In the latest Britney Spears drama, the pop-star is taken from her home by an ambulance and escorted by more than a dozen police officers to the hospital.
A Los Angeles police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter, said Spears was taken to the hospital to "get help." The Los Angeles Times cited unidentified authorities who said Spears was being placed on a "mental evaluation hold."
It's just the latest in a string Spears shinannigans; wild, eratic behavior by the once innocent school girl-like singer which has turnd into a mulit-million dollar economy.
Portfolio magazine estimates that Britney's bad behavior turned into a $110 million dollar profit for those smart enough to cash in. The American public laps up pictures and video of Spears shaving her head, attacking cars with umbrellas, and driving to the courthouse for her child custody cases, only to suddenly turn around and leave. The obsession with her crazy antics has churned a multi million dollar "Britney Economy."
The paparazzi charges anwhere from $250 for a basic going-to-get-a-cup-of-coffee shot to $100,000 or more for an exclusive. The photo agency X17 has a team of photographers trailing Britney 24 hours day. They estimate the pop star accounts for a third of their revenue. In 2007 alone, X17 sold $2.5 million worth of Britney photos, including $500,000 for its exclusive pics of the singer's head-shaving incident. Celebrity mags put Spears on their covers 175 times in just 78 weeks, bringing in sales of $360 million. Between January 2006 and July 2007, Portfolio reports that People, Us Weekly, In Touch, Life & Style, OK! and Star magazines sold an average of 1.28 million copies. That's 33 percent more because of Spears coverage.
Who can blame Britney for her crazy behavior? Why should she stop when she is rewarded every time she has a break down?
Pure Nightclub reportedly sold seats at a table next to Britney's for $50,000. Portfolio magazine says Spears can earn up to $400,000 just for attending an event. People will pay serious money to see the wacky star. So what incentive is there for Brittany to stop attacking cars and chopping off her hair?
If the public, or her fans, really want her to get better, they should stop buying the "rag mags" and leave her alone. If Britney wasn't swarmed by papparazzi or paid to appear at events every time she has a meltdown, maybe she would actually WANT to get better, and straighten up her life.

At select Starbucks stores in Seattle, you can buy a cup of joe for a buck.
Ssssshhhh.
It's a new initive by ex-CEO-just-recently-unretired-because-of-falling-stock-prices Howard Schultz. Starbucks is hurting, and something needs to be done.
But who goes to Starbucks because of it's "cheap" prices??
A year ago, Schultz wrote a bitter memo to his executives about what he calls "the watering down of the Starbucks experience." He complained that the soul of Starbucks was gone, and urged the higher ups to bring back customer service.
So he's back in action, determined to change the coffee giant's luck.
There's no question Starbucks is in trouble. In the past year and a half, stock prices have fallen nearly 50%, from a high of $39.63 in May 2006, to closing at $19.66 today. Schultz blames the company's out of control growth. Also ailing are skyrocketing milk prices, the troubling economy, and pressure from McDonald's.
But why dollar coffee?
Isn't that the turf of McDonald's?
But the answer is...not really.
Mickey D's recently announced plans to open "McCafe's." In other words, coffee bars featuring cappuccinos, lattes, and mochas whipped up by baristas, a la Starbucks.
This, after Starbucks added drive-thru windows and hot breakfast sandwiches.
It seems the two mega chains are going after each other... by coping each other.
McDonald's is upgrading, while Starbucks seems to be.. well, downgrading.
The dollar cupajoe seems to be an effort to get crowds in the door, but in the move Starbucks is moving away from it's brand.
Starbucks is the king of $6 cups of coffee. They survived the economic downturn of 2001, when analysts feared the worst for a company who prides itself on hoity-hoity coffee. Starbucks customers LIKE that they shelled out bug bucks for their latte. The well known siren laden white cup is almost a status symbol, recognized in all corners of the world.
Starbucks needs to go back to the "third place." Howard, get rid of the drive-thrus, the expensive merchandise, and the cookie cutter stores. You don't need to sell your coffee for a dollar.

On her very first jump in her long program, Mirai Nagasu tumbles to the ground.
Gasps fill the Xcel Center in St. Paul.
But the 14 year old wasn't disappointed with her fall - she was angry.
She went on to land the next seven triple jumps, and became the second youngest United States figure skating champion ever.
Nagasu is just 34 days older than Tara Lipinski when she won the title in 1997.
Because she is just 14, she cannot compete in the World Championships next month in Sweden. The International Skating Union says to compete at Worlds, skaters had to be 15 by July 1, 2007.
Mirai won't be 15 until next April.
The rule is supposed to keep the young "kids" out of the lime light and all the intense pressure until they are a but older and "ready." In reality, it's a stupid skating rule.
As a real rule, skaters peak when they are teens, sometimes young teens. Oksana Baiul was 16 when she won Olympic gold in 1994, Tara Lipinski was 15 in 1998, and Sarah Hughes 16 in 2006.
This year, 14 year-old Mirai has been traveling the world, competing in International Junior events, skipping school and making money. Not typical "kiddie" behavior.
Mirai could be a her peak right now. So why not let her skate at Worlds?
Mirai isn't the only one left in the dust. Second place Rachel Flatt is 20 days shy of the age requirement, and fourth place finisher Caroline Zhang is just 14 as well.
Meaning the USFSA could end up sending 3rd place Ashley Wagner, 5th place BeBe Liang, and if they stick to placement, 6th place Katrina Hacker, who has little to no international experience. According to sanctions, they could pass her over for 7th place Kimmie Missner, who fell three times in her long program.
If we can't send our top little skaters to Worlds because of their age, and their older, but not as competitive counterparts don't skate well, they could cost the US dearly.
If the placement from the top two skaters from a country is below 13 - say a seventh and an eighth place finish - that country can only send two skaters to the next Worlds.
Smart rule, right?

The 2007 U.S. junior champ earned a 70.23 to place first, and defending champion Kimmie Meissner fell on her opening jump and finished fourth.

By RACHEL BLOUNT, Star Tribune

The night before her senior-level debut, Mirai Nagasu couldn't sleep. Even her mother scolded her, reminding the 14-year-old skater how much rest she would need before the women's short program at the national championships.

Nagasu lay in bed visualizing what Thursday night would feel like. But even in her sweetest dreams, she couldn't imagine just how magical her performance would be. In a '60s-styled hot-pink dress, the southern Californian romped through a program overflowing with charm and bubbly personality, overwhelming the crowd -- and her competition -- at Xcel Energy Center.

Nagasu earned 70.23 points, a personal best by a large margin. Ashley Wagner, also making her senior debut at nationals, and Rachael Flatt, another of skating's young stars, were second and third with scores of 65.15 and 62.91. Defending champion Kimmie Meissner fell on her opening jump and placed fourth; world junior champion Caroline Zhang had two jumps downgraded and was seventh.

"I'm pretty excited," said Nagasu, the 2007 U.S. junior champ. "It was just fun out there, pure fun. That's what I'm here to do. I just want to continue to do it."

Nagasu skated to "I Got Rhythm," and she said during training that she was inspired by dancer Gene Kelly. She channeled his verve with her opening triple lutz-triple toe jump combination followed quickly by a triple flip. Her spine-defying layback spin and two other spins all earned the highest levels of difficulty.

She received a standing ovation from a crowd of approximately 9,000 and took a deep bow. Flatt followed immediately with another George Gershwin number, "It Ain't Necessarily So," and another captivating performance. Wagner got a standing ovation for her athletic "Henry VIII" program, highlighted by her huge jumps.

All three of the top skaters landed triple-triple combinations. Meissner tumbled on her opening triple flip and turned a planned triple-triple combination into a triple-double. She earned a score of 57.58 and said she was generally happy with her performance.

"The flip was a silly mistake," Meissner said. "I thought, 'Kimmie, that's not right. There's no falling in figure skating.' I nailed the lutz, and everything was cool."

Zhang received her lowest technical mark of the season and finished with 53.49 points. Zhang, 14, has struggled with tougher judging standards for jumps and had a triple lutz and a triple toe loop downgraded because she did not complete three full revolutions.

"I thought it was OK," said Zhang, who expressed surprise that the lutz was downgraded. "It could have been a lot better. I think my jumps could have been better. I just wasn't skating very well."

Two local competitors, Molly Oberstar of Duluth and Angie Lien of Superior, Wis., skated clean programs to great applause. Oberstar finished 11th and Lien was 13th. Oberstar said as she left the ice that skating in her home-state nationals was the most fun she had had in her life.

Meissner said that in her free skate Saturday, performed to the dramatic opera theme "Nessun Dorma," she will try to stay more focused through the entire program. So will Nagasu, who is determined not to wilt.

"To be first is really exciting," she said. "I'm not going to let any pressure bother me [Saturday]."