| Ronnie Polaneczky | How not to get ahead: 'What would Alycia do?'
I STUPIDLY put off some holiday shopping until the last minute this season. So the weekend before Christmas I was in retail hell at The Gallery, where the check-out line at f.y.e. curled across the front of the music store like smoke from Santa's pipe. I was overheated. My shoulders ached from hauling heavy bags. And I was hungry. In the past, if I was feeling thwarted by others, I might close my eyes and ask, "What would Jesus do?" Last weekend, though, I wondered, "What would Alycia do?" As in Alycia Lane. The Channel 3 news anchor denies throwing a punch at a cop during her recent bout of road rage in New York. But everyone pretty much agrees that, in the midst of the dust-up, she ID'd herself as a reporter. And that, after her arrest, she called Gov.
Confessions of a Wii-seller
Mark Anderson was a Wii reseller. And he doesn't care if you hate him. In a little over six weeks, Mark made about $4,500 hoarding the red-hot game consoles and jacking up the $250 retail price. He used eBay, UPS and his 1997 Buick LeSabre to gouge people — people like you. “I was excited about making a little extra cash for the holidays," he wrote in an e-mail. “I liked the idea of paying for Christmas gifts with a side job that wasn't really that much work — or so I imagined." .
Smart safety aids, other auto tech hopes have come to life
The cars you'll see unveiled at auto shows this year are finally making good on all the technological promises we've heard for the past few years. They intelligently figure out whether you're going to hit something, and help you avoid it. They watch your lane and warn if you're drifting over the line - and even correct your course if you desire. They show you local movie times, gas prices and Starbucks locations. They keep your drinks hot, make your music available by asking for a song out loud, and hug your body with automatically inflating seat bolsters as you make hard turns. "We really look at the car as a second home on wheels," said Alan Hall, global product and technology communications manager for Ford Motor Co. Some of the cool new features to look for, by manufacturer: GENERAL MOTORS: The car to see here is definitely the Cadillac CTS.
Mirror, Mirror: Taking a chance on luxe
Sisters Kia Wongus and Tania Toomer were in their prime shopping years when bling was king, and folks didn't think twice about spending a grand on a handbag. So the Mount Airy identical twins, along with friend Vanessa L. Hall, planned to open a space catering to women with the same upscale urban tastes. Their target date: fall 2007. Yet the closer they got to their November opening, the dimmer the economic picture grew. Gas prices escalated, mortgage loans collapsed. Consumers everywhere tightened their grip on their wallets as the R-word - recession - reentered the country's vocabulary. All that, coupled with poor womenswear sales during fall and a lackluster holiday shopping season, meant the ladies couldn't have picked a worse time to open Manayunk's Totally Posh Boutique. "We know. We know.
Holiday Gift Show features Cape Ann products
When Sinikka Nogelo went to the first Holiday Gift Show of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce last November, she got more than she bargained for.
"As soon as I walked through the door, right away I bought gifts for my grandchildren," she said. "The fair provided a nice showcase for Cape Ann products. I found what I was looking for, and what I wasn't looking for, because I got some great ideas. I saw jewelry and I'm a fan of Marty Morgan pottery. ... I love to buy locally."
The second chamber holiday gift show takes place at Cruiseport Gloucester tomorrow evening and Saturday, featuring shopping, cooking demonstrations, exhibitions and door prizes.
Judy Caulkett, the chamber program manager, said the event will feature 33 booths on both levels of the new Cruiseport building, located off Rogers Street on the inner harbor.
Kazaa settles for $100m
The record industry has reached a legal settlement with Kazaa, the peer-to-peer file-sharing service that has been considered a major contributor to piracy. Under the terms of the settlement, Sharman Networks, Kazaa's Australian-based owner, will pay the world's four major music companies - Universal Music, Sony BMG, EMI and Warner Music - more than $100m in damages. In addition, Kazaa has agreed to restrict the sharing of copyrighted material on its network. "Kazaa was an international engine of copyright theft which damaged the whole music sector and hampered our industry's efforts to grow a legitimate digital business," said John Kennedy, head of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). "It has paid a heavy price for its past activities. At the same time Kazaa will now be making a transition to a legal model and converting a powerful distribution technology to legitimate use." The music industry has reached settlements with a number of file-sharing services following the Supreme Court's landmark ruling last year in the MGM-Grokster case.
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