Lakers rout Jazz, easily avoid 0-3 season start

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) sticks out his tongue after making a three-point shot against the Utah Jazz during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. Lakers won the game 96-71. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) sticks out his tongue after making a three-point shot against the Utah Jazz during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. Lakers won the game 96-71. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Blake, center, shoots between Utah Jazz forwards Paul Millsap, left, and Enes Kanter (0), of Turkey, during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. Lakers won the game 96-71. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace (15) is fouled by Utah Jazz forward C.J. Miles (34) on a shot attempt during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. Lakers won the game 96-715. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

Utah Jazz center Al Jefferson, right, pulls down a rebound against Los Angeles Lakers forwards Josh McRoberts, (6) Metta World Peace, second from left, and guard Kobe Bryant (24) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace (15) drives to the baskt against Utah Jazz forward Josh Howard (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? After finishing three games in roughly 56 hours with their best effort yet, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers demonstrated why their demise might not be as imminent as many thought.

Bryant scored 26 points, Pau Gasol added 22 points and nine rebounds, and the Lakers avoided just the fourth 0-3 start in franchise history with a 96-71 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.

Metta World Peace scored 14 points for the Lakers, who had much more life than the Jazz despite playing their third game in three nights to open the season. Los Angeles ran away with a dominant third quarter, making a 27-8 surge out of halftime in the club's first win for coach Mike Brown.

After a tumultuous preseason under a new coaching staff, several injuries and the NBA's only three-games-in-three-nights start, the Lakers realize they're still lacking a consistent identity and a thorough knowledge of Brown's game plan. At least a blowout win over the Jazz allowed them to enjoy their first day off since training camp began.

"We're a very active team," Bryant said. "This is a blue-collar team. We're a scrappy bunch. You saw that. We're going to fight and scratch and claw for everything, as it should be. That'll get us by."

With a Christmas loss to the Chicago Bulls and another defeat in Sacramento one night later, the Lakers got off to their first 0-2 start since the 2002-03 season. But Los Angeles has started 0-3 just three times in franchise history ? just once in the last 50 years (1978-79).

Utah missed 17 of its first 19 shots in the second quarter while the Lakers made a 13-0 run capped by a one-handed dunk by World Peace, the normally ground-bound leader of Los Angeles' second unit. Los Angeles blew out the Jazz after halftime, jumping to a 68-39 lead with a 12-2 run.

"To hold a team to 32 percent and 71 points in an NBA game, I don't care who you're playing, you're doing something right on that end of the floor," Brown said. "The focus, the energy, the effort, that communication and trust that we brought defensively, was exciting to see."

The Lakers comprehensively shut down the Jazz, the last NBA team to open its regular season. Paul Millsap had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Utah, but coach Tyrone Corbin scowled throughout the lowest-scoring performance in an opener in franchise history.

"They're a veteran team, they have a lot of pride, and they have some great players in that locker room," Corbin said. "I told our guys before the game, 'If you expect them to come out and lay down because they're playing there games in three nights, you're mistaken.' They wanted to get the monkey off their back as soon as they could, and they played like it."

In the Jazz's first season opener without coach Jerry Sloan running their bench since 1988, Utah made just 20 shots in the first three quarters and shot 20 fewer free throws than the Lakers. Al Jefferson went 2 for 16, C.J. Miles was 1 for 8, and rookie Enes Kanter was 1 for 7 in his NBA debut.

At least Utah's 25-point loss was one point better than the biggest blowout loss in Utah opener history.

"It didn't seem like much was working for us," said Utah forward Gordon Hayward, who had seven points. "It felt like we were a little stagnant, just standing around and watching a little bit. They kind of blew it open in the third quarter, and we can't allow that to happen. But it's just one game. We just need to be more confident shooters."

The Lakers got their only back-to-back-to-back series of games out of the way immediately, although they still won't even get consecutive days off until mid-January. When the New York Knicks visit Staples Center on Thursday night, Los Angeles still will be without starting center Andrew Bynum, who will finish his four-game suspension for misbehavior in last spring's playoffs.

The Lakers already are hurting this season, with Bryant nursing a torn ligament in his right wrist and Gasol wearing extra support for his sprained right shoulder. Veteran Matt Barnes, who's dealing with bursitis in his left hip, didn't play for the second time in three games despite a loud fan chant for him in the fourth quarter.

Millsap came off the Utah bench, playing through tendinitis in his right quadriceps that nearly kept him out of uniform. Jazz newcomer Josh Howard had 10 points in 24 minutes.

NOTES: Corbin waited until right before game time to rule in Millsap, the Jazz's sturdy power forward. Millsap was a reserve for most of his first four NBA seasons, but started all 76 games in which he appeared last season. ... Lakers F Troy Murphy fouled out in 32 scoreless minutes, but he also had 11 rebounds and four assists. ... Utah plays five games in the next seven days, including a one-day trip to San Antonio. The Lakers have four games in the next seven days.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-28-BKN-Jazz-Lakers/id-a7291a9d80af47189d2205eae954ef4e

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Ali Lohan Turns 18, Celebrates With Lindsay

Lindsay Lohan's model sister, Ali, would like to be called by her full name, Aliana Lohan, now that she's turned 18. It sounds more mature. That's her reasoning.

Whatever name you call her by, she's now a legal adult, and the family feted Aliana with a birthday celebration at Beaumarchais restaurant in NYC December 21.

Lindsay, along with a group of her friends, mom, Dina, and younger brothers Cody and Michael Jr. - also celebrating his 24th birthday BTW - honored Ali/Aliana.

"It's clear Lindsay and Michael Jr. are very close. They were talking a lot. Michael had his arm around her. She seemed to be confiding in him," an eyewitness said.

She also went outside to smoke cigarettes with her mom at one point.

Later on that night, Playboy cover girl Lindsay "ordered a bunch of glasses of champagne for the table and switched to drinking that," says a source.

Yay. Later, Ali Lohan and her new face snapped photos on Lindsay's camera before her older sister got up to ask the restaurant staff to prepare a cake.

Although Aliana has been called an anorexic waif, she doesn't seem to be watching what she eats. Adds the eyewitness, she wolfed down the whole meal!

We hope it stayed down. Not to be cynical, but just saying.

[Photo: WENN.com]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/ali-lohan-turns-18-celebrates-with-lindsay/

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N.C. looks again at auto insurance | CharlotteObserver.com & The ...

RALEIGH Is it more important to keep overall car insurance premiums low, or to make sure everyone is paying what they deserve?

North Carolina legislators once again examining the unique rate-setting system for the state's roughly 7 million insured personal vehicles will be hard-pressed in 2012 to agree whether changes are needed to address the balance between insurance risks and costs. Insurers are divided on the issue.

Proposals floated in 2011 at the General Assembly to alter the system could have lowered rates for bad drivers considered too risky for conventional insurance. But supporters of the current system say the bills would have raised rates on many others who have neither caused accidents nor been convicted of speeding recently, yet still sit in the state's large high-risk pool.

The proposals are about better matching premium rates with the level of risk each driver presents, according to a group of insurers led by national industry leader State Farm, along with Geico, Progressive and trade associations seeking a system overhaul. They say they're hamstrung in what they can charge customers because all auto insurers file one combined annual plan to raise or lower rates together through what's called the N.C. Rate Bureau. The state insurance commissioner can approve or change those rates.

The coalition supported legislation filed this year that would have eliminated the Rate Bureau for auto insurance and given insurance companies more authority to raise or decrease rates by up to 15 percent overall annually without the commissioner's consent.

"It's an antiquated system that was used way long ago and no longer has a purpose in today's marketplace," said Liz Reynolds with the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, a member of the Fair Automobile Rates for North Carolina coalition.

Nationwide Insurance, which has the No. 1 automobile market share in the state, along with N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance at No. 3, and others, aren't in the coalition. Nationwide says the rate-filing mechanism promotes stability and hasn't discouraged insurers from writing policies in North Carolina.

Depending on who's calculating, North Carolina's average premium rates rank seventh or eighth lowest in the country.

Insurance commissioner Wayne Goodwin, who opposed the 2011 bills, said the changes would have harmed the public.

The Republican-led Legislature agreed to study the auto insurance system over the next few months, only three years after a similar panel created under Democratic rule covered the same ground.

Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/12/26/2876609/nc-looks-again-at-auto-insurance.html

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Utility customers purchase over 1 million energy efficient CFL bulbs

SCE&G?s ENERGY STAR? Lighting Program continues to provide energy efficient savings as more than 1 million compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) have been purchased in 2011. The program is currently offering consumers instant discounts of up to $3 per bulb at participating retailers throughout SCE&G?s service territory.

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?It?s great to see more residential customers switch to CFL bulbs,? said Nakeeah Garland, ENERGY STAR? lighting incentives program manager at SCE&G. ?This simple switch is an easy ? and effective ? way for customers to save money and energy year round.?

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CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and can last up to 10 times longer. On average, a single CFL bulb can save more than $40 in electricity costs over its lifetime.

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?Using CFLs instead of standard incandescent bulbs can add up to real savings for customers,? said Garland. ?Given that the average household has approximately 40 light fixtures, CFLs can save customers as much as $1,600 over the lifetime of the bulbs.?

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Available for lighting options throughout the home, including recessed can lights, bathroom vanities and three way lamps, CFLs come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Many retailers and other entities provide recycling stations for CFLs, making the option to switch and save easier than ever before.

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The ENERGY STAR? Lighting Program is just one of SCE&G?s EnergyWise programs that provide rebates and incentives, as well as tips and ideas on ways in which customers can be energy wise year round. To learn more, including how to properly recycle CFLs, visit www.sceg.com/energywise. ???

Source: http://fortjackson.wistv.com/news/business/50863-utility-customers-purchase-over-1-million-energy-efficient-cfl-bulbs

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Cruise takes quiet Christmas with $26.5M 'Mission' (omg!)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Tom Cruise's latest mission has won a holiday weekend that's shaping up with some silent nights at movie theaters as business continues to lag.

Studio estimates Sunday placed Cruise's "Mission: Impossible ? Ghost Protocol" a solid No. 1 with $26.5 million domestically over its first weekend in full release. The movie raised its total to $59 million since it started a week earlier in huge-screen cinemas and expanded nationwide last Wednesday, and distributor Paramount estimated that revenues will reach $72.7 million by Monday.

Cruise's fourth "Mission" flick was a bright spot over a Christmas weekend filled with so-so tidings for Hollywood, whose usually busy holiday stretch since Thanksgiving has been a bust.

Generally well-reviewed movies from Steven Spielberg ("The Adventures of Tintin"), David Fincher ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo") and Cameron Crowe ("We Bought a Zoo") ? with casts that include Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson and Daniel Craig ? opened with modest to weak results.

Despite predictions from studio executives that 2011 could be a record-setter that would finish with a bang, domestic revenues remained stuck at a sluggish pace that has lingered all year.

Hollywood should finish the year with $10.1 billion domestically, down 4.5 percent from 2010, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

The picture gets worse taking into account higher ticket prices, which mean Hollywood brings in fewer fans for each dollar spent. Actual domestic attendance for 2011 will close out at about 1.27 billion, down 5.3 percent from the previous year's and the lowest head count since 1995, when admissions totaled 1.26 billion.

"Thank God 2011 is almost over, because we've had a real rough run here at the end of the year," said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "We always count on the holiday season to give us a big boost at the end of the year, and it just didn't happen.

"These admission numbers this year just tell me that we maybe have to set our sights a little lower in terms of attendance every year."

Since peaking at a modern high of 1.6 billion in 2002, domestic movie admissions have been on a general decline since.

Studio executives always insist that slow times result from weak films, but on paper, the strong lineup Hollywood presented this year should have had fans lining up in huge numbers. Pretty good films are out there this holiday season, yet blockbuster expectations fizzled, a sign that people might be skipping a trip to the theater in favor of home-viewing, video games or the countless other entertainment options their gadgets now offer.

Rising ticket prices, particularly the extra few dollars it costs to see 3-D films, also could be causing a backlash among fans.

With "Ghost Protocol" climbing toward the $100 million mark, it's a return to box-office form for Cruise, who had been Hollywood's most-dependable earner for two decades until he turned off fans with odd antics in his personal life six years ago.

"Ghost Protocol" will be Cruise's first top-billed $100 million hit since 2006's "Mission: Impossible III." He had a supporting role in 2008's $100 million comedy hit "Tropic Thunder," which was headlined by Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black.

Even with a No. 1 debut, "Ghost Protocol" still was a shadow of its predecessors. The first three "Mission: Impossible" movies ranged from $45 million to $58 million over opening weekend, but those installments opened at the start of the busy summer season.

As of Friday, "Ghost Protocol" also had brought in a healthy $118 million overseas.

Downey's "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" fell from No., 1 to No. 2 in its second weekend with $17.8 million. The family sequel "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" dropped from second to third with $13.3 million.

Both sequels trail well behind the business their predecessors did. "A Game of Shadows," from Warner Bros., lifted its domestic haul to $76.6 million, while 20th Century Fox's "Chipwrecked" pushed its receipts to $50.3 million.

The weekend's newcomers failed to light up the box office, too. Fincher and Craig's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" from Sony was No. 4 with $13 million, Spielberg's "The Adventures of Tintin" from Paramount was No. 5 with $9.1 million and Crowe, Damon and Johansson's "We Bought a Zoo" from 20th Century Fox was No. 6 with $7.8 million.

"Dragon Tattoo" raised its total to $21.4 million since opening Tuesday night, while "Tintin" lifted its take to $17.1 million since debuting Wednesday.

European literary exports "Dragon Tattoo," adapted from Stieg Larsson's Swedish best-seller, and "Tintin," based on Belgian artist Herge's storybook classics, are finding a lukewarm reception among U.S. crowds.

"Dragon Tattoo" has been a sensation among U.S. readers yet failed to challenge "Mission: Impossible" and the other established franchises at the top of the box office.

Beloved by generations of readers overseas, "Tintin" launched internationally two months ahead of its U.S. release. But the blockbuster global attention, with nearly $250 million already in the bank from foreign markets, did not translate to crowds in the United States.

The calendar made it a tough weekend for Hollywood, with Christmas Eve ? always a slow night for movie-going ? falling on Saturday, usually the best day of the week at theaters.

Christmas Day typically is a strong one for movies, as fans squeeze in a film between unwrapping presents and sitting down to family dinners.

Two big holiday releases ? Spielberg's World War I epic "War Horse" and Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock's Sept. 11 drama "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" ? opened Christmas Day, but estimates on their revenues will not be available until Monday.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "Mission: Impossible ? Ghost Protocol," $26.5 million.

2. "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," $17.8 million.

3. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked," $13.3 million ($20.1 million international).

4. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," $13 million.

5. "The Adventures of Tintin," $9.1 million.

6. "We Bought a Zoo," $7.8 million ($1.1 million international).

7. "New Year's Eve," $3 million.

8. "Arthur Christmas," $2.7 million ($9.7 million international).

9. "Hugo," $2.03 million.

10. "The Muppets," $2 million ($500,000 international).

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_cruise_takes_quiet_christmas26_5m_mission_182242793/44003446/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/cruise-takes-quiet-christmas-26-5m-mission-182242793.html

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Fundamentals For Solar Energy Look Great, But Companies With The Right Strategy Are Lacking

Alternative energy has been a growing focus of mine over the past few months, and so I've been looking for the right uranium, solar, and wind energy stocks to add to my portfolio as buy and hold value plays. Here is a short summary of my analysis of the current situation in the solar energy market:

1. Solar ETFs have been some of the worst performing ETFs in 2011 -- which of course piques my buying interest quite a bit. While I consider it quite likely these stocks could continue to go further down, I don't think the underlying fundamentals have changed; concerns over peak oil and the need to transition away from fossil fuels are only growing, and players like China and Google are still viable candidates for being the "smart money" that can bring the demand to push prices higher -- demand upon which small-time players like individual investors can piggyback on. China's domestic demand for solar energy continues to grow, as does Google's interest solar as evidenced by its recent KKR deal.

2. But while solar as a sector is set to grow for years and will help the world transition away from fossil fuels, not all parts of the solar value network are the same. Indeed, I believe the value network is still evolving rapidly as new technologies -- particularly those related to storage -- continue to come on to the scene. However, one trend that I think is particularly important, and will drive much of how the value network changes and profit opportunities are created, is the rapidly declining price of solar panels. As solar panels continue to fall in price, I suspect profit opportunities will transition to firms that specialize in installation and the development of custom solar solutions. In other words, companies that are more service-oriented and customer-relations centric rather than pure product makers.

And here is where I come to a stand still, and why I have yet to make an investment in the solar sector. There simply isn't a company I've found that has the strategy I'm looking to back as well as a stable balance sheet and competent leadership. The solar ETFs, KWT and TAN, could be viable ways of playing the entire sector, though I don't think they have the right kind of companies -- companies pursuing the strategy I've outlined in this post -- in their portfolio. And so, I'm still on the sidelines when it comes to solar, and will continue to focus on uranium stocks and nuclear energy which I think has more companies with viable strategies and a more mature value network safer for investing as well.

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

Source: http://seekingalpha.com/article/315906-fundamentals-for-solar-energy-look-great-but-companies-with-the-right-strategy-are-lacking?source=feed

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Obama uses public pressure to push GOP on tax cuts (AP)

WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama on Thursday chided House Republicans he said are holding up an extension of expiring payroll tax cuts, saying the debate is "about the American people."

To make his point, Obama was flanked at the White House by people who said they would be stretched thin financially if Congress failed to extend the cuts before the end of the year. If no deal is reached, the White House says a person making $50,000 a year would see a loss of about $40 per paycheck.

"Now there may be some folks in the House who refuse to vote for this compromise because they don't think 40 bucks is a lot of money," Obama said. "But anyone who knows how to stretch a budget knows that at the end of the week or the end of the month, $40 can make all the difference in the world."

In seeking to ratchet up pressure on Republicans for a deal, Obama reiterated his call for a two-month extension of the payroll tax cuts, a measure already agreed to by an overwhelming majority of Senators from both parties. He said the House GOP's refusal to sign on to the bipartisan deal was exactly why the American people have grown so frustrated with Washington.

"This is an issue where an overwhelming number of people in both parties agree," Obama said. "How can we not get that done? Has this place become so dysfunctional that even when people agree to things we can't do it? It doesn't make any sense. Enough is enough."

House Republicans say they oppose the two-month deal because it doesn't provide the public and businesses enough certainty. They've called on Obama and Senate Democrats to instead negotiate a full-year extension now.

Earlier Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner called Obama, their second conversation in as many days. The White House said Obama committed to immediately starting talks on a full-year deal if the House first passes the two-month extension. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has also urged the House to pass a short-term extension while starting work on the full-year deal.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/uscongress/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111222/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_payroll_tax

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