Alicia Keys took home four trophies from the NAACP Image Awards, held at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium Thursday night. She won the Outstanding Album and Outstanding Female Artist prizes, as well as the top video and song awards. Other honorees included Chris Brown, Jordin Sparks, Denzel Washington and Janet Jackson. Washington and his "Great Debaters" co-star Jurnee Smollett won the Best Actor and Actress prizes for film, while Jackson received the Best Supporting Actress honor for her work in "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?" ...

As Britney Spears' father extended control over her affairs in Los Angeles on Thursday, a New York attorney attempted to undo them by taking the conservatorship to federal court. Claiming he represents the singer — despite a judge already deciding she's unable to retain counsel of her own just yet — attorney Jon Eardley filed a claim that the singer's conservatorship deprives her of her civil liberties, since she's been denied the right to meet freely with whom she chooses (as her father has the power to restrict visitors); make and receive phone calls (since a restraining order prevents manager Sam Lutfi from contacting her); drive a car (since her father hired security to do that for her); and gain access to money or credit cards (since her finances are being handled by her trust).

Sharing the joy of putting pen to paper

I truly enjoyed your Tues., Feb. 12, column "Sacred art of letter writing revisited." I'm presently on a quest to resurrect the art. Since Dec., 2006, I've handwritten a monthly letter that is delivered to my family and friends via U.S. mail. Presently my readership is approximately 60 people."

Thomas told me that the effort costs her a small fortune in stamps, paper and ink but feels the effort is well worth it.

"All of them -- except the few in the writers group at the New Lenox library that receive hand-delivered copies from me -- let me know that they anxiously await the mailman's monthly visit," Thomas wrote. " They state that it's great to receive other than bills and ad circulars in the mail."

I'm now on Paula's list of recipients and look forward to finding something in my mailbox other than the latest shocker from Nicor.

Provincial Official Calls for Change in China

Thus, it needs to be explained and clarified to all Chinese people that the bursting of the "bubble" of the "big bull market" is an inevitable event that will hit us sooner or later. Chinese leaders should take this opportunity as a turning point to initiate an all-round reform in the stock market, in finance, and even in China's economic and political reforms.

If you explain all this clearly to the Chinese people and launch a series of reform objectives and plans, our people will be understanding and forgiving.

The burst of the stock market "bubble" will provide you the best opportunity to start an all-inclusive reform in China, especially political reform. It is indeed an excellent test of your resoluteness and talent as political leaders.

However, if when the bubble bursts you do not initiate the reforms and only intend to cover up your responsibility by means of propaganda, it is easy to imagine what a huge crisis China will face at that time.

The Leonard Lopate Show

How can someone minimize the potentially lethal effects of foods on kids? You are a horrible, horrible station to give this interview. This is a horrible person. We had a child almost die from ingesting dairy. While not all kids are allergic to food, and even if it's overblown, so what!!!!!!! Isn't it better to be safe. Saying that it's in the self-interest of FAAN or whatever it is to promote labeling on products is just stupid. What is wrong with better labeling? Isn't it better to know what is contained in our food that not? The smugness of the interviewer is truly, truly obnoxious. Oh, it's so overblown these allergies. And so what if the rate has been increasing, decreasing, or staying the same. There is a problem and if we don't deal with it, some kids will die. I'd like to know just what the author knows about statistical significance.

IPC Media Selects Interwoven Optimost to Optimize Their Web Presence

SAN JOSE, Calif. and LONDON, March 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- IPC Media, a leading UK consumer magazine publisher whose titles include Marie Claire, Country Life and What's on TV, has selected the Interwoven Multivariable Optimization solution, powered by Interwoven Optimost, to increase visitor conversion rates on its magazine portfolio subscription site, http://www.giftmags.co.uk.

"Online subscription sales have become a huge focus for us," said Beatriz Montoya, Head of Subscriptions at IPC Media.

Obama Trounces Clinton in Wisconsin and Hawaii to Make It Ten in a Row

Barack Obama last night swept aside Hillary Clinton in the Wisconsin primary and Hawaii caucuses, extending his winning run in the Democratic presidential race to ten consecutive victories.

As in the Potomac primary a week earlier, Mr Obama made significant inroads last night into her base support among women, union and white lower-paid voters while maintaining huge leads over among independents and younger people.

Reiser Trial

Reiser is expected to be back on the stand on Wednesday and Thursday. A DNA expert for the defense might also testify Thursday, Tamor said.

Outside court, defense attorney William Du Bois told KCBS Radio reporter Bob Melrose, "It seems like a good introduction, but we have a long way to go. We're just trying to focus on the days, weeks and years that are seriously at issue in the case." Du Bois' cell phone began chirping as the interview continued. The defense attorney agreed that much of today's discussion got "inextricably tied up in his technical explanation of his world" and that it was "hard to get through it without boring the listener." But now that we're through that stage, the talks will soon turn to the years after the Reisers got married -- and why Hans would never kill the mother of his two children as alleged, as the children were the "most important to him in the world." Hans also didn't have the opportunity to kill his wife, Du Bois said.

A freeze to keep lenders at bay?

Minnesota homeowners facing the loss of their houses could stop foreclosures and make reduced payments for up to one year under a bill that will get its first legislative hearing today.

Foreclosures are expected to reach a record 33,000 in Minnesota this year, up from 20,573 last year, said Sen. Ellen Anderson, DFL-St. Paul. And while Hennepin County is the hardest hit, foreclosure signs are popping up across the state as borrowers succumb to a weakening economy.

Forrester Research, Inc. Company Profile - View Forrester Research ...

About Forrester Research, Inc.

Forrester Research, Inc. is an independent technology and market research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice to global leaders in business and technology. For more than 23 years, Forrester has been making leaders successful every day through its proprietary research, consulting, events, and peer-to-peer executive programs.

David Cameron's fudge on faith school 'fakes'

Mr Cameron will learn this year whether his own daughter has won a place at a state-funded Church of England school in Kensington, West London.

Apocalypse now?

First, there is a risk that a small degree of incipient inflation has been allowed to creep into the economy, which will make it hard to manage the changes occurring.

Once falling house prices take hold and consumers decide to save, there may be nothing monetary policy can do to get them spending again.