shops in recent months, was retooling its U.S. stores to deliver "a more intuitive, customer-focused shopping experience."
Store changes are designed to shift labor dollars to where customers are, she added.
The retailer's sales have come under pressure as consumers cut back during the recession. Sales at stores open at least 14 months, or same-store sales, fell 6.5 percent in December.
Best Buy shares rose 17 cents to close at $27.89 on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
2010 Lexus RX
The RX 450h, with its unique front grille and bumper and blue-tinted badges and headlamp and taillamp covers, replaces the previous 3.3-liter V-6 with an Atkinson-cycle (shorter compression stroke) 3.5-liter that puts out 245 horsepower and 234 pound-feet. FWD hybrids utilize a 167-horsepower electric motor while AWD versions supplement that with a 68-horse electric motor that drives the rear wheels. Either way, combined system power is rated at 295 horses. Estimated combined fuel economy, at 27 mpg for FWD and 28 for AWD, denotes a significant surge compared with the RX 400h's 25 mpg, and is a testament to the 450h's innovative exhaust-heat recovery system (reduces engine and coolant warmup time, enabling engine to shut off earlier and more frequently) and exhaust-gas recirculation system, which lowers engine pumping losses.
In addition to implementing the aforementioned rear control arms, Lexus engineers retuned the front struts for improved feel and even went so far as to offer an optional Sport Package that includes stiffer springs and 19-inch wheels. Sans the sport pack, all RXs come standard with 18-inch alloys. The electric power steering has been retuned as well and delivers commendable feedback and linearity. Further, the brakes are larger front and rear and the front calipers switch from a single-piston to a dual-piston design-a useful upgrade considering the RX has gained roughly 500 pounds. Naturally, we get the usual array of Lexus security nets, including VSC, EBD, and VDIM (standard on 450h), but there are some fresh safety tools, to boot, namely Hill-Start Assist Control, active front headrests, rear-seat side airbags (10 airbags total), LED headlamps (available on 450h), and headlamps that automatically switch from high to low beams when a camera in the rearview mirror detects lights from vehicles ahead.
While it's unlikely the neighbors will be able to detect that the 2010 RX is all-new or that it's crammed with about as much tech as the International Space Station, don't worry -- once behind the wheel, you'll easily discern that the new model is the most impressive RX yet.
First Drive: 2010 Lexus RX
"The RX is arguably our most iconic vehicle." Those are the words of Lexus group vice president and general manager Mark Templin, who made the claim at the 2010 RX's press preview in Northern California. More symbolic than the IS, the GS, and even the LS, the lux sedan that spearheaded Lexus's U.S. launch in 1989 and sent the Europeans back to the drawing boards? According to Templin, it's entirely possible.
Perhaps he's right; since the RX 300 created the luxury-crossover segment in 1998 and the RX 400h -- the first hybrid luxury crossover -- turned gas pumps cold in 2005, consumers have often referred to the RX as the Lexus SUV or the Lexus hybrid, despite the fact that there are other notable sport/utes and hybrids in Lexus's lineup. Plus, RX sales numbers don't lie: Through November 2008, it was Lexus's best-selling vehicle not to mention the best-selling luxury SUV in the U.S.
So how does one improve upon an icon? According to RX chief engineer Takayuki Katsuda, "I wanted to reinvent the new RX," which loosely translates to a more luxurious and user-friendly interior, a stouter 3.5-liter V-6, a more-efficient Atkinson-cycle engine for the hybrid, and additional safety features, improved driving dynamics, and better fuel economy. The new RX also welcomes Lexus's "L-finesse" design theme -- styling language introduced on the 2006 GS -- although you'd be hard-pressed to notice. While each exterior dimension is up about an inch and every body panel is unique from that of its predecessor, the 2010 RX appears conspicuously similar to the 2009 model. Maybe "L-no difference" is more apt. Regardless, the RX looks conservative in light of such bolder competitors as the Mercedes-Benz GLK and Volvo XC60, but it'll no doubt appease the RX faithful. Those faithful, along with newcomers, will fancy the cabin, which is grander in size and style. While the interior volume hike is rather insignificant -- 140.9 cubic feet versus 140.8 -- the jumps in legroom (0.6 inch front, 0.2 inch rear) and rear shoulder room (0.5 inch) are not. There's even an additional 1.7 cubic feet of cargo space, thanks to an all-new rear control-arm suspension that eliminates the 2009 model's impeding strut towers. Lexus has fitted the RX with numerous interior tech tidbits: rearview mirror backup camera display (on vehicles without nav), intuitive park assist, Smart Key access system, XM NavTraffic and Weather, heads-up display, rear-seat entertainment, 15-speaker Mark Levinson audio, and standard Bluetooth, to name a few. But it's the new Remote Touch controller (standard with navigation) that's most noteworthy. Similar in function and feel to a computer mouse, the center console-mounted Remote Touch, which controls the nav system, many audio and HVAC controls, and personalization functions, minimizes the number of hard buttons and eliminates grimy fingerprints on the display screen. It's an ingenious and intuitive feature that will certainly find its way into future Lexus products. Ditto for the white OLED (organic LED) multi-information display, which is thinner and more efficient than LCD, and the available wideview side monitor, a system that uses a right sideview mirror-mounted camera to display the passenger-side blind spot when parking.
Rihanna's Father On Her Injuries & Future With Chris Brown
NEW YORK, New York -- Rihanna 's father, Ronald Fenty, has spoken out about the alleged attack on his daughter by boyfriend Chris Brown last weekend.
"You think you know somebody, but you really don't," he told People.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Rihanna: Music's Style Superstar
Brown allegedly bit and hit the "Disturbia" singer last Saturday night, hours after the two were spotted together at a pre-Grammy party honoring Clive Davis in Beverly Hills.
"There is some bruising," Fenty said of Rihanna 's current status.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 2009 Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Party
According to People, he saw his daughter in Barbados on Thursday, though according to an interview with Us Magazine on Saturday, he denied contact.
"No, I haven't seen her," Fenty told Us. "I haven't seen her bruises."
In both interviews, he hopes that she'll use the experience to do good.
"She will be alright," he told People. "At some point, she will speak out. I hope she will stand up for women all over the world."
While he didn't shed light on what happened that night, the events seemed to come as a surprise to Fenty.
"They seemed pretty happy," he said. "I don't know what went wrong."
And as for the future of Rihanna 's relationship with Brown, he has one piece of fatherly advice.
"If it were me, I'd move on," he said.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:PLAY IT NOW: Stars React To Chris Brown & Rihanna Incident
PLAY IT NOW: How Severe Are Rihanna's Injuries?
Saturday, February 14, 2009
2010 Lexus RX 350
The next-generation Lexus RX SUV will reportedly make its world debut in full production trim at next month’s Los Angeles Auto Show before going on sale early next year as a 2010 model. Prototypes for the new RX have been spotted testing in Germany in recent months, rand now we have the first image sourced from a scanned Japanese brochure via AutoSpies.
As previously reported, the new RX will be longer, wider, taller and heavier than its predecessor. Interestingly, weight is expected to rise by a significant 640lbs, bringing the SUV’s total kerb weight to a substantial 4,510lbs. These larger dimensions, however, are likely to pave way for a seven-seat capacity, reports The Car Connection.
In North America, the base RX will feature a 3.5L V6 with power bumped up to 280hp (209kW) over the current RX350’s 275hp (205kW) output. Torque will also be bumped up by 6lb-ft (8Nm). Other upgrades include the addition of a new six-speed automatic in place of the current model’s five-speed, as well as Lexus’ Super Electronically Controlled gearshift program and hill-start assist.
The RX400h hybrid model will return, arriving one year after the release of the standard petrol model, and should feature an uprated V6 hybrid drive system with close to 400hp (298kW) on tap. A new petrol V8 model could also be offered for the first time.
Production of the new RX range will start at the end of year with first sales expected in the first quarter of 2009.
As previously reported, the new RX will be longer, wider, taller and heavier than its predecessor. Interestingly, weight is expected to rise by a significant 640lbs, bringing the SUV’s total kerb weight to a substantial 4,510lbs. These larger dimensions, however, are likely to pave way for a seven-seat capacity, reports The Car Connection.
In North America, the base RX will feature a 3.5L V6 with power bumped up to 280hp (209kW) over the current RX350’s 275hp (205kW) output. Torque will also be bumped up by 6lb-ft (8Nm). Other upgrades include the addition of a new six-speed automatic in place of the current model’s five-speed, as well as Lexus’ Super Electronically Controlled gearshift program and hill-start assist.
The RX400h hybrid model will return, arriving one year after the release of the standard petrol model, and should feature an uprated V6 hybrid drive system with close to 400hp (298kW) on tap. A new petrol V8 model could also be offered for the first time.
Production of the new RX range will start at the end of year with first sales expected in the first quarter of 2009.
Lexus considers new compact SUV
Sales of SUVs may be slowing but that hasn’t stopped carmakers around the world developing new models to cater for the competitive market. Mercedes-Benz just took the wraps off its new GLK compact SUV and now Lexus is considering building a small SUV of its own. The official stance thus far has been to ignore launching a new model but the increasing number of vehicles in the compact-luxury segment has got Lexus executives to rethink their stance.
Officials have reason to be wary. The compact SUV market already has several strong competitors in the form of the BMW X3, Acura RDX and Infiniti EX35, and soon it will be joined by the new Mercedes GLK and upcoming Audi Q5. Speaking with Automotive News, Toyota America Chief Jim Lentz said a small Lexus SUV could be a response to the "urbanization" of Gen Y buyers and empty-nest boomers, which studies have found is an expanding market.
The new model would be positioned below the current RX350 (pictured), Lexus’ smallest SUV model, and would be priced around the $30,000 mark. To keep costs low engineers would use an AWD version of the Toyota RAV4 platform but developers are still worried about creating a luxury vehicle that would sell in this price range.
Officials have reason to be wary. The compact SUV market already has several strong competitors in the form of the BMW X3, Acura RDX and Infiniti EX35, and soon it will be joined by the new Mercedes GLK and upcoming Audi Q5. Speaking with Automotive News, Toyota America Chief Jim Lentz said a small Lexus SUV could be a response to the "urbanization" of Gen Y buyers and empty-nest boomers, which studies have found is an expanding market.
The new model would be positioned below the current RX350 (pictured), Lexus’ smallest SUV model, and would be priced around the $30,000 mark. To keep costs low engineers would use an AWD version of the Toyota RAV4 platform but developers are still worried about creating a luxury vehicle that would sell in this price range.
2010 Lexus RX 350
Vehicle Overview
Lexus' popular RX crossover has been completely redesigned for 2010, and it shares a lot of components with Toyota's Venza crossover. The new RX is slightly longer and wider than the 2009 model, and it packs a slightly more powerful V-6 engine. All-wheel drive is optional.
Mechanical highlights include a six-speed automatic transmission and a new rear suspension, which Lexus says frees up more cargo room and improves handling over the outgoing RX's simpler setup. Other firsts include a joystick-like controller for the navigation system, conversational voice recognition software and a dual-screen rear entertainment system.
The five-seat RX comes as a gas-powered RX 350 or gas-electric hybrid RX 450h. The latter model is covered separately in Cars.com's Research section.
Exterior
Though slightly taller than its predecessor, the RX 350 looks more carlike than ever. Its dimensions, now wider and longer, give the crossover a downright wagon-like stance. In back are frosted taillight effects that are similar to what the outgoing RX had. Eighteen-inch alloy wheels are standard, with 19-inchers optional.
At 188 inches long and 74 inches wide, the RX is longer and narrower than the competing Lincoln MKX. Three-row competitors like the Acura MDX and Buick Enclave are larger all around.
Interior
The RX's interior swaps much of the prior generation's symmetrical shapes for swooping panels and futuristic controls. Chief among them is Lexus' Remote Touch system, which uses a knob to navigate menus with a mouse-like arrow cursor on the dashboard display screen. Other features include voice-recognition software that Lexus says will pick up conversational prompts rather than traditional formal, specific commands.
The optional leather seats are power-adjustable up front. The backseat folds in a 40/20/40 split; like before, it reclines and adjusts forward and backward. High-tech options include a head-up display with LED lighting that's purportedly bright enough to read even on a sunny day.
Under the Hood
A 275-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 is standard; it works with a six-speed automatic transmission. Maximum towing capacity remains 3,500 pounds, a rating the MKX matches and both the MDX and Enclave can beat.
Front-wheel drive is standard, with all-wheel drive optional.
Safety
Ten standard airbags include four in front — the two required chest airbags plus two knee airbags — as well as seat-mounted side airbags for the first and second rows. Head-protecting side curtain airbags span both rows. Active head restraints, antilock brakes, traction control and an electronic stability system are also standard.
Lexus' Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management system, which better integrates the electronic stability system with various other systems, is optional. So is a radar-based Pre-Collision System that can cinch up the seat belts and prime the brakes for maximum response should it detect an imminent impact. Other options include adaptive headlights that automatically swivel a few degrees to better illuminate a corner; adaptive cruise control; and a new side-mirror-mounted camera system that gives drivers a wide view of the adjacent lane.
Lexus' popular RX crossover has been completely redesigned for 2010, and it shares a lot of components with Toyota's Venza crossover. The new RX is slightly longer and wider than the 2009 model, and it packs a slightly more powerful V-6 engine. All-wheel drive is optional.
Mechanical highlights include a six-speed automatic transmission and a new rear suspension, which Lexus says frees up more cargo room and improves handling over the outgoing RX's simpler setup. Other firsts include a joystick-like controller for the navigation system, conversational voice recognition software and a dual-screen rear entertainment system.
The five-seat RX comes as a gas-powered RX 350 or gas-electric hybrid RX 450h. The latter model is covered separately in Cars.com's Research section.
Exterior
Though slightly taller than its predecessor, the RX 350 looks more carlike than ever. Its dimensions, now wider and longer, give the crossover a downright wagon-like stance. In back are frosted taillight effects that are similar to what the outgoing RX had. Eighteen-inch alloy wheels are standard, with 19-inchers optional.
At 188 inches long and 74 inches wide, the RX is longer and narrower than the competing Lincoln MKX. Three-row competitors like the Acura MDX and Buick Enclave are larger all around.
Interior
The RX's interior swaps much of the prior generation's symmetrical shapes for swooping panels and futuristic controls. Chief among them is Lexus' Remote Touch system, which uses a knob to navigate menus with a mouse-like arrow cursor on the dashboard display screen. Other features include voice-recognition software that Lexus says will pick up conversational prompts rather than traditional formal, specific commands.
The optional leather seats are power-adjustable up front. The backseat folds in a 40/20/40 split; like before, it reclines and adjusts forward and backward. High-tech options include a head-up display with LED lighting that's purportedly bright enough to read even on a sunny day.
Under the Hood
A 275-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 is standard; it works with a six-speed automatic transmission. Maximum towing capacity remains 3,500 pounds, a rating the MKX matches and both the MDX and Enclave can beat.
Front-wheel drive is standard, with all-wheel drive optional.
Safety
Ten standard airbags include four in front — the two required chest airbags plus two knee airbags — as well as seat-mounted side airbags for the first and second rows. Head-protecting side curtain airbags span both rows. Active head restraints, antilock brakes, traction control and an electronic stability system are also standard.
Lexus' Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management system, which better integrates the electronic stability system with various other systems, is optional. So is a radar-based Pre-Collision System that can cinch up the seat belts and prime the brakes for maximum response should it detect an imminent impact. Other options include adaptive headlights that automatically swivel a few degrees to better illuminate a corner; adaptive cruise control; and a new side-mirror-mounted camera system that gives drivers a wide view of the adjacent lane.
2010 Lexus RX 350
The Lexus RX was one of the earliest luxury crossovers, and it's been one of the more popular ones, too, with sales topping 100,000 in 2007. For 2010, Lexus has redesigned what it calls one of its most iconic models.
Rather than taking the RX in a dramatically new direction — like Acura did when it overhauled its RX competitor, the MDX — Lexus has further honed the RX. The new model is easy to drive, has a refined cabin and is available with a host of high-tech features. I like the RX, and I continue to after driving this new model as it's well-suited to the needs of the U.S. luxury-crossover buyer.
I drove both the gas-only RX 350 and the gas-electric RX 450h hybrid in California's scenic wine country. The RX 350 hits dealerships in late February, and the RX 450h is scheduled to follow in the spring.
The RX 350 and RX 450h have similar power outputs — 275 horsepower for the RX 350 and 295 hp for the RX 450h — but their unique drivetrains result in significantly different driving experiences.
The RX 350 proved to be a capable performer on the mountain roads of Napa Valley, charging strongly up hills without the 3.5-liter V-6 feeling burdened. The responsive six-speed automatic transmission is very well-behaved; during slow or steady acceleration it changes gears smoothly, but when you press hard on the gas pedal it delivers quick, firm shifts that match the urgency of the situation. The transmission also offers Sport and Snow modes, as well as a clutchless-manual mode for driver-controlled shifting.
The RX 450h, meanwhile, doesn't accelerate with the same level of urgency, even though its gas-electric drivetrain makes more power. It has more weight to carry around — about 300 pounds more. It's by no means pokey, but the assistance from the electric motor isn't as much as you might think.
The 2009 RX 350 was already one of the more fuel-efficient luxury crossovers available, and the new model offers even better gas mileage. The RX 450h's gas mileage improves over the current RX 400h's, too, and has the best gas mileage of any luxury crossover in the U.S.
Both the gas-only and hybrid versions of the RX include features designed to save fuel. The RX 350 has an Eco indicator that illuminates when the driver is operating the RX in an efficient manner. The RX 450h, meanwhile, has an Eco Mode with specific throttle and air-conditioning programs to increase efficiency, as well as an Electric Vehicle Mode. In EV Mode, the RX 450h can operate for a few minutes up to about 10 mph on battery power alone as long as the high-voltage battery has a sufficient amount of power and the driver accelerates lightly, according to Lexus.
One of the most impressive elements of the RX 450h's driving experience is its brake-pedal feel. This is an area where hybrids — which make use of both friction and regenerative braking systems — have struggled to match the linear pedal response of a traditional hydraulic brake system. The RX 450h shows that it can be done, as its firm pedal feel and natural braking response give no hint that there's regenerative braking going on. The RX 350's brake pedal feels softer underfoot, but it offers the same natural response as the hybrid.
There's the temptation to fault Lexus for not dramatically remaking the RX with this redesign. Something more radical would probably have made a bigger splash, but it would have risked alienating the customers who have made the RX so popular; Lexus says there are already almost 800,000 of the crossovers on the road. There are sportier models available, like the MDX and FX35, but if you're looking for refinement and comfortable luxury, the RX remains an appealing choice.
Rather than taking the RX in a dramatically new direction — like Acura did when it overhauled its RX competitor, the MDX — Lexus has further honed the RX. The new model is easy to drive, has a refined cabin and is available with a host of high-tech features. I like the RX, and I continue to after driving this new model as it's well-suited to the needs of the U.S. luxury-crossover buyer.
I drove both the gas-only RX 350 and the gas-electric RX 450h hybrid in California's scenic wine country. The RX 350 hits dealerships in late February, and the RX 450h is scheduled to follow in the spring.
Exterior & Styling
The RX is the latest Lexus to receive the brand's "L-finesse" styling language. L-finesse models have a clean, uncluttered look that's accented by sharp, angular design elements, such as the headlights. The design theme doesn't diminish the RX's distinctive appearance, as it still sports a raked-forward D-pillar, like its predecessor. While the front end of the new RX is familiar, its nose isn't as pointy as the previous model's.
The 2010 RX 350 is similar in size. It's only 1.6 inches longer, 1.6 inches wider and 0.2 inches taller. Lexus says customers like the size of the current RX, which explains why it wasn't notably changed for 2010, even though cars often grow when redesigned. Both the regular and the hybrid models come standard with 18-inch alloy wheels; 19-inch rims are optional.
The styling differences between the RX 350 and RX 450h are subtle. The hybrid has a different L badge on the front grille that's outlined in blue, as well as blue-tinted headlights; LED headlights are optional for the hybrid. The RX 450h also features "Hybrid" lettering on the lower portion of the rear doors.
Ride & Handling
Delivering a comfortable driving experience is critical in the luxury crossover segment, and the RX is successful on this front. Available with either regular or Sport suspension tuning, the 2010 RX has a new double-wishbone rear suspension that Lexus says improves handling performance. The new setup also reduces suspension intrusion into the cargo area.
I tested a front-wheel-drive RX 450h with the base suspension, and an all-wheel-drive RX 350 with the Sport suspension. The RX 450h has a taut ride, but it's not firm to the point of being harsh. Overall, the suspension absorbs bumps well.
The driving route during my test included a number of winding roads through California's Napa Valley, which provided a good opportunity to experience the RX's cornering abilities. It's planted when hustled through sweeping corners and switchbacks, but the RX 350 with the Sport suspension seemed more composed and flat through the corners than the RX 450h with the base suspension. The difference between the two, however, was minimal.
I was a little surprised by the amount of road noise that made its way into the RX's cabin when traveling on rougher patches of road. Road surface plays a big part in the interior noise equation, and some of the asphalt roads I traveled were quite pockmarked, but noise from bumps was quite pronounced, too. Wind noise also starts to creep into the cabin once the car reaches 60 mph or so.
Both the RX 350 and RX 450h have electric power-steering systems, but the level of feedback and driver involvement that each provides is noticeably different. The RX 350 has Lexus' characteristic ball-bearing-smooth, low-effort steering that makes for easy drivability but doesn't provide much feedback. By comparison, the RX 450h's steering wheel takes more effort to turn, especially when transitioning from a straight line to beginning a turn, and it offers quite a bit of feedback for a Lexus. On rougher asphalt the RX 450h's steering lets you feel some of the road texture through the wheel.
The RX 350 and RX 450h have similar power outputs — 275 horsepower for the RX 350 and 295 hp for the RX 450h — but their unique drivetrains result in significantly different driving experiences.
The RX 350 proved to be a capable performer on the mountain roads of Napa Valley, charging strongly up hills without the 3.5-liter V-6 feeling burdened. The responsive six-speed automatic transmission is very well-behaved; during slow or steady acceleration it changes gears smoothly, but when you press hard on the gas pedal it delivers quick, firm shifts that match the urgency of the situation. The transmission also offers Sport and Snow modes, as well as a clutchless-manual mode for driver-controlled shifting.
The RX 450h, meanwhile, doesn't accelerate with the same level of urgency, even though its gas-electric drivetrain makes more power. It has more weight to carry around — about 300 pounds more. It's by no means pokey, but the assistance from the electric motor isn't as much as you might think.
The 2009 RX 350 was already one of the more fuel-efficient luxury crossovers available, and the new model offers even better gas mileage. The RX 450h's gas mileage improves over the current RX 400h's, too, and has the best gas mileage of any luxury crossover in the U.S.
Both the gas-only and hybrid versions of the RX include features designed to save fuel. The RX 350 has an Eco indicator that illuminates when the driver is operating the RX in an efficient manner. The RX 450h, meanwhile, has an Eco Mode with specific throttle and air-conditioning programs to increase efficiency, as well as an Electric Vehicle Mode. In EV Mode, the RX 450h can operate for a few minutes up to about 10 mph on battery power alone as long as the high-voltage battery has a sufficient amount of power and the driver accelerates lightly, according to Lexus.
One of the most impressive elements of the RX 450h's driving experience is its brake-pedal feel. This is an area where hybrids — which make use of both friction and regenerative braking systems — have struggled to match the linear pedal response of a traditional hydraulic brake system. The RX 450h shows that it can be done, as its firm pedal feel and natural braking response give no hint that there's regenerative braking going on. The RX 350's brake pedal feels softer underfoot, but it offers the same natural response as the hybrid.
The Inside
The RX has a new interior that, unlike the exterior, makes a bigger break from the previous RX in terms of its design. Offered in solid or two-tone color schemes, the RX's dashboard has sweeping lines and makes wide use of soft-touch materials. My favorite color scheme is the new black and parchment theme; the contrasting colors make for a classy look.
The RX is also available with a new joystick-like interface called Remote Touch that's the latest in a string of multifunction control systems, including the likes of BMW's iDrive, Audi's Multi Media Interface and Mercedes-Benz's Comand. Unlike those systems, Remote Touch should be immediately familiar to anyone who uses a personal computer.
Remote Touch goes in RX models equipped with the optional navigation system and replaces the touch-screen interface of previous models. The controller in the center console features a curved hand rest with a short joystick at the front of it. The joystick controls a pointer on the 8-inch dashboard screen that you use to roll over various menu icons. Selections are made by pressing one of the Enter buttons on the sides of the hand rest. There are also a few hard keys immediately in front of the joystick for often-used functions, like calling up the menu or map, or zooming the map in and out.
The system has a low learning curve, thanks to its familiar interface, but a downside is that you have to spend a good deal of time looking at the screen to control the pointer when navigating menus and making selections. This isn't a problem if you're sitting in the passenger seat, but it's harder for the driver when the RX is moving and the top priority should be concentrating on the road. The navigation system does recognize voice commands, but I'm disappointed Lexus abandoned its touch-screen navigation system in the RX, as it was a pretty good one. Models without navigation have a smaller, black-and-white LCD screen that displays audio and air conditioning information.
The RX's front bucket seats have soft cushioning and are comfortable. Power operation is standard, but leather upholstery is optional (cloth seats are standard). Length-adjustable seat cushions for greater thigh support are newly optional.
Backseat legroom in the RX is good, and Lexus has addressed my main gripe with the second row by moving the backrest-recline lever from the top of the backrest itself to the outside of the seat cushion. The new position is much easier to reach when seated; with the old one you had to twist your body around to reach it. As was the case with the previous RX, the redesigned model doesn't offer a third row, which the MDX includes as standard equipment.
Cargo & Towing
The RX's cargo area measures 40 cubic feet. That's more space than a Lincoln MKX (32.3 cubic feet) but less than the MDX has with its third row folded (42.9 cubic feet). If more space is needed, the 40/20/40-split rear backseat can be folded using either the levers that recline the seats or remote handles in the cargo area that release the backrests. Dropping the backrests makes for a nearly flat extended cargo floor and 80.3 cubic feet of total cargo room.
When equipped with the optional Towing package, all-wheel-drive RXs are rated to tow up to 3,500 pounds.
Safety
Standard safety features include all-disc antilock brakes, side-impact airbags for the front and outboard rear seats, front and rear side curtain airbags, knee airbags for front-seat occupants, an electronic stability system and active head restraints for the front seats.
Optional safety equipment includes a backup camera, which is included with the navigation system option. It's also available as a stand-alone option, and that version uses a small screen in the rearview mirror to show what's behind the RX. Also optional is Lexus' Pre-Collision System with adaptive cruise control, which cinches the front seat belts and readies the brake assist system if the forward-looking radar determines that a crash is likely.
As of publication, the 2010 RX hadn't been crash-tested by either the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Features
In addition to the new Remote Touch interface for the navigation system, the new RX is available with a number of other high-tech features. One of the more interesting ones is the wide-view side monitor system. Featuring a wide-angle camera mounted under the right mirror, the system can show an image on the navigation screen of the ground around the right side of the RX, to make parking easier. Swiveling high-intensity-discharge headlights that include an automatic high-beam feature, a head-up display and a dual-screen backseat entertainment system are also optional.
There's the temptation to fault Lexus for not dramatically remaking the RX with this redesign. Something more radical would probably have made a bigger splash, but it would have risked alienating the customers who have made the RX so popular; Lexus says there are already almost 800,000 of the crossovers on the road. There are sportier models available, like the MDX and FX35, but if you're looking for refinement and comfortable luxury, the RX remains an appealing choice.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
40 years' worth of thanks
In 1968, a white firefighter saved a black baby girl, touching the heart of a divided city. The two did not meet again. Until yesterday.
The firefighter crawled on his stomach through the pitch-black apartment, the smoke so thick he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. Somewhere inside was a baby and he had to find her.A window broke, light filled the room, and he saw her lying in her crib, dressed only in a diaper, unconscious. Soot covered her tiny nose. She wasn't breathing and had no pulse.
He grabbed her and breathed life into her as he ran from the apartment.
A newspaper photograph captured their image - a white firefighter from South Boston with his lips pressed to the mouth of a black baby from the Roxbury public housing development - at a time when riots sparked by racial tensions were burning down American cities.
But despite this most intimate of introductions, they remained strangers. William Carroll won a commendation for the rescue, stayed on the job another 34 years, and retired. Evangeline Harper grew up, lost her family to drugs and illness, had six children of her own, and became a nursing and teaching assistant. And through it all someone would often tell her the story about the day she almost died and the man who would not let it happen. She always wanted to meet him and say thank you.
Yesterday, more than 40 years after the fire, she finally did.
In the neighborhood where they first met, Carroll, a slim 71-year-old, got out of his car, dressed in a navy blue uniform he had borrowed from a fellow firefighter, strode up to the 40-year-old woman, and beamed.
"You've grown a lot since the last time I saw you," he said, laughing and putting out his hand. She smiled, gently took his hand, and looked at him almost shyly.
"Thank you so much for remembering me," he told her.
Then he pulled her into a tight embrace and they held on to each other as they stood on Keegan Street, just a few yards from where he had carried her limp body decades ago.
"Thank you so much," she said softly.
The Globe arranged the meeting after Evangeline Harper, now Evangeline Anderson, introduced herself to a reporter at a community meeting and asked for help tracking down Carroll.
Anderson, who now lives in Dorchester, had tried twice before to locate the firefighter, first when she was 18, after her adoptive mother told her about the rescue, and again right after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
She tried to get his address from the Fire Department, but they said they could not give out personal information. She left her name and phone number, but never heard back.
"I thought, 'Oh, forget it. He probably doesn't remember," she said. " 'He's not interested.' "Continued...
That could not have been further from the truth."Evangeline Harper," Carroll said. "I'll never forget her name if I live to be 100 years old."
He heard once that she had been trying to get in touch with him, but somehow her phone number was lost and he did not know how to reach her.
For a while, Anderson stopped looking. Then, she heard the news about Lieutenant Kevin M. Kelley, the firefighter who was killed in January after his firetruck crashed into a Mission Hill building.
" 'Oh my God, this could have been this gentleman, and I never got a chance to say thank you,' " she recalled thinking. "I didn't want him to leave this earth or I to leave this earth without saying thank you."
Yesterday, she brought her youngest child, 6-year-old Reginald, and her godmother, Jacqueline Greer, who witnessed the rescue. For the meeting, Anderson swept her hair in a curly updo and carefully applied lip gloss.
The women brought Carroll a giant stuffed bear, and a thank-you card tucked inside an envelope addressed "To Our Hero."
Richard Paris, vice president of the firefighters union, stood nearby with Carroll's wife and little Reginald, who kicked at the frozen snow on the sidewalk as Greer, Carroll, and Anderson reminisced about the neighborhood. Gone were the brick high-rises that had once formed Orchard Park. In their place were two-level attached apartments painted in pastels and browns.
"I haven't been here in so long," Carroll said.
No one could remember exactly what started the fire on Nov. 7, 1968, but Greer said it began in the family's kitchen. Carroll, who was assigned to Engine 3, heard the report of children trapped in a burning building.
When Carroll arrived, Greer was at the scene, screaming and crying hysterically.
Carroll saved Evangeline, while Firefighter Charles Connolly rescued her 17-month-old brother, Gerry, and handed him to Lieutenant Joseph O'Donnell, who gave the boy mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
"He just cared," Greer, now 60, said of Carroll. "It wasn't that the child was black or she was white. It was a child and he was trying his best to bring her back her life."
Yesterday, both remembered who was missing from the reunion. Connolly and O'Donnell died long ago of heart problems. Anderson's brother Gerry succumbed to pneumonia as a toddler. Her grief-stricken mother turned to drugs for comfort, and died of an overdose at age 25. Her two sisters died young of natural causes. Last year, Anderson lost both her adoptive mother and uncle.
"I wish my friends . . . were here," Carroll said. "But they're up there watching over us."
"That's what I say about my family," Anderson said.
The two quickly built a rapport. He asked about her children, and she told him her eldest son was studying forensic science in college and how musical her other children are.
He told her he wanted to get to know her, and she promised to cook him some soul food.
"Oh, baby," he said, laughing. "I love it, but my stomach don't."
Carroll then took the group for lunch at Florian Hall, the union's headquarters, where Carroll still goes every week for coffee with friends or to help fellow retirees with healthcare questions. Over sandwiches, the group looked at old black-and-white photos of that day and traded stories about the challenges of raising children.
Carroll bonded with Anderson's son, who drew a picture of himself holding Carroll's hand.
Parting in the parking lot, Carroll hugged Greer and Anderson and told Reginald to call him.
"There's your new grandpa," Anderson said to her son.
"What a beautiful day," the retired firefighter said as he turned and walked back inside.
Maria Cramer can be reached at mcramer@globe.com. Joyful reunion (Boston Globe) A Mattapan woman finally gets to say thanks to the firefighter who rescued her in 1968.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Congress, Obama clear way for huge stimulus
WASHINGTON – Moving with lightning speed, the Democratic-controlled Congress and White House agreed Wednesday on a compromise $790 billion economic stimulus bill designed to create millions of jobs in a nation reeling from recession. President Barack Obama could sign the measure within days.
"More than one-third of this bill is dedicated to providing tax relief for middle-class families, cutting taxes for 95 percent of American workers," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at a Capitol news conference where he was joined by moderates from both parties whose support is essential for the legislation's final passage.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Reid's partner in negotiations over more than 24 intense hours, initially withheld her approval in a lingering disagreement over federal funding for school construction. "We had to make sure the investment in education" was in the bill, she said.
Obama, who has campaigned energetically for legislation, welcomed the agreement in a written statement that said it would "save or create more than 3.5 million jobs and get our economy back on track."
The emerging legislation is at the core of Obama's economic recovery program. It includes help for victims of the recession in the form of expanded unemployment benefits, food stamps, health coverage and more, as well as billions for states that face the prospect of making deep cuts in school aid and other programs.
Another provision will mean a one-time payment of $250 for millions of beneficiaries who receive Social Security, Supplemental Security Income and veterans pensions and disability, according to officials. They added that the measure will include $46 billion for transportation projects such as highway, bridge and mass transit construction.
Obama's signature tax cut was preserved — a break for millions of lower- and middle-income taxpayers. Wage-earners who don't make enough to pay income taxes would get a reduction in the Social Security and Medicare taxes they pay.
The president also won money for two other administration priorities — information technology in health care, and "green jobs" to make buildings more energy-efficient and reduce the nation's reliance on foreign oil.
The bill "will be the beginning of the turnaround for the American economy," predicted Sen. Joseph Lieberman, the independent from Connecticut.
Republicans couldn't have disagreed more.
"It appears that Democrats have made a bad bill worse by reducing the tax relief for working families in order to pay for more wasteful government spending," said Rep. John Boehner of Ohio.
But some prominent Republicans straddled the issue.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, last year's Republican running mate and a potential White House contender in 2012, said her state was ready to accept a projected $1 billion in federal funds. But she criticized increased spending on social programs, which she said could wind up costing her state in the long run and "don't necessarily stimulate the economy."
The events capped a frenzied 24-plus hours that began at midday Tuesday when the Senate approved its original version of the bill on a party-line vote of 61-37. Reid, Pelosi and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel plunged into a series of meetings designed to produce agreement in time for Obama to sign the bill by mid-month.
Pelosi was conspicuously absent from Wednesday's news conference in which members of the Senate announced the agreement. Moments later, Reid arrived in her office, and the two talked by phone with Emanuel, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Officials had said previously that one of the final issues to be settled was money for school modernization, a priority for Pelosi as well as Obama and one on which they differed with Collins and other moderates whose votes will be essential for final Senate approval.
Originally, Pelosi and House Democrats wanted a new program dedicated to school construction, but Collins held firm against that. In the end, officials said the agreement added $10 billion to a State Stabilization Fund, with the additional provision that governors may use some of the money for modernizing school buildings but not building new ones.
There also was an unspecified last-minute change in a House proposal that would allow state legislatures to order the use of funds over the opposition of governors. Officials said that issue related in part to South Carolina, where GOP Gov. Mark Sanford has been a vehement critic of the legislation.
Stocks moved higher in the moments after Reid stepped to the microphone just outside the Senate chamber. The Dow Jones industrials, which plunged 382 points on Tuesday, rose 51 points for the day.
Obama has been contending daily that the plan is essential to avoid turning what is already the worst economic crisis in a generation into a catastrophe.
As if to underscore the urgency, he said a few hours before the agreement was announced that machinery giant Caterpillar Inc. plans to rescind some of the 22,000 layoffs the firm recently announced — once the stimulus is signed into law.
Scaling back the bill to levels lower than either the $838 billion Senate measure or the original $820 billion House-passed measure caused grumbles among liberal Democrats, who described the cutbacks as a concession to the moderates, particularly Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who are under pressure from conservative Republicans to hold down spending.
Working to accommodate the new, lower overall limit of the bill, negotiators effectively wiped out a Senate-passed provision for a new $15,000 tax credit to defray the cost of buying a home, these officials said. The agreement would allow taxpayers to deduct the sales tax paid on new car purchases, but not the interest on loans for the same vehicles.
With numerous demands for the funds in the bill, lawmakers worked to satisfy competing demands.
A Senate-passed provision to give $10 billion to the National Institutes of Health for research — a favorite of both Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Specter — appeared to have survived.
'Thank you, Lord Jesus!' Excited young man lands job -- for a day -- after asking Obama a question
It was quite a moment at the end of President Obama's town hall meeting in Fort Myers, Fla., yesterday. As The News-Press writes, 19-year-old Julio Osegueda "rocketed from a Cape Coral teenager who flips burgers for $7.85 an hour at a McDonald's to an instant celebrity of sorts."
And he got a temporary job.
For those who didn't see what happened at the town hall when Osegueda asked the president about when he and other low-wage workers might be able to get job benefits, here's the video:
"I have never felt this good except maybe when I got my PlayStation 3 for Christmas," Osegueda told the News-Press later.
After the event, the newspaper adds, Osegueda:
Picked up another job -- if just for a day -- as the color announcer for the Fort Myers Miracle baseball team's radio broadcast for its home opener April 10. The one-day gig typically pays $25, but the Miracle said the salary is negotiable.
"I'll be ready," he said about his debut.
Also during Tuesday's town hall, a 61-year-old woman named Henrietta Hughes told the president that she and her 37-year-old son are homeless after having their house foreclosed. She asked for his help. Obama said he would, and his staff put Hughes in touch with local housing authority officials.
The News-Press reports that:
Their story got the attention of another person who wanted to help.
While local and national media swarmed Henrietta Hughes for interviews, Chene Thompson, wife of State Rep. Nick Thompson, grabbed Hughes' hand and offered them a house.
The house is in LaBelle, the first home Chene Thompson bought after law school.
"Just give me the opportunity to help you," Chene Thompson told her.
But as of Tuesday night, the Hughes had not contacted the Thompsons about coming to see the house. Their cell phone is out of minutes, so it is nearly impossible to get in touch with them.
Update at 11:45 a.m. ET. Osegueda was on last night's edition of MSNBC's always liberal Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Here's some of the back-and-forth Julio had with Keith:
Olbermann: "Were you satisfied with the president's actual answer to your question about improving your benefits?"
Osegueda: "Yes, I was. I was truly blessed. The answer that Mr. President Obama gave me was such a motivation that made me feel as if success is around the corner. Just keep trying hard and don't stop for anything."
Update at 1:45 p.m. ET: An Oval reader points out that Julio doesn't say "thank you, Lord Jesus," in the video above. According to the News-Press, here's where that line came from:
"I jumped up on my chair, screamed my lungs out and shouted 'you're the man, pick me, pick me.' I felt good," Osegueda said (describing what he did to get Obama's attention).
Then, Obama changed his life. "Thank you Lord Jesus," (Osegueda) said he shouted as he stood face to face with the president.
Interested in joining a discussion about Julio's sudden fame? Click here to head into our Forum section.
Husbands Behaving Badly
It's 2009, the end of a decade which -- when it comes to television -- was defined in large part by reality shows. By now, most of us reality fans have become a bit jaded. Backstabbing, catfights, rants, breakdowns - there's just not much shock value left anymore. So after Valleywag ran this story about public reaction to one man's behavior on (of all shows) "Wife Swap" a few weeks ago, it got me thinking about how this particular guy had disturbed and outraged so many people.
If you've never seen the show, it's a basic enough concept. Two women, usually from very different families and very different parts of the country, trade places and move in with each other's husbands and children for two weeks. The housewife swaps with the career woman. The mom of a sports-obsessed family moves in with a brood of bookworms. The hour is often filled with plenty of head-butting, but usually everyone goes back to the farm/penthouse/commune/mansion richer for the experience.
On the January 30th episode Gayla Long, a Missouri wife and mother of four whose family loves fast food, ATVs and paintball, swapped lives with life coach and weight-loss hypnotherapist Renee Stephens who lives in a tony San Francisco neighborhood, spends $40,000 a year to send her two young children to a French bilingual private school, and, along with her husband, is die-hard about environmental issues and staying healthy. Obviously, this wasn't going to be a match made in heaven, but things took an unexpectedly bad turn when Renee's British venture capitalist husband, Stephen Fowler, began acting downright cruel to Gayla. He continually humiliated her in front of his kids, insulted everything from her hometown to her language skills, told her he earns more in a week than she does in a year and even banned her from setting foot upstairs. One of the "Wife Swap" gimmicks is letting the wives implement new rules for their new homes (Renee, for example, put a moratorium on paintball and set up family French lessons), but bratty Stephen refused everything Gayla suggested, like letting the children ride go-carts and getting the family to sing the national anthem. After launching multiple attacks of verbal abuse against Gayla, it was Stephen who called in the show's producers to try to end the swap, eventually causing his temporary wife to move to a hotel.
Guess what? Viewers didn't like it. They blasted Fowler on all kinds of web sites, message boards, and blogs. He's been labeled the worst husband in the world and someone even posted his home address on a reality TV site, prompting Fowler to threaten a lawsuit. Yet another angered viewer launched a blog called stephenfowlersucks.com, which itemizes everyone Fowler insulted during the episode. (Overweight people and military members topped the list.)
So back to that question of why this guy struck such a nerve with so many of us when we've surely seen similar or worse behavior on TV multiple times over. Maybe it's because his cruelty was so uncalled for. We reality viewers may be used to seeing people resort to bad behavior when, say, they're competing for a million-dollar prize or for the love of a big-haired '80s rocker, but just for the sheer joy of being as mean as possible and making someone feel horrible? Well, that's just taking it too far. In the end, it sounds like Stephen Fowler did indeed learn a few lessons, albeit after the cameras stopped rolling. He posted an apology on his wife's web site, she's asked him to seek professional help, and he's resigned from the boards of two environmental non-profits so, he says, his behavior won't reflect badly on them. As for Gayla, she's probably thrilled to be done with her nightmarish foray into reality TV, and I'm certain she didn't leave her heart in San Francisco.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
They Don't Really Know 'bout Dro by Young Dro
They Dont Really Know About
They Dont Really Know About Dro
Niggaz Swear They Know About Dro
But They Say They Smokin That Dro
(Man These Niggaz Playin)
They Dont Really Know About
They Dont Really Know About Dro
[Verse 1:]
Niggaz Try Stoppin Me Fulfill Em Like A Prophecy. Y Dem Hoes Watchin Me And Y Dem Hoes Jockin Me. Feds Try 2 Rocket Me And Know Me Off Properly. I Was On A Robbery My Gat Sung Operaly. 500 Dolla Bill Teach Em Bout Monopoly. Mansion Wit Da Bed In It Models Stay On Top Of Me. Niggaz Tried Droppin Me The Slugs Bounced Off Of Me. Heard A Nigga Softly The Judge Still Walkin Me. Hoes Get Chomped Off Bitchez Cant Talk To Me. Catch A Nigga Crossin Me They Gotta Get The Law Fa Me. 26 Possibly I Sang To Em Gospely Ima Die Awesomly Wit Grands On Da Top Of Me. Mockin Me Ill Turn Ya Chest In Da Potty Meat. Everythang Mafia Growin Up Gotti G. 4 15's In Da Trunk I Gotta Lot Of Beat, How Could These Niggaz Be Dro They Dont Know How To Be Dro
[Chorus x2]
Niggaz Swear They Know About Dro
But They Say They Smokin That Dro
They Dont Really Know About
They Dont Really Know About Dro
[Verse 2:]
First I Let My Chain Glow Yall Know How That Thang Go Put Them Colors In My Rim Now Im Ridin Rainbow Hood Nigga Fuck Da Mold I Met Charlie Trango Orange Daytona My And Country Ridin Mango Umbrellas Pop Out The Phantom Do When It Rain Doe Pull Up Dead Fresh Like A Coffin But I Aint Layin Doe Niggaz Say Im Fire Wit Da Rappin But I Can Sang Doe What U Know Bout High Tower Ridge And Delbar Lane Doe Tech Bust Out When Im Bustin But I Can Aim Doe Make A Hundred Thou If U Touch It U Get Yo Bain Broke M&M Reagal Tha Fuck Iz U In My Lane 4 Beleive Me U Dont See These Pumas And What They Made 4 Water Paint Chevy Lil Buddys Say Look At My Rain Car 800 Benz Lil Buddy This Aint The Same Car Pain Jar, Aim Far Hurry Home Ranga I Was Sellin Dope B4 Jesus Was In A Manger Dro
[Chorus x2]
[Verse 3:]
U Can Smell Me, Sell Me Ail Me, Nigga Come Shawt On A Gram U Gotta Scale Me Young Dro 4 Seasons Wit Ball Head Le Right By Auntie Rachel, Auntie T Them Where Lil Nell Be, Yall Ride 24 I Ride February 28 Inches Try Ta Jack Me U Get Buried 12 Gauge Shell Heat I Curl Em Like A Dairy Knock A Nigga Tooth Out His Mouth 4 Da Tooth Fairy Baskin Robin Paint On Da Chevy My Whip Dairy Feed Da Brick Shawty Man We Do Them Thangs Err Week Last Week My Cutlass Was Blue But It Change Err Week I Be In Da Club Brand New In That Thang Err Week Hataz N Da Club I Shoot 2 Of Them Lames Err Week Yall Gay Very Iz Nuthin U Can Tell Me Pull Up In The Pearl V They Be Like How Tha Hell He Sittin Up In A Phantom On Simpson Eatin A 12 Piece Dro
[Chorus x2]
They Dont Really Know About Dro
Niggaz Swear They Know About Dro
But They Say They Smokin That Dro
(Man These Niggaz Playin)
They Dont Really Know About
They Dont Really Know About Dro
[Verse 1:]
Niggaz Try Stoppin Me Fulfill Em Like A Prophecy. Y Dem Hoes Watchin Me And Y Dem Hoes Jockin Me. Feds Try 2 Rocket Me And Know Me Off Properly. I Was On A Robbery My Gat Sung Operaly. 500 Dolla Bill Teach Em Bout Monopoly. Mansion Wit Da Bed In It Models Stay On Top Of Me. Niggaz Tried Droppin Me The Slugs Bounced Off Of Me. Heard A Nigga Softly The Judge Still Walkin Me. Hoes Get Chomped Off Bitchez Cant Talk To Me. Catch A Nigga Crossin Me They Gotta Get The Law Fa Me. 26 Possibly I Sang To Em Gospely Ima Die Awesomly Wit Grands On Da Top Of Me. Mockin Me Ill Turn Ya Chest In Da Potty Meat. Everythang Mafia Growin Up Gotti G. 4 15's In Da Trunk I Gotta Lot Of Beat, How Could These Niggaz Be Dro They Dont Know How To Be Dro
[Chorus x2]
Niggaz Swear They Know About Dro
But They Say They Smokin That Dro
They Dont Really Know About
They Dont Really Know About Dro
[Verse 2:]
First I Let My Chain Glow Yall Know How That Thang Go Put Them Colors In My Rim Now Im Ridin Rainbow Hood Nigga Fuck Da Mold I Met Charlie Trango Orange Daytona My And Country Ridin Mango Umbrellas Pop Out The Phantom Do When It Rain Doe Pull Up Dead Fresh Like A Coffin But I Aint Layin Doe Niggaz Say Im Fire Wit Da Rappin But I Can Sang Doe What U Know Bout High Tower Ridge And Delbar Lane Doe Tech Bust Out When Im Bustin But I Can Aim Doe Make A Hundred Thou If U Touch It U Get Yo Bain Broke M&M Reagal Tha Fuck Iz U In My Lane 4 Beleive Me U Dont See These Pumas And What They Made 4 Water Paint Chevy Lil Buddys Say Look At My Rain Car 800 Benz Lil Buddy This Aint The Same Car Pain Jar, Aim Far Hurry Home Ranga I Was Sellin Dope B4 Jesus Was In A Manger Dro
[Chorus x2]
[Verse 3:]
U Can Smell Me, Sell Me Ail Me, Nigga Come Shawt On A Gram U Gotta Scale Me Young Dro 4 Seasons Wit Ball Head Le Right By Auntie Rachel, Auntie T Them Where Lil Nell Be, Yall Ride 24 I Ride February 28 Inches Try Ta Jack Me U Get Buried 12 Gauge Shell Heat I Curl Em Like A Dairy Knock A Nigga Tooth Out His Mouth 4 Da Tooth Fairy Baskin Robin Paint On Da Chevy My Whip Dairy Feed Da Brick Shawty Man We Do Them Thangs Err Week Last Week My Cutlass Was Blue But It Change Err Week I Be In Da Club Brand New In That Thang Err Week Hataz N Da Club I Shoot 2 Of Them Lames Err Week Yall Gay Very Iz Nuthin U Can Tell Me Pull Up In The Pearl V They Be Like How Tha Hell He Sittin Up In A Phantom On Simpson Eatin A 12 Piece Dro
[Chorus x2]
Crack A Bottle by Eminem
Ooww Ladies and gentlemen
The moment you've all been waiting for...
In this corner: weighing 175 pounds,
With a record of 17 rapes, 400 assaults, and 4 murders,
The undisputed, most diabolic villain in the world:
Slim Shady!
[Chorus: Eminem]
So crack a bottle, let your body waddle
Don't act like a snobby model you just hit the lotto
O-oh o-oh, bitches hopping in my Tahoe
Got one riding shotgun and no not one of them got gloves
Now where's the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers?
I noticed there's so many of them
And there's really not that many of us.
Ladies love us and my posse's kicking up dust.
It's on till the break of dawn
And we're starting this party from dusk
Ok... let's go
[Eminem:]
Back when Andre, the giant, mister elephant tusk
Fix your must, you'll just be another one bit the dust
Just one up my mothers son who got thrown under the bus
Kiss my butt. Lick from under cheese from under my nuts
It disgusts me to see the game the way that it looks
It's a must I redeem my name n haters get mushed.
Bitches lust. Man they love me when I lay in the cut.
Fist the cut. The lady give her eighty some paper cut.
Now picture us. It's ridiculous you curse at the thought
Cause when I spit the verse the shit
Gets worse and worse cause your soft
If I could fit the words as picture perfect, works every time
Every verse, every line, as simple as nursery rhymes
It's elementary. The elephants have entered the room.
I venture to say with the center of attention it's true
Not to mention back with a vengeance so heres the signal
Of the bat symbol. The platinum trio's back on you hoes.
[Chorus: Eminem]
So crack a bottle, let your body waddle.
Don't act like a snobby model.
You just hit the lotto.
O-oh o-oh, bitches hopping in my Tahoe .
Got one riding shotgun and no not one of them got gloves
Now wheres the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers?
I noticed there's so many of them
And there's really not that many of us.
Ladies love us and my posses kicking up dust.
It's on till the break of dawn and were starting this party from dusk.
Ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Dre
[Dr Dre:]
They see that low rider go by there, like Oh my!
You ain't got to tell me why you're sick cause I know why.
I dip through in that six trey like sick em Dre.
I'm an itch that they can't scratch, they're sick of me.
But hey, what else can I say? I love LA.
Cause over and above all, it's just another day
And this one begins where the last one ends.
Pick up where we left off and get smashed again.
I'll be dammed, just fucked around and crashed my Benz.
Driving around with a smashed front end
Let's cash that one in.
Grab another one from out the stable
The Monte Carlo, El Camino or the El Derado
The hell if I know.
Do I want leather seats or vinyl?
Decisions, decision
Garage looks like precision collision.
Or maico beats quake like Waco
Just keep the bass low speakers away from your face though
[Chorus: Eminem]
So crack a bottle, let your body waddle.
Don't act like a snobby model .
You just hit the lotto.
O-oh o-oh, bitches hopping in my Tahoe .
Got one riding shotgun and no not one of them got gloves
Now wheres the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers?
I noticed there's so many of them
And there's really not that many of us.
Ladies love us and my posses kicking up dust.
It's on till the break of dawn and were starting this party from dusk.
And I take great pleasure in introducing: 50 Cent
[50 Cent:]
It's bottle after bottle
The money ain't a thang when you party with me
It's what we into it's simple
We ball out of control like you wouldn't believe
I'm the napalm the bomb the don I'm king kong
Get rolled on wrapped up and reigned on
I'm so calm through vietnam ring the alarm
Bring the shaun dawn burn marajaun do what you want
Nigga on and on till the break of what
Get the paper man I'm caking you know I don't give a fuck
I spend it like it don't mean nothing
Blow it like it's suposed to be blown
Motherfucker I'm grown
I stunt I style I flash the shit
I gets what the fuck I want so what I trick
Fat ass burgandy bags classy shit jimmy cho shoes
I say move a bitch move
[Chorus: Eminem]
So crack a bottle, let your body waddle.
Don't act like a snobby model .
You just hit the lotto.
O-oh o-oh, bitches hopping in my Tahoe .
Got one riding shotgun and no not one of them got gloves
Now wheres the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers?
I noticed there's so many of them
And there's really not that many of us.
Ladies love us and my posses kicking up dust.
It's on till the break of dawn and were starting this party from dusk
The moment you've all been waiting for...
In this corner: weighing 175 pounds,
With a record of 17 rapes, 400 assaults, and 4 murders,
The undisputed, most diabolic villain in the world:
Slim Shady!
[Chorus: Eminem]
So crack a bottle, let your body waddle
Don't act like a snobby model you just hit the lotto
O-oh o-oh, bitches hopping in my Tahoe
Got one riding shotgun and no not one of them got gloves
Now where's the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers?
I noticed there's so many of them
And there's really not that many of us.
Ladies love us and my posse's kicking up dust.
It's on till the break of dawn
And we're starting this party from dusk
Ok... let's go
[Eminem:]
Back when Andre, the giant, mister elephant tusk
Fix your must, you'll just be another one bit the dust
Just one up my mothers son who got thrown under the bus
Kiss my butt. Lick from under cheese from under my nuts
It disgusts me to see the game the way that it looks
It's a must I redeem my name n haters get mushed.
Bitches lust. Man they love me when I lay in the cut.
Fist the cut. The lady give her eighty some paper cut.
Now picture us. It's ridiculous you curse at the thought
Cause when I spit the verse the shit
Gets worse and worse cause your soft
If I could fit the words as picture perfect, works every time
Every verse, every line, as simple as nursery rhymes
It's elementary. The elephants have entered the room.
I venture to say with the center of attention it's true
Not to mention back with a vengeance so heres the signal
Of the bat symbol. The platinum trio's back on you hoes.
[Chorus: Eminem]
So crack a bottle, let your body waddle.
Don't act like a snobby model.
You just hit the lotto.
O-oh o-oh, bitches hopping in my Tahoe .
Got one riding shotgun and no not one of them got gloves
Now wheres the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers?
I noticed there's so many of them
And there's really not that many of us.
Ladies love us and my posses kicking up dust.
It's on till the break of dawn and were starting this party from dusk.
Ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Dre
[Dr Dre:]
They see that low rider go by there, like Oh my!
You ain't got to tell me why you're sick cause I know why.
I dip through in that six trey like sick em Dre.
I'm an itch that they can't scratch, they're sick of me.
But hey, what else can I say? I love LA.
Cause over and above all, it's just another day
And this one begins where the last one ends.
Pick up where we left off and get smashed again.
I'll be dammed, just fucked around and crashed my Benz.
Driving around with a smashed front end
Let's cash that one in.
Grab another one from out the stable
The Monte Carlo, El Camino or the El Derado
The hell if I know.
Do I want leather seats or vinyl?
Decisions, decision
Garage looks like precision collision.
Or maico beats quake like Waco
Just keep the bass low speakers away from your face though
[Chorus: Eminem]
So crack a bottle, let your body waddle.
Don't act like a snobby model .
You just hit the lotto.
O-oh o-oh, bitches hopping in my Tahoe .
Got one riding shotgun and no not one of them got gloves
Now wheres the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers?
I noticed there's so many of them
And there's really not that many of us.
Ladies love us and my posses kicking up dust.
It's on till the break of dawn and were starting this party from dusk.
And I take great pleasure in introducing: 50 Cent
[50 Cent:]
It's bottle after bottle
The money ain't a thang when you party with me
It's what we into it's simple
We ball out of control like you wouldn't believe
I'm the napalm the bomb the don I'm king kong
Get rolled on wrapped up and reigned on
I'm so calm through vietnam ring the alarm
Bring the shaun dawn burn marajaun do what you want
Nigga on and on till the break of what
Get the paper man I'm caking you know I don't give a fuck
I spend it like it don't mean nothing
Blow it like it's suposed to be blown
Motherfucker I'm grown
I stunt I style I flash the shit
I gets what the fuck I want so what I trick
Fat ass burgandy bags classy shit jimmy cho shoes
I say move a bitch move
[Chorus: Eminem]
So crack a bottle, let your body waddle.
Don't act like a snobby model .
You just hit the lotto.
O-oh o-oh, bitches hopping in my Tahoe .
Got one riding shotgun and no not one of them got gloves
Now wheres the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers?
I noticed there's so many of them
And there's really not that many of us.
Ladies love us and my posses kicking up dust.
It's on till the break of dawn and were starting this party from dusk
Here We Go Again by DMX
[DMX]
Same old shit dog, just a different day
You know how niggaz do, when we play, how we play
IT IS NOT, A FUCKING GAME!
A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do
If it's fuck me nigga, you know it's fuck you
I kick it to shorty to try to help him understand (uhh)
Hit him with work, cause yo, that's my little man (uh-huh)
He asked a few questions bout the game and I told him (yeh)
So when he made a bad move it was my place to scold him (aight)
Never told him nuttin wrong, kept it fair
Didn't listen, so I might as well have been talkin to the air (damn)
Everybody makes mistakes, a mistake is aight
But if it ain't, I'ma tell you straight, time to say goodnight
Nobody likes to be played, regardless of the relationship
but shorty's fuckin up big time, I HATE THIS SHIT
I'm caught in the middle of, havin love for a lil nigga
knowin what's expected of me as a, real nigga (damn)
My next move is crucial, what do I do?
How do I keep it real with shorty in my crew?
Didn't want to kill him, so instead of puttin the Mac on him
I did the only thing I could do, turn my back on him (aight?)
[Chorus: DMX]
Here we go again..
Same old shit dog, just a different day
Here we go again..
You know how niggaz do, when we play, how we play
Here we go again..
A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do
Here we go again..
So if it's fuck me nigga, then you know it's fuck you
[DMX]
Niggaz that I fuck wit, wanna get him dead
But I'm cool with shorty's peoples, so I let him live
Under normal circumstances, he would be a marked man
but I hit him with a grand, just didn't shake his hand (ooh)
Go about your business (uh-huh) do what you gonna do (uh)
Be what you gon' be, I wash my hands, I'm through (aight?)
I can forgive I just can't forget
You're on your own lil' man don't ask me for shit (no)
If you paid attention to what I taught you then you good (uhh)
If I see you again, GET IT, understood?
Go 'head before I change my mind cause you know you should be dead
"I just wanted to say --" AIGHT?!!!! GO 'HEAD!
Instinct told me to kill him but the saviour is
I'm a good nigga, plus I owed his peeps a favor (hmm)
But I also knew, the decision I just made (yeah)
went against the rules of the game that we played (damn)
[Chorus]
[DMX]
I should have, followed my first instinct, cause I knew
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do
Now this nigga's fuckin with the competition (WHAT?)
Ungrateful motherfucker, shoulda got him missin (WHAT?)
This nigga got the nerve, to take my kindness, for a weakness
Gotsta get back on some street shit so I can creep this
rat, when I act, take one, set him up, to take two
get him there, take three, get him done
Wasn't hard for me to get him where I wanted him, confronted him
{*barrel spins*} BZZZZZZZT, CLICK! There was a bullet in one of them
Feelin lucky? CLICK, looks like you are
CLICK CLICK CLICK, luck ain't goin too far
What you did was put on another pair of shoes
and they just happened to be too big
What you did was stupid (damn) real fuckin stupid (aight?)
Well shorty I gave you a chance and what did you do?
Threw it back in my fuckin face so FUCK YOU TOO (BLAM) aight?
[Chorus x2]
Same old shit dog, just a different day
You know how niggaz do, when we play, how we play
IT IS NOT, A FUCKING GAME!
A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do
If it's fuck me nigga, you know it's fuck you
I kick it to shorty to try to help him understand (uhh)
Hit him with work, cause yo, that's my little man (uh-huh)
He asked a few questions bout the game and I told him (yeh)
So when he made a bad move it was my place to scold him (aight)
Never told him nuttin wrong, kept it fair
Didn't listen, so I might as well have been talkin to the air (damn)
Everybody makes mistakes, a mistake is aight
But if it ain't, I'ma tell you straight, time to say goodnight
Nobody likes to be played, regardless of the relationship
but shorty's fuckin up big time, I HATE THIS SHIT
I'm caught in the middle of, havin love for a lil nigga
knowin what's expected of me as a, real nigga (damn)
My next move is crucial, what do I do?
How do I keep it real with shorty in my crew?
Didn't want to kill him, so instead of puttin the Mac on him
I did the only thing I could do, turn my back on him (aight?)
[Chorus: DMX]
Here we go again..
Same old shit dog, just a different day
Here we go again..
You know how niggaz do, when we play, how we play
Here we go again..
A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do
Here we go again..
So if it's fuck me nigga, then you know it's fuck you
[DMX]
Niggaz that I fuck wit, wanna get him dead
But I'm cool with shorty's peoples, so I let him live
Under normal circumstances, he would be a marked man
but I hit him with a grand, just didn't shake his hand (ooh)
Go about your business (uh-huh) do what you gonna do (uh)
Be what you gon' be, I wash my hands, I'm through (aight?)
I can forgive I just can't forget
You're on your own lil' man don't ask me for shit (no)
If you paid attention to what I taught you then you good (uhh)
If I see you again, GET IT, understood?
Go 'head before I change my mind cause you know you should be dead
"I just wanted to say --" AIGHT?!!!! GO 'HEAD!
Instinct told me to kill him but the saviour is
I'm a good nigga, plus I owed his peeps a favor (hmm)
But I also knew, the decision I just made (yeah)
went against the rules of the game that we played (damn)
[Chorus]
[DMX]
I should have, followed my first instinct, cause I knew
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do
Now this nigga's fuckin with the competition (WHAT?)
Ungrateful motherfucker, shoulda got him missin (WHAT?)
This nigga got the nerve, to take my kindness, for a weakness
Gotsta get back on some street shit so I can creep this
rat, when I act, take one, set him up, to take two
get him there, take three, get him done
Wasn't hard for me to get him where I wanted him, confronted him
{*barrel spins*} BZZZZZZZT, CLICK! There was a bullet in one of them
Feelin lucky? CLICK, looks like you are
CLICK CLICK CLICK, luck ain't goin too far
What you did was put on another pair of shoes
and they just happened to be too big
What you did was stupid (damn) real fuckin stupid (aight?)
Well shorty I gave you a chance and what did you do?
Threw it back in my fuckin face so FUCK YOU TOO (BLAM) aight?
[Chorus x2]
Hello New World by Clipse
[Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
Hello new world, here we come
On them Twinkie tres, with the hood screaming
"We on our way!"
Can't forget where I come from
So I extend my hand to my man screaming
"I'm on my way!"
Yes I rap, but best believe
Them things still get wrapped by Papi screaming
"It's on its way!"
I can't wait for the next nigga
From my hood to say "Lookout World
I'm on my way!"
[Verse 1: Pusha T]
I listen to the beat, and the rhyme is wrote
See, I was 16, eyes full of hope
Bagging up grams at the higher dough
The news called it crack, I called it Diet Coke (Ohhh!)
At the same time, hiding from mama, dodging the drama
Fuckin plenty bitches while ducking the baby mama
I found poetry, excuse me, +Floetry+
"Say yes!" niggaz hear the "Eghck!" and they know its me
Make �em sick to their stomach how they s'posta be
Sippin on a 50 foot yacht, nigga, motion free
Ocean in my backyard where its s'posta be
Funny how my neighbors don't think its where I'm s'posta be
They think I'm cuter in jail
But the only time I'm boxed in is when the roofs on the SL
And that even come off, so that would mean I'm visiting
New world, I hope y'all listening, envisioning!
[Chorus: Pharrell Williams (Malice)]
Hello new world, here we come
On them Twinkie tres, with the hood screaming
"We on our way!"
Can't forget where I come from
So I extend my hand to my man screaming
"I'm on my way!"
Yes I rap, but best believe
Them things still get wrapped by Papi screaming (Yeah!)
"It's on its way!"
I can't wait for the next nigga
From my hood to say (From my hood to say) "Lookout World
I'm on my way!"
[Verse 2: Malice]
This goes out to my Hyalites that hang out on them corners
Who rock Air Nike's, hustlers' way of life
In white T's, constantly, ducking from Ds
Pumpin that D arm, readily, waiting to squeeze
Who stay cookin, stay lookin, over they shoulders
Holdin them boulders, tryin to avoid central booking
I ain't coming at �cha quote, unquote "Famous Rapper"
Who turn positive, try to tell ya how to live
But this information I must pass to the homies
If hustling is a must be Sosa, not Tony
We can all shine; I want your wrist lit like mine
Neck and ears, I want it lit like mine
Foreign cars, stick shift,6 gears like mine
Anything that keep mama from crying, visiting
You from behind that glass, while you away, sentencing
But the judge is saying "Life" like it ain't someone's life
[Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
Hello new world, here we come
On them Twinkie tres, with the hood screaming
"We on our way!"
Can't forget where I come from
So I extend my hand to my man screaming
"I'm on my way!"
Yes I rap, but best believe
Them things still get wrapped by Papi screaming
"It's on its way!"
I can't wait for the next nigga
From my hood to say "Lookout World
I'm on my way!"
[Man talking:]
Yo, what up? What up? This ya man Grinding, from downtown Norfolk.
Just want y'all to know its about time For us to come up and make a change man.
They keep tryin to keep us down, but that ain't the way to be man.
Its about time for us to get it together man.
Ery'body else get they shit together
Why the niggaz can't get they shit together, and get they money together?
Hustlers come together with hustlers
Know what I'm sayin? This ain't just for the playas in VA...
This for playas all over the world!
This Grinding!
[Verse 3: Pusha T]
Times-a-wasting, niggaz doin so much hatin
Free ya heart, and show ya greatness
I, like you, had to come from up under the basement
Just like you, had Satan tryin my patience
Still you look at me through jealous eyes
I wish to see all my niggaz rise up!
Get that money, put them 9s up
Piggy-back out the ghetto �for times up!
Niggaz rush!
[Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
Hello new world, here we come
On them Twinkie tres, with the hood screaming
"We on our way!"
Can't forget where I come from
So I extend my hand to my man screaming
"I'm on my way!"
Yes I rap, but best believe
Them things still get wrapped by Papi screaming
"It's on its way!"
I can't wait for the next nigga
From my hood to say "Lookout World
I'm on my way!"
Hello new world, here we come
On them Twinkie tres, with the hood screaming
"We on our way!"
Can't forget where I come from
So I extend my hand to my man screaming
"I'm on my way!"
Yes I rap, but best believe
Them things still get wrapped by Papi screaming
"It's on its way!"
I can't wait for the next nigga
From my hood to say "Lookout World
I'm on my way!"
[Verse 1: Pusha T]
I listen to the beat, and the rhyme is wrote
See, I was 16, eyes full of hope
Bagging up grams at the higher dough
The news called it crack, I called it Diet Coke (Ohhh!)
At the same time, hiding from mama, dodging the drama
Fuckin plenty bitches while ducking the baby mama
I found poetry, excuse me, +Floetry+
"Say yes!" niggaz hear the "Eghck!" and they know its me
Make �em sick to their stomach how they s'posta be
Sippin on a 50 foot yacht, nigga, motion free
Ocean in my backyard where its s'posta be
Funny how my neighbors don't think its where I'm s'posta be
They think I'm cuter in jail
But the only time I'm boxed in is when the roofs on the SL
And that even come off, so that would mean I'm visiting
New world, I hope y'all listening, envisioning!
[Chorus: Pharrell Williams (Malice)]
Hello new world, here we come
On them Twinkie tres, with the hood screaming
"We on our way!"
Can't forget where I come from
So I extend my hand to my man screaming
"I'm on my way!"
Yes I rap, but best believe
Them things still get wrapped by Papi screaming (Yeah!)
"It's on its way!"
I can't wait for the next nigga
From my hood to say (From my hood to say) "Lookout World
I'm on my way!"
[Verse 2: Malice]
This goes out to my Hyalites that hang out on them corners
Who rock Air Nike's, hustlers' way of life
In white T's, constantly, ducking from Ds
Pumpin that D arm, readily, waiting to squeeze
Who stay cookin, stay lookin, over they shoulders
Holdin them boulders, tryin to avoid central booking
I ain't coming at �cha quote, unquote "Famous Rapper"
Who turn positive, try to tell ya how to live
But this information I must pass to the homies
If hustling is a must be Sosa, not Tony
We can all shine; I want your wrist lit like mine
Neck and ears, I want it lit like mine
Foreign cars, stick shift,6 gears like mine
Anything that keep mama from crying, visiting
You from behind that glass, while you away, sentencing
But the judge is saying "Life" like it ain't someone's life
[Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
Hello new world, here we come
On them Twinkie tres, with the hood screaming
"We on our way!"
Can't forget where I come from
So I extend my hand to my man screaming
"I'm on my way!"
Yes I rap, but best believe
Them things still get wrapped by Papi screaming
"It's on its way!"
I can't wait for the next nigga
From my hood to say "Lookout World
I'm on my way!"
[Man talking:]
Yo, what up? What up? This ya man Grinding, from downtown Norfolk.
Just want y'all to know its about time For us to come up and make a change man.
They keep tryin to keep us down, but that ain't the way to be man.
Its about time for us to get it together man.
Ery'body else get they shit together
Why the niggaz can't get they shit together, and get they money together?
Hustlers come together with hustlers
Know what I'm sayin? This ain't just for the playas in VA...
This for playas all over the world!
This Grinding!
[Verse 3: Pusha T]
Times-a-wasting, niggaz doin so much hatin
Free ya heart, and show ya greatness
I, like you, had to come from up under the basement
Just like you, had Satan tryin my patience
Still you look at me through jealous eyes
I wish to see all my niggaz rise up!
Get that money, put them 9s up
Piggy-back out the ghetto �for times up!
Niggaz rush!
[Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
Hello new world, here we come
On them Twinkie tres, with the hood screaming
"We on our way!"
Can't forget where I come from
So I extend my hand to my man screaming
"I'm on my way!"
Yes I rap, but best believe
Them things still get wrapped by Papi screaming
"It's on its way!"
I can't wait for the next nigga
From my hood to say "Lookout World
I'm on my way!"
Katherine Heigl, T.R. Knight Leaving Grey's Anatomy, Says Costar
Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight will soon take off their scrubs for good, their Grey's Anatomy costar confirms.
When Us Weekly asked James Pickens Jr. (a.k.a. Grey's Dr. Richard Webber) on February 7 if Heigl is leaving the medical drama, he said, "Yes, she is." And he continued, "Wherever Katherine goes, I wish her nothing but the best."
See the love lives of Grey's Anatomy stars.
Following Heigl, 30, out the door?
Her outspoken BFF, Knight, 35. "He's going too," Pickens told Us at the NAACP Awards luncheon in Beverly Hills. "He just wanted to pursue other career paths."
See stars who made dramatic transformations for roles.
"He complains to Katherine all the time," a set source has said of Knight (with Heigl). "The energy on set will be much better when he's gone."
Sources close to the actors concur.
"Katherine is ready to move on to the next chapter," says a set source. And Knight is "not shy about telling people" he wants out of his contract, another insider told Us in December.
See Katherine Heigl and other stars pigging out!
But now it seems they're finally getting their wishes.
A source tells Us Knight has had numerous talks with executive producer Shonda Rhimes, and that the "writers are scrambling to find a believable exit for George, one that would leave the door open for him to come back someday."
Learn Katherine Heigl's -- and other stars' -- best beauty tips.
Both Heigl's and Knight's reps had no comment, and ABC and ABC Studios could not confirm the departures.
When Us Weekly asked James Pickens Jr. (a.k.a. Grey's Dr. Richard Webber) on February 7 if Heigl is leaving the medical drama, he said, "Yes, she is." And he continued, "Wherever Katherine goes, I wish her nothing but the best."
See the love lives of Grey's Anatomy stars.
Following Heigl, 30, out the door?
Her outspoken BFF, Knight, 35. "He's going too," Pickens told Us at the NAACP Awards luncheon in Beverly Hills. "He just wanted to pursue other career paths."
See stars who made dramatic transformations for roles.
"He complains to Katherine all the time," a set source has said of Knight (with Heigl). "The energy on set will be much better when he's gone."
Sources close to the actors concur.
"Katherine is ready to move on to the next chapter," says a set source. And Knight is "not shy about telling people" he wants out of his contract, another insider told Us in December.
See Katherine Heigl and other stars pigging out!
But now it seems they're finally getting their wishes.
A source tells Us Knight has had numerous talks with executive producer Shonda Rhimes, and that the "writers are scrambling to find a believable exit for George, one that would leave the door open for him to come back someday."
Learn Katherine Heigl's -- and other stars' -- best beauty tips.
Both Heigl's and Knight's reps had no comment, and ABC and ABC Studios could not confirm the departures.
Monday, February 9, 2009
15 Companies That Might Not Survive 2009
Who's next?
With consumers shutting their wallets and corporate revenues plunging, the business landscape may start to resemble a graveyard in 2009. Household names like Circuit City and Linens 'n Things have already perished. And chances are, those bankruptcies were just an early warning sign of a much broader epidemic.
Moody's Investors Service, for instance, predicts that the default rate on corporate bonds - which foretells bankruptcies - will be three times higher in 2009 than in 2008, and 15 times higher than in 2007. That could equate to 25 significant bankruptcies per month.
We examined ratings from Moody's and data from other sources to develop a short list of potential victims that ought to be familiar to most consumers. Many of these firms are in industries directly hit by the slowdown in consumer spending, such as retail, automotive, housing and entertainment.
But there are other common threads. Most of these firms have limited cash for a rainy day, and a lot of debt, with large interest payments due over the next year. In ordinary times, it might not be so hard to refinance loans, or get new ones, to help keep the cash flowing. But in an acute credit crunch it's a different story, and at companies where sales are down and going lower, skittish lenders may refuse to grant any more credit. It's a terrible time to be cash-poor.
[See how Wall Street continues to doom itself.]That's why Moody's assigns most of these firms its lowest rating for short-term liquidity. And all the firms on this list have long-term debt that Moody's rates Caa or lower, which means the borrower is considered at least a "very high" credit risk.
Once a company defaults on its debt, or fails to make a payment, the next step is usually a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Some firms continue to operate while in Chapter 11, retaining many of their employees. Those firms often shed debt, restructure, and emerge from bankruptcy as healthier companies.
But it takes fresh financing to do that, and with money scarce, more bankrupt firms than usual are likely to liquidate - like Circuit City. That's why corporate failures are likely to be a major drag on the economy in 2009: In a liquidation, the entire workforce often gets axed, with little or no severance. That will only add to unemployment, which could hit 9 or even 10 percent by the end of the year.
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It's possible that none of the firms on this list will liquidate, or even declare Chapter 11. Some may come up with unexpected revenue or creative financing that helps avert bankruptcy, while others could be purchased in whole or in part by creditors or other investors. But one way or another, the following 15 firms will probably look a lot different a year from now than they do today:
Rite Aid. (Ticker symbol: RAD; about 100,000 employees; 1-year stock-price decline: 92%). This drugstore chain tried to boost its performance by acquiring competitors Brooks and Eckerd in 2007. But there have been some nasty side effects, like a huge debt load that makes it the most leveraged drugstore chain in the U.S., according to Zacks Equity Research. That big retail investment came just as megadiscounter Wal-Mart was starting to sell prescription drugs, and consumers were starting to cut bank on spending. Management has twice lowered its outlook for 2009. Prognosis: Mounting losses, with no turnaround in sight.
Claire's Stores. (Privately owned; about 18,000 employees.) Leon Black's once-renowned private-equity firm, the Apollo Group, paid $3.1 billion for this trendy teen-focused accessory store in 2007, when buyout funds were bulging. But cash flow has been negative for much of the past year and analysts believe Claire's is close to defaulting on its debt. A horrible retail outlook for 2009 offers no relief, suggesting Claire's could follow Linens 'n Things - another Apollo purchase - and declare Chapter 11, possibly shuttering all of its 3,000-plus stores.
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Chrysler. (Privately owned; about 55,000 employees). It's never a good sign when management insists the company is not going out of business, which is what CEO Bob Nardelli has been doing lately. Of the three Detroit automakers, Chrysler is the most endangered, with a product portfolio that's overreliant on gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs and almost totally devoid of compelling small cars. A recent deal with Fiat seems dubious, since the Italian automaker doesn't have to pony up any money, and Chrysler desperately needs cash. The company is quickly burning through $4 billion in government bailout money, and with car sales down 40 percent from recent peaks, Chrysler may be the weakling that can't cut it in tough times.
Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group. (DTG; about 7,000 employees; stock down 95%). This car-rental company is a small player compared to Enterprise, Hertz, and Avis Budget. It's also more reliant on leisure travelers, and therefore more susceptible to a downturn as consumers cut spending. Dollar Thrifty is also closely tied to Chrysler, which supplies 80 percent of its fleet. Moody's predicts that if Chrysler declares Chapter 11, Dollar Thrifty would suffer deeply as well.
Realogy Corp. (Privately owned; about 13,000 employees). It's the biggest real-estate brokerage firm in the country, but that's a bad thing when there are double-digit declines in both sales and prices, as there were in 2009. Realogy, which includes the Coldwell Banker, ERA, and Sotheby's franchises, also carries a high debt load, dating to its purchase by the Apollo Group in 2007 - the very moment when the housing market was starting to invert from a soaring ride into a sickening nosedive. Realogy has been trying to refinance much of its debt, prompting lawsuits. One deal was denied by a judge in December, reducing the firm's already tight wiggle room.
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Station Casinos. (Privately owned, about 14,000 employees). Las Vegas has already been creamed by a biblical real-estate bust, and now it may face the loss of its home-grown gambling joints, too. Station - which runs 15 casinos off the strip that cater to locals - recently failed to make a key interest payment, which is often one of the last steps before a Chapter 11 filing. For once, the house seems likely to lose.
Loehmann's Capital Corp. (Privately owned; about 1,500 employees). This clothing chain has the right formula for lean times, offering women's clothing at discount prices. But the consumer pullback is hitting just about every retailer, and Loehmann's has a lot less cash to ride out a drought than competitors like Nordstrom Rack and TJ Maxx. If Loehmann's doesn't get additional financing in 2009 - a dicey proposition, given skyrocketing unemployment and plunging spending - the chain could run out of cash.
Sbarro. (Privately owned; about 5,500 employees). It's not the pizza that's the problem. Many of this chain's 1,100 storefronts are in malls, which is a double whammy: Traffic is down, since consumers have put away their wallets. Sbarro can't really boost revenue by adding a breakfast or late-night menu, like other chains have done. And competitors like Domino's and Pizza Hut have less debt and stronger cash flow, which could intensify pressure on Sbarro as key debt payments come due in 2009.
Six Flags. (SIX; about 30,000 employees; stock down 84%). This theme-park operator has been losing money for several years, and selling off properties to try to pay down debt and get back into the black. But the ride may end prematurely. Moody's expects cash flow to be negative in 2009, and if consumers aren't spending during the peak summer season, that could imperil the company's ability to pay debts coming due later this year and in 2010.
Blockbuster. (BBI; about 60,000 employees; stock down 57%). The video-rental chain has burned cash while trying to figure out how to maximize fees without alienating customers. Its operating income has started to improve just as consumers are cutting back, even on movies. Video stores in general are under pressure as they compete with cable and Internet operators offering the same titles. A key test of Blockbuster's viability will come when two credit lines expire in August. One possible outcome, according to Valueline, is that investors take the company private and then go public again when market conditions are better.
Krispy Kreme. (KKD; about 4,000 employees; stock down 50%). The donuts might be good, but Krispy Kreme overestimated Americans' appetite - and that's saying something. This chain overexpanded during the donut heyday of the 1990s - taking on a lot of debt - and now requires high volumes to meet expenses and interest payments. The company has cut costs and closed underperforming stores, but still hasn't earned an operating profit in three years. And now that consumers are cutting back on everything, such improvements may fail to offset top-line declines, leading Krispy Kreme to seek some kind of relief from lenders over the next year.
Landry's Restaurants. (LNY; about 17,000 employees; stock down 66%). This restaurant chain, which operates Chart House, Rainforest Café, and other eateries, needs $400 million in new financing to finalize a buyout deal dating to last June. If lenders come through, the company should have enough cash to ride out the recession. But at least two banks have already balked, leading to downgrades of the company's debt and the prospect of a cash-flow crunch.
Sirius Satellite Radio. (SIRI - parent company; about 1,000 employees; stock down 96%). The music rocks, but satellite radio has yet to be profitable, and huge contracts for performers like Howard Stern are looking unsustainable. Sirius is one of two satellite-radio services owned by parent company Sirius XM, which was formed when Sirius and XM merged last year. So far, the merger hasn't generated the savings needed to make the company profitable, and Moody's thinks there's a "high likelihood" that Sirius will fail to repay or refinance its debt in 2009. One outcome could be a takeover, at distressed prices, by other firms active in the satellite business.
Trump Entertainment Resorts Holdings. (TRMP; about 9,500 employees; stock down 94%). The casino company made famous by The Donald has received several extensions on interest payments, while it tries to sell at least one of its Atlantic City properties and pay down a stack of debt. But with casino buyers scarce, competition circling, and gamblers nursing their losses from the recession, Trump Entertainment may face long odds of skirting bankruptcy.
BearingPoint. (BGPT; about 16,000 employees; stock down 21%). This Virginia-based consulting firm, spun out of KPMG in 2001, is struggling to solve its own operating problems. The firm has consistently lost money, revenue has been falling, and management stopped issuing earnings guidance in 2008. Stable government contracts generate about 30 percent of the firm's business, but the firm may sell other divisions to help pay off debt. With a key interest payment due in April, management needs to hustle - or devise its own exit strategy.
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