GetListy » Cyndi Hughes

American Cities Feeling the Recession

Cyndi Hughes — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:12:51 +0000

Although there’s still some discussion over whether the United States is officially in a recession, the slowdown is already being felt in many cities. A New York Times article on Oct. 5 cites a report from Moody’s Economy.com that says about two thirds of the country’s 381 metropolitan areas are in a recession while still another one in five were at risk (see the map). The report also found areas that were growing, despite the overall economic woes.

Here’s a partial breakdown:

Areas in Recession:

Atlanta
Charlotte, N.C.
Chicago
Cleveland
Detroit
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Miami
Nashville
New Orleans
Phoenix
St. Louis

Areas at Risk for Recession:

Baltimore
New York City
Minneapolis-St. Paul
Orlando
Salt Lake City
San Diego
San Francisco

Areas that Are Growing

Boston
Dallas/Fort Worth
Denver
Hartford, Conn.
Houston
Oklahoma City
Raleigh, N.C.
San Jose, Calif.
Seattle
Washington, D.C.

For a look at all cities and how they’re faring, see the maps at the New York Times.

World’s Best Cooking Schools

Cyndi Hughes — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:08:55 +0000

Now, this was a tasty job — I just wish I’d drawn this particular black bean: Gourmet magazine staffers scoured the world to find the best cooking schools. Whether you’re looking for adventure, relaxation, or the Ritz of culinary academies, you’re bound to eat — and cook — well at any of these:

Luxury
France: Two Bordelais (right)
India: Philipkutty’s Farm
New York: Jean George’s Culinary Master Course

Adventure
Laos: Tamarind
Republic of Georgia: The Route of Flavors
Malaysia: Lazat Malaysian Home Cooking Classes; Ismail Ahmad

Specialized
Australia: The Unlimited Cuisine Company
Hong Kong: Martha Sherpa
England: Padstow Seafood School

Healthy
Mexico: La Cocina que Canta
Santa Fe: The Conscious Gourmet Culinary Retreat
California: Wellness Kitchen

Immersion
Hong Kong: Chopsticks Cooking Centre
Thailand: Thai Cookery School
Canada: Fairburn Farm

One or Two Day
Las Vegas: Creative Cooking
New York: Viking Cooking Schools
Spain: A Taste of Spain

Relaxed
France: On Rue Tatin
Italy: Homebase Abroad
Greece: Kea Artisanal

For more schools and details, see the full list at Gourmet.

50 great American escapes

Cyndi Hughes — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:50:23 +0000

If you’re looking for a hideaway that’s not all that far from home, check out Outside magazine’s October 2008 cover story, “Great Escapes 2008.” Click on a state on the interactive map for a destination. For instance, North Dakota takes you to Theodore Roosevelt National Park (left) as one of the top spots for long walks, while King of the Hill in Georgia rates as one of the best remote cabin locations.

Here are the categories with a sampling of destinations for each:

Deep Canyons
Pleiades Canyon, Utah
Canyons of the Escalante River, Utah

Lost Coasts
Shi Shi Beach, Washington
Milolii Beach, Hawaii

Empty Peaks
Mount Bond, New Hampshire
Steens Mountain Wilderness, Oregon

Remote Cabins
Ridgway Hut, Colorado
Uganik Lake Cabin, Alaska

Deserted Islands
Doliver Island, Maine
Apostle Islands, Wisconsin

Wild Roads
Natchez Trace Parkway, Tennessee and Mississippi
Route 66, Arizona

Long Walks
Pecos Wilderness, New Mexico
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, Vermont

Secret Waters
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota
Upper Selway River, Idaho
Delaware River, Pennsylvania and New York

City Sanctuaries
The Nomad World Pub, Minneapolis
Dreamy Draw Recreation Area, Phoenix
The Boathouse at Fletcher’s Cove, Washington, D.C.

For the complete list and links to each entry, visit “Great Escapes 2008.”

Sponsored list:

Hotel offers under $99 (feed)

World’s Largest Oil Reserves

Cyndi Hughes — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:00:45 +0000

We all have oil on our minds these days. But how many of us know where the biggest reserves in the world are? Of course the Middle East comes to mind — but which countries make up the top group?

CNBC assembled this list, based on billions of barrels.

Here is the top 10:

Saudi Arabia (pictured), 266.75 billion barrels
Canada, 178.59 billion barrels
Iran, 138.4 billion barrels
Iraq, 115 billion barrels
Kuwait, 104 billion barrels
The United Arab Emirates, 97.8 billion barrels
Venezuela, 87.03 billion barrels
Russia, 60 billion barrels
Libya, 41.46 billion barrels
Nigeria, 36.2 billion barrels

And where, you might ask, does the United States stand? No. 12 with 20.97 billion barrels (just behind Kazakhstan with 30 billion barrels).

See the full list and slideshow at CNBC.

Most memorable TV moments

Cyndi Hughes — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:45:33 +0000

In addition to paying tribute to the best of this year’s television programming, the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 21, on ABC will name the Most Memorable Comedy and Drama moments in television history. Fans were able to vote at the Emmy Web site until Sept. 15, and the initial list of 40 moments was recently culled down to 20. During the show, the top five clips in each category will be shown and the winners will be announced.

Even if you missed out on voting, you can check out the top 10 moments in each category at the Emmys’ “Memorable Moments” page.

Top 10 Drama Clips

Brian’s Song, Nov. 30,1971
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “The Gift” (May 22, 2001)
Dallas: “A House Divided” (March 21, 1980)
ER: “The Storm,” Part 2 (Feb. 18, 1999)
Grey’s Anatomy: “As We Know It” (Feb. 12, 2006)
Little House on the Prairie: “I’ll Be Waving as You Drive Away,” (March 13, 1978)
Lost: “Live Together, Die Alone” (May 24, 2006)
Roots, Episode 1 (Jan. 24, 1977)
Star Trek: “City on the Edge of Forever” (April 16, 1967)
The X-Files: “Existence Kiss” (May 20, 2001)

Top 10 Comedy Clips

All in the Family: “Sammy’s Visit” (Feb. 19, 1972)
Ellen: Season 4, Episode 23 (April 30, 1997)
Friends: “The One Where Ross Finds Out” (Nov. 9, 1995)
I Love Lucy: “Job Switching” (Sept. 15, 1952; pictured)
M*A*S*H: “Abyssinia Harry” (March 18, 1975)
Newhart: “The Last Newhart” (May 21, 1990)
Seinfeld: “The Contest” (Nov. 18, 1992)
South Park: “Trapped in the Closet” (Nov. 16, 2005)
The Carol Burnett Show: “Went with the Wind” (Jan. 10, 1976)
The Cosby Show: “Happy Anniversary” (Oct. 10, 1985)

Check out the list and watch clips of each moment here for comedy and here for drama.

Sarah Palin’s college years

Cyndi Hughes — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:39:17 +0000

When news broke week that Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has attended five colleges in six years, we all wanted to know WHERE?! So here comes the Associated Press to the rescue:

Hawaii Pacific College, Honolulu (1982)

North Idaho College, Coeur d’Ilene, Idaho (1983)

University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho (1984-1985)

Matanuska-Susitna College, Palmer, Alaska (1985)

University of Idaho, redux (1986-1987)

Technically, it was only four schools in six years, although I guess you have to count the University of Idaho twice, because of her two stints there.

End result? A bachelor’s of science degree in communications-journalism in 1987. The rest, as they say, is history.

America’s Next Top Model’s New Cast

Cyndi Hughes — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:56:24 +0000

Okay, I have to admit this: My favorite fall froth is the new season (a.k.a. “cycle”) of America’s Next Top Model (Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on the CW), the long-limbed fashion-frenzied brainstorm of supermodel Tyra Banks (right). I can’t wait to see judge Miss J out-swagger his protegees on the runway walk. Fashion photographer/hunk Nigel Barker is already bamboozled by new contestant Isis’s gender issues, while the perpetually classy Paulina Porizkova injects a good dose of sunny realism against Tyra’s somewhat melodramatic hosting.

The CW Blog put together this list of the Cycle 11 models vying to join past winners Yoanna House (Cycle 2), Nicole Linkletter (Cycle 5), Jaslene Gonzalez (Cycle 8) and most recent winner Whitney Thompson (Cycle 10) as America’s Next Top Model.

Analeigh, 19, Sacramento, Calif.
Brittany, 19, Henderson, Nev.
Clark, 19, Pawleys Island, S.C.
Elina, 19, Seattle
Hannah, 19, Fairbanks, Alaska
Isis, 22, Prince George’s County, Md.
Joslyn, 23, Lucky, La.
Lauren Brie, 20, Charlottesville, Va.
Marjorie, 19, San Francisco
McKey, 19, Lake Forest, Ill.
Nikeysha, 19, Bronx, N.Y.
Samantha, 18, Woodland Hills, Calif.
Sharaun, 18, Chicago
Sheena, 21, Honolulu

And check out People’s slide show of past winners. Then tune in on Wednesdays and strut your own stuff!

Presidents by height

Cyndi Hughes — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:00:09 +0000

In this election year, we voters may be curious about how presidents stack up by height. Let’s start with the candidates vying to be president No. 44: Republican John McCain hits the mark at 5 feet, 7 inches, while Democrat Barack Obama tops him at either 6 feet, 2 inches or 6 feet, 1½ inches (depending on the source).

Which one was the shortest (for some reason, I’d guess James Madison, pictured), and which was the tallest. (Could it be Lincoln?)

For the complete list, we turn to Web Presidents USA:

Shortest:

James Madison (aha! I was right!) at 5 feet, 4 inches
Benjamin Harrison and Martin Van Buren at 5 feet, 6 inches
John Adams, John Quincy Adams and William McKinley at 5 feet, 7 inches

Tallest

Abraham Lincoln (double aha!) at 6 feet, 4 inches
Lyndon Baines Johnson at 6 feet, 3 inches
Thomas Jefferson and Bill Clinton at 6 feet, 2½ inches

Middle of the Presidential Pack

Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Hoover at 5 feet, 11 inches

Which Bush Is Taller?

At 6 feet, 2 inches, George H.W. (aka 41) tops his son George W. (aka 43) by 2 inches.

To see where the other presidents fit on the height chart, visit Web Presidents USA.

Related lists:

Biggest Corporate Bailouts

Cyndi Hughes — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:36:15 +0000

The Treasury Department’s bailout of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac thas an estimated price tag of that could be as high as $200 billion, expected to be the biggest such takeover in history. BusinessWeek assembled a list of some of the biggest corporate and national bailouts in history, going back to J. P. Morgan (right). Here’s the list, from most recent to oldest:

AIG, Sept. 17, 2008: $85 billion guaranteed by the Federal Reserve.

Bear Stearns, Mar. 16, 2008: $29 billion guaranteed by the Federal Reserve

MBIA, Dec. 10, 2007: $1 billion from private equity fund Warburg Pincus

UBS, Dec. 10, 2007: $11.5 billion from Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, along with an unnamed Middle Eastern investor

E*Trade Financial, Nov. 29, 2007: $2.55 billion from Citadel Investment Group

Citigroup, Nov. 26, 2007: $7.5 billion from Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund

Countrywide Financial, Aug. 22, 2007: $2 billion from Bank of America

Goldman Sachs Hedge Fund, Aug. 13, 2007: $3 billion from Goldman Sachs and investors including C.V. Starr & Co. and Eli Broad

U.S. Domestic Airlines, September 2001: $15 billion from the U.S. government

Russia, 1998: $17 billion in loans from the International Monetary Fund

Long Term Capital Management, 1998: $3.6 billion from various Wall Street firms

Apple, August 1997: $150 million from rival Microsoft

Mexico, 1995: $50 billion in loans ($20 billion from the U.S. and more than $30 billion from the International Monetary Fund, Europe, private banks, and other trading partners)

Salomon Brothers, 1987: $700 million from Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway

Various U.S. Savings and Loans, 1986-1995: $124 billion from the FDIC

Continental Illinois, 1984: $1 billion in capital from the FDIC, which also guaranteed the bank’s $30 billion in uninsured deposits and assumed $3.5 billion of the company’s debt

Chrysler, January 1980: $1.5 billion in loans from the U.S. government

City of New York, 1975: $150 million from the New York City Teachers’ Union plus refinancing $3 billion of its debt

Lockheed Aircraft, 1971: $250 million in loan guarantees from Congress

New York City Trusts, 1907: $50 million ($30 million from John Pierpont Morgan, along with other bankers and $25 million from the U.S. Treasury)

For more details on each bailout, see Business Week’s “Corporate Bailouts Through History” slideshow.

Related lists:

Return to Beverly Hills 90210

Cyndi Hughes — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:46:30 +0000

When we heard that 90210, a new improved version of that 1990s teen hit Beverly Hills 90210, was coming to the CW on Tuesday nights, we couldn’t wait for the return of faves Kelly (Jennie Garth) and that deliciously bad girl Brenda (Shannen Doherty, right) in the new series. We thought we’d cruise down Memory Rodeo Lane to look back at the original show’s cast, courtesy of IMDb’s Beverly Hills 90210 page:

Jennie Garth as Kelly Taylor (292 episodes, 1990-2000)

Tori Spelling as Donna Martin (292 episodes, 1990-2000)

Ian Ziering as Steve Sanders (291 episodes, 1990-2000)

Brian Austin Green as David Silver (291 episodes, 1990-2000)

Joe E. Tata as Nat Bussichio (253 episodes, 1990-2000)

Jason Priestley as Brandon Walsh (244 episodes, 1990-2000)

Luke Perry as Dylan McKay (197 episodes, 1990-2000)

Gabrielle Carteris as Andrea Zuckerman (144 episodes, 1990-2000)

Carol Potter as Cindy Walsh (144 episodes, 1990-1998)

James Eckhouse as Jim Walsh (142 episodes, 1990-1998)

Tiffani Thiessen as Valerie Malone (136 episodes, 1994-2000)

Shannen Doherty as Brenda Walsh (111 episodes, 1990-1994)

Check out the complete cast list, along with a list of directors and writers at IMDb.