| Britney's parents fear for her safety
Britney Spears' parents have said they fear for her life after she was released early from a hospital psychiatric ward. Her parents, Jamie and Lynne Spears, released a joint statement saying they were "extremely disappointed" and that their daughter's life had been put at risk and said they wanted the courts to intervene so "a tragedy may be averted". Britney had been in hospital for six days following increasingly erratic behaviour. Her parents said: "As parents of an adult child in the throes of a mental health crisis, we were extremely disappointed this morning to learn that over the recommendation of her treating psychiatrist, our daughter Britney was released from the hospital that could best care for her and keep her safe. "We are deeply concerned about our daughter's safety and vulnerability and we believe her life is presently at risk.
Jaguars By Tata Has a Nice Ring
The suitors are cued up kicking the tires on Jaguar and Land Rover, which Ford is trying to sell. The most intriguing candidates mentioned by insiders are India's leading carmaker Tata, as well as Mahindra & Mahindra and Chinese carmaker Shanghai Auto. Interest by private equity firms seems to be cooling for two reasons: the crunch in the debt markets, and a poison pill being dispensed by Ford out of necessity that stipulates that the buyer must hold onto U.K. manufacturing facilities for at least five years, thus protecting some 19,000 jobs. Ouch. Private equity, I'm told, may not to want to sign on to that deal. The jobs. Ah yes, the jobs. Ford has been bedeviled for years by British labor when it comes to making a profit from either Jaguar or Land Rover. Despite the fact that there is no British auto industry left, the government is awfully bossy and keen to hamstring automakers, especially Ford, into holding on to more workers than they need.
Morgan Keegan fund ranked No. 1 by WSJ
The Regions Morgan Keegan Select Value Fund has been ranked No. 1 in its category by the Wall Street Journal. The Select Value Fund (NYSE: RVLAX) is a large-cap value fund and was ranked on one-year returns against 503 similar funds. The fund had a return of 19.2 percent for 2007. Its one-month return for December 2007 was 3.4 percent, the highest among the 537 large-cap value funds ranked by the Wall Street Journal for that period. "The fund's performance was boosted by strategically weighted positions in the materials and energy sectors, combined with reduced emphasis in the financial and consumer discretionary sectors," says Walter A. "Bucky" Hellwig, senior vice president and senior portfolio manager for Morgan Asset Management, in a statement.
Gone in 60 seconds: treasure in your car
Scrap dealers “are paying top dollar — platinum, palladium, rhodium inside of them — and they're getting top dollar" on resale, said Jack Bell of North Shore Towing, which tows vehicles for the Evanston, Ill., police. “The word spreads real quick about it, what they're worth," said Marty Antonelli of Marty's Welding and Muffler Shop in Pittsburgh. “Everybody is on them now." Easy to find = easy to steal
The converters are inviting targets because they're easy to grab. Mounted on the exterior undercarriage of vehicles, they can be removed in about a minute with any standard metal cutting tool. An enterprising thief in a crowded parking lot or garage can make off with enough converters to clear $2,000 or $3,000 in half an hour. “These thieves are targeting shopping malls, school parking lots, busy business districts, and they are hitting these places in the daylight," said Jennifer Krings, a spokeswoman for AAA.
CSI coed killed in Willowbrook crash
A 20-year-old Dongan Hills woman was mortally injured last night when she lost control of her sports coupe on a slick Willowbrook road and slammed into a utility pole. The victim, identified as Jacqueline Donadio, was pronounced dead at Richmond University Medical Center, West Brighton, about 40 minutes after the 7:50 p.m. crash. At this time, police suspect no criminality in connection with the accident. In an eerie twist, her brother was involved in a deadly car crash seven months ago. Ms. Donadio, the daughter of a retired police lieutenant, was a student at the College of Staten Island. She graduated from New Dorp High School in 2005. Her MySpace page featured rock music and cryptic images with the following phrases, "Live Fast.
Aussie firm helps build China's new missile catamarans
The Chinese Navy is using Australian technology to upgrade its warships, a move which experts warn may be detrimental to Australia's national security. Through a joint venture company based in China, an Australian business, AMD, has sold designs for the hull and propulsion system of high-speed catamarans to the Peoples' Liberation forces. The Chinese military has built vessels based on those designs and then armed them with weapons systems including anti-shipping missiles. A former senior Australian intelligence official is warning that although the situation is legal under Australian law, it is not an ideal situation for Australia's national interest. But the company involved believes there is no way to stop China applying civilian technology to its military.
Amargosa track sets '08 debut for Feb. 9
Auto racing will return to southern Nye County in 2008, according to Rick VanBuytene. The Death Valley Raceway, a one-third mile dirt oval located in Amargosa Valley, will hold its inaugural race Feb. 9, according to its Web site, www.DEATHVALLEYRACEWAY.homestead.com. Subsequent racing dates, according to the site, are Feb. 23; March 8, 22; April 5 (first night race, 7 p.m.), 19; May 3, 17, 31; June 14, 27-28; July 12, 25-26; Sept. 6, 20; Oct. 18 and Nov. 1. The February and March programs will start at 1 p.m.; so will the Oct. 18 and Nov. 1 cards. The IMCA modifieds, super stocks, mini stocks, classic coupes, sprint cars, modified minis, Bombers, factory stocks and Dwarf cars will be featured most weeks, the site reports. VanBuytene, for years one of the standout drivers at the Pahrump Valley Speedway, is the director of racing at the Amargosa facility, located just off Highway 373 near the Ash Meadows turnoff.
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